They were not so much rumors as warnings. Beyond the mountain that overlooked the plateau was an ancient forest, enormous and wild. It was dark and treacherous and full of dangerous animals. The warnings were not about the danger of the beasts, but rather the ancient legend of a knight who entered the forest to pray at a desecrated shrine. Why he decided to pray to a devil or demon was long forgotten, but the response from the evil that lived there was still known to everyone—a sign made of the knight’s blood that simply said, “Enter only if you are pure of heart.” His heart hung from a tangle of tissue beneath the sign.

Jade was unafraid as she stepped into the forest. It was true that every good knight and traveler that entered was found dead, all believing that they were pure of heart, but Jade knew she was different. Her heart was pure. It was as clear as a starless night sky.

The journey was long and tiring. Days passed. Yet the path was soft grass, with firm footing underneath. It was not dark and treacherous, nor full of dangerous animals. In fact, it was as if whatever lived in the center of the forest wanted the journey to be as pleasant and easy as possible. Jade looked around. There were trees with deep, green leaves. Verdant vegetation and bright flowers. The entire forest seemed to bloom around her.

“Enter the clearing and sit, child.”

Jade looked at the source of the voice. It was a man or a creature or a beast. She couldn’t focus on it. She would see a warm smile and then it would be the fangs of a wolf. A hand waved her forward, or was it a red claw? She walked in and sat down across from the creature that was all things and no things.

“Speak your desire.”

“I request the power to exact my vengeance,” Jade said simply.

The demon, as this is what Jade had decided it was, sat down across from Jade, smiled, and replied, “Given.”

And for the first time since entering the forest Jade was uncertain. “You have given me this power?”

“Indeed.”

“Should I not explain what I want first?”

The demon laughed. “Child, I know what you want, which is why I have given you the power to achieve it.”

“I assume the price is my soul,” Jade said. It made the most sense to her, and it was a price she was willing to pay.

The demon laughed. “Goodness no, child. The price is my watching your vengeance reach such heights that you gladly murder innocent children, leave newly married couples crushed in their wedding beds, destroy the work of inspired artists who spent their lives creating things for others to enjoy, and take a vibrant city full of life and turn it to dust.”

Jade took a moment to absorb the demon’s words. He sat in the grass across from her, appearing as carefree and natural as the birds chirping in the trees. Yet she knew the evil in his heart would be looking for the greatest price he could extract from her. What greater price could he ask than her soul?

Finally, she replied, “Perhaps vengeance is simply another word for kindness.”

The demon grinned. “I am so very glad that you walked into my forest.”

Jade was about to reply when the demon dismissed her with a wave of his hand. She felt her whole body go weak. The demon then leaned forward and peered into Jade’s eyes. The intensity of his focus made her gasp for breath and her heart beat erratically. It was as if her body could not operate in a world that contained such a thing.

“Do you know why I am sitting across from you, while I have not replied to a single entreaty from a human for millennia?”

Jade couldn’t speak. Her entire body trembled. She weakly shook her head.

“It is because the others lacked the power to parley with me. They would trade their soul for some paltry token of revenge. A death. A ruin on someone or some family.” Jade slumped to the ground, paralyzed in his presence. He held up a finger and pointed it at her heart. “But you, my child. The power of your rage . . .” The demon licked his lips. “I can taste it. It has consumed you, and yet still it grows, spilling into the world around you.”

The demon stood, turned, and started to walk away. Speaking over his shoulder, he added “All I require is that you continue to be who you are. Everything you touch brings it closer to me.”

With each of the demon’s steps away from her, Jade regained control of her body. She feared he would leave without giving her what she wanted, so she yelled, perhaps a bit too loudly, perhaps a bit too desperately. She was, after all, negotiating with a demon.

“Wait! You never told me how to exact my revenge. What is the incantation?”

The demon stopped at the edge of the clearing but didn’t turn around. Jade weakly pulled herself up to her knees. At least her body had stopped shaking. She didn’t understand all of what the demon had just said, but she didn’t need to. All she needed was the incantation to wreak her vengeance.

“It is simple, child,” the demon said over his shoulder. “Say the words ‘I hate you,’ and as you speak them think of who you hate. Yes, it is that simple. Think of who you hate, and I will destroy them. But be forewarned: If you envision too few that you hate, I will do nothing out of disappointment. If you envision those that you don’t truly hate, I can do nothing, as it will be beyond my power.”

The demon turned, and as he looked at Jade she once again slumped to the ground. “Hate as completely as you can. Say the words. And mean them.”

• • • •

The return from the forest followed by the long trip to the city was light and even enjoyable. Jade breathed deeply as she passed flowers and fir trees. Even the smell of dead fish mixing with the salt of the sea made her smile with just how alive everything was. Every sunset provided solace, and every sunrise provided joy.

She had much to think about on her journey. The task was now simple thanks to what she was given: Speak the words, and she would destroy the city that had destroyed her. But was it that simple? Could she hate an entire city?

She stopped and watched a bee land on a red flower, smiled, and continued on her way. If she hurried, she could reach the city by sunset.