I woke up to the sunset staining my ceiling a brilliant red. That damned cobweb was still there, glowing like a torch in the evening light.

  “… the hells is wrong with these people,” a voice muttered nearby. “Just talk to her, you moron.”

  Cael.

  I jackknifed upright in bed.

  The book he’d been leafing through flew through the air and dropped behind the settee with a muffled thud.

  I’d been so out of it on the ride home, I was half convinced he’d been a hallucination. But no. He was here — in my room, on my settee, clutching his chest like I’d nearly given him a heart attack.

  Safe.

  “Fucking hells! Settle down, Princess.”

  “You’re here,” I said dumbly.

  He snorted. “Where else would I be?”

  A tear rolled down my cheek. I couldn’t stop it – the relief of seeing him here, safe and sound, was overwhelming.

  “Shit. C’mon Princess, no.” He stood and began digging through the pile of stuff in my bedside table, handing me a wrinkled handkerchief.

  “Sorry,” I said with a shaky laugh, drying my eyes. “It’s been a difficult couple of days. What happened?”

  He flopped back down on the settee and stretched. “You went down like a damned sack of potatoes. His Lordship’s friend, that Amberhill guy, he dragged your carcass back to your coach. Let you use his coat for the trip back.“ He nodded at the absolutely massive greatcoat partially draped over the arm of my settee and pooling on the floor.

  Damn it. Not my best first impression.

  “You crashed pretty hard. Slept through the entire day. How you feeling?”

  “Better, thank you.”

  “I’m glad to hear it.” I looked over in surprise as my door clicked open, and Tempest stepped inside. “You look far better as well.”

  He let out a tired sigh and dropped into the chair now permanently at my bedside that I was starting to think of as ‘his’ chair. He looked dead on his feet. His clothes were wrinkled, and there were circles beneath his eyes.

  “And you look far worse,” I told him frankly.

  “Indeed. I was dealing with the fallout from your brash outburst.” He huffed. “I shouldn’t be surprised that you would antagonize the council’s most influential member. Between him and that exasperating old rust-heap Amberhill, I’ve had my fill of frustration. His Majesty sends his best wishes for your recovery, by the way, along with a large fruit basket.”

  I blinked. “… What.”

  “A disappointingly dull choice, I must agree. I would have sent honeyed candies instead, or perhaps amusingly shaped slippers.”

  “No. Not that. The bit about Amberhill.”

  “What about him?”

  “I thought he was your friend.”

  He barked a laugh. “What would give you that impression?”

  My eye twitched. “… the little fact that we’ve entrusted him with our lives?”

  “I’m afraid not. Amberhill had a distaste for most nobles in general, and a loathing of myself in particular.” He paused, tapping his chin thoughtfully. “I would imagine the two of you will get along quite well, honestly. If nothing else, you both share the same low opinion of Councillor Raleigh.”

  … What.

  “Then why in the hells did you pick—?!”

  My squeaky shriek sent me into a painfully lung-shuddering coughing fit. Cael came over and pounded me on the back until I recovered my breath.

  Tempest just sat there calmly. Like an asshole. “You shouldn’t allow yourself to get so excited,” he remarked as I wheezed. “You’ll work yourself into another faint.”

  … I was going to kill him.

  He waved away my angry glare. “Battleaxe is exactly who you want under the circumstances. He’s stubbornly straightforward, allergic to politics, and despite being a mere baron, he’s one of the very few people in the kingdom who can call the king ‘friend.’ I may find him… challenging to deal with, but if you two can earn his respect, you’ll have no better ally.”

  Great. IF we could win him over. “What about Raleigh’s choice? What’s she like?”

  “Lady Mayne is Councillor Raleigh’s second aunt, and the doting grandmother of the soon-to-be late and completely unlamented ex-Earl Trefore. Whose territories and title you now hold.”

  “We’re fucked,” Cael muttered as he turned a delicate shade of green. He looked like he wanted to throw up. The way my own stomach had begun to knot and twist, I wasn’t far behind him.

  “On the contrary. She was a surprisingly poor choice on his part.”

  “Really?!” Cael threw up his hands in disgust. “Cause where I’m from, we call that a fucking ringer!”

  Tempest smiled archly. “Exactly. Her position is a foregone conclusion, and every person in that throne room knew it. Her opinion will bear little weight against Amberhill’s. It may not be ideal, but you’re starting from a position of strength.” He sighed. “I expected far better from the councillor; he showed his hand far too easily.”

  “That feels…” I waggled a hand. “Overly optimistic.”

  “Not at all. The Baron, a man who wouldn’t piss on me if I were on fire, loaned you his coat.”

  A pregnant pause met his announcement. I tried to follow his mental arithmetic, and came up with an error message.

  Tempest rubbed between his eyes and huffed in exasperation. “It’s quite simple: Amberhill was a soldier who earned his title and the then-Crown Prince Roland’s friendship by saving his life. Rather dramatically, too. Your own act of self-sacrificial stupidity in defence of a comrade must have resonated with him. Otherwise, there would be no point in him lending you his coat. We were at the palace, after all. Blankets are not in short supply.”

  “So… we’re not fucked?” Cael asked hopefully.

  “That remains to be seen.” Tempest’s chair creaked softly as he slouched deeper into it. He let his head fall back and his eyes fell closed, just for a moment.

  He really did look absolutely exhausted.

  “You both must realize,” he said, his head still resting against the chair’s back, “that his Majesty is playing a dangerous game. If anyone should discover that he has granted Violet ownership of a Seer…” he trailed off.

  “… You think he knows about me?”

  “It wouldn’t surprise me. The man has a knack for knowing things he shouldn’t. If I wasn’t aware that he and his children were all Fire mages, I would suspect he was a Seer himself.”

  The words barely registered.

  Tempest’s earlier statement still rung in my ears, echoing in my skull. My heart felt like it was hammering its way out of my chest.

  I… couldn’t have heard him right.

  … right?

  “The king did what?”

  My words cut into their conversation, sharper than I’d intended in my desperation to be wrong. I stared down at the pattern quilted into my coverlet, unable to look away. It felt like if I did – if I even moved – I would shatter.

  “Ah.” Tempest’s chair creaked loudly in the sudden quiet. “I did wonder if you’d understood the significance of Cael’s sentence. You were far calmer than I had expected.”

  “Tempest. Please.“ My hands clenched into fists, twisting my blankets. I could feel my nails stabbing into my palms through the fabric. “What did I sign?”

  There was a long sigh. “By his Majesty’s word, Cael is your property from this day onward, bound to your will. The contract you both signed is the magical device that ties him to you. Officially, the practice was outlawed almost a century ago, after a lord with aspirations above his station tried to raise a bound army and overthrow his queen. Your contract is barely legal, and only stands because it was the king himself who authorized it.”

  “… No… That’s not… I just wanted to save his life…”

  My heart clenched so tightly it hurt.

  What had I done?

  The settee groaned, and I flinched. I expected Cael to start yelling, cursing me, or storm out of the room in a rage. I would have, in his place.

  Instead, he sat down on the edge of my bed and pulled me into a rough hug.

  “I won’t lie, it godsdamned sucks. But I’m alive. Pretty sure I was dead this morning. Gotta see Lily again, too. Read her a story book, right here while you were snoring. I knew what I was getting into with that damned contract. Did it anyways. So don’t you fucking dare blame yourself for it.”

  This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  … He didn’t blame me.

  My breath caught in my throat. I didn’t know whether I should laugh or cry.

  I did both.

  I cried into his shoulder, great gasping laughs that left me shaking and breathless and left his dirty shirt soaking wet.

  “You’re a moron…” I managed between gasps. My heart still hurt for him, but his words had helped soften the guilt.

  He chuckled, his chest rumbling as he released me. “Lily says that too.”

  I sniffed, and he handed me the handkerchief I’d dropped.

  “What will you tell her?”

  “Told her I got a job now, helping you out. She told me I better take care of you, or else.” He glanced past me at my brother. “… what’s gonna happen to her?”

  “She will become a ward of House Dusk,” Tempest replied with a yawn. “Even if I were so inclined, Violet would never have allowed me to abandon her.”

  “Thanks, your Lordship.”

  “No thanks are necessary.” He stood and stretched, his back cracking audibly. “Now, I would suggest you give Cael your Orders, and retire. You’re still recovering and need your rest.”

  “… wait, what?” I wrinkled my nose in disgust. “He’s not a servant; I’m not going to order him around.”

  Tempest sighed wearily. “No, he’s your property. Until you explicitly allow it, the bond prevents him from doing anything. Even leaving your presence.”

  He pulled a thin, tattered volume from his pocket along with a small, flat box, and handed them to me. “I believe this might contain some information you could find helpful, but I suspect you’ll find your own way, as always.”

  I flipped through the book. It appeared to be an old protocol manual. The pages were yellowed and moth-eaten, but the writing was legible. Disturbingly, ‘bond-servants’ was its own section. A large one.

  “And this?” I held up the box.

  “I was concerned that Cael’s unique status might invite … difficulties. That is a reminder that he belongs to House Dusk, and we are not to be trifled with. We protect what is ours.” He yawned once again, deeply. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have had an exceptionally long day. Sleep well.”

  He slipped out my door without a backwards glance.

  I stared at the box in my hands.

  “Princess? You okay?”

  “… No. You’re not my ‘possession.’ You’re my friend. And I hate the idea that I might need to remind some uppity ass of that fact, just because of a label.”

  He nudged me with his elbow. “It’s fine. Don’t much care what they call me.”

  “I care. You deserve better than that.”

  He smirked. “D’aww. I love you too, Princess.”

  “Ass.” I shoved him, a grin creeping over my face.

  He cackled madly.

  Cael may not have minded, but I really did. There had to be something more dignified that we could use.

  Els’ stupid game characters had all kinds of weird titles. Maybe one of those?

  “Companion? Or retainer?” I suggested. “That’s a thing, right?”

  “Retainer.” He grinned. “Sounds fancy.”

  I laughed. “Glad you like it.”

  “So, what Orders you got for me? Kinda hoping to get to bed soon. Your couch’s not that comfy.”

  I opened the slim volume and began to leaf through the relevant section. Not that was any help. Most of it was ridiculously pompous, right down to rules about what he could or could not call me. Some of it was downright draconian.

  I threw the book down on the bed with a disgusted sigh. Tempest was right – I was going to do this my way.

  “I permit you to act freely. From this day on, I grant you the right to refuse to obey any order you are given, by me or by anyone else. This order overrides any and all future orders, no matter the source.”

  Cael stilled, not saying anything, just watching me. An odd gleam in his eye was my only warning.

  He lunged at me, wrapping his bandaged hands around my throat. His weight forced me to the bed, pinning me beneath him.

  “You’re a fucking idiot. I should just kill you.” He glared down at me, his face hard as I grabbed at his wrists. “Would be so easy, too. Crush your throat, take Lily, and make a run for it. I’d be long gone before someone notices. That fucked-up bond was the only thing stopping me. I’m a liar and a thief and a slaver. And you’re a dumb little slut for letting me get away with it.”

  He laughed coldly, tightening his grip. His fingers felt like brands against my cold skin. I fought to take a breath, my throat burning.

  “Why? Because I saved your stupid ass? Hells, you ever think I did that on purpose?”

  I swallowed, my throat screaming against his grip, and stared up into his eyes.

  Despair and pain stared back at me.

  I let myself relax, and went limp beneath him. I slowly slid my hands over his, not pulling them away, just holding them. The healer had bandaged his hands, but I knew they were still badly hurt beneath. Just like him.

  “I trust you,” I rasped.

  Cael froze, his hands loosening beneath mine. His breath shuddered and caught. A single tear rolled down his chin and splashed on my cheek.

  “If it weren’t for you, I’d be a frozen corpse. Whatever you think, you’re not a monster. I think what you want is to make amends. I did it because you deserve the chance to try.”

  For a heartbeat, he just stared down at me, his fingers trembling. His hands fell away from my throat, allowing me to gasp in a raw, painful breath. Hot tears fell on my cheek and over my jaw as his face crumpled, and he collapsed on top of me and began to weep.

  I wrapped my shaky arms around him and hugged him as he cried into my shoulder.

  “… I’m a stupid little shit.” His voice cracked, the words forced out between sobs.

  “This guy I knew showed up a few months ago. Said he had a job for me. Good one. Was flashing gold all around the fucking neighbourhood. Last winter… it was bad. We were so cold, so hungry. Lily got sick, nearly died. Said I was in. Shoulda said no. So godsdamned stupid.

  “Whole job reeked. Everything was some big fucking secret. But the money was good. Too good. But Lily was safe and warm and happy. Then they took her.” He shuddered a sigh, his breath warm against my chilled skin. “Gods, if they hadn’t, I never would’ve found out. Too big of a fucking coward. And now, people are dead and worse, all cause of me.”

  He sat up abruptly, and angrily scrubbed at his cheeks with his dingy shirtsleeve.

  “Getting arrested… Fuck. I should be dead. Every one of those bastards knew I was the reason they got caught. Kept expecting to wake up with a shiv in my kidneys. Would’ve deserved it, too, after the shit I helped ‘em do.”

  “No.”

  I pushed myself upright. “No, you don’t. You don’t get to keep beating yourself up, and I’m not going to help you punish yourself.” I gestured between us. “The two of us, were going to do everything we can to make things right. Understand?”

  He nodded.

  “I’m going to give you one more … not an order, but a request.” I held his gaze and smiled gently. “Talk to me. I may not be able to fix anything, but a least I can make sure you’re not alone.”

  “…Yeah. I get it. Thanks.” His voice was stronger, less fractured, and he smiled back softly. He looked calmer, but his fingers still trembled with suppressed emotion.

  I handed him my pathetically soggy handkerchief.

  A surprised laugh escaped him.

  Cael’s hand shook slightly as he reached for it, but instead of taking it, he gently tilted my chin up, eyes going wide. “Shiiiiit. You really are a delicate little flower. His Lordship’s gonna to kill me.”

  I winced. “How bad is it?”

  “Like I attacked and tried to strangle you,” he replied dryly.

  I rummaged around my bedside table, pulling a silver handled mirror from beneath an open book. I was’t sure why Past Violet had kept it there, but it was useful for finding the things I dropped under the bed.

  Cael had undersold the damage. My throat was already turning black, the bruises from his fingers so clear that I could trace each one. I was going to be wearing high collars for the next few days.

  “… Sorry.” Cael flushed and looked away shamefacedly. “I should—”

  ”I’ll heal.” I winced as I cut him off. My normally quite melodic voice sounded like I’d been gargling rocks. “Could you grab me the jar of ointment on the vanity? Little, dark blue glass pot, greenish ointment with a strong, minty smell.”

  He did as I asked, hesitantly holding out the pot to me. “You’re… not angry? Cause I’d be pissed if it were me.”

  I sighed and began gingerly massaging the herby ointment into my abused skin. “Don’t misunderstand. I’m … not happy about it.” An understatement – I was fighting to keep my hands from shaking as I touched the bruises. That much adrenaline was a bitch. “But … you’re not planning to do it again, are you?”

  He flinched visibly. For just a moment, his eyes shot to my neck before he looked away, his jaw tight. “No. Never.”

  “Good. Then we’ll keep this between us, and move on.”

  “… Hells, Princess. I just tried to strangle you.”

  “And now you’re stuck with me.”

  He barked a laugh and flopped on my bed. “Guess so.”

  The ointment was strong stuff, blended specifically for me. Between that and my own healing abilities, the worst of the bruising would be gone in only a few days.

  As I examined my handiwork, Cael dug the small box Tempest had handed me out from my tangle of blankets. His eyes went wide as he flipped it open.

  “Not exactly subtle, is he?” He remarked, holding out the box to me.

  Inside, there was a thin leather collar and a gold ring. The black collar was embossed with vines and tiny flowers, picked out in deep gold. Violets. A pendant hung from it like a tag, a teardrop amethyst crystal the same shade as my eyes wrapped in gold filigree. The delicate ring was engraved with more vines and flowers, the petals picked out in tiny amethyst shards.

  I ran my fingers over the items, sensing their magic. They were protected from damage, and from being forcibly removed. The ring even had an extra spell on it that acted as a key for the collar. Only the ring’s wearer would be able to remove the collar once fastened.

  I sighed uneasily, dropping my hand. “You don’t have to wear this. If you want a symbol, we can find something else.”

  Cael wordlessly took the ring out of the box and lifted my right hand. He slid the ring onto my middle finger, then held out the collar for me to take.

  “Cael?” I asked hesitantly.

  “It’s a reminder.” His voice was firm and determined. “And a promise. I screwed up. Bad. People got hurt, including you.” His eyes flickered to my mangled neck. “I’m gonna make things right. This is so I don’t forget why.”

  No way could I argue with that.

  He leaned closer, and I carefully fastened the collar around his neck. The fit was perfect; just loose enough to be comfortable, the pendant resting in the hollow of his throat.

  Cael flicked the pendant. “His Lordship’s got scary good taste.”

  I slumped back into my pillows and let out an exhausted sigh. This evening had left me both wired and completely exhausted.

  “I’m damned lucky, aren’t I?” Cael asked suddenly.

  “Hm?”

  “S’like in one of Lily’s fairytales. My very own princess swoops in and saves my ass.” He chucked. “All that’s missing’s the evil mage.”

  Oh. Right.

  I toyed with the edge of my coverlet, refusing to meet his eyes.

  Cael shifted into my line of vision, frowning. “Princess? Something wrong?”

  “I… uhm…”

  He nudged me. “Talk to me. We’re in this together, right?”

  I poured, just a little. “Not fair using my own words against me.”

  He was right though. And he was going to find out one way or another.

  I sighed. “I have one more secret.”

  He grinned. “Bigger than the Hexbreaker thing?”

  “… Yes.”

  I reached over, letting my hand hover over his. Then I closed my eyes, and pulled.

  A tiny thread of Shadow wormed its way out from beneath his hand and flowed up, winding itself playfully around my finger.

  He froze, eyes going wide.

  “I’m a Shadow mage.”

  He slowly reached out and tried to touch the tendril. His finger passed through it as if were smoke.

  “I’m not very strong yet. That’s all I can do. But I’m not a dark mage, I swear it.”

  His eyes glittered as he wordlessly watched the tendril twist and dance.

  …

  My heart sank.

  Maybe this was a bad idea after all.

  “… That’s one hell of a secret. Thanks for telling me.”

  I smiled, a little dizzy with relief. Also possibly from my fever. “You’re stuck with me too, right? It seemed fair.”

  He laughed softly. “And you’re a Hexbreaker, too? Must be a hella strong Fire mage.”

  “… I’m a Wind mage.”

  He groaned and collapsed into the pillows beside me, covering his eyes. “Thrice-blessed. Fucking course you are. Anything else you wanna tell me? You really a dragon? No. Half-dragon. Demigod? You’re pretty enough. No!” He sat up, eyes wide as he stared at me. “Did you sell your soul to a devil or something?! … Was it his Lordship? Knew the bastard felt off...”

  “… What? No! Don’t be ridiculous. I was badly hurt a few months ago and nearly died. When I woke up, I had lost all my memories and gained a tiny spark of Fire.”

  A bald-faced lie, but one I was becoming accustomed to. It wasn’t like I had a better explanation.

  “Damn. What happened?”

  “I… uhm… fell off my horse…”

  Cael stared at me in disbelief.

  “It was a really bad fall…”

  “Princess. Violet.” He rubbed the crease between his eyes. My brother did the same thing when I pushed him to his limits. “I think maybe you’re cursed.”

  I sighed. “I’m starting to think you’re right.”

  “So. You’re a Shadow mage.”

  ”Yes… Will that be a problem?” I asked hesitantly.

  Cael grinned and mussed my hair. “Nah. You and me? We’re good.”

  I smiled back. And sneezed.

  He sat upright, looking at me in concern. “You doing okay, Princess?”

  “Chilly,” I replied, shivering a bit. My bedclothes weren’t exactly the warmest item of clothing.

  “No surprise, you’re still sick.” He rolled smoothly off my bed and pulled my covers over me, then ambled towards the door. “Night, Princess. Take your medicine and get some sleep.”

  I smoothed down the blankets, the feel of the fabric soft and warm beneath my fingers. “Goodnight, Cael.”

  He paused, his hand on the doorknob. “Hey, Princess?”

  “Mh?”

  In the low lamplight, I could see a faint flush creeping across his cheek. “Never said it, but thanks. For everything.”

  He pulled the door open and fled without waiting for my reply.