Page 153 of The Bonds of Indigo

“Attempt,” she corrects, lifting a brow. “Dial back that ego a bit, old man.”

My head flies back with mirth; I can’t hold in the laughter. When I look at her again, she’s wearing a full smile. The fusion of orange and yellow in her eyes blends seamlessly, and somehow it makes the dark freckles across her face stand out even more.

“And here I was told your kind were assholes.”

She shrugs lightly, her smile still in place. “I might be just that. You don’t know me well enough to judge.”

“Fair point,” I croon, stepping one foot closer. She tilts her head back slightly to maintain eye contact. “I’ve heard…” My hand rises to her shoulder, and I take a strand of her hair, twirling it around my finger. “Your kind can open the pathway to the Vayl. Is that correct?”

Her smile falters. “Um…” Her gaze drops to my hand. “That’s right.”

“Then to cut straight to it, dollface, that’s why I’m here. To ask that you open it and allow me into the Valley.”

She lets out the sweetest, most condescending laugh I’ve ever heard. “Right. Well, didn’t take you for a crazy person, but here we are.”

I open my mouth to retort, but something shadows over me.

“Also,” she adds casually, “my friend doesn’t like that you’re touching me.”

I tilt my head back, and a creature built of bark and branches towers over me. Its bright green eyes glow as it huffs a heavy breath across my face.

Unfazed, I release her hair and return my gaze to hers. “I promise, I’m not crazy. What’s your name?”

Though, when dollface rolled off my tongue, I’ll admit it suited her.

She shifts slightly, reaching into the space where I hope a bra isn’t present. She pulls out a small piece of torn paper and hands it to me.

“Amarah,” I read aloud. “Did I say that correctly?”

She nods, then snatches the paper back. “Now, back to your strange ask.”

“I know it’s a challenging request⁠—”

“Not challenging,” she snaps softly. “Don’t insult me, Lucifer.”

I toss my hands up and try to step back, only to bump into the creature behind me. “It seems to want me to stay close to you. It’s sandwiching us together.”

She doesn’t lift a finger or speak a word, but the creature moves anyway, stepping around me. The ground shudders beneath us as it shifts to settle a few feet away. Once it’s still, I drag all of my attention back to her.

“Don’t say no, Amarah. You’re kind of my last hope.”

“I didn’t say no. I said you were crazy for the idea.” She crosses her arms over her chest. “Why do you need to go to the Vayl? Your father is barred from there… and that includes all of his offspring.”

“I’m looking for information. I promise it isn’t to start a war.”

“Your presence there could do just that. Vendra fears that outcome, and she would have to grant me an enormous amount of magic to do so.”

I don’t hear a refusal. Not even close. What I hear is a reminder of how difficult this would be. She’s winding up to ask for something…

“What do I get in exchange?”

“Anything you desire, dollface.”

She turns her body away from me and steps aside. The loss of her nearness does something strange to me. It’s like my body needs her back in my space. In my orbit.

“I support the exchange, and so will Vendra.” The creature’s voice booms across the small clearing of the forest around us.

Her shoulders rise with a deep breath. Then she looks back at me. “I require an item.”