That same amusement as before shone back at her. He considered her a moment longer before his face grew serious as he came to a decision. “Something like that. Deals are tricky things.Magicis a tricky thing. There are three deals in conflict at the moment. One that came into effect when I became god of this realm, the one you would like to be broken, and the one you would like to forge.”
He tapped his fingers on the table, and a slow smile crept across his face. “Would you like to know one more secret?” His laugh rolled out low and deep, knowing that he had just hooked her completely. Anyone whose magic revolved around secrets was likely to have a weakness for personal truths.
Elysia’s mouth pressed tight and she narrowed her eyes. “Don’t think I don’t see what you’re doing.”
“Ah, but it’s working, isn’t it? Your magic just stretched like a cat, you can barely contain it. I can feel it winding in and out around me. Not that I mind, of course. Your magic hassuchan interesting sensation.”
She rolled her eyes, ignoring his blatant attempts to provoke her, so he persisted. “It’s only fair. I know your tragic little story. Girl grows up in magicless land, is exploited for the very gift they revile, and still tries to save her people. Well, this is mine.”
He clicked his fingers, transporting them from the table to the dais. Except now there were two skull-adorned thrones and they sat facing each other on them. Startled, Elysia grabbed hold of the arms of the throne. Traveling like that might be commonplace for him, but it was foreign and deeply uncomfortable for her. Hands gripped the arms of her throne, and his knee brushed against hers as he brought his face close to hers.
“You were correct when you asked if I was impotent.”
Elysia blinked in surprise. “You’ve displayed magic several times in the short time I’ve been here.”
The god of the undead’s face twisted, tension cording through his neck. “I am impotent for a god.”
Elysia found herself caught in his story, curiosity flickering to life and a question tumbling out of her mouth in spite of herself. “Really?”
Instead of answering, he snapped his fingers, bringing them back to the table with the chalice now in between them. As much as he tried to lounge back in the chair, she could see the frustration peeking through his body. The subtle roll of his shoulders, how his nose flared for the briefest of seconds.
He finally answered. “I was a reluctant god. Combine that with the reckless anger of youth and the fates and their penchant for a good story, and here we are.”
“The deal that went wrong.”
He looked up at her, one corner of his mouth lifting as he echoed her. “The deal that went wrong.” His smile became grim. “But also tradition. Tradition and a deal gone so very wrong. The perfect storm.”
Elysia considered all he had told her carefully.
“If you were to regain your powers, then you could grant me my deal?”
The god before her paused, uncertainty bringing distance into his gaze. The uncertainty disappeared. “What I need is my talisman.”
“A talisman that holds your power.” Her words were flat. He had to be fucking kidding her.
He nodded. “Yes, something like that. There is a talisman that belongs with me. Every god of the dead has to find their talisman in order to come into the full power of their position. It’s a terrible tradition and there’s nothing I can do about it.”
Elysia knew her face was rude. That she should be hiding her obvious irritated disbelief.
“And how exactly am I supposed to find this talisman? Is it in your realm, mine? Is it big, small, metaphorical? What exactly are we talking about here?” Her anger spurted out in fits. This task would be impossible.
Her anger was nothing to him. He flicked it away and held her gaze as steady as the bone trees of his land. His jaw tensed, but he brought a gentle hand to the curve of her face. Smooth, warm fingers rested against her skin. “If you accept my offer, then I will provide you with every last resource within my grasp. I will be at your complete disposal. The power I do have will be yours to direct so long as it brings us closer to the talisman. Our situations are much the same—your kingdom, my realm—both magically impoverished, decaying before our eyes.”
The depths of his blue eyes held her silent as he made his case. “I can donothingwithout the talisman, so either we have a deal, or we both carry on knowing our homes are slowly dying an unnatural death that could have been stopped.”
Elysia bit down, her teeth grinding as she chewed on his proposal.
“What happens once you have the talisman?”
He gave her a funny smile. “The talisman will do its job and we will pursue the restoration of our homes.”
“You still won’t be… how you should be, though? Because of the deal gone wrong.”
He emitted a long sigh, chin tilting up to the ceiling. “Correct.”
Elysia gathered her frustration, releasing it back at him as logic. “What you’re offering me is an impossible quest for an undefined talisman. A talisman that won’t fully resolve your impotency, or guarantee we can restore our homes, which effectively makes this the worst proposition I’ve ever heard.” She threw him the most flat, unimpressed look she could muster.
“Would you prefer I lie to you? Tell you that I’ll be able to restore your land from rot to vitality in the blink of an eye? Trick you into taking my deal only to leave you feeling betrayed?”
