“It would seem so.”
“Let me try that again. He is evil, isn’t he?”
Than was quiet for a moment, then he steepled his fingers. “His demon nature would seem to be the strongest trait that defines him. He bargained for your father’s soul, took it, then bargained with it again, and took Delaney’s soul. That appears to align with the nature of evil.”
“So he’s evil.”
“Is anything quite what it seems to be in Ordinary?”
“Yes. No. Sometimes.”
“There you are.”
“Not helpful.”
“What does your heart tell you, Myra?”
“I’m not listening to my heart.”
“Interesting.”
I didn’t like the sound of that. “Why is that interesting?”
“Is that not your gift? To follow your heart?”
I’d never heard it said like that before. “No. Not really, no. My heart isn’t nearly as reliable as my family gift.”
“Ah.”
Then he was silent, waiting. Maybe he didn’t know the answer, or maybe he did. Maybe he was just trying to get me to pay attention to what my heart already knew. That I wanted Bathin and I didn’t want to want him.
“Is the unicorn lying?” I asked.
“About what?”
“About the king being Bathin’s father?”
“No.”
“About the king growing so evil and power hungry that he’s going to come after Ordinary?”
“Not even I know the future, Myra Reed.”
“Don’t you?”
“Perhaps not every future.”
“So this is salvageable. I can free Delaney’s soul before it’s used as a bargaining chip with the devil?”
“The king of demons is not the devil.”
“Figure of speech.”
“Every rose has its thorn.”
“I wasn’t asking for a figure of speech, I was just saying I was using one.”
“Potato, potahto.”
