Two Crows Watch from the Gallows Tree (part 3)

"Have you earned my story?" Ada asked him. "You're a liar."

“You don’t have to share it,” Pratik murmured. “It’s yours to keep and use however you wish… but I’m not lying.”

He was lying through his teeth. But he’d mastered his tells. There was no way she could have known that.

"You're a liar," she repeated firmly, climbing off the bed. "Tell me the truth, liar."

Spoiler

She's a budding seer, so she has a sort of "this doesn't vibe" sense as well as a bit of the Sight.

(Ohohoho)

Pratik sat back in the chair now. Making it clear he had no intentions of getting up. Hoping that made her feel safer, now that she was out of the bed. He assessed her for a moment. She seemed awfully certain if herself. “What makes you think I’m lying?”

"I can see you," she said after a moment's hesitation. "I can see you blurring yourself out. You're not being honest." Very slowly, still keeping the blankets up, she backed herself against the wall.

“… you’re a Seer?” Pratik asked after a moment. Fuck. That complicated things. He hadn’t considered this situation. Hadn’t planned a contingency for Seers. He hadn’t expected to meet one.

"You can't tell anyone," she said stiffly. "It'll be worse for me if they know."

“I won’t,” he answered honestly. “As you’ll know, if you can See me. Just as you can know it’s the gods honest truth I won’t harm you. Ever.”

Ada paused, peering at him. "I don't know that. Tell me the truth. I can't see you through your coat. Who are you?"

Pratik hesitated. He surely wasn’t going to make it easier for her to know the truth on those matters, without her seeing the truth about it all. And he couldn’t trust her to keep her mouth closed about the true reason why he was here. Not with her current emotional state. Not without knowing her well.

“I’m a greedy fool,” he admitted at last. “I thought I could make a quick buck. And I thought I’d be able to get away… but I clearly have not.”

He hoped it was close enough to the truth that it would lower her skepticism. Who knew how well trained she was? If she was truly powerful, she’d be able to see past his lies on her own, wouldn’t she? So there was hope for him yet… he hoped. He didn’t know what she’d do if she figured out the truth herself.

Ada gave a small nod. "Truth. But how can one make money out of slavery?"

“Lord Ash said he’d give me money when I returned,” he said, relieved it’d worked. “He got the money from my sale.”

Both true statements. Just not related ones.

"I thought Lord Ash didn't sell slaves," Ada said, though she seemed to believe him.

“That’s why he’s giving me the money,” Pratik said with a shrug. “He thinks me a fool, but he sanctioned the plan.”

Ada shook her head slightly, but she didn't question it. "You don't have a wife and daughter, do you? You're alone."