“I will be leaving this wretched academy as soon as Istaria and my unfaithful knight are ready to travel, this whole experience has ruined me from trusting anyone. I do not intend to take on another knight anymore, but I owe you a favor so ask whatever you wish of me, and it will be yours.” Menavillion shudders slightly. “And then I can be free to leave this whole affair behind.”
I feel my eyes widen as my mouth pops open. Menavillion is leaving? My first thought is to ask him to reconsider not taking on knights and ask me to be his, but then I realize that I can just ask him for magic. I don’t need to become a knight. I don’t need to prove myself to anyone else. I need only to ask, and I’ll finally have everything I ever wanted.
And then I can go back home to Woodsbury and… and what?
My first thought is that I’d finally be worthy of Byron Coalbiter.
And it makes me wonder if I’ve somehow been doing all this to become worthy of him. Maybe, Marvin was right, and I’ve always loved Byron but somehow contrived this massive gap between us making it so that he was some unattainable thing. And then I led myself to believe that maybe just maybe if I had magic, I would be good enough for him.
But that could never happen, because Byron’s magic isn’t what makes him so special.
He’s kind and honest, he genuinely cares about people and that’s why they like him so much. Not because he is charming or talented, although he is certainly that as well, but because he is a good person.
My eyes flick to Byron’s brother who is lying in that bed, so still. Not aware of everything that awaits him. He did nearly kill me, but then he saved me. So, can he be truly entirely evil like I’ve always been told those who deal in dark magic are?
But more than that. What will Byron do to try to save his brother a second time? From a worse fate than before. He was willing to sell away all his freedoms to become a vassal when he truly didn’t want to be…
“A-anything?” I ask.
“As long as it is within reason and lawful to the charter of bargains, then yes.”
I exhale slowly, pressing my eyes shut. “I want you to free Calder from his service to you,” I spit it out quickly before I change my mind.
Menavillion splutters. “That is not within reason.”
“Please,” I say stepping toward him. “Don’t you believe in second chances?”
He gives his head a sharp shake. “Absolutely not.”
“I jumped out a window to save you, My Lord. That wasn’t within reason either. All I’m asking for is one man’s freedom.”
Menavillion purses his lips. “He deserves to be punished.”
“He was stolen from his home, and his family when he was just a child, raised to be only your servant and has never known freedom. Ever. I think his life was punishment enough.”
Menavillion presses his eyes shut and releases an exhale. “Very well.” He holds out his hand and I shake it as his steely gaze locks on me. “I hereby free Calder Coalbiter from my service and all binds that hold him to me. There, now we are even. I wish you a happy life and may we never meet again.”
With those words he turns and strides from the room. I turn, looking at the sleeping form of Calder, feeling much lighter than I think I’ve ever felt.
Chapter Twenty-Two
IconsiderfollowingMenavillionout of the infirmary so I can find my rooms and change, but then I realize that if Byron wakes up and I’m gone he would probably wonder and maybe worry. Assuming I’m not overexaggerating my place in his life.
But then… he was asleep next to my bed holding my hand so maybe…?
I shake that thought from my head. I likely ruined any chance of getting together with Byron with the horrible way I acted towards him. It’s enough that he will still consider me a friend and I shall just have to manage to find some way to be content with that.
I step back into the room to see that Byron is sitting up, his head whipping around in a panic. He freezes when he sees me and he exhales, his shoulders losing some of their tension.
“Hi,” I say nervously as I move over to the bed. I plop onto it, crossing my legs.
“Hi?” he demands. “You fell out of the academy. I thought you were dead. And all you have to say for yourself ishi?”
“You sound mad,” I say, pulling back slightly.
“I am. I’m relieved too, it’s quite the mixture swirling through me right now. What you did there was the craziest most reckless, stupidest thing I have ever seen.” He shakes his head and huffs a small breath. “Please don’t ever do that to me again.”
“I can’t promise,” I say tilting my head so that all my hair spills over the side. “I’m a crazy, stupid, reckless girl.”
