Gayle rolled her eyes. “Well, I’m certainly not willing to hear you out for you, idiot. I’m doing it for him. It’s our jobs to protect, and I can easily see this causing problems, not just for the Heir, but the whole College. There’s no way I’m letting some of the morons at the College mess things up for us. Can you even imagine what might happen if there was an incident at the College involving the returned Heir?”

The woman shivered. “No way I’m going to let that happen. Besides, I’m pissed I got passed over for top picks for Prince Adar. I should have been on that list, Markus. I’m yavit good at what I do. Better than Sasseni or that tool Gunther, and I’ve been waiting longer too.”

Markus smirked. “Oh, so you think you help stop some sort of assignation plot, you’ll win your way into the position of Adar’s next Protector?”

Gayle shrugged. “It could happen.”

Markus actually felt relief at hearing Gayle’s reason for hearing him out and that she had her sights on the slot for Adar’s new Protector. His old friend could certainly do worse, and if he picked from Vang’s list he just might. Markus would certainly trust Gayle to watch his own back, so he knew she would do well for Adar. Markus nodded to himself. If he could find a way to suggest Gayle as Adar’s new Protector, then he would.

“Fine. Whatever. You’d be a better pick than those on his list anyways.”

The woman gave him a wide grin. Her green eyes seemed extra brilliant in the light of the room. “Ahhhhh, you mean it?”

It was Markus’s turn to roll his eyes. “I don’t say anything I don’t mean, and you know it. First, I’m going to need a list of those you think are going to cause trouble.”

Gayle snorted. “Yeah, it might be a shorter list if I just tell you who isn’t going to be a problem.”

Markus stifled a grin of victory at getting her to commit. “I want everything you’ve got––all of it. The list, what the scuttlebutt is, and possible actions they might take against him. And how far you think they would go to get revenge for Hame. I’ll also need your help on surveillance, and maybe intervention if it becomes necessary.”

She scoffed. “You don’t want much do you?”

“Gayle,” Markus gave her a long look.

He didn’t much like being here and asking for her help, but it was better than getting anyone else involved. Out of all his classmates, Gayle had been the only one who had even tried to accept him here at the College, mostly because she herself had been shunned because of her telepathy Dome-ni.

Not many people liked the idea of spending time around a Mind Reader, even if their efforts could be blocked with some training or that really those with the telepathy ability could only read surface thoughts. But like all of those with that particular Dome-ni, she got a cold shoulder wherever she went.

Markus owed her for that unexpected friendship. Some days it had been the only thing keeping him from giving up and walking away under all the pressure to go crawling back to his father. Thank the Universe he had stayed his course and got through his training. And the woman sitting on the bed was a huge contributing factor in that.

So he had to admit that it felt kind of shitty standing here in her bed chamber in the deep hours of the night asking her for the favor, especially after his earlier fumble. But here he was. And she knew it too. He could see the smirk in her eyes. She really was hooked now.

She looked thoughtful for a moment, and then said the very thing he hoped she wouldn’t say. “I don’t get it, why me? I’m flattered––I think, but didn’t Command already set you up with what you needed?”

Markus paused, and then said. “You know I prefer to work off the radar.”

Gayle threw up where hands. “Oh, I should have known. You haven’t even check in have you? I thought you said they wanted you silently shadowing Prince Adar?”

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Markus pursued his lips and did not say a word.

“Wait? How do you even know they want you on Prince Adar if you haven’t talked to them?”

He shrugged. “Nathias inferred that’s what they wanted.”

Gayle threw her head back and barked out a laugh. “Nathias inferred? Seriously, Markus? What if what they actually want is to take your membership away? Once you get the official boot, Markus, there’s no coming back here––ever.”

Markus shrugged. He’d already thought about this on the trip from Cresta. He was going to keep Adar safe until he bonded with a new Protector. It was the least he could do for his old friend, and if that meant some sacrifices on his part, he’d pay them. It was a big Empire, he’d find somewhere else to go, it wasn’t like he’d been wanting to come back here anyways––well, not until Adar had come that is.

“If that’s what they want, they can take my membership. Yavit, I’ll even do it willingly, but I’m here for Adar. That’s the only thing that matters right now, and considering the College’s reputation is on the line––because we both know it is, I think they will see it that way too.

“Besides, they are Command, they don’t actually know what’s going on with the Cadets, Disciples, and Pledges on a day to day basis, not really. Not like you do. I need someone I can trust and I need someone who knows all the ins and outs. I need you.”

Gayle gave Markus a small smile. “You sure do know how to make a girl feel special––sometimes, when you’re not being a total idiot. Though I suspect your interest in me is more about what my Dome-ni can pick up than anything else.”

Markus tried to speak, but Gayle put up a hand to stop him. “I’m not saying that to goad you, Markus. But let’s be honest here, my Dome-ni would come in handy for this mission specifically.”

Markus nodded. “Yes, it would, but that’s––”

But she didn’t even let him finish. “Now that’s settled, let’s talk price.”

Markus raised an eyebrow. “Price?”

Gayle folded her arms across her chest and gave him a piercing look. “You just admitted to doing this off the books without Command being in the official know. They frown on that kind of thing, or did you not notice it the many times you were given remediations for doing that kind of thing? That means I’m at risk, so that means I deserve ample compensation.”

“I thought you wanted to be Prince Adar’s new Protector?”

“Oh, I do, and don’t think I will give up on that dream easily. But we both know anything can happen and things may not work out the way I want. If he does decide to go another way––which let’s face it, would mean he’s prone to making bad decisions––then I need something else. I was thinking maybe the Great Markus Nador owing me a favor? Like a big favor equivalent to what I do for you.”

Markus stared down at the woman. The look in her face made him know she was serious. He blew out a long breath. “You know I hate owing favors.”

Gayle smiled. “I do, why do you think I’m asking? If you want something significant from me, Markus, then you are going to have to give me something significant in return. That’s how this whole deal thing works. Of course, I can always go to Command and tell them about our little conversation.”

“Gayle.” Markus growled.

The woman battered her eyes like she was some innocent girl. “What? I’m only trying to look out for myself.”

He blew out a long breath. Gayle was right, she was taking a big risk if this went sideways. She could very well get kicked off the active Pledge list like Markus had, there was no worse fate for a person who had dedicated ten years for the privilege to become a Protector, or in his case, eight.

There was no way to be bonded to a charge without Command’s approval, and without the possibility of service to a charge, then the Pledge was doomed to some low staffing position at the College, a fate Markus avoided when he decided to leave the College two years before. Not that he cared all that much. Rather be taken off the active list than be saddled with an idiot charge he’d have to most likely sacrifice his life for. No thank you!

But then she was asking for a favor. He hated those, because they never went the way he thought they would, and it usually favored the one he owed the favor too. It also didn’t help that he was a King’s son, which meant most people thought he could get anything and do anything, but that wasn’t necessarily true. At least not since Markus had cut himself off from his family.

He was on his own, and he liked it that way. But it didn’t stop the brave or the straight up stupid from approaching him from time to time to ask for something he did not have the power, or even the desire, to give. But she was taking a huge risk in just talking to him, it was only fair that Markus give her something as significant in return. And by the judge of her grin, it would end up being something he would likely have to go groveling to his father to make happen.

Yavit.

“Fine,” he growled out, but it felt painful to do.

He just hoped she waited a long time to collect on her favor whatever it might be. Though he got the sneaky suspicion that Gayle already had a good idea of exactly what kind of favor she wanted. She just wasn’t saying, because she knew he’d give her an automatic no. Markus shook it off. Maybe he was wrong, and it wouldn’t be a big deal.

The broad smile that cut across the woman’s face made him think otherwise. “Great, so where do you want me to start?”