“Loophole in your Crossroads contract.”
Ricky sighed. “The seeker bit?”
“Yep. You might want to rethink that.”
“Can’t. I’m a Crossroads. All knowledge here is kept for those who seek. Unfortunately, that means ghosts too.”
“Like she’s so perfect,” Val said. “That creepy blood scroll is contaminating all her crystal tablets. Is there a place I can level a complaint? Some boss or creature or witch above her? Because there is gross mismanagement going on here.”
“On second thought,” I said, “banishing might make him shut his yap about blood scrolls and cross contamination.”
Ricky went very still. “Did he say blood scrolls?”
“Yes.”
“Is he speaking now?”
“Caught your attention, didn’t I?” Val said. “Suddenly the dead guy’s useful. You living people are so judgmental.”
“Oh, yeah,” I said. “He’s talking.”
“What is he—no, never mind.” She stood. “I’m going to take this out back. Tell him to follow me, will ya?”
“Why? So she can banish me again?”
“Are you banishing him? If you are, I want to watch.”
Lu snorted, but continued chopping potatoes into cubes.
“I was thinking more along the line of tuning,” Ricky said, as she walked out of the kitchen. “Like an old radio station.”
Val didn’t move, though his wolf paced back and forth through him. “You trust this woman?” he finally asked me.
“She’s a Crossroads. You seem to know what that means.”
“I know what people have said.”
“Which is?”
His gaze met mine, dark eyes serious. “Some say cursed. Too many promises, too many prices paid in exchange for strange knowledge. Too many mixes and conflicting magics tangled in their brains. Often insane.”
“I’ve heard that.”
“But Lu comes here and trusts her as a friend.”
“She does.”
“Do you?”
I only hesitated a moment. “Yes.”
Lu looked over her shoulder.
“I trust Ricky.”
She smiled. “She’s good people.”
“There you go,” I said to Val.
