Both and neither; he won’t ask for trust, and this is the closest thing he can offer to her. To the first comment, he huffs in disdain.
“‘Roffe’ had the luxury of being able to hide his ambition. Not because he was good at it? But because a lack of ambition in the rich and powerful, combined with mediocrity? Is almost expected. Whereas people like you. Brilliant and underappreciated? People will assume ambition regardless. They know perfectly well that you’re not stupid enough to accept how you’re treated now. What he did to you… it’s called ‘negging’. It’s used to make you feel smaller. Less. More vulnerable. Less capable than you are. It’s to convince you that you need them for something.”
He tilts his head.
“You’ll discover that I’ve done a lot of horrible things. By listening to that file. But that? Is the kind of thing I cannot abide.”
He spreads a hand towards her because he knows, ultimately, her main concern is the last question.
“Your magic? I will never take that from you. Even if you kill me. Even if you kill Jacobi. Even if a dozen people in this place tell me that I should. Even if you drown us all. It is not happening.”
He looks to her face.
“I’ve read that file. And I know how to read a file. I know how to read between the lines on people. It’s part of what I did for years in my job. And quite frankly? You’re one of the only people on this boat. That feels like my kind of people. The kind of person I would have demanded I get to recruit.”
He lets his shoulders sink a little.
“If you use magic in a way I don’t like? There will be a damn good reason. I know that. Already. And my first priority? Will be to find out what that reason is. Not make you ‘less’.”
no subject
“‘Roffe’ had the luxury of being able to hide his ambition. Not because he was good at it? But because a lack of ambition in the rich and powerful, combined with mediocrity? Is almost expected. Whereas people like you. Brilliant and underappreciated? People will assume ambition regardless. They know perfectly well that you’re not stupid enough to accept how you’re treated now. What he did to you… it’s called ‘negging’. It’s used to make you feel smaller. Less. More vulnerable. Less capable than you are. It’s to convince you that you need them for something.”
He tilts his head.
“You’ll discover that I’ve done a lot of horrible things. By listening to that file. But that? Is the kind of thing I cannot abide.”
He spreads a hand towards her because he knows, ultimately, her main concern is the last question.
“Your magic? I will never take that from you. Even if you kill me. Even if you kill Jacobi. Even if a dozen people in this place tell me that I should. Even if you drown us all. It is not happening.”
He looks to her face.
“I’ve read that file. And I know how to read a file. I know how to read between the lines on people. It’s part of what I did for years in my job. And quite frankly? You’re one of the only people on this boat. That feels like my kind of people. The kind of person I would have demanded I get to recruit.”
He lets his shoulders sink a little.
“If you use magic in a way I don’t like? There will be a damn good reason. I know that. Already. And my first priority? Will be to find out what that reason is. Not make you ‘less’.”