‘Yes, Mr. Deacon. It is our new policy that all Humans brought in for registration are branded and spayed. It is a relatively simple procedure. Mr. Newman is a very skilled surgeon. Your Human’s scarring will be minimal.’
I was breathing hard through my nostrils. They had taken Helena, branded her and removed her innards so she could never bear children. They had erased her memories and sold her on the slave market.
Jack’s face had become very pale. ‘No,’ he said. ‘I don’t want my … my Human de-sexed.’
Korra Waterson glanced up from the instruments. ‘You do not wish to register your Human?’
‘Your branding will spoil her value,’ Jack invented. ‘And your spaying will put her out of work for a week.’
Mr. Newman chortled. ‘Don’t be ridiculous. It will increase her value if you wish to sell her in future.’
The anger built up inside me and I could feel the warmth spread over my body. My vision blurred. Was I passing out? I couldn’t handle remaining still and silent for much longer.
Korra handed Alastor a needle and a sharp blade before Jack stepped in front of me. ‘No, I’m sorry. I won’t allow you to taint my property.’
Korra’s face became stern. ‘Mr. Deacon, it is a felony to treat Humans as equals.’
‘I thought registration was voluntary?’ Jack challenged.
‘It is, but the law of The Realm states that we have the authority to confiscate your Human if we so desire. Your concern for this Human’s well-being is quite troublesome.’
‘No,’ said Jack, his eyes darting between Alastor and Korra. ‘It’s nothing like that.’
Korra nodded to Alastor and muttered, ‘get this Human lover out of my sight. Have him charged with Human compassion.’
It all happened very suddenly. Alastor Newman reached for Jack, but stopped very suddenly when I grabbed his wrist.
‘What the hell? Get off me, filth!’ Alastor spat, wrenching himself free before slapping me across the face with the back of his hand. The thick gold ring on his middle finger cut my cheek as my head was jerked to the right. ‘How dare you touch a Mage!’ said Alastor.
Forgetting where we were, Jack grabbed Alastor by the throat. ‘Don’t touch her!’ he hissed.
At that moment a deafening sound filled my ears. Jack whipped around and stared at me in horror. The roaring continued.
‘No!’ Jack yelled. I didn’t know why he was shouting at me.
But then I understood. The roaring in my ears was the fire. I looked down and saw that I was engulfed; angry white flames licked my body. Korra and Alastor stared at me in alarm, retreating several steps. They did not understand. They thought I had spontaneously combusted.
‘Avalon,’ Jack grabbed my shoulders and I could smell burning flesh. ‘It’s all right. It’s fine. I’m here.’
Jack’s eyes watered due to the effort it caused him to hold onto me. I was burning his flesh faster than he could heal, but I feared that if he let go I would shoot into the sky. The force of the flames was so powerful that my feet actually left the ground. It was rage and sorrow unlike anything I had ever known.
‘They took her,’ I said. ‘They took her.’
‘I know, I know,’ said Jack. ‘But we can still find her. We can reverse this. I will heal her.’
‘You can’t heal permanent damage,’ I said through molten tears.
‘I will do whatever it takes,’ said Jack. He turned to Alastor and Korra. ‘Where is she? Where is Helena Redding?’
Korra spluttered. The Realm officials had sunk to their knees in fear, their eyes darting to the doorway.
‘Where is she?’ Jack said loudly, advancing on them. I saw his hands begin to heal the flesh I had burned – they looked shiny and painful.
They cowered. ‘The little girl who lived with the Fire-Mages? We don’t know! We don’t know who bought her!’
Jack grabbed Alastor by the scruff of his neck and shook him. ‘Tell me who bought Helena Redding.’
It was not often that I saw Jack enraged. His anger calmed me. The flames died.
I became aware that I had burned away the rags that covered my body. I sank to the floor and brought my knees to my chest in an attempt to shield my nakedness. Helena. What had they done to Helena? Was she an empty, lifeless shell at this very moment?
‘A man – a man from Flamethroat Valley bought her last week! She was not spayed. Not spayed! He said he had use for a young, fertile Human girl.’
‘Sick bastards,’ Jack spat. ‘You let him buy her?’
‘They pay good coin for young women!’ Alastor said, his tone pleading now. ‘Please, we will give you any Human you want. Don’t hurt us.’
Jack threw Alastor to the ground. ‘We don’t want any Human. We want Helena Redding.’ Jack turned to me and faltered. ‘Oh, Avalon.’ He saw my naked form, kneeling on the cold floor. ‘You,’ he spat, turning to Korra Waterson. ‘Take off that robe and give it to her.’