A snippet, since I'm hotsyncing tonight:
Malachi flinched. "You said I could go. You said once I told you my name you would leave."
Lucas had said that, and he meant to uphold his promise. But the look in Malachi's eyes told him the boy had not believed him even before he'd decided to give Lucas his name.
"I spoke the truth," he said. "But you also asked me a question. Do you want an answer?" He saw the denial form on Malachi's lips, and then his eyes lose focus again. A moment later, Malachi scowled and nodded.
"Yes. I want an answer, if you'll give it to me."
His anger was the first emotion other than fear Lucas had seen him exhibit. And he had the strange impression that Malachi had somehow been communicating with someone. Someone who wanted to know about the Council's plans for Sarah Campbell--at the possible expense of Malachi's life.
Not that Lucas intended to harm him, but that was beside the point. Who had such a power? Lucas doubted he could do such a thing himself. It required quite a bit of surrender from both parties--and a lot of trust if the connection was to be benign.
From the depth of Malachi's fear, Lucas doubted this particular connection--if that's what it was--had anything to do with trust.
"The Council doesn't know Sarah Campbell is here," Lucas finally said, keeping his suspicions to himself for the moment. "I asked her to come on my own when I heard about her business."
Malachi nodded, a small smile drifting across his features. "She has a gift, doesn't she?"
"Sarah's mother was my student," Lucas continued, ignoring Malachi's comment, however true it might be. "I wanted to see how her daughter had grown up."
"Are you going to tell her about her past?" Malachi blurted the question, then trembled as his eyes focused inward again, cementing Lucas' suspicions. Obviously, that had been the wrong question to ask. But why?
Malachi's eyes closed. He sat for a moment in silence, his teeth clenched against what Lucas suspected was a scream.
"Ask your Master why your questions should not be answered," Lucas suggested, playing his hand.
Malachi's eyes snapped open. For a moment, Lucas thought he would hyperventilate as he struggled to breathe. "You--You know?"
"It's an uncommon spell to share such a bond, but it does happen and I've seen it before," Lucas said. "I won't try to tell you allowing your Master or Mistress to do this was a mistake. I think you already know."
copyright 2005 Jennifer St. Clair
I'm playing with the assumption that Gabriel is using the Hunt in human form to spy for him. So far, it's working quite well. Current wordcount (before writing tonight) is 10,303.
Malachi flinched. "You said I could go. You said once I told you my name you would leave."
Lucas had said that, and he meant to uphold his promise. But the look in Malachi's eyes told him the boy had not believed him even before he'd decided to give Lucas his name.
"I spoke the truth," he said. "But you also asked me a question. Do you want an answer?" He saw the denial form on Malachi's lips, and then his eyes lose focus again. A moment later, Malachi scowled and nodded.
"Yes. I want an answer, if you'll give it to me."
His anger was the first emotion other than fear Lucas had seen him exhibit. And he had the strange impression that Malachi had somehow been communicating with someone. Someone who wanted to know about the Council's plans for Sarah Campbell--at the possible expense of Malachi's life.
Not that Lucas intended to harm him, but that was beside the point. Who had such a power? Lucas doubted he could do such a thing himself. It required quite a bit of surrender from both parties--and a lot of trust if the connection was to be benign.
From the depth of Malachi's fear, Lucas doubted this particular connection--if that's what it was--had anything to do with trust.
"The Council doesn't know Sarah Campbell is here," Lucas finally said, keeping his suspicions to himself for the moment. "I asked her to come on my own when I heard about her business."
Malachi nodded, a small smile drifting across his features. "She has a gift, doesn't she?"
"Sarah's mother was my student," Lucas continued, ignoring Malachi's comment, however true it might be. "I wanted to see how her daughter had grown up."
"Are you going to tell her about her past?" Malachi blurted the question, then trembled as his eyes focused inward again, cementing Lucas' suspicions. Obviously, that had been the wrong question to ask. But why?
Malachi's eyes closed. He sat for a moment in silence, his teeth clenched against what Lucas suspected was a scream.
"Ask your Master why your questions should not be answered," Lucas suggested, playing his hand.
Malachi's eyes snapped open. For a moment, Lucas thought he would hyperventilate as he struggled to breathe. "You--You know?"
"It's an uncommon spell to share such a bond, but it does happen and I've seen it before," Lucas said. "I won't try to tell you allowing your Master or Mistress to do this was a mistake. I think you already know."
copyright 2005 Jennifer St. Clair
I'm playing with the assumption that Gabriel is using the Hunt in human form to spy for him. So far, it's working quite well. Current wordcount (before writing tonight) is 10,303.
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