people to do as he bid was simply a matter of "thinking" the action into their minds, planting it like a seedling and allowing it to spread its roots. He was careful how and with whom he exercised his supernatural endowment, for once he established control over an individual, it became tempting to continue leading them. His care extended to making sure the object of his suggestion was not aware of his meddling. With a threat looming behind them, he knew he would need to throw caution to the wind and break into the Amazeen's thoughts.
"Are you near the caves, wench?" he whispered, though his lips never moved. He closed his eyes, picturing her plodding along on the gray mare.
"They are over there," she replied in his mind.
He knew she would not realize she had spoken, would not even remember lifting her hand and pointing to the cave system.
"Make for the one on the left. The one with the smallest opening," he sent out to her . "Do you see it?"
"Aye."
"Go inside. Do not be surprised when I join you. I am no danger to you. Do you understand?"
He saw her nod, then direct her mount toward the cave. Letting out a long breath, he urged his steed to a faster pace. Having no desire to get soaked as he had the night before, he grew anxious. The thought of a dry cave, a shimmering fire built at the entrance to ward off the chilly winds skirling outside as rain lashed, filled him with a peacefulness he had not known for a long time.
* * * *
Aradia looked up as the shadow fell over her, blotting out the feeble light from the cave's entrance. She did not start, did not reach for her weapon, though the dagger lay close at hand as Jaelan led his horse into the high-walled enclosure. Instead, she went back to trying to start the fire from the brush she had gathered. She cast him an annoyed look as he unsaddled his mount and left it beside her own at the back of the cave. The smell of wet horse became overpowering.
"Need some help?" he asked, running a hand over his wet face.
She shrugged. "The wood's wet. I don't know if we'll get more than smoke."
Jaelan peeled off his leather jacket. "Have faith, wench."
"If I didn't, I would have ventilated you as soon as I saw you, warrior," she mumbled, wrapping her arms around her to ward off the cold.
He chuckled and hunkered beside her. "Shall I start shaking in my boots now, or wait until you've proven you can wield that toy blade with some degree of expertise?"
She snorted, refusing to rise to his baiting. She moved to sit on a low ledge, propping her chin in her hand, staring at him as he fanned the fire to life. "How long do you think the rain will last?"
"Until it ends."
"Oh, clever response, warrior. Shall I laugh now, or wait until you've proven you can wield humor with some degree of expertise?"
"She walks, she talks, she repeats phrases like a parrot."
"Funny. Are you allowed to have a sense of humor, Shadowlord?"
The smile on Jaelan's face slipped away. "No."
Aradia watched him adjust the sticks, then sit cross-legged before the fire, staring into the flames. The red-gold flicker playing across his face lit the amber glow in his eyes, brought out the shine of his dark hair. She thought she had never seen as handsome a male as the one sharing the damp cave with her.
"You know I will not allow you to gain access to the woman at Abbadon," he whispered.
She shrugged. "And you know I will keep trying."
"You like to court danger, do you?"
"I don't go looking for it, but neither will I run from it. I vowed to bring my sister home, and honor decrees I do everything in my power to make that happen."
"As I will do everything in mine to make sure you don't." He looked into the fire. "Unless..."
"Unless what?"
The fire burned nicely, the heat warming the dank confines. Jaelan scooted over to lean his back against the wall. He crossed his booted ankles and folded his arms. "Unless we can come to an understanding."
Aradia cocked her head. "What do you have in mind,
"Are you near the caves, wench?" he whispered, though his lips never moved. He closed his eyes, picturing her plodding along on the gray mare.
"They are over there," she replied in his mind.
He knew she would not realize she had spoken, would not even remember lifting her hand and pointing to the cave system.
"Make for the one on the left. The one with the smallest opening," he sent out to her . "Do you see it?"
"Aye."
"Go inside. Do not be surprised when I join you. I am no danger to you. Do you understand?"
He saw her nod, then direct her mount toward the cave. Letting out a long breath, he urged his steed to a faster pace. Having no desire to get soaked as he had the night before, he grew anxious. The thought of a dry cave, a shimmering fire built at the entrance to ward off the chilly winds skirling outside as rain lashed, filled him with a peacefulness he had not known for a long time.
* * * *
Aradia looked up as the shadow fell over her, blotting out the feeble light from the cave's entrance. She did not start, did not reach for her weapon, though the dagger lay close at hand as Jaelan led his horse into the high-walled enclosure. Instead, she went back to trying to start the fire from the brush she had gathered. She cast him an annoyed look as he unsaddled his mount and left it beside her own at the back of the cave. The smell of wet horse became overpowering.
"Need some help?" he asked, running a hand over his wet face.
She shrugged. "The wood's wet. I don't know if we'll get more than smoke."
Jaelan peeled off his leather jacket. "Have faith, wench."
"If I didn't, I would have ventilated you as soon as I saw you, warrior," she mumbled, wrapping her arms around her to ward off the cold.
He chuckled and hunkered beside her. "Shall I start shaking in my boots now, or wait until you've proven you can wield that toy blade with some degree of expertise?"
She snorted, refusing to rise to his baiting. She moved to sit on a low ledge, propping her chin in her hand, staring at him as he fanned the fire to life. "How long do you think the rain will last?"
"Until it ends."
"Oh, clever response, warrior. Shall I laugh now, or wait until you've proven you can wield humor with some degree of expertise?"
"She walks, she talks, she repeats phrases like a parrot."
"Funny. Are you allowed to have a sense of humor, Shadowlord?"
The smile on Jaelan's face slipped away. "No."
Aradia watched him adjust the sticks, then sit cross-legged before the fire, staring into the flames. The red-gold flicker playing across his face lit the amber glow in his eyes, brought out the shine of his dark hair. She thought she had never seen as handsome a male as the one sharing the damp cave with her.
"You know I will not allow you to gain access to the woman at Abbadon," he whispered.
She shrugged. "And you know I will keep trying."
"You like to court danger, do you?"
"I don't go looking for it, but neither will I run from it. I vowed to bring my sister home, and honor decrees I do everything in my power to make that happen."
"As I will do everything in mine to make sure you don't." He looked into the fire. "Unless..."
"Unless what?"
The fire burned nicely, the heat warming the dank confines. Jaelan scooted over to lean his back against the wall. He crossed his booted ankles and folded his arms. "Unless we can come to an understanding."
Aradia cocked her head. "What do you have in mind,
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