“We’ll reschedule our dinner, Dell.” Agathe left, and Dell stared at the ground, kicking a rock with his toe. He was losing count of how many times Edmund showed up to help him, but his gratitude was lost in a desire to get home and collapse into his loft.

Edmund stood still for a moment, glancing toward the far end of the street. A half-moon hung overhead, giving them what little light it had.

Dell finally lifted his eyes. “You’ve got to give me something, sir. Why are you here?”

Edmund didn’t have to ask what he meant. The question wasn’t why was he in Madra, but why did he continue to come to Dell’s aid.

Edmund studied him. “I had a hard time for many years.” He walked toward one of the shops and sat on the ground to lean against the wall. Dell followed him, lowering himself to the ground with a relieved sigh.

“My father was—is—an angry man,” he continued.

“We have that in common. My stepmother…” Dell rested his arms on his knees.

“We do, but I’ll bet your stepmother never wanted you dead.”

Dell snapped his eyes to Edmund’s. “She may wish it, but she’d never do it. However vile that woman is, she loved my father.”

“It was the magic. For a long time, the people of Gaule hated those of us with it. It made me an angry kid. I had to hide this huge part of myself. But that wasn’t the worst of it. I had no family. I was alone.”

Dell watched him with rapt attention. “What changed?”

“Loyalty. I met the prince of Gaule. He didn’t ask for my loyalty, only my friendship, but that loyalty saved me. My life had purpose. I would protect the future reign of Alexandre Durand.”

“I thought he was the king of Bela?” Dell asked.

Edmund laughed. “It’s a long story. But yes, he rules alongside Queen Persinette and she now has my loyalty as much as Alex.”

“This is interesting and all, but I don’t see what it has to do with me.”

“Dell.” Edmund searched Dell’s eyes and when he seemed to find what he was looking for, he spoke again. “Give me your loyalty.”

Dell startled. “Edmund, I appreciate everything you’ve done for me, but… isn’t that treason? To pledge myself to someone not of Madran blood?”

“Yes. You will break laws. You could end up dead. But Dell, you could also finally find something worth fighting for.”

Flashes of Dell’s street fights rolled through his mind in quick succession. Women. Debts. Sometimes no reason at all.

What would it be like to fight for something real?

What did he really know about Edmund? Not much. Everything inside him screamed that Edmund was someone to trust. Dell so desperately wanted one person, anyone to have faith in.

But something didn’t add up.