Page 30 of The Crow Games

Ruchel sagged in her seat like her head was too heavy to keep upright. “We hear you, brother, and we hold you to your word.”

“Clearly, fever has made you delirious,” I protested.

Asher flashed a smile at me that was as bright as Berhta’s morning light. “Our high witch has spoken.”

“She’s not done speaking,” Ruchel let her head fall against the back of her chair, and she squeezed her eyes shut. “The giants are growing bold again.”

Crouching down, Asher peered out the window behind me. “They do that every so often when they tire of the desert. We’ll herd them home again.”

Ruchel squeezed the bridge of her nose, brow furrowed. Her ochre eyes opened, red-rimmed. “When they leave the desert, the death toll in Wulfram doubles. But now that you’re one of us, you’ll see to it that no giant threatens the safety of your coven.”

Asher bowed his head in overly polite deference—a deference I wasn’t buying for one minute. “Of course I will.”

Then Ruchel’s breathing slowed like she’d fallen asleep right there in her chair.

I rose to my feet to face my foe head-on, pleased when my knees didn’t buckle. I kept my footing even when his formidable magic billowed around me so close its cool energy brushed over the skin of my arms and neck and cheek. A shiver touched my spine, and it was . . . not entirely unpleasant. “You’re a fool if you think I’ll fall prey to whatever trick this is, god spy.”

He dropped his chin to meet me eye-to-eye, bringing his nose inches from my own. “I’m no one’s spy, Troublemaker. God or otherwise.”

“Don’t toy with me. Just tell me what you want.” I lowered my voice in case he wasn’t the only spy around. “We’re both too old to tolerate the silly political games the gods love to play.”

“No games. I need to learn your ways. It’s as simple as that.” The corners of his dark eyes crinkled, another fine crack in an otherwise stoic countenance.

“Then may the Crone always send me enemies as foolish as you,” I ground out.

“See you again soon, Trouble. For now, I’ve giants to chase off.” His cloak billowed up around him until he was one with the shade. Wraith-like, he melted into the shadows and was gone.

I sat in my chair so hard the legs scraped the bone floors.

“Does he know what you are?” Ruchel rasped. I’d thought she was asleep, but she peeked out at me through the slit of one eye.

“He does,” I whispered.

“That’s a complication, then.”

“We need to get rid of Asher, not encourage him,” I huffed. “It’s not clear what he wants, but when he gets it, he’ll do away with us. Or his god certainly will when he forces us to go to battle for him. What use are mortals to the Old One except as fodder for a war machine?”

“Then you’d better not let him get whatever it is he wants.” Smacking her lips together, she gestured weakly at the pitcher of water between us.

I poured her a glass and pushed it into her reaching fingers. “What does Asher gain from joining our coven? He can’t be telling the truth about wanting to learn our ways.”

“I can’t read him.” The glass shook as she lifted it toward her lips. She sipped at the water. Then she set it down hard as though it were too heavy, and I wished I hadn’t filled it so full.

“You don’t need mind magic to see he’s just using us for whatever—”

“Of course he is. I’m not telling you you’re wrong, Maven.” She waved my words away, then let her arms fall at her sides, tuckered out by the gesture. “I’m telling you to use him back.”

“And if I can’t?”

She pointed at my satchel and the curved blade poking out the lip of it, the handle of my revolver right beside it. “Do you know how to kill a crow?”

“No. I’m not even sure if that’s possible.” They weren’t divine, but they weren’t mortal either.

“Then we’d better find out, hadn’t we? Just in case.”

Our coven mates returned shortly thereafter to tend to our high witch. Liesel kept her distance across the cabin, but I took it as a good sign that at least she was willing to be in the same place as me. Nola claimed the chair beside me, her solid presence an instant reassurance.

“Good news,” Blue said flatly. “You get to live another day.”

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