Page 176 of Just One Little Bargain

“Ah. Yes. That.” He gestures lazily toward his face when he notices me staring. “We’re getting close to departure. Maintaining all the little human details becomes rather tedious.”

He notices the keys clenched in my hand, and one corner of his mouth lifts.

“Evie.” He checks an elegant watch at his wrist. “Eight forty-six. I confess, I’d almost decided you’d developed some regrettable common sense.”

“Sorry to disappoint you.” My nerves are too stretched for his attempts at humor.

“On the contrary.” His grin widens. “I’ve always thought common sense was vastly overrated. Particularly in negotiations.”

I stop several feet away. Distance won’t help if Krell decides to do something horrible, but I want it anyway.

He nods toward the phone in my hand. “You can put that away. Unless you were hoping to document the occasion.” Krell clasps his hands behind his back and gives me a slow once-over. “I’m going to save us both the tedious portion where you pretend you haven’t already decided. Your original problem remains wonderfully solvable.”

I open my mouth, but he lifts one finger.

“Hear me out. You keep the inn. Entirely yours. No bank breathing down your neck, no unfortunate surprise expenses, no roof deciding to surrender during the winter.” His tone turns almost conversational. “And since we are pressed for time, I might even sweeten things. A little money beyond what you owe. Enough to make you comfortable. Good fortune for the business. Protection from the sort of bad luck that seems to find independent proprietors with frankly offensive enthusiasm.”

That gets my attention despite myself. Krell catches it immediately. His smile deepens.

“There she is.”

“I didn’t say anything.”

“You didn’t need to.” He slips his hands into his pockets. “You could stop worrying every time a pipe groans. Hire help without calculating the cost three different ways. Replace that ancient boiler before it attempts murder. Perhaps even take a holiday. I’m told humans enjoy those.”

“Krell.”

He smiles and continues as if I hadn’t spoken. “And all for the same price of your soul. Frankly, with the additions, I’m practically robbing myself.”

“I have objections.”

This time, he stops. My phone screen goes dark in my hand, and I have to resist the urge to wake it again.

“I’m not here about the inn.”

He tilts his head. “No?”

My heart is beating so hard I can feel it in my throat. “I want something else.”

“Well. That is a development.” Krell looks almost impressed.

“If you can give me what I want, I’ll sign.”

“My dear Evie.” His entire face brightens. “You really should have opened with that.”

“Can you do it?”

“That rather depends on what it is.” He smooths an invisible crease from one cuff. “But I feel obliged to remind you that you’re speaking to a demon whose profession is built almost entirely around obtaining things people have been told they can’t have.”

“That’s not an answer.”

“No, it’s advertising. The answer is that there are very few requests I can’t at least entertain.” Krell steps closer, red eyes gleaming. “So. What would you like?”

“Can you keep him here?”

His brows draw together.

“Zavian.” My voice shakes despite everything I do to stop it. “Can you make a deal that lets him stay in Brindlewood? Permanently.”