A point I didn't argue with, although I could have. Easily. He and Riley had been through enough shit in their time together—they didn't deserve to get hit with mine now that their life was relatively sane and quiet. Besides, I'd already lost my mom. I wasn't about to lose anyone else I was close to. It was bad enough that I'd involved Ilianna and Tao as much as I had.
"You have a deal."
He nodded, then glanced at Jak. It took me several moments to realize that awareness had slipped from Jak's eyes.
I raised an eyebrow. "There was no need—"
"There was. You trust him too much."
Yet another comment people kept making. "Jak's under threat from Rhoan. Trust me, he's not going to print anything without clearing it first through him."
"And now he can't even consider writing about it because he won't even be aware of it." He knelt beside the Razan and appeared to be doing nothing more than simply looking at him—although I knew from past experience that he was riffling through the man's thoughts. Then his gaze met mine again. "An Aedh has been active in this man's thoughts."
"Meaning what?"
"Meaning that while he knows the name and location of his master, any effort on my part to access it would immediately notify said master of the intrusion."
"Well, damn."
"Yes." He paused. "It is possible to circumvent such blocks, but it takes time."
"Which we don't have. I suspect that if he doesn't report back soon, it'll make our quarry suspicious."
"Which might just draw him out."
"He's not that type. He's more likely to cover his tracks and start somewhere fresh."
Although the ley intersection was near here, so he wasn't likely to go too far from it. Still, we needed to avoid warning him just how close we were. "You can't get anything useful from him at all?"