Crow’s stone burned cool against my skin and I wondered if it was his power keeping me mobile. But just because I could move didn’t mean I wanted to yet.
From where I knelt next to Ryder, I watched Patrick Baum walk out from behind the temple. He wore fine linen, woven from green, copper, silver, and looked rich, relaxed, and handsome. I wanted to stab him in the throat.
“This is what you wanted, wasn’t it?” the leprechaun asked.
I had a wild moment to think he was talking to me.
But then Goap came into view, following Patrick. And on Goap’s hand was a ring, much like his mother’s, that could stop time. He was in charge of this magic.
“When you locked me into a contract even I couldn’t get out of?” Patrick said pleasantly though the fury in his voice was barely hidden. “When you sent those humans, those demons to Ordinary, and then forcedmeto kidnap Ryder Bailey? This is what you wanted.
“You promised your father that you would give him Ordinary by stealing Ryder and bringing the Reed sisters to him. All three of them so he could devour them.
“You made a deal with Mithra that you would give him Ordinary by luring Bathin here to behead the king. Then once you had killed your brother, you would become king, and you would give Mithra Ordinary. This is what you wanted. You have double-crossed demon, god, and leprechaun.”
“How have I double-crossed you?” Goap sneered. “You wanted fame. I gave you an entire year of fame.”
“Idid that,” Patrick snarled. “I built my audience. I grew my fame. You didn’t give that to me.”
Goap laughed. “I very much did. A child’s trick. Even a Crossroads demon could have pulled it off. You wanted fame, I gave you fame. You wanted fortune, I gave you that too. And now Iownyou. I own your luck.
“You will do as I say. That,” he pointed at Bathin, “must have the axe in his hands. He must cut off my father’s head.”
“If I refuse?”
“Do you?” There was vicious glee in his tone. Toxic hope.
“Do your own dirty work, demon,” Patrick said. “You don’t control me.”
“But I do. You aren’t the only one here I control, puppet. You aren’t even the best. Don’t think yourself so precious.” He snapped his fingers and the leprechaun went still, as frozen as everyone and everything else in this grotto.
Goap turned and surveyed the field. He and the leprechaun were about halfway between the temple where the gods and demons were frozen in battle, and where Ryder and I knelt.
Behind us, on the pathways with fountains, were the rest of our crew.
Goap snapped his fingers again. Ryder groaned.
Oh, fuck no.
“Rise,” Goap commanded Ryder. “Now that your contract with the god is broken, I will make good use of you.”
Ryder moved in a trance. He stood, the shackles melting off his wrists, chains falling to the stone with the slap of heavy metal.
“Stand in front of that Reed,” Goap commanded. “The one with the axe. Bare your neck to her.”
Ryder fought the command, a spark of his fury flashing through the trance, before his features slackened, and he was moving again. He took a step away from me, then another.
He was going to stand in front of Myra, who was frozen in mid-swing. Then Goap would start time again, and Myra would cut off Ryder’s head.
“If your death doesn’t inspire my brother to kill the king,” Goap said, “then I will force each mortal to cut the other down in front of my brother’s unblinking eyes.”
Like hell I was going to let that happen. But I didn’t know how to turn this to my advantage. One snap and Goap could kill everyone.
I had the demon sword, the brother killer. That would have to be enough. I would have to be enough.
No choice. No time. I reached for the sword.
The stone against my chest flared hot.
