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    Veslan's feet. The king petted the dark head with a certain amount of fondness.
    “Turn, my pet, and show them what you were.”
    The man did so with the alacrity of a trained slave, and Tanyan took a step back, covering
    his mouth with the back of one chained hand as he beheld the man's back.
    Anyar let out the tiniest of sounds, whether pity for the wretch before him or fear for
    himself was hard to say.
    Two long scars ran down the man's shoulders, knotted tissue emphasizing the atrocity done
    to him.
    Anyar fought sickness, clamping his jaw shut against the urge to vomit at the thought of
    what this poor man had gone through.
    They had taken his wings!
    Veslan bid the man to rise, turned him to face the Melanians. Running one hand down his
    naked body, he lifted his shaft so that they could see that his testicles had also been removed.

    28
    J. C. Owens

    Anyar stared in horror, then looked up into the man's face. The eyes were empty of thought, dull
    and docile.
    Anyar shivered, then turned pleading eyes upon the prince. Vanyae's face was averted, as
    though he also did not like the sight of the mutilated man. When he did turn back, he spoke
    quietly to Anyar only and tilted his captive's face up to meet green eyes. “Do not fight, little one.
    I will try to keep you whole. If you obey, you may placate him. If you rebel as this man did, you
    will meet the same fate. Remember that.”
    Tanyan glared at the Nazarians. “You barbaric bastards. Anyar is no slave. I will keep my
    peace if you leave him with me.”
    “You are in no position to make deals, Commander. You will behave, or Anyar will suffer
    further. That is all you need understand.” Veslan jerked his head, and four guards came to release
    Tanyan's chain. They took his arms and began to force him from the room.
    Anyar felt panic take hold as he watched his last link to home being taken from him.
    Tanyan fought the hands, casting an agonized look over his shoulder at Anyar; then he was gone,
    and only the sound of his curses could be heard; then even those faded.
    Anyar tried to prevent his fear from showing as he watched one of the guards take a cloth-
    wrapped package to one of the tables, set it down, and uncover it with care. Still another
    Nazarian came in, large tools in his hands.
    Vanyae put up a restraining hand before his father could speak. “I will not have him
    mutilated, Father. His wings are half his beauty. Shearing, yes; amputating, no.”
    Veslan raised a brow but finally nodded, and one of the men unwrapped a pair of large
    shears.
    The young guard could not take his eyes off the shears, swallowing hard as they came
    closer. Vanyae took his head and held it against him so Anyar could not see; then two other
    guards stood up against his right wing, holding it tightly against the wall.
    He began to tremble, despite his best efforts at control. Then he jerked in reflex as he felt a
    faint tug at the end of his wing and the snip of the shears.
    It was only then he realized what they were doing. They were cutting his flight feathers so
    he could not escape.

    Wings
    29

    He screamed then, fought like a mad thing, though it was useless. Shattered utterly by the
    thought of not being able to fly, he shamed himself by pleading with them.
    “Please no, please—” The choked pleas did not sway them, and he flinched each time he
    heard the shears, tears of horror and shock running down his face.
    Vanyae petted his hair, whispering soothing sounds. “This is for the best, young one. You
    will have more freedoms this way. They will grow out in a year or so.”
    By the time they got to the left wing, Anyar could no longer fight, could only shudder,
    trying to comprehend what this would mean. To be earthbound, trapped utterly, his one joy
    stripped from him.
    When they released him, he sagged against his bonds, head hanging, welcoming the pain
    of his body, which distracted him from the agony of his thoughts.
    When finely tooled boots came before