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A moment's pause, then he continued, sounding a bit more interested now. "Clever whelp. You did your homework. Then you know who I am?"
"Dantalian, Master of Transmigration, Duke of Baal."
A warm breeze encircled my legs, wound up my body, around my neck, then slithered away. I knew he was still there, probably hovering right in front of my face.
"Say it again," he murmured.
"Dantalian, Master of Transmigration, Duke of Baal."
"Hmmm, yes, I suppose that will do. Lacking the proper degree of respect, yet not disrespectful. At least it's better than fawning. That's what she tried when she returned."
"The Nix? She came back?"
"Of course she did. After she amended her attitude."
"Uh-huh."
He laughed, blasting me with heat. "My reaction, precisely, whelp. The only thing worse than fawning is fake fawning. As if I were some vain fool of a potentate, willing to grant any wish in return for a few strokes of my ego."
"So you sent her away again? She'll be back, then. All we have to do is wait--"
"Oh, I didn't send her away. What would be the fun in that? Far better for me to set her on the trail...and then set you on it after her."
"Great," I muttered. "How long of a h
ead start does she have?"
"A half-day. Which would be a problem...had I sent her to the right place. A little lesson in humility for an imp in sore need of it."
"And now you'll tell us where to find her."
"Certainly...but I believe there was mention of a bargain?"
"Not now," Trsiel said, stepping forward. "You just admitted you intended to set us on the trail, so we certainly aren't about to bargain for--"
I lifted a hand to cut him off, then looked at him. "I'd rather bargain. Otherwise, I owe him a favor."
Kristof then went through the formal rituals that tested a demon's sincerity, to ensure Dantalian wouldn't do to us what he'd done to the Nix. Dantalian suffered through this with the exasperated patience of someone having a grocery clerk examine his cash to see if it's real.
"I want two things," Dantalian said when Kristof was finished. "First, you will ensure that your Nix knows I intentionally set her on the wrong path. If she doesn't, then the lesson is incomplete."
"Done," I said. "And part two?"
"Hmmm, part two...I'm still working on that one. Give me a few moments."
I sighed.
"Impatient...or eager to get back on the trail?"
Dantalian's voice seemed to come from all sides. I looked around, trying to track it, but he only chuckled. Neither Trsiel or Kristof seemed to notice.
"They can't hear me," Dantalian said. "This part of the negotiation is for you and me alone. I must admit that seeing a half-demon has reminded me of at least one of the pleasures of freedom I've been missing. It's been over five hundred years since I fathered a whelp myself."
"Uh-huh," I thought the words, as I had with Trsiel. "Can't help you there. No babies coming from this shade."
"Oh, but it's not entirely the passing on of my genes that I miss." Tendrils of heat slid along my bare arm, like hot fingers stroking my skin. "The process of doing so wasn't entirely unpleasant, either. Of course, I'd need to inhabit a more hospitable form. Perhaps your lover wouldn't mind taking a more...active role in negotiations."
My head jerked up. Kristof looked over at me when I jumped, but he said nothing, just lifted his brows.
