Kat stood before the golden embroidery of the curse, tapping her chin with the hilt of the iron dagger.

How could she break it? What did she have to do to get rid of the beast? Would pretending to hate Cage work now when he already knew she loved him? Even if she hated the idea, she'd do anything to see him again, be able to talk to him. And she'd realized that there were things bigger than her, bigger than both of them.

Cage had rogue troops. Even if she didn't know the extent of it, she could tell that the simple existence of the portraits would be seen as treason. Then again, the king might not be able to get over the existence of the magic in the first place.

 Yes, she was in a very complicated situation, and it annoyed her beyond belief that she couldn't be more into it. Be there by Cage's side, help him overthrow those who had taken everything from him.

He's not doing this for the throne.

The thought was simple and honest. He was doing it for his country. For his brother, so that when he took over, he wouldn't be forced to run a ruin. 

And yet, even with all that knowledge and the clear importance of Cage's work, she longed for him. As much as she hadn't wanted anything to do with Donnie, she lusted after Cage with embarrassing intensity. Just being around him made her hum with life. The way he kissed her gave her a fever only he could contain.

Nope, not going there. She had other things to think about. Like how to break that curse and make everything alright for everyone.

Bloom the perfect rose with thorns strong enough to kill the beast.

She tapped the hilt of the dagger against her lower lip much faster, her mind spinning. She was the rose. The blooming only referred to everything he'd taught her. How to feel comfortable with who she was, how to fight, how to think, how to ride properly.

Most importantly, after his absence and after this, she'd broken free and learned to thrive alone, handle emergencies. And now, she needed to use all that intelligence to crack this riddle. The only problem was, she could. With ease. But she didn't like it.

She glanced at the dagger in her hand. A thorn strong enough to kill the beast. He wouldn't heal from it, not like he did from everything else. And it was obvious that it wouldn't just kill the beast. It would kill Cage, too. 

She'd stabbed the beast, and it was just fine, lazing in the dungeons. So it was obvious that the counter-curse was literal. She had to kill the beast. But how, when it would mean Cage's demise?

No, honey, you still need him. You're not strong enough.

The hissing voice made her shudder, and for a moment, she was tempted to answer. Ask what she wasn't strong enough for. But she had a feeling it would be a bad idea to acknowledge it. What was it, even? A hereditary gift from her father? A very obsessive and creepy inner voice? Was she slowly losing her mind?

Not that it mattered seeing as she would most likely lose her life very soon. As much as she hated it, the men in the portraits were right. She wasn't more important than the kingdom. Cage had other duties, and she couldn't get in the way. 

The room suddenly became stifling, almost as much as the dungeon. And since it wasn't like she could draw new meaning from a few words, she admitted defeat, tucked the iron dagger in the ornate sheath strapped around her thigh to hide it, and headed for the door. 

Maybe Joey had returned and could help her figure out a way to get Cage back. She opened the door and almost had a heart attack when she found someone right in front of it.

"Keleigh? How--?"

The older woman looked annoyed already, as if Kat had somehow tricked her into coming there against her will.

"Joey asked me to come. I wouldn't have, but it's you, and you've been the only friend I've had in years. So..." With a deep sigh, she pulled her hands out of her cloak and reached out what looked like two bracers. "He said to give you these. That you'd know what to do with them."

Kat took the bracers, her mind still trying to wrap around Keleigh being there. They felt hot against her skin, probably warmed by Keleigh's grip and cloak. It took a simple study of the rough material to tell why Joey wanted these.

"Are they iron?" she asked, her voice higher than usual.

"Yes, they are."

Kat opened her mouth to ask how on earth had Keleigh gotten her hands on so much iron, but decided to drop the subject. It was Joey. Resourceful, brilliant Joey. Of course she knew exactly what to do with them.

"Thanks so much," she said, already moving away and towards the stairs.

"Wait, where are you going?"

Kat didn't answer, though she could hear Keleigh trudging along. Kat had her own questions, like how the other woman had gotten there, but first, she had to get Cage back. Free him from his prison by bounding him to a new one. If it would work.

"Wait here," she said over her shoulder once they reached the bottom of the staircase.

"Kat, what are you--?" Keleigh grabbed her shoulder and turned her around. "He's dangerous."

Kat wasn't sure if she felt annoyed or touched by Keleigh's warning. She was a little shocked that she even knew about Cage, but she guessed Joey might have explained a few things before sending her over with the solution. A part of Kat wondered why Joey hadn't come over himself, but then again, who knew where he was? He could be in Valona or deep in the jungles of the Southern Isles.

"Trust me, I know," she said. "But I have to do this." She wasn't the only one who needed him.

And yet, as she left Keleigh behind and started down the stairs to the dungeon, a weight plunged in her stomach and walking felt harder than it should. 

"You have to do this," she mumbled to herself. "He protected you every way he could. Now it's your turn."

Because he needed her as much as she'd needed him. And she wasn't about to go back on what she had to do. She'd decided upon that the moment she made the choice to return with Cage and try and break his curse.

Everything stood silent as she reached the bottom of the steps. Her heart in her throat, she neared the door and glanced inside. Cage was in there, sitting cross-legged on the mattress, reading the latest book she'd given him. He'd wrapped a bandage around his wound and it appeared clean for now, which meant he was healing.

Kat pursed her lips, reigning in the emotions, because she could tell it wouldn't be easy. Yes, she dared hope, but she had to be prepared for the worst.

"Cage?" she whispered.

He raised his eyes to hers, surprise and fear battling in them. "Kat?"

For a moment, her heart swelled, but it all came crashing down once Cage winced and groaned in pain. Kat stepped back as the now-familiar sound of breaking bones filled the air.  As much as it hurt, this was her chance to put an end to it.

"Hey," she called. "Killer beast. Want to grab me?" She kicked the food flap, then sidestepped, waiting.

She wasn't disappointed. The beast reached out its claws through the flap, hoping to slash at her feet. Kat was ready. She propped her foot against the flap, catching the beast's arm and wrapped one of the bracers around its writs. It was a very tight fit, but it worked. The thing howled in pain and pulled back.

Kat unlocked the door and, free hand on the hilt of the iron dagger, marched inside. The beast had retreated to the furthest corner of the cell, half-slumped against the wall. Steam seemed to be coming out from the iron cuff. It was so strange to see him fully, his body deformed and disproportionate. 

No, focus! She charged forward and secured the remaining bracer around the beast's other wrist. The growling and yelping turned into cries of pain and popping bones. She stepped back, as Cage fell to the floor completely, his body rearranging into the normal one. His wound opened up again, blood staining the bandage.

Kat hated this, so much, it dug into her, but she stepped away and waited until every growl subsided, and all that was left was Cage, his eyes closed, arms wrapped around himself, shaking like a leaf. Sweat dripped down the sides of his face and drenched his body. Even so, she stayed next to the door, waiting in case there was more to the transformation. But his fingers were no longer clawed, his size was the one she knew, and his eyes were closed, so she couldn't tell if they were back to normal.

After a few moments in which he made no move to pounce on her, she walked over to him. He jerked at her touch, but didn't move away.

"Can you look at me now?" she asked, placing her hand on his forehead.

He shook his head and kept his eyes shut.

"We need to know. I have the dagger."

Her words did the trick. When he opened his eyes, they were dark blue and hazy. The joy filling her was so complete, it was hard not to hug him against her, whoop out loud. The only thing stopping her was his obvious discomfort. Her gaze trailed to his wrists which were still smoking.

Now that the bulk of the beast had gone and the bracers were not as tight, she could see that the iron had scorched his skin. She drew in a sharp breath.

"I'm sorry. I'm so-- I should take them off."

"No," he breathed. "Leave them. It's-- Brilliant."

"But they're hurting you!"

He let out a sound that could've been laughter. "I'll get used to them. I just-- Can we--?"

She understood that he wanted out of there. Even with the door open, the dungeon still pressed on her chest, trying to draw the air out of her. He needed his room, his bed. He needed to rest after two rounds of rearranging bones.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered as she helped him to his feet.

"Don't be. I've just never turned twice so fast and it sort of... Broke me, I guess. I need to rest."

And she needed to bandage his wound again. So they made their way slowly up the stairs. Once in the hall, Kat kept close to the wall and then the stairs so the portraits wouldn't spy them. She didn't want them to see Cage like this. Weak, covered in sweat and blood and barely standing.

Keleigh stood from the bottom step and moved out of the way as Kat approached. She was grateful for the space, as well as for Keleigh's silence. All she wanted were a few seconds with Cage. To come to terms with the fact that she had him back, that they could talk again.

They reached his chambers and she helped him on the bed, then removed his boots. His trousers were still intact, even if everything else had been ripped by the beast coming out. He let out a content groan as his back hit the mattress.

Kat busied herself with untangling his bandage, after which she searched for the potion she'd used on his wounds the last time. The greenish potion was in the drawer of his night desk, so she used a clean strip of bandage to dab away the blood. He hissed when the potion touched his wound.

"Shhh, you're going to be fine."

"Don't shush me like a child," he mumbled. "I know I'm going to be fine. If it was so easy to off myself, I would've done it a long time ago."

"Stop saying things like that. Can you sit up?"

"I can try."

He mostly failed, but with her help, managed to prop himself against the headboard. It did nothing for him. The color drained from his face and he swayed the tiniest bit.

"Ugh, now I feel like barfing."

That didn't sound well. "Should I get you a bucket?"

"No, I just..." He let his body lower until he was lying down. "I really need to rest."

"Wait, I think the portraits had some urgent business with you."

He'd already closed his eyes and didn't answer, so Kat wondered if he'd passed out. But after a few seconds, he frowned.

"How urgent?" His voice was low and raspy and made her shudder for some dumb reason.

"Refugees from Endir, Talia and Annora seeking military aid."

His frown deepened, but he still didn't open his eyes. "No reports outside our group. It's not urgent enough to get me out of bed right now. Tell them I'll get back to them."

She nodded, relieved that he now knew and could rest. He really needed it. She leaned over and kissed his forehead. When she wanted to pull up, he put his hand on the back of her neck and stopped her. He rose the missing inch and planted a kiss on her lips.

"This idea of yours might've been more brilliant than you think," he whispered.

A grin spread on her face and heat rose to her cheeks. "It was Joey's idea."

Cage huffed. "Of course. I'll see you later." And just like that he seemed to fall asleep.

Kat pulled the cover over him and let herself out of the room. It was amazing how the weight on her shoulders seemed to have lifted. He was back. He would be okay and handle the political crisis. And maybe, just maybe, those bracers would help him control the beast.

As she reached the bottom of the stairs, she wasn't surprised to find Keleigh waiting for her, wringing her hands.

"Are you alright?" she asked the moment Kat reached her.

Even if it was a legitimate questions since she'd just faced the beast, Keleigh didn't know that. And the question also sounded like she meant it in general, and not right then.

"Yes, why wouldn't I be?" Kat asked.

"Well, you've been gone for such a long time. And it must be pretty hard living with him." 

The dislike didn't go unnoticed, but Kat shrugged. "Oh, not really. He can be very nice, actually."

Keleigh rolled her eyes and huffed, and Kat was a second away from kicking her out when she smiled. 

"Are you hungry? I could fix you something." And she turned around and headed down the stairs to the kitchen.

Kat followed, her eyes narrowed in suspicion. "That's alright. I'm used to cooking for us." And even if it was rude, she had to add, "Why exactly are you here?"

"To help you," Keleigh answered with another shrug. "And keep you company."

Kat faltered. That was actually very kind of her. She'd felt so lonely over the past few days, but that didn't explain why Keleigh would subject herself to the danger and the obvious awkwardness of being the third wheel. Then again, maybe she didn't realize that. Maybe it wasn't that obvious how much Kat loved Cage. Maybe Joey hadn't told her.

Keleigh seemed to realize that her answer wasn't enough because she turned around with a sigh. Kat stopped a few inches from running into her.

"Look, I will admit it is weird, but I'm doing this as a favor for Joey. He thinks you and him need help and I'm the only one he trusts."

"Umm..." Kat had no idea what to say to that. She liked Keleigh and couldn't deny that talking to someone else could be welcomed, especially when Cage was busy or disappeared. There was just one tiny issue. "That's very nice of Joey, but Cage can be quite..." Deadly.

Keleigh let out a bitter laugh. "I'm in no danger. I love Joey so he doesn't impress me. And he doesn't like me enough for his other side to come out."

Kat relaxed a little and gathered that Keleigh knew how the curse worked, courtesy of Joey. Cage wouldn't hurt her unless Kat triggered the beast and then they were all dead. So the danger was still there and it seemed rather careless of Joey to send her into the lair of the beast while he lounged in a castle somewhere, not marrying her for some stupid reason.

But she kept it all to herself and joined Keleigh in the kitchen where they began cooking lunch.

Surprisingly enough, Keleigh began chattering right away on a pleasant tone. It wasn't even about their predicament, Cage, the castle or Joey. She just started ranting about the kingdom, the town, people they both knew.

"Honestly," she said, kneading bread, "it was so hard for me to process that you were betrothed to that idiot, Donnie. I mean, don't get me wrong, he's not bad looking and he is rich, but that attitude is a very potent repellent."

"He's not all bad. He could be sweet at times," Kat said, though she wasn't sure exactly why she was defending Donnie. "He never forced himself on me."

As a fact, as far as she was concerned, his only flaw was that they just didn't share the same interests. And after meeting Cage, Donnie was nowhere near fascinating enough.

"It's so sad that it's a plus in our day and age," Keleigh answered wistfully. "Relationships built on nothing but the tiniest shred of respect."

"Love is hard to find," Kat said with a shrug. "Marriage is mostly of convenience."

Keleigh pursed her lips. "True. Love is a commodity in Iride. One must not squander it."

Kat couldn't help but agree. Love was wonderful, but it was rare. After all, she'd been moments away from marrying someone she didn't love and think nothing of it. Now that she'd gotten a taste of it, life without love was unimaginable.

But the affirmation made her curious about Joey and Keleigh's relationship. As much as curiosity burned her, she wouldn't pry. Not regarding a matter that seemed to bring Keleigh great sadness. So they continued to chat, both of them expressing their deep-seeded aversion towards Miss Erin, the town gossip.

"I swear, I think she doesn't have a quarter of the brain a normal person does," Keleigh was saying just as Cage walked through the door.

Kat did a double take because she hadn't expected to see him so soon. Keleigh tensed, her eyebrows crawling towards the center of her forehead.

"Oh, hi Keleigh," Cage said, his tone a little wary. "Thank you for coming. And for..." He lifted his writs.

She just huffed and turned her back to him, focusing on the tomatoes she was cutting.

Kat raised her eyebrows, a bit shocked by the levels of animosity radiating off Keleigh.

"Kat, I'm going up to decide what to do about that political mess. Would you like to join me?"

His words drew her attention completely. "Of course." She fought not to hop towards him, but this was so exciting.

He grinned and with a small wave to Keleigh, he turned away and walked out. She hurried to follow him, but faltered when she realized he'd stopped halfway up the stairs.

"What's going on?" she asked.

He didn't answer. Just bent and kissed her. Taken by surprise, she didn't even get to respond before he pulled back.

"I needed that." And he just turned and walked away.

"Wait, that's it?"

He threw her a smirk over his shoulder. "Unfortunately, I don't dare do more until I'm convinced that these bracers will hold the beast. There's no way in hell I want a replay of what happened last time."

She placed her hand on her chest. Even if her wounds were gone, the ghost of the pain was still there, as were all the questions regarding how he'd healed her.

"Does it hurt?" she asked instead.

He stopped again and turned to her, lifting his hands. His wrists seemed to be smoking.

"It wants to come out," he whispered. "Wants to hurt you. To hurt me. But I'll take it. Because it could be the only way to live with you."

She blinked, his words making her heart flutter all over again. "Um, what?"

He stepped towards her, stopping inches away, and her body instantly perked up, leaning towards him.

"I like touching you," he whispered in her ear, the warmth of his breath sending her mind spinning. "I like kissing you. I like every little fucking thing about you. You're better than opiates, better than anything I've ever experienced."

She stepped back, because it scared her how much his words enticed her, how she wanted to throw herself in his arms. But his wrists were raw and burnt as the iron barely contained his curse.

"Cage... Isn't this dangerous?"

"It is," he said, closing the space between them. "Very dangerous."

Then why was he doing it? Not that she cared. She circled her arms around his neck, enjoying the closeness, how they were stealing moments in a secluded hallway. It was like a fantasy from one of her romance books and she couldn't believe she was living it.

If only they could... Her thoughts screeched to a halt because she knew what happened in scenes like this and she couldn't believe she was actively hoping for it. When he leaned over and stuck his forehead to hers, she couldn't keep in a shuddering breath.

"This is so hard," he whispered. "And it's not proper. You're not one of my port girls. You're a lady. And I shouldn't be even telling you this stuff."

Kat didn't care. She might have been a lady, but she liked it when his language was crude while he flattered her. Which was as unlady like as it could get.

"Why are social norms so hard," she mumbled.

"Couldn't agree more," he retorted, but pulled away from her. "I wish we lived in more open-minded times. But as it is, I wouldn't dare touch you unless we were married. And we both know that's not going to happen."

Her hand brushed against the hilt of the dagger out of reflex now. "Unless we break the curse."

"The curse..." He let out a heavy sigh. "That's the only thing keeping me away from you. Don't ever forget that."

Warmth spread through her and she wanted to kiss him so much, but she was afraid the beast would come out again or that his writs would catch fire. So she settled for nodding and smiling.

"Do you like Keleigh?" Cage asked, starting back up the stairs and fortunately steering away from matters that made her want to do very inappropriate things to him.

"Yes, she's good company and we were sort of friend back in town. But why is she here?"

"Joey asked her to come. To help you and keep you company."

"You're not leaving, are you?" she asked, urgently.

He let out a hollow laugh. "And go where? Ashley is right. I'm too dangerous to be out on the streets and I think I more than proved it. So, as much as I hate it, until I figure out what to do with this damn curse, I'm stuck here." He stopped just as they reached the portrait hall and turned to her. "I just want you to spend more time training, learning, and just being you. Not my servant. Never my servant."

Kat nodded and squeezed his hand. He squeezed back, a small smile on his face then turned towards the hall and took in a deep breath.

"That being said, allow me to doom you by making you part of a rebellion."

And we have Cage back. And an awkward third wheel. Keleigh is a hateful little thing isn't she? What's up with her?

Also, yes. Those bracers seem rather efficient, don't they. In every possible way. Whatever shall happen now? Well, Not much longer until the end, so we'll have to find out.

Vote and comment for suport.