The barn smelled like hay, sweat, and the kind of fear Cas had gotten used to since the war began.
He gripped the pitchfork tighter, heart hammering in his chest as the sound of galloping horses thundered closer. The militia was coming. Again. Always searching for traitors, deserters, or boys old enough to bleed for the crown.
Cas was all three.
"Get inside," his mother rasped from the corner, still wrapped in wool blankets. "Don't be a fool, Caswin."
"Too late for that," he muttered.
Outside, the village was already on fire. Screams. Steel clashing. Someone yelling about rebels. Another yelling kill the prince.
Cas froze.
The prince? Here?
A crash—splinters flew as the barn door exploded inward.
A figure stumbled through the smoke. Bloodied. Armor torn. Eyes wild with panic.
Cas dropped the pitchfork.
Because the boy in front of him wasn't just a soldier. He wore black and silver—royal guard colors—and slung over his shoulder, half-conscious, was him.
Prince Evren Talvain.
Every portrait Cas had ever seen came flooding back in vivid, unwanted detail. The cruel mouth. The sharp jawline. The violet eyes like storm clouds. And gods, even bleeding and dirty, he was—
"Help me!" the guard wheezed, dragging the prince toward him. "He's—he's Bonding—"
"What?"
Cas stepped back. But too late.
Because Evren's hand—shaking, blood-slick—reached out and touched his bare skin.
The world tilted.
A searing heat tore through Cas's chest like wildfire. His breath caught. And in that instant, a voice—not his, not Evren's—rang out in his mind.
BOND INITIATED.Unregistered Connection Detected.Analyzing Emotional Proximity...
➤ Bonded Pair Class: Warden-Keeper➤ Class Status: Locked➤ Emotional Sync: 11%
WARNING: Unauthorized Bond Detected. Initiating Lock.
Cas gasped.
"What the hell—"
Evren's eyes snapped open. They met his.
And in that moment, Cas felt it.
A pull. A tether.
A whisper of something ancient and alive weaving between their hearts.
"You—" Evren choked. "You're not supposed to…"
Then he passed out cold in Cas's arms.
Outside, the soldiers shouted his name.
Cas had no idea what he'd just become.
But he was pretty sure it was illegal.
And he was very sure it had everything to do with the prince crumpled at his feet.