Chapter 13: Promises to Keep

Jake was silent for a long time. He felt guilty for giving her such a choice- death or life as a concubine. Of course she had no options. He had been irresponsible with his power.

"I will release you from your oath, if you wish." She looked at him strangely. He felt the need to explain. "It was wrong for me do take advantage of your situation like that. There is more than power. There is responsibility. The one implies the other, and I forgot that, letting my libido take charge of my brain."

She seemed considering. Jake sighed inwardly. Oh, well. It would have been fun for him, but if she saw her service to him to be nothing more than an ongoing punishment, it would cease to be fun for him very quickly. "You can change people." She said, looking hard at him. Jake frowned. Back to that? "You can make me love you. Why would you release me from my oath instead of just making me want to serve?"

"Apparently you didn't understand me, Talamia. I said power implies responsibility. It isn't very responsible to go around making people into willing slaves just for the hell of it." Jake felt a pang of guilt as he thought of Pauline. At least, though, he had made her life fulfilling and happy.

"Well..." Talamia hesitated. "What if I asked you to?"

That startled Jake out of his musing. Flabbergasted, he asked her, "Why?"

"Because I can go on being like I am, free, yet empty, but I don't want to. I kept trying to find something that made me happy, but... well, I eventually decided that I would have to settle for power-it may not buy happiness, but it can often buy you satisfaction, and that's the next best thing. It's why I wanted to be an Adept.

"But you-you can give me what I want. And in return, well," she strode over and sat down on his lap, putting her arms around him. "In return," she repeated, breathing huskily in his ear, "I'll give you what you want." Jake chuckled softly. "Let me ask you this. What do you want me to change you into?"

Talamia sat very still for a moment. Then, "Like your other concubine- the redhead. She's happy to serve you. It's her life's definition. Can you make me happy like that?"

Jake considered. The whole idea seemed like cheating somehow, but she had asked him to. He had never really thought of himself as Courtney's reason for living before, either. It sent a chill down his back to imagine what she would do if something happened to him.

Asking for your whole point of view to be changed-your whole life-it seemed like suicide for the soul. Like a phoenix, dying to be reborn from its own ashes. Jake sighed. He had reservations about this, but it truly seemed to be what she wanted.

She was still snuggling with him on his lap, so Jake pulled her close and asked her softly, "Are you sure it's what you really want?" Talamia pulled far enough away so that she could look into his eyes, and whispered, "Yes." Jake sighed again.

"Okay, go lay on the bed. This may take a while to figure out." She smiled, gave him a peck on the cheek, and did as she was told.

Jake touched her hand as he looked into her gorgeous eyes. He lay supine in the middle of his queen sized bed, watching him with a smile of suppressed anticipation. He suddenly realized that he didn't have to change her too dramatically. Since she had told him her story, she was more open, vulnerable... all she really needed was something to believe in-something such as him. That wouldn't be very hard to do at all.

Slowly Jake worked his awareness into her mind, noting that she had lowered her arcane defenses. He put her to sleep with a simple thought, and began the task she had set him. Gently he worked around her thoughts, finding the sources of pain and desolation. They were like open sores on her soul, and with his will he closed them. It was less like changing her and more like healing her, which made Jake feel better about the whole thing.

In only a few minutes she was a healthy, balanced woman once more. Jake stuck a few strands of his will in to ensure loyalty and happiness from serving him, and then softly nudged her awake. Her eyes fluttered open and she blinked in confusion. "My Lord? I don't feel very different."

"The differences are subtle. You won't notice them right away, but they're there, trust me. How do you feel about me?"

Talamia frowned. "I don't love you." Jake chuckled.

"No. You will serve loyally, and you will find fulfillment in it, but I just wouldn't feel right about making you love me. It might be real to you, but it would always be artificial to me."