Gideon said, “So you didn’t kill it and alert Velrav’s entire army to your presence?”
“No,” she said stonily.
“It’s nice to see you’re learning from your mistakes.”
“What do you know about my-”
“Before we go to all the trouble of destroying this… yes, shroud is a good word for it, we should make sure-”
“Hold on, what do you mean ‘we’?” she said. “If you’re determined to meddle in local problems, that’s your choice. Enjoy yourself! But this has nothing to do with me. All I want to do is get the blazes off this creepy plane and…” The full weight of the problem facing them hit Chandra like a physical blow. She swayed a little as she realized exactly what this meant.
“Ah,” Gideon said. “Therein lies the rub.”
“We can’t leave,” she said, appalled by the realization.
“Not until we can establish proper mana bonds. As long as it’s restricted…”
“We’re stuck here.”
Fleeing Kephalai in a weakened state, Chandra had risked dying in the Blind Eternities. And here, without access to any real power, she risked living the rest of her days in perpetual night.
“I’m stranded.” She gazed at her handsome companion in horror. “With you.”
“Well, if you get bored with me,” he said, “there’s always Jurl.”
“I suppose you’re going to suggest that you and I…” She swallowed, so revolted by the idea that she had trouble even saying it. “That we… work together. To get out of here.”
“I can manage alone, if you’d rather just give in and settle down here. But, yes, I-”
“Give in?”
“I imagine it will be easier to escape this plane if both of us are working on the problem.” His lips relaxed momentarily into what might have been a slight smile. “Together.”
She thought it over. “There are certain conditions, if you want my help.”
“By all means, let’s pause to negotiate the terms under which we’ll cooperate.”
“I didn’t ask you to come here,” she reminded him. “Your being here is entirely your own fault. You shouldn’t have followed me. While we’re on the subject, you also shouldn’t have stolen my scroll or helped the Prelate’s soldiers capture me!”
“I think we’re digressing.”
Chandra said, “My conditions are as follows.”
“Go on.”
“I won’t return to Kephalai. You will not take me back there. You will not trick me or manipulate me into going there again.”
“Agreed.”
“Nor will you inform the Prelate, her forces, or any other inhabitants of Kephalai where I go when I leave here.”
“Agreed,” he said.
“You will not betray me to Prince Velrav or his minions in order to secure your own escape, and you will not prevent me from leaving this plane.”
His black brows rose. “You do have a low opinion of me.”
“If you don’t like my terms,” she said, “that’s fine. We don’t have to work together.”
“No, your terms are fine. I agree to them.”
She searched his face to see if she trusted his word on this. His expression gave away little. But she refused to be afraid of him… and she recognized, however reluctantly, that it made more sense for them to cooperate here than to be at odds with each other.
He said, “As long as we’re negotiating our partnership…”
“We’re not partners,” Chandra said sharply. “We’re just… um…”
“I have some conditions, too.”
“Oh?”
“You will-at least, insofar as you are capable of it-think before you act, while we are here.”
“How dare-”
“I don’t want to spend the rest of my life here-and probably a very short life, at that-because you didn’t use your head.” When she just glowered at him, he prodded, “Well?”
“Insofar as I am capable,” she said darkly, “I will think before I act.”
“Good. Next condition: You will not kill anyone who isn’t a danger to us.”
“How are we deciding who is or isn’t a danger?” she asked suspiciously.
“Let’s agree you’ll trust my judgment on that.”
“No.” She turned away.
His hand on her arm stopped her. “Chandra.”
She turned her head. Their eyes met. His were very serious. To her surprise, he didn’t look angry. She wasn’t quite sure what she saw there, though.
He said softly, “We could die here.”
Gideon was a little taller than she. Chandra tilted her head up and said, “Then I’ll die because of my judgment. Not yours.”
His hand still held her arm. “I don’t want to kill any innocents while I’m trying to get out of here.”