Where Coal is from, god and demon and spirit are names for beings of a similar nature, at times used interchangeably, and so the proclamation throws a spark, lights him up. It's not a smile—he smiles very rarely—but an earnest expression nonetheless. Maybe he looks worried. He often looks that way. (He's not leaning anymore, either, just for the record. And the hat is kind of... everywhere.)

His hand moves: a false start, like he's just thought better of touching the thing. The ones who reward with ways to kill are not often named spirits, and gods even less often. "Why?"

What if he looks inside the war boy's head—will he see the reason? Was it an exchange, a bargain born of pain?