He had laid on the floor for a few more moments before realising that he really should be getting home. It was long past dark and Alsace would be worried. He mumbled some excuse to the Mage, who simply laughed.

“Go on, off you go. But make sure you’re here tomorrow at the same time. We will need to check your powers before the next job.” Darrel said.

Though he was exhausted, Jano almost ran home in his ragged clothes. He kept his head down, as he was used to doing. He kept glancing at his wrist, not quite believing what he was seeing. He also couldn’t decide if the Guard would know that he had cheated them. The Lesser Court would almost certainly know, if they checked their records, but they had enough problems as it was, with crime on the rise. Luckily for him, the court representatives didn’t usually leave their courtroom.

The lamplights looked brighter as he headed home. As he made his way through the Slums, he allowed himself to straighten up and to walk quickly at his full height. In this place, a Class Seven was towards the top of the food chain. He smiled, before wiping it off. Remembering just how easily it could disappear.

“Don’t cause me any trouble. And definitely don’t go flashing your new power around.” Darrel had told him. He didn’t want to lose what he had just regained, but he so eagerly wanted to show his wife.

Just before heading home, he ducked down an alley to the nearest section of the grey stone wall which surrounded the Slums. He reached toward one of the larger stones in the wall with his fingertips and he felt the essence of the stone jumping out to greet him. His spirit lit up at the prospect. He focussed his will on one section and imagined separating the stone from the wall. Drawing on his power, he pulled. A chip broke away. Just a tiny shaving. But then again it hadn’t been his intention to do anything more. Already, it was infinitely easier than it had been even yesterday. He smiled and headed for home.

He burst through the door, his stomach fluttering. His cheeks were rosy from the cold. His wife wasn’t in there, though some food lay on the table. Cold leftovers. He didn’t care. He walked into their bedroom, to see Alsace poking her head out of the threadbare covers. He climbed in. The rope bed looked so uncomfortable from the outside, but next to her it felt like a bed fit for an emperor. He cuddled into her from behind and casually rolled his wrist into her line of vision.

She took a moment to realise what she was looking at. She jumped a little way out of the covers and looked down at him, her face a picture of happiness. “Did he get the Lesser Court to reverse their bonkers decision?” She asked.

“Well. Not exactly… we found a workaround. I just contracted with him the same way we do with the Emperor.” He left out the part with the blood and the runes.

“Can they do that?” She asked.

“The strong Mages must be able to.”

“I haven’t heard of that happening before… Not to someone like you anyway. I thought they could only lend power. Maybe it only happens to the higher ups.” She said. Jano couldn’t deny that he had also been thinking about it, but in his excitement, he decided that he didn’t really care. Though it was odd that the Emperor would allow the Mages in the city to share their power permanently. He glanced at the purple number on his wrist and thought of the blood sealed Contract. He decided to put it out of his mind.

“For obvious reasons, we can’t go shouting about this. But hopefully when I’ve done whatever tasks he wants done, we’ll be able to start building another life.” He said.

“Oh really?” She gave him a look which suggested he was an idiot. It was not an uncommon look from his wife. “I thought I’d head up onto our roof and start yelling into the street..” she rolled her eyes at him playfully.

“Did you eat?” She asked after a brief hesitation. “You were in bed for days after they took your power away.”

“I’ll go get some in a bit. I just want to lie here with you for a while, I’m too excited to eat.”

He lay down on the rope bed. His feet dangling off the edge and staring at their wooden ceiling. He could see the beginnings of the damp creeping in. A small green tinge at the seam at the edges.

His mind was whirring. He kept picturing the life they might be able to have now: A respectable stone house, small amounts of comfortable fabric furniture. No more workhouse. A comfortable bed. Dangerous thoughts for a man of his position.

What will I have to do for Darrel to make up for this? He started to think. His mind flicked to dangerous and grand schemes which a Mage might need anonymous help with.

He waved those thoughts away forcefully and once more, grand dreams of the house they might have filled his mind. He kept thinking about the fire he would keep and the sound of it crackling and spitting as it burned. He fell asleep dreaming of another life, someone else’s life. A dream held long ago, which now seemed a little closer.