That caught me off guard. “Even against my father?”
“I have served the royal family for three centuries,” he replied carefully. “But I’ve watched you grow from a child. Your happiness matters to me.”
A lump formed in my throat. “Thank you, Caldwell.”
“Of course, young master. And, if all else fails, we still have the royal assassin.”
“Caldwell!”
He held up his hands in mock surrender. “It was a just a joke. Now, I must go before I’m missed. I’ll be in touch soon.”
The mirror went dark, and I set it back in the drawer, feeling both relieved and more anxious than before. At least I had Caldwell on my side, but would that be enough?
A soft knock on the door startled me from my thoughts. I closed the drawer quickly, making sure the mirror was safely hidden before I called out, “Come in.”
The door opened slowly, and Ash stood there, looking uncertain and more than a little miserable. The obsidian bracers encircled both his wrists, thick bands of polished black stone that seemed to absorb the light around them. They looked heavy and uncomfortable, and my heart twisted at the sight.
“Hey,” I said, trying to sound casual despite the hurricane of emotions swirling inside me. “They got you all set up with those, huh?”
Ash nodded, stepping hesitantly into the room. “They’re... not as bad as they look.” He lifted his arms slightly, the bracers gleaming dully in the light. “Professor Blackwood said they’ll adjust to my magic over time, so they won’t feel so restrictive.”
“That’s good,” I replied, not knowing what else to say. The atmosphere between us was thick with tension and unspoken questions.
Ash’s eyes fell on his belongings piled in the center of the room. “Sorry about all this,” he muttered. “I know you didn’t sign up to have a roommate.”
“It’s fine,” I said quickly. “There’s plenty of space.” I gestured to the empty desk on the other side of the room. “That can be yours. And we can figure out the sleeping situation.”
Ash’s cheeks flushed immediately at the mention of sleeping arrangements. “I can take the floor. I don’t mind.”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” I scoffed. “The bed’s big enough for both of us. Unless... you’d be uncomfortable with that?” I tried to keep my voice neutral, not wanting to pressure him.
“No, it’s not that,” he said, fidgeting with one of the bracers. “I just... I feel terrible about all of this. This is my fault.”
“It’s not your fault,” I insisted. “You were twelve when you cast that spell. You couldn’t have known.”
“But I did cast it,” he argued, his blue eyes finally meeting mine. “And now we’re both stuck with the consequences.”
I moved toward him, stopping just short of touching him. “We don’t even know for sure if it’s the spell or a mate bond or something else entirely. Let’s not jump to conclusions.”
Ash nodded, but he didn’t look convinced. His shadows, though clearly subdued by the bracers, still seemed to reach for me, stretching as far as they could before being pulled back.
“Does it hurt?” I asked, nodding toward the bracers. “Wearing those?”
“Not exactly,” he replied, looking down at them. “It feels... muffled. Like I’m trying to hear something underwater. My magic is still there, but it’s quieter.” He paused, a small frown creasing his forehead. “This must be what the other members of my family feel like.”
“Your family...” I nodded, understanding washing over me. “You said they barely have any magic.”
“Yeah.” He shifted his weight, looking uncomfortable in the bracers. “It’s weird to think that I have so much they need to contain it, when my mom can barely light a candle.”
I wanted to reach out and touch him, to feel that electric current between us again, but Caldwell’s warning echoed in my mind. Don’t deepen the bond. I shoved my hands in my pockets instead.
“Let me help you unpack,” I offered, moving toward one of his boxes. “We can get you settled in.”
“You don’t have to?—”
“I want to,” I insisted. “We’re roommates now, right? Might as well make the best of it.”
Ash gave me a small, tentative smile that made my chest tighten. Even with everything that had happened, that smile still affected me in ways I couldn’t explain. Maybe it was the bond, or maybe it was just…him.
