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She’s not annoyed, terrified, or angry yet. As good a start as he could hope for. “I am going to ask you something.”
That didn’t evoke any kind of reaction he was expecting. What she did was not react at all. “I might have an answer.” She brought the strand of tape to her teeth and ripped it from the roll. “Depends on how much you play with my emotions for one.”
There’s the upset. Bloody gods, why? They’d hardly spoken more than a few words since the beginning of the trip. Jarek dialed back his temper, knowing damn well she had plenty of other things she could rightfully fume about.
“There’s no need for that.”
That roused enough interest for her to unfortunately give him her attention. “Really?”
Jarek had never spent any time with an Evelian. A few Ashin women, and some men, had the displeasure of ending up at the Guardian’s feet on Ironfall’s cold floors, each one different and seared into his memory. The way his father spoke of Ashbourne’s Imordial led him to believe the continent of Imara was crawling with boil-covered beldams who cackled in the moonlight.
Lilith was no such thing. Like Keara, she was only a woman. Her ivory complexion carried more color than her ancestor’s, but they shared the same sharp face and eyes. While Keara had silver hair like all those of pure Ashin lineage, Lilith’s was a darker, ash gray, showing her mixed blood as half Alokyian. Jarek hardly noticed the difference, still finding her intimidating to look at, let alone speak to.
He swallowed. “Yes.”
She brought her hand over her knee and rested her thumb under her chin, pointer finger along her cheek. Dark circles rimmed under her eyes. “In the apothecary’s trade, each cure carries a cost, and each remedy a side effect.”
Jarek frowned, taken aback. “What?”
“Don’t tell me you’re not familiar with old peninsula proverbs?” she asked like he should be. “My father used to say that when I wanted something he didn’t want to give me.” A small smile played across her lips. “What do I get in return?”
“I don’t have to give you anything. I asked for information, and you give it.”
“You haven’t asked it yet, actually.” She dropped her knee to reach for her other boot.
He sucked in a deep breath. “I’m curious about the boy and the circumstances around how he uses the Guardian.”
Lilith knit her brows together, and for a moment, he thought she’d actually give him an answer. “Wouldn’t you know how all that works already?”
“I’m wondering about the means he uses it for; if it’s what you taught him, and why.”
“Oh. I can answer that.” She slid the boot on, then proceeded to not follow through.
“Well?”
“Since you’re in a chatty mood, I was hoping, if you’d be so kind, Your Imperial Highness, if I could have a question of my own answered first.”
He gritted his teeth at the obnoxious formality. At least it wasn’t that wretched god-eating moniker she’d spat at him the other day. That had only caught on because he’d been in stasis when it was coined and was unable to throttle anyone foolish enough to repeat it. Worse still, carrying one of the very gods he’d consumed didn’t just twist the knife; it drove the title into his flesh and snapped the blade off in bone.
She could call him anything else, and he’d almost smile.
“I can make you tell me,” he reminded her. “Happily.”
“I haven’t tried to kill you in days. That’s not fair.” Lilith’s voice pivoted from offended to a gentle plea. “Please? It’s not a difficult question.”
It’s not? Jarek couldn’t tell if he was already compelling her emotions, what with her sweet tone and wide eyes. He wrestled over taking her offer then remembered the word manipulative thrown out there by Sterling and put that idea behind a wall.
“No.”
Her pout twisted into a tight smile. She shrugged and started tying her boots. “I gave it a try.”
So unbothered on the surface. How much of that masking had she picked up from Kyer?
Jarek opened his mouth, shut it, and opened it again. “I know what you’re trying to do.”
“Do what?”
“Test my patience.”
