Page 55 of Thistle Thorns

I lunged at the mirror then, eyes glowing a fearsome green. “Try it.”

His scarlet eyes narrowed. Assessed me. Then he favored me with an oily smile.

I tried to keep my skin from crawling as I straightened. This demon’s mood swings had me on anxious tiptoe.

“Marten’s imprisonment is the consequence of a broken contract,” he began, congenially this time. “It is binding. I cannot simply give him back, not even for the ring.”

It was suddenly very hard to breathe, to think, to even get my heart to beat. This ring was our bargaining chip! How could it not be worth enough to get my brother back for my mistakes?

“Buuut…” the demon drawled.

Cocking an eyebrow, I waited for him to explain.

“In order to satisfy the contract and release your brother—”

“Return my brother to the mortal world and his family, you mean,” I clarified, remembering that fae bargains had to be specific.

The corner of his left eye twitched at that, and the congeniality of his voice momentarily fled as he continued, “And return your brother to the bosom of your coven, you must offer something of greater value in addition to my ring.”

Off to the side of the mirror, Grandmother shook her head again. Behind her, our family continued to chant. They no longer stood up straight; their shoulders were hunched from the strain of maintaining the spell, the glow in their eyes flickering as their power ebbed.

Arguing with Arcadis would only prolong their struggle to keep this connection open. A quick and fair resolution was needed here. What was the harm in hearing the demon out, anyway?

“What did you have in mind?” I asked Arcadis.

“A portal mirror.”

A portal mirror? Was it really that easy? I seized the edge of the frame. “What about this one we’re using right now?”

The demon rolled his eyes. “No, idiot. The Samildánach.”

I ignored the insult. “What is that?”

“The Wandering Mirror? The Eternal Door?” Arcadis snorted at my confused expression. “It’s only one of the most famous unrestricted portals between all the realms.”

I could’ve done without the condescension and worked to keep the irritation from my voice. “And where would I find that?”

“In Elfame, obviously.”

Having never heard the term, I flicked my gaze to Grandmother. Her curt nod confirmed she knew where or what that was.

“How do I get there?”

“That is not my concern, witch,” Arcadis snapped, obviously at the end of his patience with my ignorance. “Do you agree?”

It was my turn to be snappish. “Phrase the bargain correctly and maybe I will.”

“I, Arcadis, will consider Marten Hawthorne’s debt to me paid in full if both my ring and the Samildánach are delivered to me by the zenith of the winter solstice. Should these two goods be delivered to me by the appointed time, I will return him to the mortal world alive and unharmed.” He crossed his arms over his chest and cocked an eyebrow. “Good enough?”

I wet my lips, trying to think if there was a hole in that argument, and blurted, “I don’t have a way of contacting you with the Samildánach! This echo disperses at midnight.”

Arcadis extended his hand. “Put the ring on and stick your hand through the mirror.”

Aunt Eranthis immediately shook her head. “Void monsters,” she mouthed to me.

What choice do I have? my eyes told her as I lifted the ring from the chain with Arthur’s pendant. Slipping it onto my finger, I curled that hand into a fist to keep the ring secure and gulped in a breath.

“If I do that, how do I know you’ll not chop of my hand and take the ring?” I asked the demon.

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