I grinned ever harder, flashing teeth. “Yes. I have won.”
For a brief moment, the air seemed to be sucked out of the forest. The birds stopped singing, the swan ceased its dance on the lake. Even the breeze held for a moment, settling the branches of trees to still.
“Then you’ve come to taunt me, or maybe you are here to punish me. Which is it?”
Bahmet grew uncomfortable. A sharp pricking reminded me of his one and only requirement. I felt the demon’s desire like a needle held to the back of my neck, just shy of all the important nerves between my skull and spine. Bahmet was reminding me that he could hurt me with a thought. Harm my body without much effort.
“I have no intention to do either of the sort,” I said, firm and steady. “A promise is a promise. I came to lift your curse, because I’m the only one with the power to do so.”
“Just as simple as that?”
I shook my head. “Of course not. I’m not going to give you what you want, until I hear you agree to something I want. A bargain… you could say.”
“Spit it out. Funnily enough I am in the mood to make deals with demons today.”
It took a second to know he was referring to me, not the monster beneath my flesh. “Straight to the meat then. No messing around.”
I took a deep breath, latching onto all the power Bahmet offered me. Sour, disgusting and rotten as it was to touch, I certainly felt like a god.
“I am willing to free you of the curse Eleanor Letcombe laid upon you, but only if you agree to never step foot near a witch again. Not your son. Not the innocent women and men that simply wish to live in a world free of prejudice and hate. You withdraw from the Hunters, and letusdeal with them. Move somewhere quiet. Live out the rest of your days by the seaside, contemplating the many years of mistakes you’ve made. Read a book. Drink. To be honest, I don’t care what you do, except keeping your distance until time catches up to you. Can you do that, Tomin Hopkin? Can you set aside your hate, your life’s work for a future of peace?”
“You’d take my word for it, when you have just given a speech about how binding the written word is, compared to the spoken?” Tomin asked. “I could lie. I could tell you exactly what you want to hear, and go back on my word. And what, that’s just a risk you are willing to take?”
“Oh, babes, risk is my middle name.” My heart beat rapidly in my chest, a heavy thump that was so powerful my ribs almost cracked. “All I need to hear you say is you agree. You accept my terms and it’s done.”
Tomin grinned to himself, then turned his stare back to me. “Then I agree.”
“Fabulous,” I said, waving a hand with a fixed intention in my mind.
Upon the stump, a crown materialised. It was dramatic, heavy looking. Made from rich metals that gleamed in the light. Set on a band of silver, spikes stood up like the tips of mountains, except each one was decorated with different shades of gems and crystals.
“What’s this got to do with our agreement?” Tomin said, stepping closer to the crown.
“Well,” I said, moving around the stump until we were beside one another. “As a show of good will, you are going to crown methe victor of the Witch Trials. I will lift your curse, bend the knee and accept this prize from you and you alone. Consider it a peace offering. An exchange between us to solidify how the future will go on.”
I knew it would take a lot for Tomin, a man who’d spent his twisted, long life hunting witches, to have to crown one. Of course, the idea of crowning was slightly dramatic, but I had to be smart. I couldn’t create something that was so obviously a weapon, not with Bahmet watching.
Tomin picked the crown up, turning it over in his hands. I wondered if he noticed how sharp the tips were, as I had. How the light winked upon each pointed end as though the sun blessed each protrusion with a new gem of gold.
“If you wish me to feed into your ego, then I will do it.”
I curtsied, throwing my hands back behind me for dramatic flare. “I’d like that. Although I sense your discomfort, it reeks. So, as a show of good faith I will remove the curse first to prove at least I’m a man of my word. As much as I do enjoy you being in uneasiness, I’m not wanting to poke the bear for the sake of it.”
Bahmet shifted beneath my flesh, filling every inch. He was a sponge, soaking the water that was my soul, slowly taking over in case there was a requirement.
Something had set the demon at unease, which only made me want to do this quickly.
“Kneel first for me,” I commanded, gesturing to the ground for Tomin.
He did as I asked, putting the crown down first before he got on the ground. I’d never lifted curses before, so I hoped Bahmet would guide me. It seemed my wish had come true because my arm lifted, not because I wanted it to, and I laid it upon Tomin’s head.
He trembled beneath my touch, but I kept it gentle. If anything it was proof he could trust me.
“This was all I have ever wanted,” Tomin whispered, breaking my line of concentration. His voice broke, and for a moment I thought it was a snivelling child kneeling beneath me, not a grown and ancient man. “I was much younger when this all began. But I did love Eleanor. I only wished she loved me more than the sway of the darkness that called to people like her. You may look down on me and see someone evil, but the truth is far simpler than that. I was just a man, looking to purge the world of sins, even at the cost of the one person he loved.”
I refused to look away. I wanted Tomin to see just how much I lacked the care. “The time of pleading your case is long behind us, Tomin. Now, if you don’t mind, I’d very much like to focus.”
A single tear fell from his eyes when he bowed his head again. I kept my hand on his head, focused on what I desired, and sent Bahmet my request.“Allow me to lift this curse. Tomin will be kept in your realm, just as you wanted, free from harm or ill will. I just ask, if he sticks to his promise, you let him live the life he wants.”
