Birch had lived long enough, and seen enough, to be rather wise, but at the end of the day she was just no match for a god. Mallos had several lifetimes, at least, on her, and more than that, most - if not all - of those lifetimes had been completely dedicated to trouble and trickery in one form or another. Mallos' expression, and his motives, were still as mysterious to her as they'd ever been. She resisted, barely, the urge to roll her eyes at his comment about another entity coming along to play savior to her; but her focus was quickly taken over as Mallos reached extended a hand in her direction. Birch's eyes narrowed thoughtfully as Mallos reached for her, gently brushing her cheek with his thumb. The turn from sassy Mallos to gentle, "as serious as he ever was" Mallos was hard to follow, and Birch found herself annoyed at the little flip flop of her heart in her chest. She was no fool, but that didn't mean she wasn't a woman with a fondness for handsome men who weren't always on the up-and-up. Still, she stomped out that fire as quickly as it flared. Attractive or not, Mallos was angling for something here, and besides, it wasn't as if anything ever could, or would, happen between the two of them. At best they were something like friends - and even then, Birch often wondered if that consideration, that affection, was something only she carried.

She crossed her arms over her chest, one dark brow flicking as Mallos spoke at last. Her heart thudded again - this time with excitement - but her face stayed as stoic as ever, waiting for him to continue. His services came at a price? Of course they did. He was a god, and he was Mallos. But would the price be something she'd be willing to pay?

He withdrew his hand and she felt more in control, more like herself. Her eyes narrowed again, lips pursed, as Mallos continued. All things considered it was probably a crap deal, but... life was more tantalizing than anything, right at that moment. A chance to make things right, to do right by her children. Birch half-turned away from Mallos, her eyes flicking to the mists around them as she ran the proposal over in her head. A lifetime debt of servitude. Could she really stand such a thing? Tied for as long as she lived to Mallos, doing his bidding... It could be hell, but at least she was pretty much guaranteed that nothing he ordered her to do would involve hurting or killing a child. Anything else...

There was a lot Birch wanted to say, a lot she wanted to rebel against. She wanted to add her caveats, make her own deals or set her own boundaries, but what could she really ask for that was any more important, more valuable, than her life? She turned back, lips pressed together into a firm line of resolve.

"I can't say it's the most tantalizing prospect, considering how open-ended the arrangement is in your favor, but it's likely the best I'll get." After a second of further thought, she held out one calloused hand, meeting Mallos' gaze with her unyielding green one. "I'll be your servant, if you bring me back to life. And I'll have none of that zombie bullshit, either."

She cocked her head to the side, a small frown on her face now that it was done. "Do I have to call you master now?" she added, her tone filled with mock dread.