Maybe this guy was using the word "Spirit" in an unrelated sense. But still, just hearing him refer to Byrne as such made his heart immediately jump in a painful way. He didn't think anyone here knew anything about his past, and he wanted to keep it that way.

"No," he said icily, "I am nothing of the sort."

Because the Spirits wouldn't give him what he wanted. He refused to associate with them at all, much less conform to his designation of being their "servant."