“Lilith.” Victor’s voice was flat.
She stopped in front of them, studying the space between their bodies. “Curious.”
“We have a meeting,” Victor said.
“We do.” She gestured toward the partner elevator. “Shall we?”
The ride from sixty-one to sixty-six took eight seconds. Lilith stood facing them with her back to the doors, watching, that smile fixed in place.
When the doors opened, she didn’t move.
“I’m curious how long you can keep this up.” Her eyes found Ava’s. “The performance, I mean.”
Victor stepped forward. Lilith stepped back out of the elevator, still smiling.
“Do try to be convincing today,” she said. “I’ll be watching.”
She walked away.
Ava exhaled. “That could have gone worse.”
“Give it time.”
The Blackstone representativesarrived at nine: three lawyers who clearly knew about the supernatural. None of them flinched when Malphas extended his too-long fingers in greeting.
“Ms. Feng.” Grimm’s voice scraped like gravel. “You’ve reviewed the contracts?”
“Three times.” She pulled up section forty-three. “There’s a problem with the language around eternal obligations.”
Patterson, the lead Blackstone attorney, shifted in his seat. “We had our best people draft that clause.”
“I’m sure.” Ava highlighted the text. “’Eternal’ has specific meaning in infernal contract law. As written, this obligates Blackstone’s successors in perpetuity, not just through normal business succession, but through any entity that absorbs your assets. Forever.”
Patterson went pale. “That would mean?—”
“If Blackstone fails and gets acquired, the new owners inherit these obligations. You’d be poisoning every potential buyer.” She switched to page ninety. “The liability clause has the same issue. You’re accepting responsibility for Acts of God.”
“That’s standard boilerplate.”
“In human contracts.” She met his eyes. “In a world where gods occasionally act, do you want to be liable for their decisions?”
Silence.
“What do you suggest?” Patterson asked.
She walked them through the fixes. By the time she finished, he was taking notes.
The door opened. Lilith glided in, taking her seat like she’d been there all along.
“Apologies for my tardiness.” Her smile didn’t reach her eyes. “I trust Ms. Feng has been keeping everyone entertained.”
“Ms. Feng has been keeping the firm from significant liability exposure.” Grimm’s tone was flat. “The Blackstone team is impressed.”
“How delightful. Victor’s latest project, exceeding expectations.” The wordprojectlanded like a slap. “I do hope it lasts.”
Victor’s hand found Ava’s under the table. Warning.
“Shall we continue?” Malphas’s too-long fingers drummed the volcanic glass. “I believe we have a contract to finalize.”
