Zagreus sat on a chair in the far back as Rezu did something, something tailoring.

The door opened and it was Cinder again. She came in and asked Rezu if he needed anything else. She actively avoided looking at Zagreus. Rezu replied “No.”

Of course Rezu answered ‘No,’. This was just another way to put Cinder’s naked body in front of him. Then he noticed crimson stains on her face, chest and claws. He set into an overtly calm rage. He was instantly on his feet and making strides towards her.

Cinder turned to face him and tensed like he was a threat.

“Wash that off.” He demanded.

“I can’t.” She snapped.

“I order you to wash my blood off.”

“I can’t. I have higher orders.”

“Then go. Sit.” He pointed at the chair he just left. She glanced between him and the chair. “Now.” He barked.

She moved.

He went to a small sink and wet a rag. Then he went over and with no ceremony he washed her hands and face. He washed the darkened streaks off her breasts and torso. “Is that all of it?”

She nodded silently, not looking up at him.

He pulled off his shirt.

Cinder stared at him wide eyed and gasped.

“Pull in your wings. You can do that? Right?”

“I…um… yes.” Cinder’s wings vanished into her back.

He pulled his shirt over her head and put her arms in it, roughly and quickly. Then he stripped out of his shorts. “Stand.”

She did.

He kneeled in front of her. A near fatal error. His senses were all notifying him that there was a delicious treat right near his face. He managed to ignore all that as he stuck her feet in the shorts. He pulled them up as he stood. His face brushed against her soft chest as he went. If he wasn’t so pissed his brain would have realized that this experience should be completely delightful, and absolutely-fucking-terrifying.

The shorts were tied too big. He had to reach into them to retie the knot. It was stuck. He got on his knees and tried not to stare or touch anything more than absolutely necessary. This whole exercise was suicidally stupid, but he was so pissed that stopping did not even occur to him. He tried to ignore her presence and focus on his knot fixing task, but he did notice that she stood firm against his actions.

Zagreus finished, stood and looked at his work. She now had clothes on. The shirt was riddled with teeth and claw marks and the shorts hung crooked. He had a momentary urge to laugh at the absurdity of it all. There are safer, cleaner and less painful forms of suicide.

Cinder held her arms in close, her head low. She looked up at Zagreus and spoke softly, “Why?”

“I never got any orders about not putting clothes on you. Wear that the rest of the day. I will dress you again tomorrow, if this stupid shit is still going on.”

“Thank you.” She smiled, for a moment.

He noticed her eyes quickly examining his, now nude, from. “You can thank me by getting me some clothes. I don’t think Rezu wants me sitting my bare ass on his furniture.”

“Yes…” She looked like she wanted to say something else. But she nodded and left.

“And they say romance is dead.” Rezu smiled as he turned back to his work.

“The only thing that’s going to be dead is whoever I have to strangle over this.”

Rezu shook his head, “You can argue with their methods but you cannot deny the results.”

“The only result is them pissing me off.”

“You touched Cinder. Intimately. Repeatedly. For a few minutes. And she thanked you. You were her hero. Her protector.”

“No one needs to protect that woman. She can punch people into crushed redberries.”

“Cinder thinks the same way. That is why they are doing this. They make her feel vulnerable, then you to swoop in and be the hero. You press those hero buttons that make her all tingly. It lets her see you as valuable.” Rezu shrugged. “Or maybe there plan was just to drive the sexual tension between you to the breaking point.”

He glared at Rezu. “Were you in on this shit?”

“Oh, no, no, no. I like being alive. I strictly refuse to play games between them. And no amount of torture would convince me to participate in this fractal.” Rezu sighed. “They got you good.”

“Dammit.”

“You might have been played, but Cinder trusts you. And somewhere, deep down, you know it. No one else would dare do what you just did to the Queen of Hearts. And no one else would survive it. Do you realize what you just did?”

He shook his head in frustration. Her scent still lingered in the room and on his hands. He went to wash up.

Rezu laughed. “I doubt even their plans included this. Seriously man. I was one hint of orange arcane or moan from disappearing. I did not want to be anywhere near you if this escalated, in any direction. You are one crazy son of a bitch.”

“Sorry about dragging you into this.”

“I don’t think she noticed I was in the room. Don’t worry either way. My punishments are always to stay here and make stuff for them. I have learned to live with it and everyone I know outside is prepared for if I can’t return.”

“That’s a strange way to live.”

“I have lived hundreds of lifetimes. I can go to a country and start a new fashion craze within a week. I can influence politics and the economy. I have no regrets.”

“Fashion? I wrapped a goddess in rags and called it done.” Zagreus smiled. “And for a moment, I wanted to laugh at the absurdity of it all.”

Rezu seemed to choke a bit. “I sincerely apologize. But I have to pull rank here. Some of the equipment in this room is irreplaceable. I order you to never, ever, ever, do anything that could threaten my equipment again.”

“You got it.”

“My sleeping quarters are across the hall. You are completely welcome to take her over there next time. Let her kill you there, or break my bed. I don’t care. Just not in here. Please.” He clasped his hands in a begging motion that was only made more sincere by the adorably frilly dress.

Zagreus had to admire how much Rezu loved his machines and tools. Even with no idea what ninety nine percent of any of it did, he recognized scissors, Zagreus could tell it was a fine collection and well maintained. “Yea. Promise.”

“I will hold you to that.” Razu went back to work. “It’s been a long time since I have seen a game this serious.” Razu whistled. “They are playing dirty. Cinder really pissed them off.”

“I think it is because Cinder got mad when she thought I was going to screw Queen Gwenyr.”

“Cinder gets mad all the time.”

“Lilithana described it as an ‘incoherent rage’. I think they had to stop her.”

Rezu dropped the bolt of cloth he was working with. It went thunk on his precious machine. His hand went into a drawer and he pulled out something. He walked up to Zagreus and activated the ball of silence around them. “This is a First Rule violation.”

“But the mission went fine.”

“For these almost-gods, the First Rule is the only thing they hold as sacred. If they see this as a First Rule violation then Cinder must pay. Cinder must be violated in return. Even an attempt to stop the mission is enough. She did not have to succeed. This will be more than them playing with your relationship. You can’t fight them on this. They will tear you apart.”

“Are they going to kill her?”

“If they meant to kill her she would be dead. Immediate execution is the only way to deal with rogue Mecromancers. Gessil is proof of that.”

“So what now?”

“Cinder has to pay a price to remain here. If she pays it, then things should go back to somewhat normal. Luckily, people who live this long don’t like change, so it should end there.”

“What kind of price?”

“It varies, whatever will hurt her most. This won’t be over until Cinder is thoroughly humiliated, possibly broken and bleeding. You could get drawn into it… No, from what you did, you are already in it. Be careful. Take this seriously.”

“Fuck me.” He sighed.

Rezu returned to his work. Cinder soon came back, still dressed, and gave him clothes. He couldn’t get himself to talk to her more than saying thanks. She left. He spent the rest of the day posing as a dress up doll for Rezu. Cinder would return occasionally and ask a question or bring them food or whatever meaningless task the others had decided eye-drones were suddenly too incompetent complete.

He knew they were watching. And they wanted him to know Cinder still had to take her punishment, though she remained in his ragged clothes. He had the disturbing thought that whole idea was to get Cinder to take his orders like Karimere did from Jade. Did they want to make her a pain slut against her will? Even if it wasn’t their main goal, he was certain that option was available for him.

Zagreus left Rezu late in the afternoon and headed back towards his room.