Chapter 233

“It is,” she seconded, thoughts of her lovely Sally filling her mind.

“I got close to her. I asked my father to put her directly under me so she would serve me alone, and she would not have to work the mines. He granted my request. We had two years together. She was seventeen and I was twenty when Cone struck.”

So sad. So alone. So pained. That was how he looked. His face stoic and inscrutable, and yet, she saw the raw pain behind that expressionless mask.

“At first, when she kept offering herself in place of me, in slavery, I thought it was because of the love she had for me as her master—just like Baski and Chad did.” He swallowed. “But she kept going to extremes. More extremes, just to make sure I did not suffer. It didn't take long for me to realize that she had feelings for me. Womanly feelings.

“Slavery broke her to pieces, Danika. After she killed Yeaha Raskin, she cried for several days. That woman was good to her when she was still under their family