The Demon's Bargain (A Deal With a Demon #4)(32)

“I’m sorry.” They carefully set me back on my feet. “I know you wanted to.”

I had, but how can I complain after everything that’s happened? They trusted me. They fought to keep me safe. They brought my amulet back to me. I look to where it dangles from their fist. It would be the simplest thing in the world to command them to return it to me, but that feels like throwing their trust back in their face.

They start to pass it over, but I wrap my fist around theirs. “A bargain.”

Ramanu goes perfectly still. “You don’t have to.”

“I know.” But how can I repay their trust with anything but trust of my own? Someone incredibly paranoid might argue that I’m playing right into Ramanu’s hands, but there’s no way they bound themselves to me simply to get me to bargain. “I don’t know if we have a future, Ramanu. I’ve only known you a short time.” I take a deep breath. “But I want to give us a chance to figure it out.”

“Lenora—”

Even now, they’re trying to give me an out. That, more than anything, has me pushing forward. “I’ll give you seven years in return for my amulet.”

They hesitate. “Are you sure?”

I’m slightly terrified, but I’m sure. I haven’t always made the best choices when it comes to partners, but Ramanu has shown every evidence of being kind and caring. And snarky and a little murderous, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. Can’t have either of us getting bored, can we? “Seven years,” I repeat. “Time enough to figure out if we have something worth pursuing in a permanent way.”

They smile, and it lights up their face. “Time enough, indeed.” They slip their hand into mine. “Very well. Let’s go collect your things and, if by the time the adrenaline has worn off, you still want to sign the contract, then we’ll do it.”

It’s too soon for something as reckless as love, but in this moment, I know I can love Ramanu. The foundation is already there. We could have something…really special. Something like my fathers have. Something that has the potential to stand the test of time.

Neither of us speaks as we walk back to the inn. No one comments on the blood spattering Ramanu’s body, but that’s just the Shadow Market. A little blood is a normal occurrence, especially in this part of the market.

Ramanu excuses themselves for a few minutes once we reach the room. They return from the bathroom cleaned up and with a towel wrapped around the amulet. “You don’t have to do this.”

“Some bargainer demon you are.” I smile a little. “You keep trying to talk me out of making a bargain with you.” Every time they do, it just makes me surer that this is the right call.

Ramanu sinks onto the bed next to me and drums their fingers on their knee. Finally, they say, “A counterproposal.”

It’s on the tip of my tongue to tell them to stop stalling and get out the contract, but if this situation feels half as fraught to them as it does to me, it’s right to talk our way through it. I swallow hard. “I’m listening.”

“You keep the binding in place.”

“What?” I jerk back. “No. I’m not keeping you bound. It was only for the tournament, and even then I didn’t really feel good about it.”

“I know.” They cover my hand with theirs. “But it keeps us on equal ground, and if we want to truly see if this is worth pursuing in a permanent way, then equal ground is important.”

What they’re saying makes sense, but I don’t like it. “That’s great in theory, but we don’t have the fail-safes built into the binding the same way we do into the contract. What if we fight and I accidentally command you?” I shake my head, hard. “No. It’s wrong.”

Ramanu considers this for several long moments. “I want you to feel good about this.” They squeeze my hand. “We’ll add a clause into the contract. Hold on.”

Two beats later, the contract appears in the space between us. I skim it, finding it identical to what I read over before, but as promised there’s a new clause near the bottom. I frown as I read it and then read it again. “It says I can’t command you to commit harm against yourself.”

“Yes.”

“That’s too narrow a restriction.”

They laugh softly. “You’re the only human I know who argues to have yourself more bound up by legalese.”

“I want us on even ground.” I close my eyes and think hard. “No commands, Ramanu. Not outside of a life-or-death event.”

“That’s too confined.” They push to their feet. “You’re overcorrecting.”

Maybe, but I don’t think so. I tap the contract. “Nowhere in here can you compel me to do anything I don’t want to do. Even ground.”

They curse. “You’re being difficult.”

“And you’re being stubborn.” I grin. This conversation is so fraught, but I’m enjoying myself despite it. Maybe because of it, because we feel so well matched, both of us trying to look out for the other. “This is a reasonable ask.”

“Fine, little witch. You win.” They sink back onto the bed, and the paragraph about the binding shimmers, the words changing to reflect what we negotiated. A little thrill goes through me. We’re really doing this. “Do you have a pen?”