Kohen's mouth slammed shut. His body froze in place.

Silence enveloped the courtyard.

Is there any way that was anything else? she asked.

Maybe it's the scalpel? Salos suggested, his words drowning in unease.

Right, Cass said. That was possible. Sure, it was already stashed in her Bag, but maybe that was enough. She fumbled through her Bag for it. Take this to the far side of the atrium.

Sure. Salos took it in his mouth and scampered away.

When Salos was far enough away, she turned back to Kohen, still standing perfectly still in the courtyard's center.

She hated to do this, but she needed to confirm it was just the scalpel. She needed it to be just the scalpel. "Sit down."

She didn't put any force in the order. No more than when she'd told him to wait in the infirmary. It wasn't to the degree Salos would have been affected had he been her target.

Kohen dropped to a seat on the floor.

Cass's eyes widened. She'd expected him to sit on the trim of one of the stone planter boxes. Why had he, without hesitation, dropped to the floor?

He stared at her, a confused frown spreading over his lips, his eyebrows knitting together.

Cass groaned into her hands. It wasn't the scalpel.

"What did you—" Kohen asked, his voice rising with each word.

Cass cut him off. "Don't talk, stay there."

She turned away from him, pacing the length of the courtyard, her thoughts churning. That was a Command.

It couldn't be anything else, but she needed Salos to contradict her. Tell her it was something else. Anything else.

Yes.

Hell.

Cass shook her head, her mind whirling. But there was only one question. Why?

I have two theories, Salos offered.

Sure. Hit me with them.

Option 1: When you subdued him, the system gave him to you, similar to how I was given to you after you subdued me.

Cass shook her head. I can control when I give you a Command. I'm not trying to do this.

There are a couple of reasons that might be, Salos said slowly. One is theory 2, which I will get to in a moment. Other reasons might be that you and I are closer entwined than you and he are.

I would have thought that would have the opposite effect, Cass said.

Normally, I would agree. However, I think—though I don't know to what degree—that I have access to some of your Traits.

What? Which ones?

Well, definitely your bonus to range. Back in Uvana, I was offered the option of applying one of my skills to your friend. The skill in question was decidedly not a shareable buff, yet I was able to do it anyway.

Anything else? Cass asked.

Not that I've noticed, Salos said. Definitely not stat bonuses. But, maybe, without knowing, I have benefited from Contrary Will. Maybe, without it, I would be as malleable as he is.

Kohen still sat frozen and mute in the center of the courtyard. How long would her commands last? If she left him like that, would he faint from exhaustion before her orders wore off? Would her Command hold him in place beyond that?

How did she cancel a Command?

Theory 2: You imprinted your Will on him when you forced his soul back into shape, Salos continued.

What does that mean? Cass asked.

Will is your ability to impress your desires on the world around you. This is why it is a favored stat of mages who fundamentally alter the world with their focus. But it is also directed subtly on those around you. With a higher Will, your words sound more reasonable. A high enough Will, and you can change the opinions of those around you simply by stating your own.

Cass shuddered. Would she have invested in the stat if she'd known it would do that? How high is 'high enough'?

Salos shrugged. Several hundred more than the target's Resolve? Less if you have a specific skill to facilitate the effect. A skill like Kohen's Noble Authority, perhaps? Less again if the target was already wavering in your direction anyway.

Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

In any case, you reforged his soul when you fixed him, Salos continued. I would not be surprised to learn that his mental state was unconsciously keyed to your Will from that process.

Is that how that works? Cass asked.

Well, I don't think anyone has ever done what you did, so who knows? This is entirely speculation on my part. Whatever it is, he's unusually receptive to your Will.

I didn't want this, Cass muttered. How do I free him?

I suspect that you don't.

There must be some way to release him from this, at least. Cass gestured vaguely at the still frozen Kohen.

Oh. Probably, Salos shrugged. Try another Command.

For someone who hated being Commanded, you're rather cavalier at the prospect of me Commanding someone else, Cass commented.

I still think you should kill him. Salos shrugged again. He should be grateful for any existence more than that.

Cass shook her head. She didn't know about that.

"At ease?" Cass said, feeling all kinds of awkward. Again, her words rang through the air.

Kohen's body physically relaxed as they washed over him. But only for a moment. He shot up, fire in his eyes. "What was that?"

Cass bit her lip. How did she explain?

"Show a little more respect," Salos growled from her shoulder. "This is your master. She holds your life in her hands."

"Salos, please," Cass begged him. That was the last thing she wanted.

"I'm not wrong," he grumbled.

"Don't ignore me!" Kohen yelled. "I am—" his words caught in his throat as he stumbled over his name. "I am a son of Veldor. You can't manipulate me. It was one thing when you ignored my orders, but you can't do that to me. I'm higher level. I'm the grandson of a duchess. I'm the high priestess of—" He stopped short as the words poured from his mouth.

Cass sighed. "This isn't a skill. I'm not manipulating you."

"There will be consequences for using such a forceful social skill on me." His bluster was wearing down. She could hear—could feel—the panic behind what was supposed to be a strong front.

Cass shook her head. "You don't listen to others, do you? It isn't a skill."

"I'm—" He clenched his chest. "I'm—I'm a higher level than you. You can't have the stats to affect me like this. Who is backing you? Alyx can't do this. Who do you really serve? What do you want from me?" His words rambled, faster and faster.

"Quiet, for just a minute, then you can say what you want again," Cass said, silencing him. Again, without trying—against her wishes—it hit him like a Command. His mouth snapped shut. She sighed. She had a minute now. "You understand you are a demon? Nod if you do."

He nodded.

"Demons are monsters, rabid beasts out to kill and destroy. Sound familiar?"

He nodded again.

"That's because their souls are broken. They are always trying to shove pieces of other souls into the cracks in their own. I fixed your broken edges. I fixed your soul."

His eyes widened. Surprise? Disbelief? Cass didn't know. But her minute was running out, so she barreled on.

"I think, when I did that, the system decided that you belonged to me."

There was disbelief in his eyes for sure that time. Her minute ended, leaving no doubt. "No."

Cass shrugged. "I don't think you'll believe me, but I'm not any happier about it."

"I don't." He paced away from Cass, shaking his head. "This doesn't make sense. I can't be controlled like this. I can't let anyone know. No one can know."

Cass sighed. She could see where this was going. "Let's not do anything rash."

Kohen spun on his heel to face Cass from the other side of the courtyard.

"Rash?" He sneered. "No. Nothing rash." He stepped toward her, his left hand raised, magic gathering around his too-long fingertips.

"Stop," Cass said.

He froze in place, the magic dissipating from his hand.

"What part of this do you not understand?" Cass asked.

"You should just kill him," Salos repeated.

"Here?" Cass gestured at the palace around them. "Now?"

"You could order him to kill himself," Salos suggested.

Kohen blanched.

"You could make him do it somewhere very public." Salos glared at Kohen from her shoulder, his eyes unblinking.

"Unpleasant," Cass muttered. "That's a very unpleasant thought, you know that?" But she could hardly argue. That would be, without a doubt, the easiest way to 'deal' with Kohen. But it was just about every kind of disagreeable to Cass. "How long do you think my Commands last?"

"Certainly indefinitely," Salos said aloud. Not actually. I don't know. Not something we could test easily, either.

Cass was afraid of that. Well, she didn't want to test it regardless, but the ability to Command him not to hurt her ever would have been nice.

"So that's how that is," Cass said to Kohen. "These are your options: 1. We can go with Salos's plan. 2. I can compel you to be a good little servant. 3. You can sincerely agree to stop trying to hurt me. Answer: which of the three would you prefer?"

Kohen glowered. "You can't compel me."

Cass rubbed her forehead. "That wasn't one of the listed options. Let's try again. Give me a single word answer, 1, 2, or 3, which option would you prefer?"

Kohen grit his teeth.

It should not have been a difficult question. #3 should have been the only acceptable choice. It was the only one Cass liked.

"This is why my plan is the right one," Salos said with a yawn.

Cass glared at him.

Salos just shrugged.

"Two." The words ground out of Kohen's mouth, dragged from his lips like a fish from the depths.

Cass raised an eyebrow. That was not what she had expected.

He can't honestly say he would sincerely agree to stop trying to hurt you, Salos said.

Why is he like this? Cass groaned.

Pride, Salos suggested.

"Fine. If that's how it has to be," Cass said. "Do not attempt to hurt me or my allies or conspire with others to do the same."

He flinched as her words hit him. "You think your little words can stop me?"

Cass shrugged. She spread her arms wide.

His hand flew up, gathering magic. Bolts of lightning formed around his raised hand. His eyes burned into her.

Would this work? Could Commands stop future action, or was their effect limited to immediate results?

Well, she was reasonably sure that with her new trait, even if those hit her, it would only sting.

He waved his hand at her.

Cass held her ground.

Every bolt hit the floor, forming a perfect circle of scorches on the cobblestone.

His jaw clenched and his brow furled.

"Satisfied yet?" Cass asked.

"This is a trick," he said. "You can manipulate lightning. You—you did this!"

Cass rubbed her temples. She was done with this. They were well past the point of willful ignorance. And frankly, it wasn't her job to convince him.

"You can believe that if that's what you want," Cass said. "In the meantime, lead the way to Alyx, would you?"

"I don't know where Alyx is," Kohen almost looked smug as he said it. A little twisted to brag about not knowing something, but Cass supposed she'd be taking those wins too if someone was routinely overriding her free will.

Hell, she was commanding him around like it was a matter of course already. She rubbed her forehead again. He was just annoying enough that she barely felt guilty doing it to him.

"Sure," Cass said. "Take me where you think she most likely is, then."

"I refuse to be treated as a common servant," Kohen complained even as he started walking back into the palace.

"Don't tempt me," Cass said, following him a step behind. "If you start getting on my nerves," or more accurately, if he pushed her nerves any further, "I will order you to hold the doors for me along the way."

"You wouldn't," Kohen sneered.

"Last warning."

Kohen's mouth snapped shut, his pace increasing.

Cass snorted. It seemed he was capable of shutting up if threatened enough.

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