"How can you be sure?"
"Because I felt it through the binding. Your surprise, your panic, your complete lack of preparation for what happened." Something softened in his expression. "Trust me, if someone had orchestrated our binding, they would have prepared you better. You were magnificently unprepared."
Despite everything, I almost smiled. "Thanks."
"I mean it as a compliment. Your authenticity in that moment, your genuine terror and confusion, that's what convinced me you were an acceptable vessel." He paused. "Well, that and your bloodline compatibility. But mostly the terror."
"You're really bad at comforting someone."
"I'm aware." But he didn't let go of my hands. "Riven, someone has been watching you. Possibly for years, that's true, but binding to me? That protected you, made you harder to manipulate, gave you power to defend yourself."
"Or made me a bigger target."
"Both can be true." He stood, pulling me up with him. "Which is why we're increasing security, again. And why you're not going anywhere without me until we figure out who's behind this."
"More restrictions. Great."
"More protection, there's a difference." He moved to his desk, already making calls. "I'm having my people look into the accident, track down who might have staged it. And we're pulling records on your biological family, finding out exactly what bloodline you're from."
"Azryth.."
"Someone hurt you as a child, used you as an experiment, nearly killed you to see if you'd develop powers." His voice was cold and furious. "That's unacceptable. And they're going to answer for it."
The protectiveness in his voice shouldn't have made my chest feel warm. But it did.
"Thank you," I said quietly.
He paused mid-dial. "For what?"
"For caring about what happened to me. About..." I gestured vaguely. "All of it."
"You're bound to me, your past is relevant to your present, therefore it's my concern." But his voice softened. "And yes. I care, more than is probably wise given our situation."
My heart beat faster.
I walked over to his desk, looked at the photo of the child-me sitting by a staged crash. A test subject, an experiment.
"My whole life I thought I was nobody," I said. "Just some random orphan with weird abilities I needed to suppress. But I was never random, was I? I was always being watched."
"You were always valuable. To the right people, for the wrong reasons." He put a hand on my shoulder. "But that ends now, anyone who wants to use you goes through me first."
"You can't protect me from everything."
"Watch me." It wasn't a boast, it was a promise.
He made his calls while I organized the rest of my photos, setting aside the crash picture. Evidence of what I wasn't sure of yet. But it was important.
By the time Azryth finished, it was late, nearly midnight.
"Come on," he said, pulling me away from the boxes. "You need rest, we'll deal with this tomorrow."
"I'm not sure I can sleep after this."
"Then we'll not-sleep together." He paused. "That came out wrong."
I laughed despite everything. "Did you just make an accidental innuendo?"
"Absolutely not. I'm far too sophisticated for innuendo." But there was a hint of color on his cheeks. "I meant we'll attempt to rest in proximity, for binding stability."
"Sure. That's what you meant."
We ended up in his bed, like most nights now. The proximity helped, made the binding settle, and made sleep possible.
But tonight I couldn't stop thinking about that photo, about symbols on pavement, about being watched my entire life.
"Stop thinking," Azryth murmured in the darkness, his hand found mine under the covers. "I can feel your anxiety through the binding, it's distracting."
"Someone's been watching me since I was a child."
"And now they have to go through a very angry demon to get to you. Their problem, not yours." He squeezed my hand. "Sleep, Riven. Tomorrow we start investigating, tonight you rest."
"Easy for you to say."
"It's never easy, but it's necessary." He shifted closer, and I felt his warmth against my side. "I won't let anyone hurt you. Not whoever staged that crash, not rival demons, not anyone. Understood?"
"You can't promise that."
"I can and I am." His voice was firm. Final. "You're mine to protect, mine to keep safe, and I take care of what's mine."
The possessiveness felt like security, like belonging.
"Okay," I whispered.
"Okay?"
"I believe you. I trust you." The admission surprised me as much as it probably surprised him. "I don't know when that happened. But it did."
He was quiet for a long moment, then his arm came around me, pulling me closer against his chest.
"Good," he said quietly. "Because I trust you too, more than I've trusted anyone in centuries."
The binding hummed happily between us, pleased with this development.
I fell asleep in a demon's arms, protected and promised safety, wondering who'd been watching me and why.
But for the first time since finding that photo, I felt less afraid.
Because Azryth was right.
Whatever was coming, whoever was behind this, they'd have to go through him first.
And that was a problem for them, not me.
"I really didn't sign up for this," I murmured against his chest.
"No," he agreed. "But you're handling it remarkably well."
"Stockholm syndrome?"
"Pragmatic adaptation to circumstances beyond your control." He paused. "And maybe a little Stockholm syndrome. It's hard to tell."
I smiled despite everything, I fell asleep smiling.