Noak couldn’t believe his eyes.

Elsa stood before him.

His childhood friend should’ve been in Haven City living a life of comfort, but instead she was here, deep within the Darkzone. He didn’t understand how this could happen. Noak wanted to reach out and touch her, make certain she was flesh and blood, except he couldn’t get his body to move.

It was obvious Elsa hadn’t recognised him. She was twitchy and ready to run. Noak couldn’t blame her. He was no longer the weak boy she’d known, his nose always stuck in a book. Noak had changed both physically and mentally—the Blood Wolves had made sure of that.

Elsa had also grown, morphing from girl to woman. She was taller and much too thin, but Noak still recognised her familiar features beneath the bright blue headscarf. She had the same nose and high cheeks, and the same direct stare.

“Well?” She said, her caution growing in the long silence.

Noak cleared his throat and refocused on his mission. He might have recognised Elsa, but he wasn’t sure he could trust her. It was better to keep his explanation vague.

“Yesterday the guards took something of great importance to me,” Noak started, “I came here to get it back, but I was caught before I could find it.”

He stepped towards the steel door and Elsa shifted the other way, maintaining the same distance between them.

“They’re keeping it in the officers’ dining room,” Noak said, “but the main entrance is too heavily protected, even for me. I’ve interrogated several guards and each one has told me the same story. There’s another way in.” He placed his palm against the metal door. “Here.”

“If you know where to go, why do you need me?”

He gestured to the hallway. “The apartment door was locked, but I didn’t need a key to get in. Someone had already unlocked it. You had already unlocked it.”

She crossed her arms over her chest and scowled at him. “So?”

“So, if you have another set of keys, I want them.”

A pink stain appeared on her pale cheeks. “I didn’t use a key. I picked the lock.”

He indicated the steel door to his left. “What about this one? Could you pick it too?”

She nodded.

“Would you?”

This time Elsa shook her head. “Sorry, it wouldn’t be worth my while. Melker would find out and I’d be punished.”

A cold fury crept through his veins. He wasn’t sure of the trigger, her refusal to help or her talk of punishment. He reached for his coin pouch, which was significantly lighter than when he’d arrived underground, and hoped he had enough to entice her.

“I can make it worth your while,” he said.

She gave another more vigorous shake of her head. “No, you really couldn’t.”

He held the purse in his palm and moved it so she could hear the clink of the coins within. “Surely there’s something you can use this for? Food, fuel, settling a debt.”

Determination hardened her eyes. “Put your coin away. You can’t buy my cooperation.”

Noak was fast losing control of this negotiation. He needed to find something Elsa would want, something to weigh against the fear of reprisal. He studied her, clutching the poker in her hands, pretending she wasn’t afraid.

“What if I had something beyond money to offer? Something a person like you could use?”

She tilted her head to the side. “And what would that be?”

“What if I could offer you freedom?”

Now he had her attention.

“Freedom from what exactly?” She asked. “This is the Darkzone, you need to be more specific.”

He shrugged. “Well, from fear.”

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Her lips formed a mocking smile. “That’s not something anyone can give.”

Noak stepped closer. “But it is. I can offer you strength beyond your wildest imaginings: the strength to take down any man who would punish you; the strength to fight any disease or injury; and even fight death itself.”

Elsa was so careful. She looked at him long and hard before she said, “Why would you give me such a thing?”

The bulb flickered again.

“Because I’m desperate.”

Her eyes glanced up to the light and back to him. “If you have that kind of strength, why do you need me? Why not break the door down?”

“There are limits,” Noak said. “Even for someone like me.”

“A convenient excuse.” Elsa broadened the distance between them again. “I think you’re lying.”

Noak stepped forward and grabbed hold of the poker.

“Don’t,” she said and tried to shake him off.

He held firm. “Watch.”

Eyes on her, he drew on the Source. The Leashworm within him stirred and obeyed. The power rose within him, strong and seductive. He could feel the deep reservoir available to him, but only took what he needed to heal. The Leashworm urged him to take more. His body wanted it too. Noak fought the craving. He directed the energy to his arm, face and neck. A faint gold glow appeared on his skin. The bruises disappeared and the wounds patterning his forearm and face healed, leaving behind faint scars. Elsa’s eyes widened. She released the bar as if it burned her.

“Do you see now?”

Fatigue always followed heavy use of the Source. The power drained from his muscles, leaving behind emptiness. Like an addict, his body pressed him to draw from it again, so he could fill the void. The Leashworm waited too, to see if he would finally succumb to the temptation. Elsa reached out to touch his skin, distracting him from the familiar battle. She stopped just short of contact. Her hand wavered a long moment and fell to her side.

“You healed your wounds.”

He nodded.

She searched his eyes for the lie. “You’re saying I’d be able to do that?”

“Yes.”

Elsa blew out a deep breath. “Wow. Are you from the Science Guild? Is this what you’re doing now?”

Noak grunted, neither confirming nor denying her assumption

“No wonder you’re all so secretive. Does Melker know about this?”

“No.” He threw the poker across the room. “Will you help, or not?”

Elsa chewed on her lip a moment and said, “Okay. I’ll help you, but I want this power. I want your kind of freedom.”

“Deal.” Noak moved out of the way. “Now. Open the door.”

She shook her head. “Give me the power first.”

“It doesn’t work that way,” he said. “I can’t give it to you now, but I promise when I get out of this, I will.”

“Hah! I’ll help you and you’ll back out.”

The tension returned. “That’s not why I—It’s not something we can do here. It will take time.”

“You’re a Citizen. How do I know I can trust you? How do I know you won’t back out of our deal, leaving me to take the blame if all this goes wrong?”

“What if I swore an oath?”

“You’re a stranger to me,” she said. “Your words have no value.”

Her use of the word stranger pricked at his nerves, or maybe it was the flickering light bulb adding to his sense of urgency. Either way, he said, “A blood oath, then.”

“How’s that any different from a normal oath?” Elsa asked.

“It would bind us together until the deal is done.”

She snorted. “That’s not possible.”

“You’ve seen the power I offer, is it so hard to believe that an oath can bind?”

Elsa pulled at the chain around her neck and her long fingers played with the silver links while she considered his proposal.

“Okay then.” She held out her left hand. “Do it.”

Noak grabbed the knife from his belt. “I’m sorry, this might hurt.”

He slashed across her open palm before she could change her mind. Elsa yelped and pulled away. He refused to release her hand and cut twice more.

“Shh,” he soothed once he was finished. “No more pain, I promise.”

Noak cut his own left palm three times and held their hands together. “I bind us now. Three marks. Blood to bind. Blood to hold. Blood to take away. Repeat.”

Elsa found her voice. “Blood to bind. Blood to hold. Blood to take away.”

Once again, he manipulated the Source, bending it to his will. He felt the hum build in his veins. “I freely bind myself to this woman, Elsa, until the terms of our agreement are fulfilled. Until she has freedom from fear, we are bound.”

His palm burned and itched. His chest hurt. Noak released her.

“It’s done.” His fatigue hung on him like a heavy coat.

Elsa turned her hand over and stared, uncomprehending, at the three scars decorating her palm.

“My hand,” she said. “You cut my hand and healed the marks in the space of seconds.”

“Elsa! There’s no time to lose.”

She snapped to attention and hurried over to the door. “You’re right.”

He watched as she knelt before the entrance and tapped around the lock. She selected two metal prongs from a tool kit around her waist, one long and delicate, and the other thick and covered in tape for a handle. She fiddled with the inside of the lock. Noak became impatient.

“How long?”

“Shh! I need to concentrate. If I break the pick, we’re done. I don’t have a second one on me.”

He paced.

“Marching back and forth won’t change my speed,” Elsa said. “I just need to find the empty space…”

Noak was about to comment when he heard a click.

“There!” She stood and brushed off her dark trousers. “Try it.”

Noak turned the handle. The heavy door swung back, revealing a spiralled staircase that went up to a second floor and down into a basement.

He stepped forward. Elsa followed.

“What are you doing?”

A stubborn look set her features. “I’m making sure I get what I was promised.”

Noak sighed. He didn’t have time to argue. “Don’t get in my way.”

Elsa went to step forward and he stopped her with a firm hand on her upper arm. “And if we’re going to work together, you better call me Noak.”