"Hold on tight!"
Alex slapped the mare's hindquarters and sent her off at a gallop. He hoped William would stay in the saddle. Then spurred Tempest's flanks and charged out of the clearing.
Two more arrows skimmed past his head and lodged in the ground behind him.
"Shit."
Tempest dug in and, in the blink of an eye, caught up with William's mare.
Alex grabbed the reins. "Are you hurt?"
William's face was ashen, his eyes wide and vacant as if he'd just lived through his worst nightmare. By the spirits, was he even breathing?
Alex took hold of his jaw and turned his face toward him. At that contact, a shiver of magic ran across their skins. William jolted and drew a breath.
"You all right?" asked the prince.
The mage brought a hand to his chest and took a few more deep breaths. He looked less pale now. "Yes, I think so."
"Good." Alex turned Tempest. "Ride on to the castle. I'll deal with them."
Once they drew the attackers out of the woods, killing them would be child's play.
"Are you insane? You're alone!"
"Don't think I'm some useless prince. I'm pretty good with a sword."
"They have arrows."
"I can hold them off."
"And how? You don't seem to have a bow with you!"
Alex twisted his lips. For someone who always had his nose in books, he knew far too much about military matters. "I'll improvise."
William's frown deepened. "You really are irresponsible!"
He slid off his mare, stumbled on the stirrup, and nearly fell on his ass. An arrow lodged several arm-lengths away from them and the mage flinched.
Alex frowned. "They don't have enough range to hit us."
"That's good, because I do."
William pulled a book from the packs tied to the saddle and the air around them changed.
The same tingling Alex felt whenever he touched him filled the air, crackling around them. The hairs on his arms stood up.
The mage lifted a hand and an unnatural wind rose in a violent surge. Gusts slammed into the grove, whipping the tree branches.
Magic. Pure, simple elemental magic.
His heart pounded in his chest. It was the first time he'd seen William at work, and he didn't know whether to be fascinated or frightened.
The wind swelled like a wave, twisting and whirling violently. Shouts cut through the silence and a chill of fear ran down Alex's spine.
"Your Highness, be ready."
Alex snapped out of it. He dismounted and drew his sword.
William moved his fingers as if playing a harp, and the green of his irises grew even more intense. The wind lifted two men into the air and set them down in front of them.
They were the ones who had eyed them at the inn. One had an arrow embedded in his chest and his eyes were wide; the other stared at them with terror, his fingers clenching tightly around his bow.
Alex wrenched it from his hand and pressed the blade to his throat. "Who do you work for?"
"N-none."
"So you try to kill people for fun?"
"You—you looked rich." The man shot a terrified glance at William. "We thought… you were two m-merchants."
Alex frowned. Did he really not know who he had in front of him?
"I could decapitate you right here for attacking the Crown Prince… and feed your body to the boars. But if you tell me who paid you, I might be content with simply throwing you in prison."
The man paled, a trickle of sweat running down his forehead. "The… C-crown prince…"
He really didn't seem to understand who he was dealing with.
Alex pressed the blade to his neck. "Well?"
"I-it was a well-dressed man, he said—"
An arrow plunged into his throat. The man gurgled, spat blood and collapsed to the ground, eyes wide.
That was not supposed to happen. Alex had thought they were out of range. He was wrong.
"Shit!"
Alex sheathed his sword, grabbed William by an arm and dragged him toward Tempest. "Get on!"
"But that's your horse!"
"We're under fire! Do it, damn you!"
The mage shot him a sharp look, but his protest was swallowed by the whistle of another arrow.
Alex shoved William behind himself and the dart grazed his forearm. A burning sensation flared where the skin had split.
"William, will you fucking get on?"
The mage's eyes were wide, his face paler than usual. But this time he obeyed silently.
Alex hauled himself up behind him, tied the mare's reins to the saddle and kicked Tempest's flanks.
The horse bolted toward the castle, while another arrow buried itself in the ground behind them.
---------------------------------------------------
They reached the castle of Astya in no time.
Alex dismounted in the courtyard and helped William down. The wound on his forearm burned a little, but it wasn't anything serious.
A few servants peeked out from the main gate, confused about why they were there.
The lord castellan — Lord Lynden — hurried out of the main building, his prominent belly squeezed into an ocher doublet.
"Your Highness! By the spirits, what—" He fell silent when his eyes darted to the blood staining Alex's sleeve, and his face went pale. "Are you hurt?"
"It's nothing serious. Lock the gate, post guards on the battlements, and send word to the nearest garrison by pigeon."
"What happened?"
"We were ambushed."
And he wasn't at all sure they'd been simple bandits.
He handed the two horses over to the stable boy, grabbed his saddlebags, and told William to follow.
They entered the castle and climbed one of the old watchtowers—the one facing the forest where the ambush had taken place. There was a small study there where they could talk undisturbed.
Alex pushed open the heavy door and stepped inside.
A thin veil of dust danced in the warm light of late afternoon, but the rosewood desk and the wall-to-wall bookshelves had been recently polished. The air still smelled faintly of beeswax.
He shut the door behind them and gestured for William to sit in one of the two velvet armchairs.
The mage hesitated, then dropped onto the cushion. "Are you planning to interrogate me?"
Alex blinked at him in surprise. "Why would I?"
"Because I would, if I were you."
"Well, you're not me." Alex sat down beside him and rubbed his forehead. "Are you all right?"
William frowned. "You're the one who got hurt, not me."
"It's just a scratch. And I doubt you're used to ambushes."
"Are you?"
"Unfortunately," Alex muttered.
His gaze fell to the missing finger hidden beneath the leather glove, and a sharp pain pricked his chest.
He shoved the memories aside and rubbed his temples.
"This trip is madness. My father must have lost his mind, sending me off without an escort."
"I don't think he imagined an ambush."
"Actually, he suspected it. But maybe he believed I could handle it." Alex looked away. "The thing is… I'm not sure I can."
"We're both alive. I'd say you handled it quite well."
"Maybe. I need to send a message to the palace and request Sven and the rest of my guard. We can't go back without an escort—it's too risky."
Alex glanced at William again. He was still pale, but his breathing was steady, and his hands weren't trembling. The icy look he gave him was the one Alex was used to.
"You're not hurt, are you?"
"No. If I were, you'd notice."
"Good."
"Do you suspect me?"
Alex raised an eyebrow. "Should I?"
"No, but I wouldn't blame you if you did." William crossed his legs. "You don't know me, and we don't like each other. The timing of this attack is… convenient."
"You almost got an arrow between the eyes. Either you're completely insane or you're innocent."
"And what makes you so sure I'm not insane?"
"My father's and Sven's judgment. They both say you're reliable, and I trust them. Besides, the current Court Mage wouldn't have endorsed a madman."
William pressed his lips together. "So you don't trust me."
"I don't know yet." Alex looked down. "I don't know you, and I can't figure you out. You're… complicated, unreadable, and your tongue is sharper than a blade. I can't tell if you enjoy pissing people off or if you simply don't know how to behave—and the way you look at me is irritating."
The mage frowned, clearly displeased.
Alex ignored him. "But you're honest—maybe too much—and you have this awkward way of worrying about people and saying thank you. And you stayed by my side even after I ordered you to run, saving my life. Why?"
"You're my prince. I couldn't leave you behind. And besides, you saved me." William looked away. "I don't like being indebted to powerful men."
Those words stung Alex. "You really think I'd use a blood debt to blackmail you?"
"I don't know. You're… different from what I expected."
"Different from what you expected, huh?"
"Yes. I thought you'd be cruel. Despotic, even."
Alex frowned. "Is that what people say about me?"
William shook his head. "No. At the fort where I was stationed, the soldiers all spoke well of you—especially the captains and the commander. They said you were a good soldier and easy to get along with. Those who've served under you have fond memories."
"Then why did you think I was some sort of monster?"
"Because you're a noble, and I…" He bit his lip. For the first time, Alex thought he looked genuinely uncomfortable. "I've never gotten along well with nobles."
"And the prince sitting in front of you now—what do you think of him?"
"He's a good man. Loyal, with a strong sense of justice, but impatient and impulsive. I've never been good at reading people, but you… I can read you."
Alex's heart skipped a beat. Was that supposed to be a compliment?
He looked away from the mage, suddenly uneasy.
"You know," he murmured, "I'm starting to think that maybe being bound to you won't be so bad after all."
"It will be. For you. Trust me—you don't want to be bound to me."
Alex frowned and looked back at him. "What are you talking about?"
For a long moment, silence stretched between them. Then William sighed.
"Do you remember what I told you a few days ago?"
The mage'd told him a lot of things, and Alex usually remembered about half. Damn his terrible memory—was it really that hard to pay attention when people talked to him?
He scratched the back of his neck, a little embarrassed.
"Let's just say I wasn't really listening."
William frowned—the same way his father did when scolding him. "Sometimes I can't tell if you're stupid or brilliant."
"Careful, that's treason."
"I doubt you'd dare punish me for it. I know you've never had anyone flogged—not even the servant who spilled wine on your favorite outfit. A man who worries so much about others isn't capable of handing out corporal punishment."
Alex chuckled. "My mother always says clothes can be replaced, but people's loyalty can't."
"There's money."
"That buys obedience, not loyalty. They're not the same thing."
William raised an eyebrow. "Maybe you're not a fool after all."
Alex frowned. "Are you going to tell me what you said the other day or not?"
The mage looked away and scratched his forearm. Was he nervous?
"I told you I knew how to stop the Crown's Pact—and I do. It concerns my condition. I have hemophilia."
"Is that a perversion?"
William shot him a look so cold Alex felt a chill run down his spine. "It's the illness I suffer from. Hemophilia."
"Oh… Is it contagious?"
"No. But it might be the reason you need to dismiss me."