“Well, how do you expect him to want to help us if you keep on being rude to him?”she demands.“I’mhere to ask him for a favor—for a living coal that never dies!He’snot likely to help us if he dislikes us.”
“He’s already made up his mind if he’ll help us or not,”Itell her.“Heprobably saw us coming from miles away.Menot giving our names won’t make any difference to him—it’ll just keep us safer.”
From the look on her face, she doesn’t quite believe me, but she lets the subject drop.
“Do you really think he’d try to charge us a toll to leave?”she asks.“Imean, he swore not to—on the grave of his mother.”
“Since when do demons have mothers?”Igrowl.
Her face goes white.
“Goddess, you’re right.”Shelooks at me anxiously.“Doyou think we’re in danger?”
“Fuck yes,Ithink we’re in danger,”Itell her.“Butif he tries to keep us here,I’llShiftinto myDrakeand break a hole in the side of his fucking house.Iwouldn’t have let us come in here ifIdidn’t knowIcould get us out again,”Iadd.
Elowen looks a little less frightened—but only a little.IwishIcould put my arm around her and draw her close to comfort her, but there’s still a wall of distance between us—a wallIput there myself.Afteralmost a week of keeping my distance,Iwant her nearly as much as she wants me andI’mnot even cursed like she is.IfIdared to get too close,Imight lose control of both myself and myDrake.
Speaking of myDrake, he’s not happy with the wayI’mtreatingElowen.
“Touch her…comfort her,”he urges.
I can’t—you knowIcan’t.
“If you would just let usBondher, we would all feel better,”he growls.
It occurs to me that he’s becoming more articulate by the day.Allmy lifeI’vebeen ashamed of having anAshDrake—being tied to a mindless creature with limited intelligence and no capacity for reason or speech.Butishe anAshDrake?Hehasn’t been acting like that lately.He’sso different butI’vebarely noticed becauseI’vebeen so focused onElowen.He?—
The door opens again, cutting off my thoughts.Salazarcomes back, pushing a silver cart with three chilled glasses heaped high with fruity frozen sorbet.
“Well now, let’s all have some refreshments, shall we?”he purrs, smiling at both of us.
The fucker—Idon’t trust him.ButElowenis looking longingly at the chilled glasses.Iknow she must be thirsty after we traveled through the wastelands, butIdon’t want her taking a risk.Iopen my mouth to refuse, butSalazarbeats me to it.
“Before you ask,Iam offering these drinks to you freely with absolutely no obligation,” he says, offeringElowenand me each a frosted cup.“Pleaseconsider this a gift with no strings attached from me to you.”
Elowen takes the cup but doesn’t take a sip untilIrelent and take a sip myself.Ihave to admit it’s delicious—sweet and tart and icy cold.It’sa mixture of lemon and raspberry and very refreshing.
The demon settles with his own cup, which sizzles faintly against his palm.Hetakes a sip—more sizzling sounds—and sighs in apparent pleasure.
“Ah—so refreshing!”he remarks.“So, what canIdo for you, my dear priestess?”he says, addressingElowen.
“Oh, um…”Sheputs her drink down on the small side table beside the arm of the couch and looks atSalazarearnestly.“IguessI’lljust ask you—I’mgathering elements for aTimeWeavingspell.”
“ATimeWeaving?”Heraises his eyebrows.“Whateverfor?”
“There’s something in the pastIneed to fix,”Elowensays, looking guarded.“Ihave three of the elementsIneed but there’s just one more…Ineed a living coal that never dies.”
“Ah…you mean like this?”Salazarreaches into his hair—which looks like a flaming mass of curls—and pulls out a glowing, cherry red coal about as big around as a large coin.Heholds it out toElowenon his palm.
“Oh, thank you!”her eyes light up but when she reaches for it, he pulls it back.
“I’m so gladIcan offer what you need, butIfearIcannot give it to you for free, my dear,” he says smoothly.“Yousee, it is a part of me—a vital part, in fact—soImust have some kind of payment for it to make up for whatIwill be lacking.”
“But…we don’t have any money,”Elowensays.“I’mjust a poor priestess.”
“I could do some smithing for you, if you need anything repaired,”Isay.Butinside,Ialready know he’s going to refuse my offer.Itisn’t work or money that a demon wants in return for a favor.
It’s pain.