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Dreven finally looked toward Kesta.

“She asked to hear the terms.”

Something warm moved beneath her ribs. Rath’s amusement faded slightly. Kesta turned back to him.

“Continue.”

“Your existing protections transfer intact. Medical autonomy. No labor obligation outside your role. No bed right unless separately negotiated.”

Dreven’s claws pressed slowly into the table. Kesta caught the movement.

“Bond right?”

“None without agreement.”

“Can I leave Red Basin?”

“When the basin is secure.”

There it was. Kesta leaned back.

“Who decides when it is secure?”

“I do.”

“Can I refuse patients?”

“If the refusal does not threaten camp survival.”

“And who decides that?”

Rath’s expression became faintly impatient.

“I do.”

“Can I dissolve the protection contract?”

“A protection that disappears whenever responsibility becomes inconvenient is not much protection.”

Kesta looked at the medical case. Beautiful supplies. Clean medicine. Enough antibiotics to save lives Sera might otherwise lose. All wrapped around the same problem.

“You’ve built a better cage.”

Rath laughed once.

“Better cages keep people alive.”

“Still cages.”

“You prefer Dreven’s version?”

Kesta’s attention shifted involuntarily toward him. Dreven’s face remained unreadable. Rath saw the glance.

“His law contains the same mechanism. He simply appears more embarrassed by it.”

The comment was cruel. That did not make it entirely false. Dreven’s gaze moved to Kesta. She expected defensiveness.

Instead he said quietly, “He is correct that Ash law can become a cage.”