He points to the lichen-covered wall. “Glow plants. And sometimes bugs that live in them. Moss, shed spider shells, eggs if I can find them.”
“Not meat?”
“Meat?”
“People, do you eat people? Do you want to eatme?”
“Look at me.” He peers down at his thin body. “I couldn’t eat you if I tried.”
“Good point.” I clear my throat and glance at Gareth who is giving me an utterly confused look. “I’m seriously done with anything that wants to eat me. Not having it. But Iwoo has met that low bar, so we can continue.” I turn back to the gremel. “Okay, Iwoo, we need to know which road will lead us out of the Abyss. Do you know which one is the right one?”
“I know which one the caravans use. Yes.” He licks his thin lips.
“Which one?”
“What will you give me?”
“Why, you little—” Gareth shakes him again, but I put a hand on his forearm and still it.
“That gold.” I point to the goblet. “It’s yours if you tell us the right way.”
“Beth, there’s no way to know if he’s telling the truth.” Gareth shakes his head. “All that gold has been picked clean either by him or others like him. We have no way of knowing if he’s leading us astray.”
“I will tell you the right way for the gold. Yes, yes.” Iwoo nods excitedly.
“No deal.” Gareth kicks the goblet and sends it spinning away into the dark. “And I can’t let him go. Where there’s one gremel, there’s more. He’d most likely come back with some friends. Not happening. So, over he goes.” He hefts Iwoo toward the edge of the road.
“No!” Iwoo claws at the air, as if he can grab the gold from there. “Give it to me! It’s mine!”
“That’s it. I’m throwing him over.”
“Wait.” I hold up a finger. “We take him with us.”
“No.” Iwoo shakes his head. “No. I stay here. I can’t leave here.”
“You want to take this thing with us?” Gareth is incredulous.
“We take him with us. If he leads us correctly, we give him the gold. If he doesn’t, you can kill him.” I shrug.
Gareth mulls it for a moment, then sheathes his sword. “There’s rope in my pack, my clever beloved.”
I smile and get to work making a leash.
Gareth lifts the gremel so they’re eye-to-eye. “I almost hope you lead us wrong, gremel. Any creature that puts my mate under its thrall deserves death. A bloody one.”
It shivers as I fashion a collar for it and loop it around its neck. Gareth cinches it tighter as I carefully fetch the goblet. The gremel’s eyes follow the gold.
“One more thing.” I wave it in front of its face, then hide it behind my back to get its complete attention. “Could you, um, enthrall me just enough so I see you as the cute furry thing again?”
“Beth,” Gareth growls.
“What?” I stand. “It’s worth a try. Why shouldn’t this journey be pleasant and non-threatening for once?”
He grips the back of my neck, a proprietary move that turns my insides molten. “Is it a spanking you’re after? Because that’s what you’ll be getting as soon as we’re out of this hole.”
I get on my tiptoes and press a kiss to his lips. He remains unmoved, but I can feel his smile trying to twitch free.
“You love it.” I nip at his bottom lip.
