I wake up at the first light. I feel like I slept in. It takes me a minute to realize I'm in the bed by the bathroom with the king. I gasp, I move myself up, but he's not awake yet. I lay back down, more worried about him waking than anything.

  I slept with my head on his shoulder and his arm over me. So I lay back down now, but have to use the bathroom so badly. I carefully get up again and go. This time I wake him up.

  “Morning,” he grumbles.

  “Morning. Sorry I woke you up.”

  I pull away at a pace that feels too fast. All of his heat leaves me instantly and I shiver on the toilet. His power is like a drug.

  I already want my next fix. So I dress with warmer clothes than the other day hoping to replace the heat and forget about it.

  I can't bring myself to sit back at the bed, so I ask for breakfast and he comes with me. I'm careful not to meet his eyes. Even though his power is gone, it's almost as if I can feel it surging through my veins, closer than ever.

  I'm thinking of the room, how for once I wouldn't mind going back to my bed. My imagination is strong as I imagine the ruler in my bed, sharing power again.

  I'm with him all of a sudden, in my bed. He stares back at me then smiles.

  “Now how'd you do that?” He’s just as surprised as I am.

  “I-I don't know.”

  “Transportation is only a dark power.” He states.

  “I really don't know, I thought of going back to bed and now we're here.”

  He’s in awe, “I can feel your power too. Perhaps I'll curse my enemies.”

  “That’s funny. I don’t feel it.”

  “Then we’ll focus on that today. It should get us closer to breaking the curse.”

  “I don't know if I'll get that far,” I admit.

  “Take us back to the dining room.” I start to get up but he stops me, “Using power.”

  “Oh.”

  I picture the dining area but nothing happens. I remember what Kai's power feels like and I try again to no success.

  “I can't do it,” I say blankly.

  “You did it before.”

  “I don't know how.”

  “Think of where you want to go. Any small details about it. Picture it.”

  Before I can stop myself, I think of the library. We're there in an instant.

  “Very good. Now try the dining room.”

  I already feel a little tired. Maybe I am imagining it.

  I picture the food and the walls and everything about it. Then, I tell myself that I want to go there.

  Kai grabs onto me and we fall over. Whatever I did, I got us here too fast. He landed on top of me, and put a hand behind me to stop himself from crushing me.

  “You did it,” He says easily, unruffled by the messiness of the magic.

  “Not very well,” I pull away from him.

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  “You'll get better at it. It's easier when you're alone but obviously you can't leave me.”

  “The bargain can't be fulfilled any other way?”

  “Desperate to get away from me?” He teases, “No, you have to help break the curse.”

  In a way I am. I hate being tied too closely to anything. I miss being alone, being able to talk to myself and not seem crazy. I want to go to the bathroom without someone having to be there because they're tied to me.

  “I do miss my own space.”

  He looks hurt, then quickly clears his face, “Yeah?”

  He's waiting for me to explain.

  “I guess I've always been alone. My father was always away so the house would be empty. My sister and I didn't come home at the same time. I'm not used to not being alone.”

  “Ah,” he says like he understands, “I don't want you to feel like a prisoner. Especially to me.”

  “I'll complain once you start making me do physical labor. So far, I haven't become a slave.”

  He flinches, “No, never. Although I want you to try to use your powers. You have a choice of course.”

  “What if I am successful? Then you’ll know all about mine when you won’t tell me about yours?”

  “That's a good point,” he admits.

  “So?”

  “So nothing. If you learn to use your own power then maybe you can go free.”

  I scowl at him. I guess he doesn’t owe me anything. That doesn’t change the fact that it’s frustrating.

  “I had a mentor when I learned to use all of my powers. I could only do so much as a juvenile. We made an alliance or an agreement to never talk or discuss it. Because we both wanted different things for our kingdoms, we added our own requirements.”

  “You learned from a ruler?” He nods once.

  “Alright. What do we have to do to do that?”

  “Write up a document and both sign it.”

  “Every word matters,” I say cautiously, “how do I know that you won’t trick me?”

  He shrugs, “I guess you’ll just have to find out.”

  “You said that you're all connected, but the curse doesn't impact you directly. So why would you directly bargain with me to help you?”

  “We’ve been through this.”

  “Not your specific feelings on it,” It may seem foolish but I need to hear it again.

  “Becasue I have a brother looking for power. He knows that I killed the dark queen. He knows that I didn't have all the powers to rule but came into them. What's to stop him from overtaking the Sun King? He'd be the opposite of me, the perfect opponent. A king cannot kill another king no matter what they do wrong.”

  “But you did it.”

  “I had help. Rulers wanted to overthrow the dark queen for ages. She was a cruel wicked thing. The Sun King is the face of light.”

  “The Sun King,” I say, “that’s who your alliance is to isn’t it?”

  “Yes.”

  “What’s in it?”

  He raises an eyebrow.

  “No, what’s in the contract?”

  “Come to the office,” He sighs.

  He explains how the agreement to not talk about any powers the other has and to help aid the other in any crisis. Also to never invade lines for any reason. So the Sun King going crazy and attacking is a personal offense that should have never happened. Noted.

  “And what do you want in it?” He asks.

  “I’m not sure. I’ve never met the Cursed Court. They’d probably kill me.”

  “You’re not wrong. But who’s to say anything about you if they don’t know what you are?”

  “Put that in there. That can never be discussed,” I sigh.

  “On my part I will help you to develop your powers and eventually teach you how to rule. But, you’ll have to agree never to curse a ruler again, and to help my army where you can if needed.”

  “Write it down,” I agree, “Put the non disclosure of powers in there too.”

  “Before I do that I should tell you that I’d like it both ways.”

  “Agreed. And does my military get your aid assuming I somehow uncurse the Sun King?”

  “No. You get your freedom from our bargain.”

  “Right.” Business deal. I need to keep that in my head. If I can’t ask him for favors because he’s using this so that I can’t reveal him then I can at least add one more thing.

  “So you say that only the ruler can curse correct in my court?”

  “Yes.”

  “None of my people will be locked or tried here for crimes such as curses that they could not possibly commit.”

  “Good one,” he admits, then adds it.

  “Anything else?”

  “None that I can think of.”

  “Good,” I say.

  He takes the pen from my hand and puts it back. At first I’m confused then scared. Is there something he didn’t like?

  “No, it’s not that. Just sleep on a contract at least. Just in case you or I want to change anything.”

  “Oh. That makes a lot of sense.”

  It also gives me some time to figure out where he is trying to screw me over. I will figure out his intentions.