The weight fell from her shoulders, and her breath staggered to a halt in her chest. She just stared down at the open collar for a few moments, unable to see anything else.
She managed to lift her eyes when Valor moved back in front of her, but she could do little except stare at him either. She heard the words, even felt her mouth start to twitch up into a hint of a smile.
"Flatterer," she accused, though the amused bite to her tone that had become her default with him was missing.
She glanced down at the collar again, stared--and then in a burst of motion bent to pick it up, turned and flung it as hard as she could against the wall of the brothel. The thin gold hit stone with an oddly high-pitched clank, and it clattered back to the ground, dented and twisted.
Ka'lei bit out a sound that was caught between a laugh and a sob. "Fuck you," she snarled at the open, broken collar in Essyrni. "Never again." She swallowed, then repeated it in Common, a little softer, "Never again..."
She took a breath, then fluffed her wings, straightened her shoulders, and turned to face Valor again. "So. Well. Ah--thanks." She swallowed, eyes suspiciously bright, but was clearly working to slide back into the sharp, dry personality she wore like a protective cloak.