Evie squeezed her hand. “You’re thinking.”
“I’m known to do that occasionally.”
“Yes, but you’rethinking. You’ve beenthinkingall night.”
Natalya chuckled. “You’re too keen-eyed for your own good.”
“Does that mean you’re keeping this thinking to yourself then?”
The question made Natalya go quiet. She regarded Evie for a long moment, her bright violet eyes glittering faintly. It was like her irises were filled with tiny stars. Evie could easily have gottenlost in those eyes if it wasn’t for the worried, faraway look in them.
“Why did you invite me here, Natalya?” Evie asked softly. “As nice as this is, it feels excessive.”
“I wanted some privacy. And some distance. There are monsters and memories alike in the high-rise. Bad and good ones. I wanted a place where there wasn’t any of that. Save for me, of course.”
“You’re not a monster.”
“Aren’t I?” Natalya gave her a sad smile. “You know what I am, darling. You know what I can do. What I have done. You shouldn’t forget that.”
“I do know what you are. I’ve seen it. I’ve felt it,” Evie said, and the words summoned a flash of guilt on Natalya’s face. Evie held her hand tighter. “I also know a lot about monsters. Real ones. I’ve seen and felt them too. You’re not like them. You’ve never been like them. You’renota monster, Natalya.”
Natalya stayed silent, looking at her with eyes that were glassier than before. Evie wasn’t sure how to interpret the expression as anything other than sorrowful.
“I’m not good at stuff like this. If I said something wrong—”
“You didn’t,” Natalya said, smiling softly. “You say things honestly. That is never wrong to do. It still astonishes me how genuine you are with me. Never stop being that.”
She withdrew her hand. “I have something for you.”
Evie smirked and rolled her eyes. “The dress was more than enough. As was everything else you’ve given me. I don’t need gifts.”
“It’s not really a gift.” Natalya brought out a little black box. “More like a promise. Of sorts.”
Evie recognized that box. It was the same kind that had held her purple Chain pendant.
“I was beginning to worry,” Evie said with a grin. “The solstice isn’t that far off. Figured maybe you’d gotten cold feet, and you didn’t—”
She stopped. She’d opened the box, expecting a necklace with the same purple pendant that she’d worn before. Instead, she found one tinted silver.
Evie stared at the necklace for a long moment before looking up at Natalya. “What does this mean?”
“Our Silvers are our highest tier.” Natalya looked serious now. “It’s reserved for the most trusted members of our Court. The reason is because of the risks that come with the color. Should you be Claimed under that pendant, it would bind me to you. If you’re injured, I will suffer the pain of it as long as you do. If you die, I will too.”
Evie’s eyes widened. She put down the box, pushing it away.
“No. No, I can’t. That’s too much. It’s too risky, Natalya. What if there’s an accident? What if I get sick?”
“You won’t get sick. This bond is powerful, and it’s different than the lower tiers. If you were a Purple, the only consequence I would suffer for not keeping you safe would be temporary pain should you die or decide to break the contract. Same for the Blues. The risk with Silver is the price we pay for its benefits. While under a Silver Ribbon contract, you’ll be untouched by disease. You’ll heal faster. You won’t age. And you’ll be mine.”
Evie stared at her, baffled to the point of almost losing her speech. “What do you mean I won’t… What?”
Natalya didn’t say anything, letting her words settle in Evie’s mind alongside realization. Despite getting there, she still couldn’t believe it.
“I don’t understand,” Evie said.
“I’ve said I want you always.” Natalya smiled softly. “I meant it, darling. I meant it with my whole heart. I mean it still.”
“So I’d be…”Hers. Hers always. Even as Evie knew the contracts were only active from one solstice to the next before needing to be committed to again, it didn’t make it feel any less permanent. “What else is different? From the Purple pendant, I mean.”
