His private room looked different in the sunlight. Gloomier and a bit pretentious. Brand tugged open the heavy curtains and a cloud of dust puffed in the air. He should have told Lotte to meet him in the library, even if his private room was his choice place for negotiations.

“Do you like wine?” he asked her, gesturing at the tumblers.

“Not after breakfast,” Lotte said.

“I suppose it is a bit early.”

He glanced at Lotte and saw that she was sitting in the chair Seri usually preferred. The way the small girl sat, crossing her arms, also reminded him of Seri. Brand clinked through the wine tumblers for his water carafe. Lotte was a good mimic, but he doubted she’d be anywhere near as much trouble as Seri.

“Water?” he asked.

“No, thank you.”

He poured a glass for her anyway. He put the glass onto the game table and sat down across from her. Even sitting down, he felt much taller. His illusion, he realized, was that of his Uncle Arnwolf—a scholarly man, not intimidating, but authoritative.

“So, Lotte,” he said, “have you enjoyed your time here?”

She rubbed her hand across her belly. “Um… well, it’s… it’s a very pretty castle.”

“But you miss home?”

She nodded. She took a sip from the water cup. When she sat back against the backboard, she seemed to shrink. Already, her mimic of Seri was crumbling.

“Are you nervous?” he asked.

“Yes.”

“Why?”

She looked down. “You’ll be angry with me.”

“Why would I do that?”

She didn’t reply.

“Do you think I’m going to ask you something you can’t agree to, and you’ll have to say no? Is that why you think I’ll be mad?”

She nodded.

“That’s not how this works. I’m not the one making the offer. You are.”

She looked up. “Me?”

“You want to go home? You want me to break the curse?”

“Yes. But I’m not… I don’t want to steal.”

“So what would you be willing to do?”

“I… I don’t know.”

“Do you have something you can give me?”

Lotte shook her head. “I don’t think so. Nothing you’d want.”

Everyone had such limited imaginations when it came to what he might want. Sex or power or occasionally money. No one ever tried to dig deeper than that. No one ever tried to figure him out. Brand pressed his fingers together. Fortunately, he knew what he wanted, and in Lotte’s case, it was actually quite simple.

“Do you know why I kidnapped you, Lotte?”

“No,” she said.

“It wasn’t personal. Your family is rich, but not especially powerful. Did they help destroy my family? I don’t know for sure. You don’t know, either. Is there some way we could find out?”

“I could ask my father.”

“I’d have to let you go first.”

“I… there are record books,” she said hesitantly. “Family histories. In our vault.”

He tilted his chin up.

“But that would still be stealing.”

“If I read a few books and put them back, would that be a crime?”

“Well, no, but… but then what would you do?”

“I wouldn’t hurt your family, if that’s what you’re afraid of,” Brand said. “I’m not out to avenge myself against every person who might have played a role in my family’s destruction. Your family lost you for a time, and that’s punishment enough. But I wouldn’t have to kidnap so many girls, if I knew who my true enemy was. If I could enact my vengeance precisely upon them. That’s why I need information—the kind of information everyone keeps secret.”

He gazed at her. He wasn’t trying to intimidate her, but her eyes dropped straight to the table. She began playing with her fingers. Brand said nothing. He let her think. It was not the worst thing to do. It was not immoral. It wouldn’t hurt those she loved. They wouldn’t even have to know.

“If… if I let you into the vault,” Lotte said, “would you promise not to steal our family’s magic? You would just read what you needed to read and leave.”

“I have my own magic. I don’t need to take yours.”

“If I help you, would-would that be enough? Would you let me go?”

“I would.”

Lotte looked up. “Really?”

“Really.” Brand smiled. “See, not so bad.”

Lotte let out a breath.

“Of course, there would need to be enforcements,” he added.

Lotte went stiff. “What does that mean?”

“It means that I need more than just your word,” he said. He took a deep breath. This was the hard part. “Here’s what would happen. I consent to break this curse and send you home, if you consent to let me into the vault long enough to see the records and safely return to my castle. Should you fail to complete your end of the bargain, the curse will be locked.”

“Locked?” Lotte’s eyes grew wide. “What does that mean?”

“No one can break it. Not even me.”

Lotte went pale. “So if you die…”

“You’d be stuck as a dragon, yes.”

She swallowed.

“I’m not going to die,” Brand said. “It sounds risky, I know, but I have broken into family vaults before. If you help me, everything should go smoothly. You’ll be home safe. You’ll never have to worry about being a dragon again.”

Lotte clutched the armrests of her chair. She was breathing hard, gaping with her mouth wide open. God, she looked young. Brand clenched his fists. Young, yes, but old enough to be married by the laws of the land. She’d make tougher decisions than this.

“Are you all right?” he asked.

“Yes.”

“You understand why I have to do this. Returning you is risky. I want to make sure that you get home, safe and happy. But I have to protect myself, too.”

She nodded.

“Do you still want to do this?” he asked.

“I don’t have a choice.”

“You always have a choice,” he said. “You can make me another offer.”

“It wouldn’t make any difference. Going home would still be risky.”

“No riskier than staying.”

She took several more breaths.

“All right,” she said. “I’ll do it.”

“You agree to this bargain?”

“Yes.”

“Are you ready to swear your oath now?”

She closed her eyes. “Yes.”

“You don’t have to, you know,” he said gently. “You can think about it, if you want.”

“No, now. Before I change my mind.”

Brand stood. “All right.”

The spell was already inside her, and he knew it well. It only took a few moments to alter it from a curse to an agreement. He spooled the binding, not to his will, but to hers, where it would be stronger, unbreakable.

“Repeat after me,” he said. “ ‘I, Lotte, of Castle Norhorn—’”

“I, Lotte, of Castle Norhorn—”

“ ‘—do hereby vow of my own freewill—’ ”

“—do hereby vow of my own freewill—”

“ ‘—to take Brandeis of Tower Abnoba—’ ”

“—to take Brandeis of Tower Abnoba—”

“ ‘—safely to my family’s vault—’ ”

“—safely to my family’s vault—” Lotte’s voice broke.

“ ‘—to let him read the books he wishes—’ ”

“—to let him read the books he wishes—”

“—and depart the premises unharmed.’ ”

“—and depart the premises unharmed.”

Brand took a quick breath. “If I should break this vow, may this curse strike me down.”

Lotte repeated the words. Brand tested the spell. Her promise seemed fragile, and if it were not freely given, the whole thing would collapse. But it held firm.

“Good,” he said.

“What about you?” she asked.

Brand waved his hand and broke the curse. He felt the magic seep away. He knew there was a grain of it still inside Lotte, a seed ready to germinate, but once she completed her vow, that, too, would die.

“It’s done,” he said.

“What is?”

“The curse. I broke it. And tonight, I’ll take you home.”

“Tonight?”

“Yes,” he said. “Any reason why not?”

Lotte shook her head.

“Then pack your things. Oh, and don’t—”

He was going to say don’t tell Seri, but he realized it was pointless. If Lotte didn’t tell her, he would. He wanted Seri to know he hadn’t hurt Lotte. He wanted her to see that he’d been reasonable and kind.

“Go enjoy your last day here,” he told Lotte. “Go tell Seri goodbye.”