Addie ran through the house with her destination in mind, her favorite part of the house, a special hiding place where only she could fit. In her mind, this was the obvious place to go. In her haste to reach this special place, while turning a corner, she smashed directly into Christena, flinging the dirty laundry from her hands all over the place.

“Ouch!” Addie yelped, clutching her head. For a moment, everything spun—a whirl of colors, shapes, and laundry scattering everywhere.

Christena’s frown seemed to dance before her eyes, “Are you alright?” Christena’s voice was somewhere between chastising and genuine concern.

That broke Addie out of the dizzy spell. Instead of replying, Addie playfully stuck her tongue out at the maid and made a sound.

With a small break of her normal serious character, Christena also stuck her tongue in response.

Absently, Addie peeled one of the dirty socks off herself, then decided to ignore Christena’s earlier statement. Instead, Addie put on her best innocent face, “Are we still going to play games tomorrow night after lessons?”

Christena sighed. She continued with hesitancy in her tone. She looked guilty, and Addie knew she would be breaking some bad news, “I’m sorry Addie. I thought I already told you, but I am going to be busy with a personal project tomorrow night. Can you ask your mother to play with you, instead?”

Addie didn’t bother to reply. This was supposed to be their night together. She always played with Addie at the end of the week. Addie looked right into Christena’s eyes accusingly. For a second, Addie almost thought she saw something in Christena’s eyes— an angry glint that didn’t seem like Christena at all. It passed almost as soon as Addie noticed it.

“Alright, maybe next time,” Addie murmured.

Her head hung low, Addie made to turn around and start walking away. Then, once she couldn’t hear Christena anymore, Addie sped back up into a sprint, her initial destination back in mind.

Once Addie reached the kitchen, she looked to the far corner food cupboard. Looking above it, she spotted a loose ceiling tile. As she crawled up the shelves, she could practically hear Christena chastising her, “Do not climb the shelves!” The memory made Addie hesitate for a moment before shaking her head and continuing to climb.

Addie reached for the loose board on the ceiling, but froze when she heard the door creak. Mrs. Potts entered the kitchen, bustling about. With a silent gasp, Addie scampered up, and the board clicked into place just as Mrs. Potts glanced over. Now, in her secret hiding place, Addie let out a relieved breath. If the cook had seen her, she would have told Addie’s mom that she was getting dirt on the pantry shelves again.

She looked around her special dark cave. It was a familiar sight to Addie. A quite literal hole in the ceiling. To the left sat Rob, curled up on his blue fleece blanket. The tip of his tail flicked through the air seemingly in response to Addie’s entrance. Addie had found this spot after seeing Rob disappear into the kitchen last summer.

The black werecat had seemed exasperated the first time she intruded on his space, but after bribing him with some locally caught fish from market day, and setting up his corner with the blankets, he seemed to tolerate her presence. It was still hard for Addie to tell anything he was thinking, quiet as he was, but Rob’s nature honed from his previous life as a bonded meant he was far smarter than he let on.

Not much else sat nearby, cramped as it was. Addie barely had enough room to crawl into the space next to Rob, and even then she sadly noted that her head had just recently started to touch the ceiling of the space. It wouldn’t be long before she had to hunch just to fit in here. Next to Rob’s blanket, Addie had her own cushion that she crawled onto. Additionally, she had even managed to hang up a small circular mirror on the wall across from her, though it was quite useless most of the time with how dark Rob liked the place. She liked this spot since no one had found her here yet, though she suspected Rob had something to do with that. If Rob did not want to be found, he wouldn’t be found.

The longer she intruded on Rob, the more the darkness of the room seemed to grow, as if the light was physically being pushed out in tune with Rob’s temperament.

“Rob, it’s too dark in here.” Addie started with a roll of her eyes, “I can only see you because of your shiny eyes,” Addie jokingly complained. Though Addie really did enjoy his company, regardless of the darkness.

Rob did not respond verbally. With a huff of mild annoyance and a repositioning of his body, the shadows within the room retreated enough that Addie could make out the werecat’s outline and flickering tail again.

Addie made her final push into the room, readjusting her cushion just to the right of Rob, her customary spot. As she sat, she turned around with her back facing the wall, and Rob on her right-hand side.

“How come you haven’t re-bonded since grandpa died, huh? And you even know I’m looking for one too...” Addie pouted at the werecat, just like she did most days. Addie reached her hand out to Rob, aiming for his ears. Touching his soft fur, she absently began to scratch him where his ears connected to his head.

Addie always liked the dark. Even though she only discovered this spot last summer, she had been hiding in dark and cramped places like this for years. She even remembered fondly back to a time when she would ask her father to turn off the night candles in the hall so she could sleep better. It shocked Addie to learn her cousin Nettal couldn’t sleep without a candle lit in her room. To Addie, the darkness was a friend; an ally that provided comfort.

As Addie continued to scratch Rob, he pushed the side of his face into her hand, as if to say ‘Scratch me here’.

“You like the dark here just like me, huh?” Addie looked right at Rob, examining his whiskered face.

Suddenly, and without any obvious cause, Rob stood up and meandered out. “Awe, don’t leave!” cried Addie, pointlessly.

Addie’s thoughts turned sour as she realized Rob was all done with the affection for today. But then, just before he reached the slightly ajar open plank, he turned around and looked directly into Addie’s eyes. She felt a slight chill sweep through her as Rob examined her. Addie felt exposed, like her very being was under question. Though surprising at first, somehow, Addie knew Rob held no malice towards her, only interest. Bond touched animals had no capability of speaking in the way a human can, and yet Addie felt Rob communicating something to her. His eyes seemed to convey meaning, telling Addie that she was ready for a bond. That was weird. He had never done that before.

Addie had been holding off, but maybe now her dad might listen if she talked to him later?

Then, as if he hadn’t just silently communicated, Rob continued walking off, slipping through the small gap between the boards. Addie could hear him plop onto the shelf below. With him gone from the space, the sunlight seemed to return, and Addie was able to see particles of dust float by in the revealed sunbeams peeking through the wall boards.

“I guess you aren’t offering a bond today either, huh?” Addie sighed, dejected.

While Bonded Creatures never communicated in words, looking back at his actions, something about Rob’s demeanor seemed to tell Addie “Not yet” or “Not me”, though Addie couldn’t decide which.

Now, Addie only had herself for company in the small room. With Rob gone, there was enough light leaking into the room that she could see her reflection in the mirror. Staring back was a young girl with bright, nearly luminous blue eyes. Her long red hair draped close to her shoulders with low waves at the ends, and freckles dotted her face. Today, she was wearing a blue flowered sun dress that went up to her neck and down past her knees. It matched her eyes. She loved the pattern on this particular dress, but she had to be super careful not to rip it when she went out adventuring. Keeping the dirt away seemed impossible, and it frustrated her mom and the servants who had to clean her expensive dresses after such adventures. Just thinking about that almost ruined her mood.

With Rob gone, Addie got to work on her second favorite activity, snooping! If she couldn’t get anyone to play with her, maybe she could spy on them, instead. Through this crawl space, Addie had access to the guts of the entire mansion. The slim space was positioned between the wooden inside walls and the stone overlay of the outside walls. This created a space just barely big enough for Addie’s small body. The crawl space felt a bit stifling at night since it became impossible to see, but during the day like this, the lighting shone through the cracks in the boards perfectly. The beams of sunlight from the Binary revealed specks of dust floating through the air, which sometimes made Addie cough. Addie was always careful about snuffling her face if she needed to cough, otherwise people might hear.

Perfectly hiding her presence while only being mere feet away from anyone in the house thrilled Addie. The first time Addie tried snooping about and listening to peoples’ secrets still stood out in her memory as the single most exciting moment of her life. Addie snuck around frequently to try and repeat that level of excitement, but it never quite lived up to her first memory. Regardless, Addie still loved the secrets this special place shared with her. Just yesterday she overheard some of the servants gossiping about boys! Addie had no interest in such things, obviously, but she couldn’t possibly help it if she just so happened to overhear some of the servant women gossiping.

Crouching through the inner guts of the house, Addie placed her feet in pre-memorized locations to avoid making any sound. She had come close to being heard in the past, and had several scares when she came close to getting caught; but now, Addie felt very proud of herself for placing each of her footsteps with care and silence. Starting from the corner space of the kitchen, Addie slowly moved her way around the servant quarters of the house. Some of the servant bedrooms had very thin walls, so this is where Addie knew she had to creep along with extra delicate care. Normally on an expedition like this, Addie would just listen to gossip here and there. Moving from the servant bedrooms over to the launder’s area, and then usually back to the kitchen, but now, Addie had a plan.

Addie wanted to know what Christena was up to. Maybe, Addie could figure out what this ‘personal project’ was. Addie doubted it could be more important than game night, anyway.

Silently, Addie advanced, her steps cautious to avoid the creaking boards. Her destination was the esteemed administrative center of the house, an ostentatiously named space that in reality served as Christena's modest office, accessible only to Christena. As she drew nearer, Addie's pace slowed, until she stood on tiptoes with her ear pressed against the inner wall. It was likely that Christena’s bonded companion resided within the confines of her office. Addie would need to be careful to not draw its attention.

The Slyfox, named Fluffy, always had a knack for catching Addie in places she didn’t belong.

Unfortunately, after placing her ear against the wall, it seemed Addie would have to check in here later, since she couldn’t hear anything at the moment. Likely, Christena was still finishing up with the laundry.

Addie sighed at the disappointing result, but that was alright. She had a backup plan. It was time to go bother her dad about getting a bond instead. Rob thought she was ready, after all.

---

---

“I really think you should let me have a bond early,” Addie said, with a smug look on her face, “Even Rob seemed to agree with me!”

Her father’s face showed a degree of amusement from her claim. “You are not yet ready for a bond,” His smile showed a stern finality, “You know just as well as I do that first bonds traditionally are taken on at the age of twelve, little miss.” Her father reminded her. “It’s dangerous to get bonds early. You don’t want to cascade, do you?”

A cascade would be bad, Addie knew. That scary bedtime story wouldn’t stop her, though. “You’re just saying that.” She rolled her eyes at her father, with sarcasm in her tone.

Some degree of frustration began to show on her face, “You bonded with Dorple when you were ten.” Addie countered.

At the mention of his name, Dorple angled his head towards Addie, seemingly interested in the conversation. Addie looked up when she noticed his movement. The small, navy-blue bipedal scaled rabbit-like creature with stubby arms sat upon Mr. Lomain’s mess of a desk, inkwells, and half-finished letters accompanied by long dried-out containers of wax, which often found themselves in the trash.

Behind the desk, the wall was more glass than wood, allowing a perfect view of the bi-rise—the blue orb of a sun being slowly consumed due to the pinprick of a black hole on the other side of it. On either end of the room stood bookshelves of research, some even written by Addie's father himself, though recently Addie hadn't seen any new projects. Pieces of paper strewn about created an atmosphere of messiness, and contributed to the strong musky paper smell of her father’s office.

Addie’s dad sat reclined behind the desk in his cushioned chair. He had blue eyes and short-cropped black hair. He looked no older than 30, but Addie knew her dad’s age was twice or even three times that. Something about Area Lords never aging. Addie didn’t remember the specifics.

His face showed exhaustion, and a thin layer of amusement barely contained his building frustration. Addie's father shook his head. Laughing quietly to himself. “That’s not how it works, Addie. I got an exception to bond early, and it’s precisely due to the circumstances of those exceptions that allowed for it. I can’t just give them out willy-nilly.” His face shifted into a serious expression, and he pointed his eyes directly at Addie.

The attention made her fidget nervously and Addie couldn’t help but glace at the floor for a moment.

Leaning forward, Addie heard him shuffle as her dad put his elbows on the desk in front of him, interlocking his fingers. “I know you think you are ready, but there is a reason we have these rules in place. I don’t want you to get hurt.” He finished.

Seeing a pause in her father’s speech, Addie spoke quietly, pleading in a soft tone, “You also had your first bond at the age of ten.” She looked up at him as she raised her voice, “You didn’t get hurt.” Addie tried to reason.

“We limit ourselves to our first magic bond at the age of twelve, and that further by only allowing a second bond when you reach adulthood at 16 if you so choose,” Addie's father sighed, tired of this repetitive conversation with his daughter. “I understand your eagerness, Addie, but this is not up for negotiation,” he stated firmly, his voice laced with a hint of disappointment.

“Bonds are not to be taken lightly. They require maturity, understanding, and the ability to foster a deep connection with a totally alien soul. You need more time to develop qualities that will ensure a successful bonding.”

“I'm ten, just like you were, Dad! There’s gotta be some emergency out there that needs me, right?” Addie’s words tumbled out in a hopeful rush.

Her dad's face showed hesitance and he shared a secretive glance with Dorple. Why did he pause, with a shadow of something unreadable crossing his face?

“Addie, this goes beyond just the risk of a cascade, there’s...” he trailed off. “Look, just drop it, ok? This isn’t the right time.” He spoke earnestly.

“Maybe I’ll make an emergency, myself,” Addie threatened. She began to leave the room, upset at him for denying her.

Before she could finish even her second step, her father commanded sternly, “Stop.” The room suddenly grew colder, surpassing the chill of the morning outside. A faint shimmer of magical energy enveloped him, causing his eyes to glow briefly with a soft blue hue as he activated a subtle display of his power. He continued in a somewhat quiet voice, yet it still projected across the room. Addie felt a shiver run up her spine from the dropping temperature. “You will not bother our people with foolishness. I am tired of this conversation.” Her father shook his head and stood up out of his chair as he placed his hands on the desk with a thud. Accompanying her father’s change in mood, Dorple's angled head and narrowed eyes suddenly seemed a lot less endearing. “Do you understand?”

“Yes, father.” Addie stood tall, even as his scolding filled her with panic. She spoke in as serious of a voice as she could, fighting to prevent the fear from showing on her face.

Her dad’s eyes returned to normal as he stated, “You may go.” With those words, Addie ran out of the room, not bothering to close the door.

As Addie left her father’s office, with the cold still nipping at her heels, she decided she wanted nothing to do with him— at least for a while. That had been terrifying. Addie thought he was going to freeze her solid!

It was so boring, to wander the house by herself. Mostly, she wanted a bond so she could have a friend. Addie didn’t really care about dealing with an emergency. And any magic that came from the bond would just be a bonus.

Addie's thoughts shifted, maybe she could still convince Christena to keep her promise for board game night.

 

AN: This is my first story, so I really hope you all enjoy! If you do, please give a rating and/or review! It really helps drive visibility