There she was, in all her remembered beauty. But this was tainted, since he knew that she had used him as a capegoat for her family. That, and the fact that she had a ring on her left hand. "Who is he?"

She got out of her chair, and gracefully walked over

to him. Folding her arms, she said, "Not a human, if

that's what you're thinking. And no, not a female

either. I married Farlan Neldus, a Talon. He comforted

me in your abscence, and, well, I fell in love with

him."

Drakis sneered at her. "So I really meant that little

to you?!"

She immediately grew defensive, snapping back. "You

had no IDEA of what I went through! I had USED you! I

wanted to kill myself for that! He was the only person

who had cared enough to listen to me and to try and

help me get you out! He was there for me, always

there..."

Drakis could see why his former lover had fallen in

love with this newcomer, who had probably seen his

chance and ran away with it. He could smell him on her

now. He wanted to remember that smell so he could hunt

the newcomer down, but he still loved Jessala too much

to do that to her.

Drakis closed his eyes and sighed. "Well, it seems

like there's nothing I can do about it, and I don't

like being angry at you." He would have looked at the

floor, if he could move his head. "Anything you can do

about these restraints? I'm rather cramped."

She sighed herself, and pressed a button on her desk,

and the restraints came loose. Drakis rubbed his

wrists and neck, glad to be released. "So, what's this

about getting me out of here?"

"Well, I WAS going to sign your release papers, but

with your little jaibreak, things became complicated.

I bribed the guards, and pinned the escape on a killed

prisoner. I have your release forms right here, ready

to get you out of here."

"Two conditions."

Jessala looked at her former lover quizzically. He

explained. "The two conditions are the release of

Skyshadow, a Glaive Wyvern and the release of Regulen,

a wolf anthro."

"Hmm... I'll see what I can do. Any reason why?"

"Regulen doesn't deserve to be here, and neither does

Skyshadow. Sky was caught with me, and that's why he's

in here. I... ran into him after escaping, and I

wasn't going to just leave him to be picked up by the

hunter unit."