The path to the right was less obstructive and far more beautiful. It was also unusually narrow, but its appearance was less foreboding. The trees boasted subdued green leaves complemented by intermingling glowing wildflowers between the gaps of the rough slate stones that made up the trail. Unlike the left pathway, I could see the end. A beautiful gazebo was adorned with black flowers that crawled over the exterior, making it look simultaneously inviting and unsettling, as if designed to distract rather than comfort. The complementing urn-shaped fountain was illuminated, spilling murky rivulets of water like the pond. A reminder that its facade of beauty masked pitfalls.
The padding of footsteps behind me interrupted my exploration. Diehle and Cirrian possessed the ability to move in relative silence, so I figured the louder steps were meant for my benefit. It was unnecessary. The deity and demon commanded attention. They couldn’t be ignored even if I wanted to.
Choosing the pathway to the left looked shorter but was possibly more treacherous. The pond route was a gamble: the uneven and varied heights of the stepping stones could make navigation tedious. I would probably have to contend with whatever kept disturbing the water. The right path was beautiful, but its simple allure felt deceptive. Especially the black mist in the gazebo that appeared sentient, sporadically gathering to form a vague figure before dispersing. And I’d still have to go through a narrow passage. Being in the open gave me an advantage, and I’d rather not have to deal with anything that might be lurking in the dense foliage in either direction.
Searching my pocket for a pen, I found the compact one I always kept with me. Diehle stopped me before I could sign the agreement, as I suspected he would.
It was worth a try.
“Use my pen,” he said.
“I’d prefer mine.”
Annoyance flashed over his face.Don’t piss off the demon, Kara.I knew there was a reason he wanted me to use his pen, and I wasn’t looking forward to discovering why.
On his second insistence, I palmed the pen. The pulse of magic from it made my fingers tingle.
Once my signature was complete, the pen pricked me, and blood rolled down the pen onto the paper and emblazoned my name. Magic coiled around my wrist like a ribbon, binding me to the agreement.
I was disappointed in my oath-binding immunity. What use was it when it couldn’t prevent me from being oath bound to the worst of magical beings?
“Excellent,” he said, taking the contract from me and rolling it into a scroll. “I can hold your jacket or you can place it there.” He pointed to a stone bench next to the house. “Or perhaps your protector will keep it for you?”
“I plan to keep it with me.”
His frustrated glare felt crushing as he kept his hand extended, waiting for me to relent.
“You can’t possibly believe I’m going to let you keep your arsenal of weapons with you?” he scoffed.
I wouldn’t call the weapons I had an arsenal: phone, knife, Taser, and stun gun. What I wouldn’t have given for a machete to hack my way through the trees on the left path. A sword to deal with the black mist that kept spooling into a form that I was convinced was dangerous. I’d even settle for a net as defense against whatever was disrupting the pond waters, making that path to the Balic tree less desirable by the minute.
His arm remained outstretched. Unsure how much help a Taser or stun gun would be, I planned to keep them with me.
“I won’t ask you again.”
“Good, because I don’t want to decline again,” I shot back. Holding his gaze as he glowered, I refused to cower. “Contra proferentem,” I supplied. “In a contract, any terms that are unclear are typically interpretedagainstthe party that drafted the contract. Your terms indicated that I’monlygiven one chance to get the fig from the Balic tree. There was no mention of a dress code requirement, nor did it exclude the use of weapons.” I looked at Cirrian, whose lips had curled into a smirk, then back at Diehle. “You were quite specific about giving meoneopportunity to retrieve the fig, and whether I fail or succeed you would still get the grimoire. If I wanted to be annoyingly pedantic, I could point out that you never specified a timeframe on my attempt nor thatIhad to be the one to acquire the fig.” I pointed to Cirrian. “Based on the contract, I could even enlist him to get the fig.”
The tension between them had ramped up. It was like dealing with combatants in an undeclared war.
“I’m content with the role of entertained observer,” Cirrian provided, his voice chilly with disinterest.
I’d gone a little too far.
“Very well, it was quite ambiguous. I’ll take responsibility for that,” Diehle admitted.
Who else should? You wrote the contract.
“As written,” Diehle went on, “it works to your favor. I suspect there’s an urgency to acquiring the fig. Cirrian has declined the offer to act as your surrogate. You have your weapons and theoneopportunity to get the fig. I suggest you start now.”
He’d worded it as a suggestion, but it was definitely a command. I didn’t have an issue with it because I wanted to be done with him and this situation as soon as possible.
Reassessing my surroundings, I half turned in Diehle’s direction. “Which path is the easiest?” I asked.
Diehle’s sneer folded into bewilderment before humor sparked in his eyes. His head jerked back as he expelled a roar of laughter that reverberated through the expansive space.
“I like you,” he admitted after a long moment of consideration. His delightful lilt was replaced with a serious musing. “You’d make a lively companion. I’d like to keep you.”
“You can’t have her. She’s mine,” Cirrian growled. Talons extended on one of his hands and the other hand clenched into a fist so tight, color drained from the knuckles. I was sure Diehl’s shocked surprise parallelled mine.
