Kevin’s POV
My head snapped to him in shock, wondering how he knew that Ella was having nightmares.
He chuckled at my shock. “Don’t be surprised. We have all been slaves at the utopia town and have passed through what she is passing through at the moment.”
“I know. It’s called trauma. She will get over it. She is having nightmares about the man who captured and sold her to slavery but that is because we have history and unfinished business with him. I’m sure she will get over it.”
He smiled, shaking his head at me. “You are more innocent than I thought, wolf. It’s not because of any history she has with the person who sold her off to slavery, it’s because of the slave mark on her body. Every slaves who escape from their masters without being set free experience it. We all had nightmares when we ran away from our masters and never had any history with our captors till we were sold off.”
“Really?” I was stunned, at a loss for what to say and hated that I was wrong.
“Yes. I didn’t have any history with my captor but I certainly do have some unfinished business with him. I can’t imagine what I would do if I ever see that bastard again so you might be right that it is trauma for us in a way though there is something missed in the potion they use in making that slave mark that makes sure the slaves get punished whenever they run away from their owners.” He hissed. “The nightmares differ for everyone. I didn’t dream of the one who captured me but my nightmares had some connection to being a slave at the utopia town.”
“Did you eventually get over it? I mean the nightmares.”
“Yes.” He nodded. “After a year. The least time any of us had the nightmare for was eight months.”
My eyes widened with horror. I couldn’t let her deal with that. Eight months? That was impossible. It was only three days she had been having the nightmares and I already felt like ripping somebody’s head off.
How could I cope with seven more months and twenty seven days? I would be damned if I have to watch her deal with the terror she dealt with every night for a year.
“That is too much.” I winced.
He shrugged. “That is the reality we deal with.”
“Is there any other way to stop the nightmares?” I couldn’t accept that my girl was going to be punished for a year because she wanted her freedom.
He shook his head. “There is no other way.”
There should be. I refused to accept that. “If the nightmares are because of the slave mark and what was mixed into it, I can get the mark off for her.”
“You want to get rid of the mark?”
“Can’t I?” I asked, wondering why he was giving me the strange look in his eyes.
“It’s not easy to get rid of the mark. Why do you think we all have the marks after all these years and preferred to endure the nightmares for a year?”
I wasn’t discouraged. “I’ve never been known to fight an easy war.”
He smiled. “I can see the challenge in your eyes, wolf.”
“I’m ready for the challenge. Tell me how I can get rid of the slave mark.”
“I think I respect you more. There is only one person who can tell you how to get rid of the mark. He is the only person ever to attempt getting rid of his too.”
“Why?” I didn’t think the men were cowards. They had swords and were ready to kill us off the first time they saw us.
“You will know why when you see him.”
“Where does he stay?”
“He lives not too far from here. I will have a child take you there when you are ready.”
“I’m ready now.”
He sighed. “I will call the child for you. It’s good you are going now as you will get no answer if you go at night.”
“Why is that?” I asked, hoping he wouldn’t speak in parables this time.
“He is an old man and sleeps early.”
“Oh!” I wondered what would happen to the cure of getting rid of the slave mark if the old man died and no one else knows what it is all about.
“Is he the only one who knows about how to get rid of the mark?”
“No. We all found out when we went to meet him. We just couldn’t find the courage to attempt the cure he gave us.”
“Oh!” I was relieved the knowledge wasn’t going to be gone from the world if the man died.
“Give me fifteen minutes. Let me get the boy who would take you to meet the old man.”
I nodded and watched as he walked away. Fifteen minutes was more than enough for me to get Ella and Liam to join me, I thought as I rushed back to the bedroom I shared with Ella and blew a whistle in the air, sending a signal to Liam.