Chapter 5 · Because the System doesn't recognize him as the caster

"Because the System doesn't recognize him as the caster."

"Then who is it going to hit?"

Varka's fingers tightened on Tess's shoulders.

Her face had gone still in a way that felt worse than anger.

"Don't ask questions you can't afford to hear answered."

"I hate that sentence."

"You should."

The purge blade rotated above the circle.

Its point turned away from the robed man.

It turned toward Varka.

Tess saw it before Varka did.

"Move!"

Tess shoved her.

The blade dropped.

Varka twisted, pulled Tess into her, and raised the black sword. Silver and black collided with a shock that blew every candle out of the chamber.

The force threw both women to the floor.

Tess landed on top of Varka. Her palms hit the woman's chest armor. Varka's hands closed around Tess's forearms.

For a second, they only stared at each other in the dark blue glow from the broken ritual circle.

Tess's cheek was inches from Varka's mouth.

Varka's breath touched her skin.

"Get off me," Varka said.

"You pulled me down."

"I stopped the blade."

"You stopped it under us."

"Are you injured?"

The question came out rougher than the rest.

Tess looked at the thin blood line on Varka's lower lip. "Are you?"

Varka's gaze held hers.

"Answer me."

"I'm fine."

"You're bleeding."

"So are you."

"That wasn't the question."

"It was close enough."

Varka rolled them with sudden strength, placing Tess beneath her. One knee braced beside Tess's hip, one hand locking both of Tess's wrists above her head.

The position was controlled, not careless. Still, Tess's breath caught when Varka leaned over her.

"You're going to follow instructions now," Varka said.

"You really like that word."

"You really like disobeying."

"Maybe I don't like being ordered around by people who plan to kill me."

"I have not planned to kill you."

"You said you would."

"If you became a threat."

"How am I doing so far?"

Varka looked at the cracked floor, the trapped guard, the spinning blade, and the ruined ritual circle.

"Poorly."

"Then let me go."

"No."

"Hypocrite."

Varka lowered her face until her voice brushed Tess's ear.

"You are going to touch the seal. You are going to cancel the weapon. Then you are going to come with me before the council decides to use a larger blade."

"And if I say no?"

"I carry you."

"You keep threatening that like I won't notice you seem to enjoy it."

Varka went absolutely still.

Tess felt the pause and smiled.

"Did I finally get you?"

"No."

"You stopped breathing."

"I was thinking."

"About carrying me?"

Varka's eyes lowered to Tess's mouth.

This time, Tess knew she had not imagined it.

The look lasted one beat.

Then Varka pulled back and released Tess's wrists.

"Touch the seal," she ordered.

Tess sat up. "Say please."

"No."

"Then suffer."

She slapped her hand over the black mark on her wrist.

The seal burned so fiercely that her fingers cramped.

[CONTRACT BINDING: 17%]

[VESSEL ACCEPTANCE: FAILED]

[DELETION WINDOW: 29 DAYS, 23 HOURS, 41 MINUTES]

Tess gasped. "It says contract binding."

Varka's face changed.

Not much. Just enough.

"Who showed you that?"

"The System."

"Read it again."

"Why? What does it mean?"

"Read it."

"You don't get to panic and still act superior."

"I am not panicking."

"Your hand is shaking."

Varka looked down.

Her right hand was trembling around the hilt of her sword.

She closed her fingers until the shake stopped.

"Read the window," she said.

Tess read it aloud.

"Contract binding, seventeen percent. Vessel acceptance failed. Deletion window, twenty-nine days, twenty-three hours, forty-one minutes."

The robed man heard her.

His face drained of color.

"That is impossible," he whispered.

Tess turned toward him. "What is?"

He backed away from the ritual circle.

"The vessel cannot begin binding without a royal anchor."

Tess looked at Varka.

Varka was already looking at her.

"What is a royal anchor?" Tess asked.

No one answered.

The purge blade fell from the air and landed point-first between Tess and Varka.

The stone cracked in a clean line.

The blade's blue light traveled down the crack and stopped at Tess's boots.

The System window flashed again.

[ANCHOR SIGNATURE DETECTED]

[ROYAL BLOOD CONFIRMED]

[CONTRACT TARGET: SELENE VARKA]

Tess read the name silently.

Varka saw her face.

"What did it say?"

Tess looked at the hand Varka had placed on her shoulder. Then at the seal burning around her wrist.

"It says you are my anchor."

The chamber went dead quiet.

Varka's pale eyes hardened. "No."

"That's what it says."

"You are reading it wrong."

"I don't think the magic window is using subtle wording."

The robed man stumbled toward them. "Battle-Mage Varka, step away from the vessel."

Varka did not move.

"Now," he said. "The council must be informed."

"You will inform no one until I understand the binding."

"You have no authority over the summon."

"Then why is the contract trying to use my blood?"

The robed man stared at her.

Tess's stomach dropped.

"Your blood?" she asked.

Varka's hand closed around Tess's wrist again, covering the burning seal with her palm.

"Do not speak."

"You told me to read it."

"I told you to read the window, not announce it to the room."

"There's a difference?"

"A dangerous one."

The officials began shouting over each other.

"The royal line has been compromised."

"Seal the chamber."

"Take Varka into custody."

"The vessel must be transferred to the council vault."

Tess looked at the guards as they recovered their weapons.

"Transferred?"

Varka stepped between Tess and the room.

"Nobody is transferring her."

The robed man lifted his hand. "You will stand down."

"No."

"You are protecting an illegal summon."

"I am containing an unstable magical event."

"You are attached to the contract."

Varka's eyes cut toward Tess.

That tiny movement told Tess enough.

Varka had known there was a possibility. Maybe not the full truth, but enough to be afraid of it.

Tess moved closer. "You knew."

"I suspected."

"You knew."

"I suspected."

"You dragged me behind your sword, pressed me into a wall, and told me to trust you while you suspected the spell was tied to you?"

"I never told you to trust me."

"You should have. You were making a strong case."

"Tess."

"Don't use my name like that."