"I do."
She nodded once, satisfied with my directness. "Then you should understand exactly what we offer and what we do not." The blade vanished somewhere on her person as she leaned forward slightly. "We don't create connections that aren't already possible. We cannot manufacture love or desire where there is none."
"What do you do, then?" I asked, genuinely curious.
"We enhance probability," she replied. "We find the thread that already exists—however faintly—and we strengthen it, clearobstacles, increase the likelihood of intersection." Her gaze was unwavering. "But the connection itself must be real, must be possible, must already exist in potential."
Lacey's fingers resumed their movement in the air between us. "Think of it as...illuminating a path that was already there, but hidden in shadow."
"And what are the limitations?" I asked, directing the question to Atropos.
"We cannot force reciprocation," she stated flatly. "We cannot override free will. We cannot guarantee outcomes. The connection may be real, but what you and the other person choose to do with it, that remains entirely your own responsibility."
"I understand," I said with a slight nod.
"Do you?" Atropos's eyes narrowed slightly. "Many think they do, until the moment arrives and they discover connection alone isn't enough. That it requires work, compromise, courage." The hint of a smile touched her lips, though it held little warmth. "But perhaps you understand this better than most."
I matched her stare. "I do."
"Good." She straightened. "Then there is only the matter of our price."
"And that would be?"
"One favor," Atropos said. "Undefined. Owed to the sisters."
My pulse jumped, a sudden rush of blood in my ears. Owed. The word slithered through me like poison, triggering memories I kept carefully locked away.Owned.Owed. The words were too close, the concepts intertwined in my mind like the scars on my skin. The marks under my suit seemed to burn, phantom pain tracing each line and curve. My jaw tightened as I forced myself to remain present, to not get lost in the memories threatening to overwhelm me.
"An open-ended debt," I said carefully. "That's a significant risk."
"As is what we offer," Atropos countered smoothly. "Balance must be maintained."
I studied her, looking for signs of deception or manipulation. This was how it had started with the warlocks, too, a seemingly fair exchange that had quickly become a cage.
"What limits are there on this...favor?" I asked.
"We cannot ask you to harm yourself or others," Lacey interjected, her tone gentler than her sister's. "We cannot demand anything that violates your fundamental nature. The favor will be proportionate to what you receive."
"And if I refuse when the time comes to pay?" I needed to know the consequences.
Atropos's expression didn't change, but something cold moved behind her eyes. "Fatealwayscollects."
My jaw tightened further as I made my decision. "I understand the terms," I said quietly. "And I accept."
Atropos studied me for a long moment, then gave a single, sharp nod of acknowledgment. The deal was struck.
"Wise choice," she said, though whether she meant accepting the terms or the service itself wasn't clear.
I didn't respond. The weight of what I'd just agreed to settled over me, I had willingly put myself in debt to these women, these Fates. It went against every instinct I'd developed since breaking free.
And yet, oddly, I felt no regret. Only a strange, unfamiliar sensation that took me a moment to identify.
Anticipation.
The sisters exchanged glances across the table, an entire conversation passing between them in seconds. Cleo reappeared beaming like she'd just received the best gift imaginable.
"Is that it?" I asked, uncertain what happened next. Part of me had expected some elaborate ritual, blood offerings or incantations. The reality felt almost anticlimactic.
"For now," Atropos replied. "The thread will appear but do not follow it, we must consult with the one on the other side and we will let you know where to go once the connection is fully established."
