Rachel let out a sigh and then pressed her hand to Sally’s forehead. The older healer closed her eyes and let her light and power flow into the young woman. She was met with immediate resistance and fought the urge to pull away. Darkness cloaked Sally’s mind. It whispered to Rachel like a lover, but the words that filled Sally’s mind were poison. Over and over, Rachel heard the hiss of a voice caressing Sally’s thoughts, telling her how unworthy and tainted she was. You are ruined, it crooned. Ruined and stained.
“Lies, Sally,” Rachel said into the girl’s mind. “Reject the lies that so easily entangle. You are precious and loved. You have suffered a horrible injustice, but you are no more tainted than a child who has been abused. You are the victim, and I know that is a horrible label to
