The Bargain of a Lifetime

THE BARGAIN OF A LIFETIME

E yes closed, I lie on my mattress in my cell while my mind traces the glimmering silver threads of the ethereal as they snake upward through the blocks, leading to the hall above where Aspen and I met yesterday.

I visualize the route in my mind, the winding stairs, the narrow corridors lined with retrofitted electric sconces, a shimmering map taking shape behind my eyelids.

With each turn and twist, my pulse steadies. I’m confident I could teleport myself there if needed

The headache from yesterday dissipated within hours, and I feel stronger than ever now, melding with my magic in a way that would make Aspen proud .

The thought of him creates a bright spot on my map, but I turn away from it, refocusing. The hall is too exposed, right in the middle of the stronghold. I need somewhere hidden, a small space where I can test my reach without risking too much attention.

I draw in a deep breath and pour my focus into the connection, my consciousness unspooling from my body, stretching thin as I chase the branching ethereal veins deeper into the keep. My awareness melds with the currents of magic, the familiar hum welcoming, like the hug of a grandma after years of being away.

The keep spreads out farther in my mind, floors taking form like building blocks, eager to show me around. An exterior wall grows, and beyond it, open air, a valley of frozen trees, a lake fed by glaciers. Like a balloon, I float into the open, a world of silver spreading out.

Once, all of this belonged to the Rothaven coven, and it sings its welcome home.

“Prisoner! You have a visitor,” a gruff voice barks, shattering my concentration.

I snap back into myself, the cell’s stone walls solidifying around me.

The sharp return jars me, and I blink, the afterimage of the ethereal still dancing in my vision .

Frustration boils up, tightening my jaw. What could be important enough to interrupt me now?

The thought that it might be Ambros flits through my mind, but the bubble of hope pops before it fully forms. If they’re bringing down a visitor, it’s for their purpose, not mine.

The jangle of keys echoes down the hall, accompanied by heavy footsteps. I arrange my face into a mask of calm indifference, not letting the guard see the remnants of my annoyance.

The footsteps pause outside my cell, and I lift my head, expression set in cool disinterest. When Aspen steps into view beside the guard, though, I sit up straighter on my thin mattress. A flicker of surprise and—if I’m honest—relief tempers my frustration.

“Rowe.” He inclines his head in greeting, his mouth set in a grim line.

I return the nicety. “Aspen. To what do I owe the pleasure?”

His gaze sweeps the cell, taking in the bare stone walls, the iron bars casting shadows across the cramped space, the toilet in the corner that offers no privacy. I catch a flash of anger before he composes himself, his face once again unreadable.

The guard opens the door, gesturing for Aspen to go in. “You have thirty minutes. ”

Aspen nods and steps inside, gesturing at the foot of my bed since there’s no other option. “May I?”

I scoot toward my pillow to make space for him. “Be my guest.”

Aspen perches on the edge of the bed, his long legs stretched out before him. He waits until the guard moves away from the cell, his footsteps echoing down the hall, before he speaks again. “I spoke with the Trinity about a bargain for your release.”

My heart kicks against my ribs. “And?”

Aspen’s mouth twists, his displeasure clear. “They’re considering it. But there are…complications.”

I draw one leg up onto the bed as I turn to face him. “What complications? What do they want from me?”

His eyes turn flinty. “More than either of us bargained for. More than I think you’re willing to give.”

Unease curls in my gut at his words, and my hands form fists. What could the Trinity want that would put such a look on Aspen’s face? What new test are they planning to put me through?

I will my hands to relax. “Tell me. ”

Aspen glances around the cell again, lingering on the bars as though they might sprout ears. Leaning closer, he lowers his voice to a near whisper. “The Northern Trinity wants you to stay here to train under their tutelage and join their coven.”

Not comprehending, I gape at him. Stay here? In this cold, stifling fortress, surrounded by witches who see me as nothing more than a piece in their games? Anger bubbles up, hot and fierce, but I clamp it down.

“You can’t be serious,” I sputter. “After everything they’ve done, why would I ever agree to that? I have a coven.”

“It gets worse,” Aspen says grimly. “The Western Trinity, Mel’s mothers, have gotten wind of the Northern Trinity’s intentions. They’re kicking up quite the fuss, stating that they have the rightful claim to you.”

“The rightful claim ?” I echo, my voice rising in disbelief. Aspen’s wince reminds me of the need for secrecy, and I hiss, “I’m not a piece of territory to be fought over!”

“To them, you are,” Aspen replies. “The Western Trinity asserts they found you first, so you should be their apprentice. While the Northern Trinity argues that the Rothavens came from the North territory, which gives them precedence.”

I shake my head in disgust, torn between anger and a sinking sense that I have no control over what’s happening. Is this what it’s come to? Haggled over like chattel, my choices ripped away as I’m forced to serve one coven or the other, threatened with a death sentence if I refuse?

Silence stretches between us as I struggle to wrap my mind around this fresh betrayal.

Finally, I search Aspen’s face. “Why are they so desperate to claim me? I thought Gael and his brothers were being groomed to take over for the Northern Trinity. Why would they even want me?”

Aspen sighs, rubbing a hand over his jaw. “It’s not about want. It’s about consolidating their power. Hartford Cove sits right on the border between the Northern and Western Trinity’s territories. With your growing abilities, with what you’ve already accomplished in such a short time, they fear you will rise to challenge them. Become a Trinity in your own right someday and supersede their authority.”

I let out a harsh bark of laughter, the sound devoid of any real humor. “A Trinity? Me? Are they crazy? I don’t even have two other witches strong enough to form a Trinity with. ”

One blond brow arches. “Do you not?”

I shake my head in protest, but then freeze, remembering what Gael had said, that Mel, while progressing slowly, would arrive at the first ring as the most powerful witch on the continent. And Aspen, already so close to the first ring, who never kept secret his desire for a position at the top.

“I don’t want any of that.” My hands tremble, and I press them against my thighs. “Being part of a Trinity, challenging the established order…That’s not who I am.”

“That’s exactly who you are, Rowe,” he counters, then lifts a hand to stop my protests. “I understand what you mean, though, and I believe you. It’s not an elected position, though. Power calls to power. It’s inevitable.”

“Well, I refuse.” I cross my arms over my chest, the bulk of my two sweaters doing nothing to block out the chill in the air. “Mel and you will take over the Western Trinity as planned with whoever else you choose. I’m no threat to the Northern Trinity’s reign.”

“I know.” Sympathy softens Aspen’s face. “But we don’t always get to choose our fate. Like it or not, you’re pivotal to the balance of power. The Trinities will never stop fighting to control you now. ”

I close my eyes, despair and fury warring through me. And woven through it all, the knowledge that I’ll destroy this place and cover myself in marks of death before I’ll allow them to take me from my chosen family.

Behind me, Owen stirs, the darkness in him rising. While I may have cured him of the moon madness curse, the wolf inside him was forever changed and still yearns for blood.

I take a deep breath, trying to steady the panic. Razing the Northern Trinity to the ground is a last, last resort, no matter how satisfying it may be after all they’ve put us through.

“What would it mean to apprentice here with the Northern Trinity?” I finally ask, dreading the answer.

“It means they’ll have complete control over your magical training and development.” He leans forward, palms flat on the scratchy blanket between us. “That way, when you rise to the first ring, it will be in alliance with the two strongest Hutchen brothers, not Mel and me.”

I shake my head in disbelief. “Well, that’s going to piss off one of the brothers. Why would they want to drive a wedge in their family like that?”

“One, to return the Rothaven line to its place of power. As you already figured out, they don’t have full control over this fortress.” Aspen glances toward the bars again. “Second, they believe the benefits outweigh the costs. With your power, the Northern Trinity would hold a stronger vote in the tribunal. They’d have more control over the decisions governing all covens.”

“What about my mates?” I ask, dreading the answer.

“They want Rothaven blood back in the north, and they will honor the sacredness of your bonds.” He turns his head away, a muscle in his jaw ticking. “They would, of course, encourage you to open your heart to one of the Hutchen brothers, too.”

A snarl of refusal comes from Owen’s cell.

Aspen smiles. “I warned them such hopes would be futile. They will welcome any children of the Rothaven line, regardless of the sire.”

“So glad my womb is part of the bargain,” I say dryly. “Does this bargain include Esme and her child, too?”

He shakes his head. “She’s not part of the deal. Calix’s mother still demands blood. They’re only interested in you.”

Frustration boils up inside me, and I rake a hand through my hair. “That’s not fair! I didn’t ask for any of this. I don’t want to be a pawn in their power games.”

“I believe you, but your potential is too great to be ignored,” Aspen says softly. “I’m so sorry, Rowe. If I hadn’t brought the Hutchens into Hartford Cove, this never would have happened. I was wrong.”

Nice as it is to hear him say it, I can’t let him take all the blame. Or any of it, really.

“No, the only way this wouldn’t have happened is if I’d never returned to Hartford Cove. That was the first domino that set off this series of events.” I lift one hand and tip it to the side. “If I could do it over again, I would still have run home to grandma’s house. Any other path would have led to Tris dead and me under Bryant’s control. This is the preferred outcome.”

Which doesn’t mean I’ll roll over and let their schemes succeed.

I square my shoulders. “You can tell them to shove their offer. We’ll go to trial in front of the entire tribunal and let the cards fall.”

“Rowe…” Aspen begins.

“No.” I cut him off with a sharp shake of my head. “I appreciate you telling me all this, Aspen. Truly. But I won’t let them win. ”

Aspen searches my face for a long moment before he nods. “Okay, we’ll find another way. I’ll keep working to convince them you have no aspirations of power, or interest in testing into the first ring. Maybe if you agree to sign a magical pact, it will be enough for them.”

He doesn’t sound confident, though.

The guard’s footsteps approach, signaling the end of our time together.

“The trials begin in two days,” Aspen rushes out, his voice regaining its usual edge. “Until then, keep…meditating.”

Two days.

My stomach twists, a mix of dread and adrenaline surging through me. “How will the trials go?”

“They’ll start with the easier cases.” He pretends not to see the guard as the door to my cell opens. “Owen and Zane first, then Esme. They’ll save you for last.”

The thought of being separated from them, left with only Elias for company, makes me want to puke. “Will I get to be at the trial?”

Aspen nods. “You’ll be called as a character witness for all of them. I made sure of that.”

My shoulders sag with relief .

“Time’s up,” the guard barks.

Aspen grasps my hand as he stands. “Ros and I will be with you the entire time. You won’t be alone.”

I search his face, finding a promise woven into his fierce determination. Aspen is many things—calculating, ambitious, relentless, annoying—but he’s also my anchor, a reminder I won’t have to face this alone.

A sense of calm settles over me. “I’ll be ready.” I release his fingers and lie back down, mind already slipping into the ethereal. “Whatever it takes, I’ll be ready.”

Aspen nods, casting one last look around my cell before he steps toward the door. There, he pauses, his hand resting on the cold iron bars. For a heartbeat, the mask slips, the confident, composed veneer gives way to raw vulnerability.

“Don’t lose yourself in this,” he murmurs, his gaze steady on mine. “No matter what they demand of you, remember who you are. Promise me.”

The intensity of his words settles deep within me. Can he feel me slipping? Feel the well of darkness that awaits if I let go?

“Convince them I’m not a threat,” I say, unwilling to give him the promise he desires .

Because if he can’t convince them, if they refuse to listen to reason, I will let go without hesitation, and damn the consequences.

Ambros once told me he didn’t think villains ever viewed themselves as evil, and I countered that I would know and wouldn’t half-ass it. I’d take over the world and crown myself as the queen. Barring success, I’d destroy it.

All or nothing, and for no reason other than that I’m selfish.

He thought I’d make a horrible villain, claiming I was more of a hero, willing to sacrifice for the people I care about.

At the time, I waved away the suggestion. It was too scary to care for people.

Will he be happy if I tell him I’m no longer afraid to care?

Will he still love me if my selfish desire to keep what’s mine turns me into a villain?