He listened, neither nodding nor frowning but simply accepting her words and letting them sink in as he considered them. He thought about what Sunjata had said before, part of their combined argument for Maea going to the Academy, and he watched her soberly. He didn’t interrupt, though, letting her work through the rest of it as best she could when emotions and conflicting desires thwarted every attempt to make a clean path to the best choice. The apology and admission at the end finally drew a slow breath from him, and a nod of understanding and acknowledgment.
”Sunjata said that he has agents there who could keep an eye on you, so while I think it would still be dangerous, it might not be as dangerous,” he acknowledged reluctantly, not sure what the Devil’s Advocate’s people could really do to defend Maea if Zariah called her out as a spy. ”But as for the Flood himself… that is between you and he.” He could only shrug helplessly, not wanting to get between Maea and someone she had maybe, possibly, fallen in love with? It was her own business and she’d tell him more when she was ready, but it sounded somewhat serious.
He tapped a thoughtful finger on the back of the chair until the whistle of the kettle interrupted his thoughts, and for a few minutes there was only the clink and steam of fresh tea being added to the pot and hot water being poured over it before Jigano brought pot and fresh cups back to the table. He hummed thoughtfully to himself as he worked, but when he finally sat down again his gaze was clearer.
”There is something to keep in mind, too,” he said gently. ”And that is that the Loreseekers are a guild, not a cult. You can leave us for a time if you truly wish to attend the Academy, and when you finish your studies there you can return to us.”
”Sunjata said that he has agents there who could keep an eye on you, so while I think it would still be dangerous, it might not be as dangerous,” he acknowledged reluctantly, not sure what the Devil’s Advocate’s people could really do to defend Maea if Zariah called her out as a spy. ”But as for the Flood himself… that is between you and he.” He could only shrug helplessly, not wanting to get between Maea and someone she had maybe, possibly, fallen in love with? It was her own business and she’d tell him more when she was ready, but it sounded somewhat serious.
He tapped a thoughtful finger on the back of the chair until the whistle of the kettle interrupted his thoughts, and for a few minutes there was only the clink and steam of fresh tea being added to the pot and hot water being poured over it before Jigano brought pot and fresh cups back to the table. He hummed thoughtfully to himself as he worked, but when he finally sat down again his gaze was clearer.
”There is something to keep in mind, too,” he said gently. ”And that is that the Loreseekers are a guild, not a cult. You can leave us for a time if you truly wish to attend the Academy, and when you finish your studies there you can return to us.”
