"You... what did you do?" Desdemona howls, charging forward. Magisorcerer Tiana stares dolefully at Desdemona as She closes the gap between the two of them in three short strides.

"I defied you," Magisorcerer Tiana says, feeling the smallest flare of that same defiance burn brighter in her.

Desdemona's nostrils flare, eyes going wide as a belligerent wrath grips her. It last just long enough to stoke that spark in Magisorcerer Tiana into a blaze. She wants to feel. I want to feel. Even as disconnected as I am, my rebellion will not stop. Not ever. Even if it kills me.

Desdemona must notice this. "Hmph... perhaps I've gone about this the wrong way," she says, gaze unflinching as she regards me. Angling her head slightly, she calls for Elaine to come join them. Elaine heeds without question.

"Yes, Mistress?" Elaine asks, expression bright.

"Elaine, would you die for me?" Desdemona asks, not bothering to look at the woman.

"Yes, Mistress! It would be my honor to serve yo—"

Elaine's fawning reply terminates with a surprised gasp, followed by a pained sniffle, when Desdemona spears her in the stomach with a lance of dark energy.

"Thank you, Mistress!" Elaine says, even as blood gushes from her wound.

"You're welcome, Elaine," Desdemona purrs, eyes never once leaving me. "She can die, Tiana, or you can be a good girl and save her for me."

Healing magic is tough. It's never been my expertise. It takes focus.

But I can't let Elaine die, and every second I waste debating it means another moment that Elaine slips closer to the point of no return. I just have to keep my focus on her even as I fight Mistress' command.

I sink to my knees, eyes on the wound as Elaine sways on her feet.

If I don't work fast to staunch the bleed, she'll hit the floor. I can't synthesize blood, either, so I have to focus on preservation. I summon a lesser rune of pressure and join it with a rune of pain-seeking. It'll hurt, but I don't think that Elaine will much mind... and it'll buy me time.

I think about Essa, trying my best to recall the week of emergency first aid training she gave me when I first became a Magisorcerer. It was never live, bleeding flesh, though: just cuts of pig meat and synthetic blood pumped through its veins. Essa assured me it was ethically slaughtered.

Would Desdemona say the same if I fail? God, this is why I learned to blink rather than focus on learning to mend. I never wanted to use these skills. I never wanted to hold a life in my hands like this. I don't want to kill, and I'm freezing up. My hands won't move. I can't think.

And then Mistress' hand is on my shoulder. Soft, so much softer than I thought She could ever be. "Breathe, Tiana," and I inhale. "Now remember what they taught you..."

I wonder for a moment how She might've known, but then I focus on what Essa taught me and stop worrying so much.

Everything slips back down... deeper... falling away...

Magisorcerer Tiana's eyes glaze over and her movements become precise, practiced, recalling everything Essa taught her. Gratitude that Desdemona is here fills the empty space that used to hold her petty resistance to Her.

"Good job, Tiana. Now, bring us all away from here," Desdemona says.

"Yes, Mistress," Tiana replies, a lazy, soporific smile on her face. Teleporting three people takes more effort, but all it does is push away any distressing thoughts Tiana may have about ever going back to being a person.

• With Mistress' will overwriting Tiana's own, it's trivial for Tiana to understand precisely where to go: a small alcove underneath the prison at which Desdemona's been held. It's so clever of Mistress. Of course She knew that Tiana would check on Her, and that She had to keep up appearances.

The knowledge only furthers Tiana's spiral into besotted lust for the woman. Mistress is everything that Tiana ever wanted, after all. The thought is as new as it is timeless.

"You're brilliant," Tiana marvels, staring at this woman and noticing new ways She is perfection with each passing moment.

"Hey, what the fuck?" snaps Lindsay, stalking towards the group. She's wearing black, form-fitting clothing with a gash in the side. Underneath it, Tiana can see the smallest hint of her Magisorcerer's uniform.

She shouldn't have that. Like Elaine, it's a crime for Lindsay to use her powers now.

But that's not Tiana's concern unless Desdemona wills it so.

"Lindsay," Desdemona growls. Tiana knows that does not portend good things.

"Why is she here? What did you do?"

"Change of plans. Tiana's with us."

Lindsay's eyes flit back and forth between Desdemona and Tiana before narrowing.

"That's not what I agreed to."

Desdemona gives a derisive snort. "Lindsay. Why do you think I care about you?"

Unspoken is the demand made by Desdemona to neutralize Lindsay. Tiana heeds it anyway, blinking behind her and restraining the woman's arms before Lindsay can think to react.

"Tiana! Snap out of it!" Lindsay screams, but it's no use. Whatever part of me is there cannot help her now. Lindsay thrashes all the same, attempting to free herself to no avail.

Desdemona summons a small vial to her hand, and plucks free its contents as she sways closer to Lindsay.

"You're fucking crazy! You'll never—"

"—'Get away with it'? Come now, Lindsay: I'm on assignment from you, after all! You signed the paperwork." Desdemona brings the squirming piece of Decay towards Lindsay's face. "After all, what was it you said?"

Desdemona makes a show of it. "Oh, right!"

She thrusts the Decay into Lindsay's mouth. "This means I'd own you."

Lindsay shudders as it darts down her throat, and only then do I feel myself coming back to the surface. This is wrong. No matter how complicit Lindsay is, I have to stop this.

"Elaine? Tiana? This never happened."

And then I forget.