Cora stepped out into the main room, arms crossed and heart pounding. “Hey,” she said, taking a step toward the table.

All eyes turned to her and she hesitated.

“Seth. Come with me to check on Marin.” Mattias stood and waited for Seth to join him. “You can go talk over there.” He indicated the far side of the room where the cushions sat.

Cora said nothing, watching them disappear into the other room. She hesitated before turning back toward the table, heart beginning to pound a nervous beat in her chest. How was she supposed to start this conversation?

Idris did it for her. “I understand you need a shield,” he said, standing.

“Yeah.” She folded her arms across her chest, and turned away, eyes studying the shelf above the cushions. If I want to stay here…

“If you want to come with me, I can be your shield,” he offered.

They came to a stop in the middle of the circle of cushions and Cora finally met his eyes, crossing her arms. “What exactly does a shield do?” If I don’t like the answer then that’s it. I’ll go back. The level of difficulty that came with the decision she had to make was becoming frustrating.

“When a person becomes a Shield, he or she makes a promise to protect, honor, and care for a person without magic,” Idris explained.

Cora kept her arms crossed and let her eyes wander around the room. She had heard of the word honor before, but its meaning had been misty and vague.

“What’s the catch?” she asked.

“The catch?” he repeated.

“Yeah. The catch. Like what do you get in return.” There was no way that having someone as a Shield came without a price. Nothing was without a price.

Idris was silent for a moment before answering. “When you accept someone as your Shield, the promise you make is to trust, honor, and obey that person.”

She bristled at the answer. “That’s a lot to ask.” She thought about the way Mattias had treated her. He had asked for nothing aside from some help, and that was in exchange for her living in his house.

“What if I don’t accept?” she asked, tring another angle.

“Then I imagine they will look for someone else, or take you home.” His answer was simple and easy.

“Right.” She couldn’t think of a better question. There was no one, in this world or the other, she would have trusted with a secret much less her life. Of the limited options she had, this one seemed the most preferable but also the most risky. She took a deep breath and blew it out. “Fine.” Out of arguments, she turned her attention to Mattias and Seth returning from the cot room.

“I want to talk to Mattias.” She hid her own surprise in the declaration, crossing the room without looking back. \

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“What are you gonna do?” Seth asked as soon as she reached them.

“What if I say no?” She ignored Seth, demanding the answer again, this time from Mattias.

He stood at the coutner, rinsing out a cloth. “We keep looking for a Shield or you go back to the city. You can’t stay here forever.”

“And if I say yes?” she asked, more quietly than before.

He answered without looking at her. “You go with Idris.”

“You trust him?” She snapped her mouth shut, wishing she hadn’t asked the question. The building stress twisted her stomach into knots.

“Of course!” Seth started.

Mattias turned to meet her eyes, a look she didn’t recognize in his own. “Yes.”

Did he know how she felt? His answer held none of the judgment she had expected. Maybe he hadn’t noticed her slip up. She took a deep breath and continued. They would tire of the questions soon, of this she was certain. A sting came with that knowledge. She kept going anyway, determined to test their sincerity. Behind her she heard movement until out of the corner of her eye she saw Idris come to stand with them.

“What about what Delta said?” She held her focus on Mattias.

“What did Delta say?” Seth asked, his voice much louder than it needed to be.

“Delta is in a difficult situation,” the healer answered with a sigh, ignoring Seth. He stepped up to the table. “Her experience is not the norm. If you want to go back, Seth and I will take you to the portal tomorrow.” He paused and glanced behind her. “If you want to stay then stay. No one is going to force you to make one choice over another.”

His words brought to mind their conversation the other day. “All I can do is offer a better choice.”

Cora closed her eyes and took a deep breath, steeling herself for the choice she had made. Slowly, she turned to face Idris. “I accept your offer.”

With a nod, he reached under the cloak he wore and produced a bag.

Cora watched, aticipation building as she second guessed the decidsion she had jsut made. Butterflies battered the inside of her stomach and she made the mistake of glancing at Seth who met her eyes with a wide grin.

Isris pulled a cloak, the same dark brown as the one he wore, from the bag and handed it to her. “Try it on.”

She took it, examining the surprisingly lightweight material. It looked like it would be too small, but when she draped it over her shoulders it fit perfectly. Had it adjusted to her size, or was she smaller than she thought? Was this magic?

It was warm and soft, flowing around her like a protective blanket. She spun in a slow circle, watching its edges ripple out. When she stopped, three sets of eyes watched her, and her face heated up.

“It fits,” Seth commented, the smile still on his face.

“Indeed,” Idris agreed. He pulled a gold band from the bag next, similar to the ones she had seen on Delta and the boy. “Here.” He held out a hand and waited.

Cora swallowed down the knot that had made its way to her throat. The feeling that this would be a point of no return filled her with worry. She took in a deep breath, steeling herself against the nervousness she felt, and then put her hand in his.

“As your shield, I promise to protect, honor, and care for you as long as we are paired.” He looked up to meet her eyes.

Cora’s face and neck felt hot and she fought against a sudden urge to run away. She had come too far to back out now. With another slow breath, she looked down at their hands and the gold band. “I promise to trust, honor, and obey, as long as we are paired.” She repeated his ending with a voice just above a whisper, and then held her breath. They’re just words, she reminded herself.

To her surprise, a golden light appeared, circling the metal band as Idris slid it over her hand and arm. It tightened around her upper arm and the light lingered for a moment before disappearing just as suddenly as it had appeared.

Seth clapped his hands together, making her jump, and she glared at him.

When she turned to Mattias, he was smiling. “Go home and rest. We will see you back here tomorrow.”

“Alright.”

Cora turned back to Idris who met her eyes. “Are you ready to go?” he asked.

She nodded, and turned away from the table. As ready as I'll ever be. Her insides squirmed as Idris walked behind her to the door, and she slipped out into the evening without saying goodbye.