Birgit

  “No!” Birgit screamed as she saw Niles drop limply from the spider’s monstrous maw.

  Pulling out her last wand, Brigit sent one final lightning bolt into the beast, even as Vedika used a wand to blast the creature with yet more flames. Weakly, the burning creature tried to turn toward them, but its legs finally gave out, and it fell to the ground. Birgit did not even wait for it to stop twitching before she ran to Niles’ side. At first, she feared he was dead, but she felt a very slow and faint heartbeat. He was covered in bruises and scrapes, but his most severe wounds were the two deep gashes in his sides where the spider’s mandibles had cut into him. They were bleeding freely, and unlike normal for Niles, they were not healing. They must have taken so much magic out of him to close the rift that he didn’t have enough left to heal himself, and Birgit had no magic left to heal him, either. Taking off her surcoat, Birgit wrapped it around Niles to make a crude bandage and pressed down on his wounded sides to at least stop the bleeding.

  “How is he?” Vedika asked, kneeling next to her.

  “Not good,” Birgit answered. “I do not think he has enough magic left to heal himself. I wish I could… Wait, I have an idea. Here, hold the bandages in place.”

  Waiting only long enough to make sure the princess had a good grip on Niles, Birgit ran to the wall where the rift had been. Quickly scanning the crystals, she spotted one that was dark red, indicating it was a life magic crystal. It was the size of a small melon, and Birgit quickly knocked it loose with the hilt of her dagger before running back to Niles with it. The rest of the team had finally freed themselves from their webs and had gathered around Niles when she arrived. Kneeling down next to Niles again, Birgit took his good hand and placed it on the crystal. For a moment, nothing happened, but then the color in the crystal began fading.

  “What are you doing?” Jabari asked in alarm. “That crystal is worth a fortune.”

  “It is not worth Niles’ life,” Birgit shot back angrily. “I will empty the magic of every crystal in this cavern if I have to, to save him.”

  “He likely saved us all by delaying this thing,” Prince Advick said resolutely. “Use whatever you need to save him, Birgit. What can we do to help?”

  There were no further objections, and Birgit quickly gave instructions. “Bring me more crystals, life preferably, but I am not sure what he will need, so bring everything.”

  “He must certainly have deep feelings for you. I cannot believe he stayed to the end to protect you like that,” Sinja commented before setting off to collect crystals.

  Everyone was just heading to recover crystals when a nasally voice interrupted them. “Well, well, it looks like you had quite a battle here, and it seems to have taken quite a toll on you, too. But never fear, we are here to help. You can all just sit down and rest while we collect those crystals for you.”

  “These crystals are ours, Snazlepop,” Prince Advick growled.

  Brigit saw Advick’s goblin half-brother and his entire party enter the chamber and begin spreading out, with their guardian familiars leading the way.

  “Oh, I disagree, brother,” Snazlepop said in a cheerful tone. “You quite obviously have not harvested them yet. So, they have yet to be claimed. I hereby claim them as mine, and you do not look like you are in any condition to contest that claim. Now, all of you, step over by my dear brother, unless you want to challenge us for our claim. That goes for you too, dear sister, and your little kappa friend.”

  Birgit was about to object, but Vedika caught her attention and pulled the bandages away from Niles’ side. His wound was starting to repair itself quickly.

  “Niles will be fine, as long as he is not injured again,” the princess whispered. “Now is not the time to fight.”

  “I do not like this,” Birgit heard a gorgon member of Snazlepop’s team grumble. “It is not honorable.”

  “Shut up, Gergor,” Damian, another of Snazlepop’s team, snarled. “These crystals are probably worth more than all the other crystals we found so far. You can buy all the honor you want with your share.”

  Birgit looked over the opposing team. Prince Snazlepop strode triumphantly toward the middle of the room with his hulking, armored familiar at his side. Gregor was clearly not pleased with what was happening, but Damian seemed quite happy with the turn of events. Birgit remembered the cyclops from their sole defeat in the mid-semester tournament, and his void elemental familiar looked just as intimidating now as it had then. Ingadrid, the lunar elf, glared daggers at Jabari and Sinja. She looked like she was hoping a fight would break out. That left Lara the Naga, who gave no indication of how she felt about the situation. All five of their familiars were ready for a fight, and all the familiars from Birgit’s team were out of the fight. Birgit had burned through all of her pre-cast spell items and suspected her teammates had as well. This was clearly not a fight they could win.

  “Well, what have we here?” Prince Snazlepop announced loudly. “It looks like the fabled hu man finally met his match, too bad. I always rather liked him. I guess he will not need that crystal anymore.”

  Birgit almost ran out to fight the rotten little goblin, but Vedika restrained her.

  The goblin walked over to Niles and reached down for the crystal. “Huh, this one seems to be empty. How…”

  Niles suddenly sat up, grabbing the goblin and pulling him down beside him, with an arm around his neck. “Hey there, Snazzy, I always liked you, too. Now, how about you call off your team, while you and I sit here for a bit and talk about old times? You can catch up with them later.”

  The goblin’s familiar’s fist began crackling with lightning.

  “You better call him off, Snazzy,” Niles said casually. “I can shrug off lightning easily enough, but I’m not sure you can. Why don’t you have him hop back to his plane?”

  “You will not get away with this,” the goblin snarled.

  “Didn’t you say, just a little bit ago, that we were welcome to challenge you for these crystals? Well, challenge accepted.” Niles’ voice went from friendly to ice-cold. “Send your familiar away and tell your team to head back to your camp now, or I will terminate our friendship.”

  The goblin prince resisted for only a moment before giving the order. It looked like Damian and Ingadrid might ignore it, but Lara and Gregor seemed relieved and quickly turned to go. Their two teammates must have decided they did not like the remaining odds and turned to follow them out. Niles let Snazlepop go of his hold on the goblin after a few minutes, but directed him to stay put.

  “Perhaps we should relieve him of his pre-cast spell items.” Birgit whispered to Niles as she walked over to check on him.

  “No need,” Niles whispered back. “I drained all the magic out of them while I had a hold on him. I’m feeling much better now.”

  Niles still seemed a bit haggard, but Birgit could see through the rents in armor that his wounds were fully closed now. The rest of the team harvested the crystal, and the gathered collection was indeed impressive: twenty-six crystals, at least one of each type, and all of them were of grand size. Birgit had never seen crystals this large before, and she could only guess at how much they would be worth.

  “I want to check something,” Niles said once the crystals were all gathered. Leaving Snazlepop in the custody of his brother, Niles went over to the hole the spider jumped out of. “Can someone cast a light down there?”

  Birgit joined him and let her enchanted light shine down. It revealed a large, rough cave covered in webs. To Birgit’s shock, Niles jumped down into it and began poking around in the webs. A short time later, he climbed back out with a webbed bundle on his back. Setting it down, he began peeling back the webs to reveal one of their missing classmates. To everyone’s great surprise, he was even still alive, though only barely. It appeared the spider was not a horror, but a tainted beast. It was fortunate Niles thought to check if it had taken their classmates.

  Twice more, Niles descended, and twice more he returned, each time with another classmate. Unfortunately, one of them had not survived the ordeal. Healing magic restored the health of their two surviving classmates, but it was some time before they were ready to move on. Birgit was glad of the extra chance to rest, and the high concentration of magic here seemed to be quickly restoring Niles.

  Prince Snazlepop grew increasingly irritable and began loudly complaining until Niles suggested leaving him tied up in the spider hole. That quieted him down. It was well into the afternoon when they finally emerged from the tunnel back into the crater. They were wary of an ambush, since Niles was still their only guardian familiar. Their other familiars would need time to heal on their home planes before they would return, and Vedika’s familiar was gone for good. Their two rescued classmates vowed to fight at their side should there be any trouble, but there was none. Summoning their mounts, they took to the skies, leaving Snazlepop behind to summon his own.

  The two rescued classmates decided their hunt was over, and they set off for their base camp with the body of their fallen comrade, while Birgit and her team returned to the building they had been using as their base in the city. There was still daylight left, but that had all had enough for one day, even Niles, so they did not go out for more hunting.

  Birgit took a long, hot bath to relax, as did most of the others, taking full advantage of the luxurious facilities of their mansion campsite. It felt nice to be clean, and Birgit decided to just wear the cleaner of her shifts when she was done. She found Niles out on the balcony, looking out over the city. His hair was still wet from his own bath, and he wore the loose pants he normally slept in, along with a sleeveless tunic.

  “Enjoying the view?” Birgit asked, joining him.

  “Yeah,” Niles answered, offering her his hand. “It’s a beautiful city, and it’s amazing that it’s held up so well for so long. It’s a shame so much of the elves’ old magic was lost.”

  Birgit took Niles’ offered hand, but rather than hold it, she pulled his arm over her shoulders and wrapped an arm around his waist. “It is good that some of it was lost, though. I am glad no one has the power to destroy a building like whatever was used to destroy the palace. It is too bad that they lost the signature to your plane, though. I will continue to look for a way to get you home. Maybe, with some experimentation, we can still find a way.”

  Niles pulled her closer and smiled down at her. “That’s okay, I’m starting to like it here, and now I have a compelling reason to stay.”

  They stood together watching the sunset, and Birgit could not remember ever being happier, but there was still a matter she had to take care of. “I need to go have a talk with Prince Advick.”

  Niles gave her a puzzled look for a moment before realization dawned in his eyes. “Ah, so you don’t want to wait until we get back, then?”

  “After today, no,” Birgit answered resolutely. “I want to have everything settled so that as soon as we get back, we can finalize our contract. I do not want to risk anything coming between us.”

  Niles gave her a salacious grin and pulled her closer. “I’m pretty eager to finalize things with you, too.” Birgit felt her cheeks grow hot at his insinuation, but she definitely shared his sentiment. After a moment, though, Niles’ expression turned serious. “Do you want me to come with you?”

  Birgit sighed. “No, this is something I should do on my own.”

  The prince was in the large bedroom they all shared, talking with his sister as they carefully packed away their latest crystals. Both of them seemed quite happy.

  Steeling her nerve, Birgit approached. “Prince Advick, may I speak with you in private for a moment?”

  The prince looked up from the crystals, raising an eyebrow. “Alright. Sister, will you excuse us?”

  Both siblings rose, and Vedika gave Birgit a supportive smile before moving out to the balcony.

  “This must be serious if I am back to Prince Advick,” the prince said with a smile.

  Taking a deep breath before letting it out slowly, Birgit stated her intent. “Advick, I am greatly honored that you would consider me for one of your consorts. You are a good, honorable, strong, and handsome man who I am sure will be a great king one day. But I fear I must take myself out of consideration for that honorable position.”

  The prince gave her a serious frown, which lasted for only a second before a broad grin replaced it. “I wondered how long it was going to take you to tell me. You are a smart, talented, and beautiful woman, and it will certainly be difficult to find someone to replace you, but I am truly happy for you and Niles. You deserve someone who can give you their full attention, and Niles is a good man, even if he is from another world. I wish you both all the happiness you can imagine.”

  It took Birgit a moment to get over her surprise. “You knew?”

  The prince laughed. “I am not quite as oblivious as my sister seems to think I am. Now, let us go find my sister and your love so that we can properly celebrate your engagement.”

  That evening’s dinner turned into a party. Even Jabari and Sinja seemed happy for them. Everyone agreed to let them have the night off watch, and they moved their sleeping mats off into a corner of the room so they would have some privacy. They still did no more than kiss, however, because they did not have that much privacy, but it was wonderful. It felt so good to have all the uncertainty gone and to know that Niles was hers. All that remained was the contract, and they would take care of that as soon as the field study was over.

  Waking up in Niles arms was amazing. Niles was still asleep, and Birgit was tempted to wake him with a kiss, or just lie there in his arms, but Birgit reminded herself that they still had one day of the hunt left. She could not let her guard down now, especially since they would be down at least one familiar. Slipping quietly out of Niles grasp, Birgit went to wash up and prepare herself.

  She was just leaving the bathroom when a winged form rushed at her. “Birgit, I just heard the news. I wish I could have been here for your engagement party. But I am so happy for you.”

  Nearly crushed by the excited seraph’s embrace, Birgit had to wait until Azrielle loosened her hold before she could reply. “I’m sorry we did not wait for you. I really had not expected anything special. But after I told the prince our plans, our evening meal turned into a celebration.”

  “Oh, this is just so romantic.” Azrielle said, nearly in tears. “I heard how Niles saved you from that horrible spider… and then you saved him… and he almost died… but now you two are getting married… Oh, it is just so wonderful!”

  Returning to the master bedroom, once Azrielle had calmed down enough, Birgit found the rest of the team gathered, discussing something.

  Seeing her enter, the prince turned to address her. “Ah, Birgit, we were just discussing what we should do for our last day of our field study. It seems the consensus is that we just fly back to our base camp, making one last sweep of our assigned area on the way. Niles can watch for crystals from the air as we go, in case we missed some. No one was really eager to do a house-by-house search in one of the city’s residential districts, especially with the potential of running into my brother again. I am confident that with yesterday’s crystals, we are comfortably in the lead, even if Snazlepop buys another team’s crystals. How do you feel about that?”

  Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  Birgit heartily agreed, and after breakfast, they mounted up and left the city behind. Sharing Vedika’s mount today felt different. Birgit and Niles had done it many times over the last few weeks, but today Birgit felt an unexpected twinge of jealousy. Niles was hers now, after all, or would be soon. But his magic was just too valuable to keep all to herself. Vedika was a good friend, and all Niles was doing was sharing his magic with her. It was just something Birgit was going to have to get used to. Still, she was going to feel better once she had a contract with a marriage clause in it.

  On their slow, winding flight back to the base camp, Niles only spotted two crystals they had missed. Neither one proved challenging to harvest after what they had already been through. Professor Fenhopper was happy to see them when they arrived in the early afternoon and was very interested to hear all about their adventures in the ancient city, particularly the news about the rift they encountered. She speculated that only the presence of the tainted spider hunting the horrors had kept them from overrunning the entire city, or worse. And, given the size of the rift, even that beast could not have contained it for much longer. Eventually, they would have had a problem that could have threatened the entire area, possibly even the entire kingdom.

  “Could I talk with the two of you for a moment?” Vedika asked Birgit and Niles, once the professor’s curiosity was finally sated.

  They agreed, and the three of them moved off to one side of the camp, away from the others.

  “Now that you two are to be married,” the princess began. “I would like to offer you, Birgit, a position as one of my ladies. It does not have quite the social standing of a royal consort, but I could certainly use the support of such a talented and resourceful mage as you as I work to secure the throne for my brother. And of course, once he has the throne, there will be much work to do to secure the safety and prosperity of the kingdom.”

  Birgit did not even have to think about the offer. “Yes, I accept. That would be wonderful.” Beside her, Birgit heard Niles clear his throat. “That is, if you agree, Niles.”

  “That sounds like a great idea,” Niles said with a smile.

  This was going to take some getting used to, Birgit realized. She was so used to being the mage and making all the decisions herself, having to consult with Niles before making them was going to be an adjustment. Should she add some sort of clause into their new contract defining what decisions they would make jointly and which once she would make on her own? An unpleasant sliver of doubt crawled under Birgit’s skin as she thought about it. Her emotions had been so high after nearly losing Niles and then him accepting her proposal, but now, for the first time, she had second thoughts about her decision.

  She pushed that aside as they talked more with Vedika about her new position. Of course, much of it was speculation, dependent on Advick becoming king, but it sounded wonderful. They would live in the palace and spend a good deal of time with Vedika, which Birgit liked. But they would also be sent to deal with issues across Deca, and possibly even to Solaria and Lunaria, which Niles liked.

  After they finished talking with Vedika, Birgit and Niles found a private spot behind a tent where Niles made her forget all about her concerns. That night, the twins offered to give them the tent to themselves, but they decided to wait to consummate their agreement until after the contract was signed and they had a private room in a nice inn. Birgit felt a little bad about that. Niles had readily agreed with her, but she could tell he was only going along with what she wanted. He seemed content with her decision, but he almost made her change her mind before they went to sleep. His eagerness to finalize their agreement secretly thrilled her.

  As they flew away from their base camp the next morning, Birgit’s mind was racing and her stomach was filled with butterflies. She was more nervous now than when the field study had begun. Her contract with Niles officially ended with the field study, which was now complete. They were just hours away from one final contract negotiation that would seal them into an agreement for the rest of their lives. This would be the most important contract spell she would probably ever cast. She needed to make sure it was perfect, but she was still not completely certain of what to put in it. Certainly, there would have to be a marriage clause. They had both agreed to that already. Did she need to put something in it about Niles not having any other lovers, or would he take that as a sign she did not trust him? Did she need to include anything about their finances? What about children? Assuming they eventually had children, did she need to spell out anything to define Niles’ role in raising them? There were so many things she could put in. What would Niles want to put in about her role in their relationship? There was just so much pressure to get this contract right. How was Niles so calm about this?

  The day seemed to drag on forever as the miles flew by underneath them, but Birgit was making no progress in deciding what to put in the contract. Landing in a square in the nicest part of Stonegarden. They went to the most expensive inn in the city, one that Birgit would never have thought about staying at before this year. It was practically a palace.

  “I am Princess Vedika,” the princess announced to the innkeeper. “We will require the royal suite and two others.” The innkeeper quickly brought them the keys to three suites. One key appeared to be made of gold, though it was more likely polished brass, and to Birgit’s surprise, Vedika handed the golden key to her. “Here, the royal suite is yours. Think of this as a wedding present.”

  Before going to their room, they shared a meal with the team. The food looked wonderful, but Birgit was so distracted she barely tasted it.

  “Do not feel you have to stay,” Prince Advick said as they were taking their last bites. “I am sure you two have a busy evening ahead.”

  Birgit blushed furiously, but Niles only smiled. “Well, if you insist. I’m sure we can find something to do.”

  Jumping to his feet, Niles held out his hand to Birgit and practically dragged her from the room. Birgit could only laugh, though his eagerness began stirring a fire inside her. They still had a contract to sign, though, she reminded herself.

  Taking up half the top floor of the inn, the royal suite was set apart from the other rooms and could only be reached by a private stairway. When they got to the door to the suite, Niles unlocked it and then swept Birgit up, cradling her in his arms.

  “What are you doing?” Birgit laughed.

  “It’s a custom in my world,” Niles answered, carrying her into the suite and kicking the door shut behind them.

  The suite was amazing. Thick, purple carpet covered the floor, and furniture of polished wood, brass, and plush upholstery that matched the carpet was tastefully arranged around the spacious rooms. They entered a huge sitting room with two couches, four comfortable chairs, a large table, and a bar.

  “So, what shall we do first?” Niles asked, carrying Birgit to a door through which Birgit could see a large marble and brass bathroom with an enormous bathtub. “A bath, or…?” Changing direction, Niles carried her to another door that revealed a bedroom with a massive four-poster bed.

  “First, we need to agree on a contract,” Birgit said with mock sternness.

  Niles gave an exaggerated sigh and set her down on the carpet. “Can we at least take a look around first?”

  Birgit agreed, curious to get a good look at the suite herself. It was indeed luxurious, and she was very tempted to put off the contract negotiation. But if they started something, Birgit was quite certain she would not be able to stop herself, and the contract would never get done, so after taking in the view from the grand balcony, Birgit led Niles back to the sitting room. Retrieving special paper and ink, both infused with powdered magic crystal, Birgit sat down at the table, and Niles took a seat across from her.

  “So, what shall be the terms of our contract?” Birgit asked.

  “I love you,” Niles said simply, and Birgit realized that was the first time he had said that to her. The simple statement made her heart miss a beat. “Is that not enough?”

  “And I love you, too,” Birgit confessed with all her heart. “But it would be safer to put all our expectations into a contract.”

  “About that,” Niles said, shifting uncomfortably. “Here’s the thing about those contracts. They…”

  A loud knock on their door cut off whatever Niles had meant to say.

  “Should we get that?” Niles asked, giving Birgit a puzzled look.

  Before Birgit could answer, another, more urgent knock sounded.

  Birgit stood, now a little concerned. “We should answer it.”

  Niles went to the door warily and pulled it open. Sinja, Jabari, and Azrielle rushed in, along with Sinja’s spider familiar.

  “What’s going on?” Niles asked.

  “We are so sorry to interrupt,” Sinja said as she stepped between Birgit and Niles. “There’s been an incident involving the twins and their half-brother.”

  Birgit had to step back to avoid the huge spider that skittered around Sinja.

  “What happened?” Niles asked.

  Suddenly, Jabari grabbed Birgit from behind, and she felt something sharp press against her throat.

  “Do not move, Niles,” Jabari ordered. “Azrielle, disarm and detain Niles. That is an order.”

  “What?” Azrielle and Niles shouted in unison.

  “Stay where you are, Niles, or I will kill her,” Jabari threatened. “Azrielle, obey my order.”

  “No!” Azrielle cried, her refusal turning to a cry of agony as she fell to her knees, her familiar contract punishing her for breaking its terms.

  Birgit could see Niles tensing to act, but Sinja spoke up first. “We will not harm her if you listen to us. But even your time magic will not let you get to her fast enough. The second you move, Jabari will kill her.”

  “Begone, Azrielle,” Jabari commanded, and the seraph vanished. “You will owe me a new familiar when this is over, Sinja. I fear Niles has ruined that one.”

  “Alright, I’m listening,” Niles said, his voice low and cold. “But if you harm her, neither of you will walk out of here.”

  “First, take your dagger out slowly and toss it behind you,” Jabari ordered.

  Niles glared at him, but did as he was directed. Birgit had no doubt he would not need his dagger to deal with these traitors.

  “I want to form a familiar contract with you, Niles,” Sinja said, as she walked over to the table where Birgit had just been sitting. “As part of the contract, I will agree that neither I, Jabari, nor our familiars will harm Birgit. My friend is going to tie her in webs now to prevent her from interfering with our negotiations, but I promise you the webs will come off easily and painlessly once we are done.”

  “Do not listen to her,” Birgit shouted. “I would…”

  Jabari put a hand over Birgit’s mouth, silencing her. Whether intentional or not, the knife in his other hand pressed harder into her neck as he shifted his grip. She saw Niles’ eyes narrow in a look of rage that was terrifying to behold.

  “What conditions will be in the contract?” Niles growled, not taking his eyes off Jabari.

  “Only that you agree to serve as my familiar, protect me from all harm, obey my commands, answer my summons when I call, and do no harm to myself, Jabari, our families, or our country through your actions or inactions.” Sinja answered as if she were asking for a simple favor.

  As she spoke, her spider crept up to Birgit and began spinning webs around her legs. If only she had some of her pre-cast spell items left, she could do something, but she had used them all in the ruined city.

  “For how long?” Niles snarled.

  Sinja smiled sweetly. “It will be for life, but you were ready to give your life to protect her just a few days ago, certainly you will do this to protect her. I assure you I will treat you well, and in time, I think you will come to enjoy serving me.”

  The spider unexpectedly looped its webs around Birgit’s wrists and pulled them to her sides. Birgit tried to struggle, but it was too late. With her arms and legs now constrained, Jabari had no problem holding her. She should have tried to escape sooner. It would have been better for her to die struggling than for Niles to be forced to serve these fiends for the rest of his life, but now it was too late. All she could do was watch as the spider continued to wrap her up.

  “I have a contract all prepared,” Sinja said, pulling out a folded sheet of paper and laying it on the table. “Come here and sign it, and then we can all leave dear Birgit alone. I am sure someone will come along to free her very soon.”

  Niles shifted his glare to Sinja as he stalked over to the table.

  Jabari removed his hand from her mouth, and Birgit shouted. “No, Niles, do not…” But she was cut off as webs shot over her mouth and nose.

  Niles turned and was halfway across the room before Jabari pulled Birgit back, holding the knife even more aggressively. “Stop! I will kill her. Step back, and I will make sure she can breathe.”

  Reluctantly, Niles took a step back, and Jabari used his knife to move the webs away from her nose so she could breathe again, but her mouth remained covered. Helpless Birgit watched as Niles walked back to the table.

  “Just put your hand here,” Sinja directed, and Niles slammed his hand down hard enough to make the elf jump. She recovered quickly and put her hand down on the paper as well. “Now we state the conditions we are agreeing to. I am sure you have done this before. I will go first. Neither I, Jabari, nor our familiars will do anything to bring harm to Birgit.”

  Sinja looked at Niles expectantly. He looked back. “What were the conditions again?”

  “Do not test my patience,” Sinja warned, her voice finally switching from the friendly tone she had used to far to something more fitting for a villain.

  “What?” Niles grumbled. “You said it like once, and I’m under a little bit of stress. Do you want me to get it wrong?”

  What was Niles up to? Birgit prayed he had some sort of plan. Was he waiting for help to arrive? They had made a fair amount of noise, but thick walls separated the royal suite from all the other rooms in the inn. Or, could he somehow turn the tables on them before the contract bound him to them?

  Sinja let out an exasperated breath. “Listen carefully and get it right. This contract will only protect Birgit once it is finished. I would hate for her to suffer an injury before then. Here is what you must agree to. You will agree to serve as my familiar, protect me from all harm, obey my commands, answer my summons when I call, and do no harm to myself, Jabari, our families, or our country through your actions or inactions.”

  Birgit could only listen as Niles agreed to the conditions. Tears filled her eyes as all hope left her. Niles was now bound for life to Sinja.

  “There,” Sinja said triumphantly. “You are now my familiar. Oh, we are going to have so much fun together. What shall I have you do first?”

  “First, you should honor your part of the deal,” Niles said, his tone flat and emotionless. “Let her go.”

  “I did not agree to let her go,” Sinja corrected. “The agreement was that we would not harm her, and we will not. I harbor no ill will toward Birgit. In fact, Birgit, if you would like to come and work for me after you graduate. I would be more than happy to let you renew your relationship with Niles. You are a very talented mage, and I could use someone like you. But for now, I certainly can not have you running loose. Jabari, take her in and set her on the bed. Tomorrow, I am sure someone will come in and check on you. She will be fine until then.”

  Jabari picked her up with much more difficulty than Niles had earlier and carried her into the bedroom. Dropping her on the bed with no care for the position she landed in, Jabari left her, closing the bedroom door on the way out. The room was dark, save for a sliver of light that came through the cracks around the door. Straining, Birgit could just make out voices from the other room. It was still possible that if Niles could stall them long enough, someone would come. But would he be forced to fight them now?

  “Now, then, are you satisfied?” Sinja asked. “Birgit is safe and unharmed. Now it is your turn to fulfill the terms of the contract.”

  “So, what’s your master plan here?” Niles asked. “You can’t go back to the academy now. Birgit is going to tell everyone what you did.”

  “Yes, that is a shame,” Sinja sighed. “But earning degrees from that backwater school was never that important. You are a far better prize. Well, you and all those crystals you are going to help us steal before we go. Without them, poor Prince Advick will lose the competition and suffer quite a humiliating disgrace. With any luck, his dolt of a half-brother will win in his place. You see, Advick is far too competent to be allowed to ascend to the throne. Snazlepop would be a much better choice for our purposes. Now my first order for you is to tell me the signature of your plane.”

  “So, you really don’t know?” Niles asked.

  “No,” Sinja confirmed. “I found several mentions of humans in the old records, but something happened several centuries ago that caused them to not only stop summoning humans, but to destroy all records of how to locate your plane. But now you will tell me how to reach it, and soon Solaria will have an army of human familiars to strengthen our mages. With them, we will finally destroy our ancient enemy and take back Deca. I will be hailed as the hero of this age. So now, I order you, tell me your planar signature.”

  “Here, let me write it down so Birgit doesn’t overhear,” Niles said.

  “Oh, very good, Niles,” Sinja commended. “Having her find that out would certainly have complicated things. You are already protecting my interests. I shall have to reward you for that.”

  Had he lied to her about not knowing it? That made no sense.

  “There you go,” Niles said.

  “What is this?” Sinja asked, her voice annoyed, “‘Psych’? What does that…” A loud thump drowned out Sinja. A moment later, she shrieked in alarm. “No, you…”

  There was another loud thump, followed by the hissing, chittering sound of Sinja’s spider familiar. The creature’s sound suddenly went up an octave and turned into something that sounded very much like a scream. The scream cut off suddenly, and all was quiet. Seconds passed. Had someone come to their rescue? If they had, Niles would have been bound to protect Sinja. Did she want the rescuers to win, or Niles?

  The door to the bedroom flew open, and Niles stood there, outlined by the light from the other room. He rushed to the bed and began gently cutting away the webs.

  “What happened?” Birgit gasped as soon as her mouth was free.

  Niles smiled. “Oh, once you were safe, and I’d tricked them into revealing their master plan, I knocked them out and tied them up. Are you alright?”

  “Yes, I am fine.” Birgit answered quickly. “But how were you able to do it? I saw you agree to that contract.”

  “That’s what I was just about to tell you before we were interrupted.” Niles said, freeing her hands and moving down to start working on her legs. “You know how I absorb the magic from crystals and pre-cast spell items? Well, I guess I do the same with contracts. As soon as I touch them, I can see the magic fade right out of them.”

  “But you never broke our contracts,” Birgit pointed out, rubbing her wrists.

  Niles finished freeing her legs and smiled. “I never had a reason to.”

  Birgit flexed her legs and tried to brush the remnants of the webs off her. “But you could have broken our contract at any time.”

  “Probably,” Niles admitted, “but I’m not the kind of guy who breaks his word… unless it’s given under duress, then all bets are off.”

  “But you risked your life to save me so many times, even when I was still afraid of you.”

  Niles shrugged. “It’s what I do.”