Chapter 4 - The document

I waited. He didn't continue. "And?"

"The only known means of breaking it is an ancient covenant," he said. "It requires an unclaimed human witness to enter an oath with me."

I stared at his back. "An unclaimed human witness."

"Yes."

"Unclaimed meaning what, exactly? No one owns me? No one's cast a spell on me? No supernatural strings attached? Is that it?”

"All of those things." He turned to face me, his amber eyes meeting mine. "The humans in our realm are all claimed, free from any and all supernatural oaths. You, being from another realm, are free of supernatural oaths. You have not been marked by any other supernatural, shifter, fae, witch, or demon. You are, for lack of a better word, clean."

"Clean." I tested the word like it was a piece of rotten fruit. "So you need a human with no magical baggage to swear a lifelong oath to you. And the oath breaks the curse."

"The covenant breaks the curse. The oath is the mechanism."

"Have you tried asking someone?" I asked. "Just walking up to a human and saying 'excuse me, would you mind terribly swearing a lifelong oath to save my life'?"

Azriel's expression flickered. "The covenant cannot be fulfilled through an ordinary agreement. The witness must enter the covenant without being magically compelled. They must choose freely."

I looked at him. I looked at the locked door. I looked at the enchanted windows showing a world I couldn't reach. And I laughed. This time, it was real. It was loud and sharper than I intended. I sounded hysterical.

"Kidnapping someone," I said, "is an interesting way to demonstrate respect for their freedom."

He had the grace to look uncomfortable. "I did not arrange the purchase personally. But I was hoping that, as time went on, I might be able to convince you."

"Convince me." I stood up, the blanket falling away. I was still the nightdress they had given me, but I didn't care. I crossed the room until I was standing in front of him, close enough to see the way his pupils were slightly vertical, like a wolf's. "You brought me here against my will, drugged me and locked me in a room, and now you're telling me you hoped to convince me? That doesn't make you innocent, Your Highness. That makes you a coward who couldn't be bothered to ask."

For the first time, the prince seemed unable to find a response. He opened his mouth, then closed it. His hands, which had been resting at his sides, curled into fists.

"I want a written guarantee," I said.

"A what?"

"A document. Signed by you. Stating that once the curse is broken, I will be released and you would give me lots of money for this. Free to leave. Free to go wherever I want, whenever I want, with no conditions, no hidden clauses and no magical loopholes."

Azriel's eyes narrowed. "You do not trust me."

"I trust you about as far as I can throw you," I said. "And given that you're several inches taller than me and built like a wall, that's not very far at all. The document. Write it. Sign it. Or I swear to every god in every world that I will make this process so difficult, so impossible, that you'll wish you'd never heard of Stasia Snow."

He stared at me for a long moment. I stared back. I had spent seventeen years learning how to win staring contests with people who had power over me. I had practice.

"Fine," he said finally. "I will have the document prepared."

"Today."

"Today."

"And it will contain no hidden conditions. No magical clauses. No obligation for me to remain in this kingdom afterward."

His jaw tightened again. "You are very demanding."

"I'm a thief and an orphan with nothing to lose," I said. "Did you expect me to be grateful?"

He didn't answer. He simply turned and walked toward the door. I followed him with my eyes, the letter opener still in my hand.

"When?" I called after him.

"By evening."

"Good." I paused. "And I want a bath. A real one. With hot water and some nice smelling soap."

Azriel stopped at the door, his hand on the handle. "Is there anything else you require, Your Majesty?"

The sarcasm was thick enough to cut. I smiled sweetly. "Not currently. But I'll let you know."

He opened the door. As he stepped through, I couldn't resist.

"One more thing."

He turned, his expression wary.

"Are all m princes this unpleasant?" I asked. "Or have you cultivated the talent specially?"

Something flickered in his eyes. Amusement, maybe. Or irritation. With him, it was hard to tell.

"You will find out," he said, "when you meet the rest of my pack."

I snorted. "Whatever."

Azriel closed the door.

I stood there for a moment, my heart pounding, my hands shaking. Then I crossed to the window and pressed my palm against the cool glass. The view had changed again, now it showed a garden, full of flowers I'd never seen before, their petals glowing faintly in the strange light.

I didn't know how to escape. I didn't know how to break a curse. I didn't know how to survive in a world that wanted to use me and discard me.

But I knew one thing.

I was going to find a way out of this. Whether Azriel cared or not. Whether he helped me or hindered me. Whether he kept his promises or broke them.

I was going to get free.

And I was going to make him regret ever buying me.

-———-

The bath was everything I'd asked for and more. The servants had filled a tub the size of a small pond with water that steamed and smelled of roses. I sank into it with a groan of pure, unadulterated pleasure, the hot water soothing the welts on my back, the aches in my muscles, the tension in my shoulders. I stayed in until my fingers pruned and the water began to cool. Then I dressed in the clothes they'd left for me, soft trousers, a loose shirt, boots that fit surprisingly well. I wasn't going to wear a dress. Dresses were for people who planned to stay. I was planning to leave, and I needed to be ready to run when the opportunity presented itself.

The document arrived just before sunset.

Azriel delivered it himself, his expression unreadable. He stood in the doorway as I read it, my eyes scanning every line, every word and searching for the trick I knew must be there.

It was simple. One page, written in elegant script. It stated that upon the successful breaking of the curse, I, Stasia Snow, would be released from all obligations and permitted to leave the kingdom of Morath. It contained no hidden conditions. No magical clauses. No obligation to remain.