Haji had been watching him for a while, the two faced Ligi. His brothers tried to be two faced like him, and failed horribly. Often Haji wondered why the Mwanasheria had even bothered to send the others. They only put her in danger with their half-hearted attempts at being Ligi. The only thing working for them was that Sahen didn’t really care what they did, as long as they didn’t do anything to bother him.
But Jabari was different. Jabari walked a very thin line, one that almost amused her to watch. She slunk deeper into the shadows as he started past her, not wanting to draw attention to herself.
“I know you’re there,” Jabari said quietly. “You’re always lurking in the shadows when I walk past. Don’t you think it’s about time that we come out and say what we’re thinking?”
“Do you really want to just come out like that?” Haji asked. “It ruins the romantic suspense.” There was a hint of evil amusement in her voice that she couldn’t quite conceal. The look on his face made it worth it. Not often did someone see a look like that from him. Shock, a childish confusion, a hint of interest. Oh, this was too fun, she thought.
“Romantic suspense?” he repeated finally, looking at the blue female closely. She wasn’t the type to come on to a Ligi. In fact, for as long as he’d noticed her, she hadn’t even talked to another of the Ligi. And one of them was her brother. “I’m listening.”
“You must have a thing for slaves,” she said as she came out of the shadows, rubbing her shoulder against his. “I noticed how you sleep with one of them now.”
“I get cold at night,” he said blandly, looking at this female in an entirely new light. She interested him, he decided. There was cunning in her eyes, and a hint of mockery that she was trying to hide. She didn’t like him, even if she was hitting on him. “You can always take her place, if you want,” he added in a raspy purr. “I’m never adverse to a bed warmer.”
“What do you plan on doing with her?” she asked. “Will you offer her to the Shatkona? A present of sorts.”
“I’m that present, slave, I don’t need to give someone else as well.” He looked around the caves, his ears twitching at the faint sounds of snoring in the distance. They were too close to the Ligi. This was dangerous. It was also faintly thrilling, a tiny part of him admitted. “Why don’t we talk about this someplace... more private?” he asked, moving closer.
“Do you really think I want you someplace more private?” she asked, right in his ear.
“Oh? Are you not coming onto me? It sounds as if you are,” he replied. "But I get the feeling it's not just for entertainment that you want me to come with you."
“Oh? And why would you say a thing like that?” she asked.
“Because your eyes don’t say you’re just being playful,” he told her. “And your brother is just down the hall, sleeping quite noisily. Not to mention my slave is somewhere, hopefully plotting her escape.”
“Oh, so you’re afraid we’ll be caught,” she said, batting him with her tail as she walked past him.
“Lead the way,” he said belatedly. “And we’re doing nothing to be ashamed of, so why should I fear being caught?” he asked. “We’re just spending some... quality time. An unmated male, an unmated female--“
“Exactly,” she agreed, leading him out of the jaw and to the path that led to the area above the weeping lion. “But you might be considered cheating, since you spend so much time with that slave of yours.”
“Please don’t bring her up,” he said, looking around, then down at the eyes of the lion. For a moment he wondered if his mother was below, what she was doing. He hadn’t seen her since the time he told her he thought Sahen was plotting to kill her. He hoped she was still alive.
“Do you like her?” Haji asked, bringing his attention back to her. Was it because she was a female that he was so quick to let down his guard? Or, she thought as she looked at him, had his guard been down at all?
“Sitaki?” he said. “She has her uses.” Although he had yet to figure out what those were. As it was all she seemed good for was giving him a headache and a bad night’s sleep. His eyes narrowed on the female. This one was dangerous, he thought. This one, unlike the two he had teased already, would happily shove him off of the weeping lion if she thought she could get away with it. “What are your limitations?” he heard himself ask.
“Limitations?” she asked, her tail flicking back and forth and she eyed the Ligi in front of her. He was a fighter. With all her training she could see that in his stance. “What makes you think I have any?”
“Let me rephrase that,” Jabari said quietly, deliberately keeping his back away from the edge of the cliff. “What won’t you do to get what you want?”
“The answer is the same,” she whispered seductively. “But don’t you want me, in return?” She moved closer, rubbing her body against his. If this would get him on her side, she would do it without a second thought. If it would lull the Shatkona into thinking she was a subservient creature, then she would do it with him, as well. Her body, her innocence, everything she had once held so high, meant nothing.
They had taken her brother from her. She would do anything to get revenge.
Jabari went still, letting her press against him, trying to smell fear in her. It wasn’t there. But then again, neither was lust. She was up to something, something he wasn’t sure he was up to handling just yet.
“You are tempting,” he said finally, not pulling away as she licked his shoulder. “But I wouldn’t be so quick to jump into someone’s pallet.”
“Are you turning me down?” she asked, no longer rubbing against her.
“Not exactly,” Jabari said. “I’m just giving you time to think about it.” His voice lowered. “Do you really think the son of the Mwanasheria would be led around by his... urges?” he whispered in her ear. “You should be more careful who you try to manipulate, slave.”
She pulled away, her expression cold. “Go back to your slave,” she said. “You’re not good enough for me, anyway.”
He looked at her for a brief moment before nodding and heading for the path that went down. She waited until he was gone to groan. “Well... that could have gone better,” she muttered. Maybe, she thought, one of his brothers would be a better choice, after all.
