warrior?"
He hitched his right shoulder. "A compromise, of sorts."
"Compromise is good," she said, scratching her cheek. "Tell me what you're thinking and I'll tell you if it's doable."
A slow smile tugged at Jaelan's expressive mouth. "Oh, it will be doable, wench, or your sister stays where she is."
Dragging in a long breath, Aradia waited for him to give her the particulars of the deal he seemed intent on making. She refused to allow the nervousness clogging her throat or the expectation pumping furiously through her veins to give the slightest hint of her eagerness to hear what he had to say. Pretending nonchalance proved the hardest thing she had done of late, but she held her ground and her tongue, and waited.
But Jaelan seemed in no hurry to put his cards on the table. The silence unraveled, save for the pummeling of rain outside the cave. He closed his eyes and appeared to be courting sleep. Aradia lowered her head, giving in to the tiredness catching up with her.
Time dripped away, raindrop-by-raindrop, and the stillness became a battle of wills with neither willing to end the stalemate. As minutes dragged by, nerves began to fray. They turned to one another at the same time, each impressed with the other's ability to bide his or her time.
"All right. Spit it out," Aradia said, angry at giving in first.
"I can set her free, and see her safely across the border."
"Why would you do that?"
"Because I can."
"You have that much authority?"
"I do."
Aradia ran her fingers over her mouth. "I assume there are conditions."
"There always are."
She bit her lips. "And what are they?"
"Only one." A muscle ticked in his lean cheek. "You remain in Rysalia."
Aradia's eyes widened and her face drained of color. "You would install me in the convent in exchange for Orithia's freedom?"
Jaelan frowned. "Did I mention the convent?"
"The seraglio?" she asked, horror turning her voice shrill. "You mean for me to take her place in Jaleem's bed?"
"No, not in the king's bed."
Her heart raced painfully in her chest. "Then some other man's bed?"
He nodded.
"Whose?"
"Mine."
She stared at him and saw steely determination looking back at her. It both frightened and thrilled her. She didn't know how to respond, so used a weapon she knew how to employ--rudeness.
"Oh, in that case, of course. Why not? I barely know you from suppurating road kill, but what the heck? I haven't had a man in five years. I got thrown out of the royal palace at Deseo when my boyfriend was forced to Join with a snow hag, so I'm horny as hell right about now. You could be diseased or practice strange sexual atrocities on your partners, but sure, I'll jump at the chance of being bedded by a fearsome Shadowlord who people fear to cross." Her eyes narrowed, and her lips skinned back from her teeth. "Are you addled? What the hell are you thinking, warrior? Or am I giving you too much credit for being able to reflect at all? What would possess you to...?"
Jaelan turned his gaze toward the fire. "I was thinking of the woman who saved my life. I was thinking I would like to share that life with her because she pleases me and I believe we would do well together."
Aradia snapped her mouth shut, unable to believe she'd heard the words come from the powerful man sitting across from her. His face looked stone-cold hard, his posture just as rigid as the rock wall on which he leaned. He had thrown the ball into her court and awaited her comments. Nothing in his manner bespoke hurry or concern, nor did he seem anxious for her reply.
Supreme confidence on his part, or indifference to whatever decision she made?
Or nervousness that she would reject him and thus had prepared himself by acting nonchalant?
When she finally spoke, her voice sounded strained. "Am I to assume this is not a joke?"
He nodded, but did not look at her.
"Nor a test of my loyalty to Orithia?"
"Our negotiation has nothing to do with your sister. She is merely a bargaining point."
Aradia
He hitched his right shoulder. "A compromise, of sorts."
"Compromise is good," she said, scratching her cheek. "Tell me what you're thinking and I'll tell you if it's doable."
A slow smile tugged at Jaelan's expressive mouth. "Oh, it will be doable, wench, or your sister stays where she is."
Dragging in a long breath, Aradia waited for him to give her the particulars of the deal he seemed intent on making. She refused to allow the nervousness clogging her throat or the expectation pumping furiously through her veins to give the slightest hint of her eagerness to hear what he had to say. Pretending nonchalance proved the hardest thing she had done of late, but she held her ground and her tongue, and waited.
But Jaelan seemed in no hurry to put his cards on the table. The silence unraveled, save for the pummeling of rain outside the cave. He closed his eyes and appeared to be courting sleep. Aradia lowered her head, giving in to the tiredness catching up with her.
Time dripped away, raindrop-by-raindrop, and the stillness became a battle of wills with neither willing to end the stalemate. As minutes dragged by, nerves began to fray. They turned to one another at the same time, each impressed with the other's ability to bide his or her time.
"All right. Spit it out," Aradia said, angry at giving in first.
"I can set her free, and see her safely across the border."
"Why would you do that?"
"Because I can."
"You have that much authority?"
"I do."
Aradia ran her fingers over her mouth. "I assume there are conditions."
"There always are."
She bit her lips. "And what are they?"
"Only one." A muscle ticked in his lean cheek. "You remain in Rysalia."
Aradia's eyes widened and her face drained of color. "You would install me in the convent in exchange for Orithia's freedom?"
Jaelan frowned. "Did I mention the convent?"
"The seraglio?" she asked, horror turning her voice shrill. "You mean for me to take her place in Jaleem's bed?"
"No, not in the king's bed."
Her heart raced painfully in her chest. "Then some other man's bed?"
He nodded.
"Whose?"
"Mine."
She stared at him and saw steely determination looking back at her. It both frightened and thrilled her. She didn't know how to respond, so used a weapon she knew how to employ--rudeness.
"Oh, in that case, of course. Why not? I barely know you from suppurating road kill, but what the heck? I haven't had a man in five years. I got thrown out of the royal palace at Deseo when my boyfriend was forced to Join with a snow hag, so I'm horny as hell right about now. You could be diseased or practice strange sexual atrocities on your partners, but sure, I'll jump at the chance of being bedded by a fearsome Shadowlord who people fear to cross." Her eyes narrowed, and her lips skinned back from her teeth. "Are you addled? What the hell are you thinking, warrior? Or am I giving you too much credit for being able to reflect at all? What would possess you to...?"
Jaelan turned his gaze toward the fire. "I was thinking of the woman who saved my life. I was thinking I would like to share that life with her because she pleases me and I believe we would do well together."
Aradia snapped her mouth shut, unable to believe she'd heard the words come from the powerful man sitting across from her. His face looked stone-cold hard, his posture just as rigid as the rock wall on which he leaned. He had thrown the ball into her court and awaited her comments. Nothing in his manner bespoke hurry or concern, nor did he seem anxious for her reply.
Supreme confidence on his part, or indifference to whatever decision she made?
Or nervousness that she would reject him and thus had prepared himself by acting nonchalant?
When she finally spoke, her voice sounded strained. "Am I to assume this is not a joke?"
He nodded, but did not look at her.
"Nor a test of my loyalty to Orithia?"
"Our negotiation has nothing to do with your sister. She is merely a bargaining point."
Aradia
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