“No, no,” Anderson pleads. “He said it would just require the last five years of my life, not… not this!”

The broker shakes his head. “There’s nothing there about the final five years of life, Senator. All it says is ‘five years of biological time on the plane of the living.’ Let me guess, he’s taking it from your sleep?”

Anderson’s mouth works open and closed, and I see the prominent bags under his eyes clearly for the first time. “I can’t sleep. Not for longer than an hour, maybe two. Every night I try… it’s been weeks, Valechaz… my doctor says I’ll die if I don’t rest….”

“You asked for lifelong riches and in exchange unknowingly signed away that which keeps you alive. Tale as old as time. Your suffering will feed the other party for years.” Valec calls for Emma to come back, and another bouncer-looking person joins her. “When the language is not exact, creative license will be taken. What did you expect when you made a deal with a demon?”

Anderson falls to Valec’s feet before he can be taken away. “I’m begging you! I have a family!”

A sneer lifts Valec’s lips and his eyes flash crimson. “You were warned. Unregulated bargains never serve the weaker being, and yet now you come into my house and insult me?” Valec raises one booted foot, pushing the senator back up by the shoulder. “Leave. Before I kick you over this roof myself.”

“Valec!” the man cries, but his screams grow faint when Emma and the other bouncer pull the Senator back by one arm each, dragging him to the exit and leaving a stunned silence in the crowd in their wake.

Valec crosses his arms and tuts. “The old white men lawyers always think they know best.” He pivots on his heel, all anger and irritation gone as if it had never been, and spreads his hands wide. “Shall we continue?”

The crowd cheers in response.

“Wait! I offer a bargain!” Alice’s voice rings across the crowd, sending my stomach plummeting.

Valec turns again, this time with interest. “Another interruption, this time by one of our guests in question?” He beckons her forward, stopping his security team from their approach. “Hello, small human. Come here and speak up.”

“Alice, stop!” I shout, and she ignores me entirely.

“I have something to offer.” She raises her chin as she walks, but I can hear the slight tremor in her voice. See the fear in her shallow breaths. What is she doing? “Y-you s-seem to value integrity and transparency in business, is that right?”

Valec gives her an appreciative look. “That’s right. Anything worth doing in the dark is worth doing in the light.”