Page 65 of The Crow Games

“But I thought you weren’t a pack mule, my lord?”

Nott hissed at me.

My lips twitched as I slid onto his back. I clung to him with my thighs, hands buried in his glossy fur. He bounded ahead. When I screamed in fright, certain I’d be tossed from his back, Nott cackled.

The throne room was littered with balls of yarn. They touched every surface except for the great crow throne made of bone. I climbed down off his back onto legs that felt like rubber.

Nott charged through the yarn, swatting at the brightly colored red and blue balls and ignoring the earth-toned ones.You weren’t very forthcoming with me earlier, pet, so I made Asher tell me what you’re up to.

“He . . . what?” My heart took off, worry hardening my gut, but I’d made the mistake of doubting Asher before. I didn’t want to do it again. We were . . . friends. I pushed my anxieties aside. He wanted out of here as much as we all did.

He’s convinced me to help you.

I blinked down at the mad god. “That’s . . . In what way, my lord?”

Nott rolled onto his back, swatting balls of yarn into the air until the colorful threads covered him, the dyed strands stark against his inky fur.You require a sigil, one cast by a god. Or have I been misinformed?

My jaw went slack.

Say something, Lisbeth’s voice shouted at me, knocking me out of my shock.

“My lord, were you to grant me such an honor, I would make great mischief in your name,” I said, running a finger across my chest, the gesture of an earnest vow. “I would rip a hole in the Otherworld and tear the games asunder. Think of how outraged the gods would be. Picture the chaos, the panic, themess. . .”

His laughter was pure villainy, silky and soft in my ears and as threatening as a knife to the throat . . . even tangled in yarn as he was.

And all you’ve got to do for me in return is kill my sister.

My mouth fell open, but no words spilled out. They caught on my tongue and tangled there. “Your . . . You wish for me to murder Mara, the Lady of Nightmares?”

Well, yes. If you’d like my sigil so that you can rain down your messy chaos, you’ll have to do this first. Mara is fussy about her devotion to Alrick. She likes the king’s order and won’t let me help you, my pet.He sighed.She’s becoming more and more like our mother every day. Such a disappointment.

“But . . . can’t you stop her?”

I can’t kill her. I love her.

“No! Some other way. Any other way!” Even the suggestion of it made my blood boil.

Afraid not. We’re twins. Mara can hop into my mind and see my plans any time she likes. With my sigil fueling you, you should have no problem ripping her soul clean out and swallowing her whole. In fact, why don’t we pop over to Hel right now and—

“No! I . . .” Speech abandoned me. Hot angry air blew from my nostrils. “I wasn’t suggesting we kill her. In fact . . .”

Lisbeth’s voice was back in my head.Careful of your tone, love.

My hands formed fists. I didn’t want to be careful. I’d had enough of these god games built on little slights that had hurt someone’s divine ego. My lips trembled from the effort of stopping myself from shouting. Gray magic stuttered in my chest.

“I am the wrong person for this task,” I said, warning dripping from every syllable. My fingers had gone gray. “Possibly the worst person in all the Otherworld you could have asked to accomplish such a wicked thing.”

He chewed at the yarn. Colorful red strands hung between his teeth like the intestines of his last kill.But I love wicked things. Why can’t you do it?

“I would giveanythingfor my sister to still be alive. I’m not taking yours from you,” I bit out.

Spoilsport.

“I won’t kill your sister, God of Night and Mischief. Not ever. And I’m deeply offended that you would ask it of me.”

Now you’re just boring me, pet. I should eat you up for that.A growl rumbled out of him, and he bared his frightful teeth.

My mind whirled. I should have apologized, begged him not to murder me. I should have pleaded for our plan, insisted a different arrangement could be made.

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