Page 30 of Dark Shaman: The Lost Treasure
Lokan didn't like to be reminded of Carol's days as a courtesan. The thing was that she hadn't done that just for the money. She'd loved the power she'd wielded over men and the attention and gifts they'd showered her with. He didn't have the right to be jealous because he hadn't been celibate until he'd met her either, but it was healthier not to think about the sheer number of men she'd been with.
"You could train others," Syssi suggested.
"Train them in what?" Jacki laughed. "The art of manipulation? Men are so easy that no training is needed. All a beautiful woman needs is the intent. Smile, show some skin, pretend to be fascinated by their boring stories, and their minds will be like putty to their thralling."
"You'd be surprised," Carol said. "There's a difference between getting a man's attention and maintaining influence over time. Itrequires finesse, intelligence, and the ability to become whatever they need you to be while keeping your own agenda hidden."
Lokan watched his mate warm to the topic, her eyes brightening with interest. This was the Carol he'd fallen in love with—sharp, cunning, incredibly brave.
"Have you started assembling your team?" Carol asked Kian.
He grimaced. "I don't know who to approach with that. Mey and Jin, who are perfect for that kind of operation, can't do it because they are mated and running a business. Eva could be great as a consultant, but she can't do field work for the same reason."
"What about the paranormals from Safe Haven?" Syssi asked. "I know that they can't thrall, but some of them might have talents that can be useful in other ways."
"Eleanor and I have discussed bringing them to the keep for testing," Kian said. "We've decided to do it in stages rather than relocating everyone at once."
"That might be problematic," Syssi said. "They've formed such a tight-knit community."
All eyes turned to Jacki, who had been part of the government's paranormal program before running away along with Jin.
"Actually, it might be good for them," she said. "That kind of insular community can become limiting. Some distance could help them grow as individuals."
"Who would oversee the testing?" Carol asked.
"Julian," Kian said. "He will arrange the inductions for the men without the ceremonies we usually do for Dormants. We arestill not sure what to do about the women. Since they are all in committed relationships, they might want to wait for their partners to transition and induce them once their fangs and venom are ready for that."
"I could help explain things," Jacki offered. "They know me."
"And I can do the recruiting in the village," Carol offered. "I know which females might be interested in something like that."
Kian nodded. "That would be tremendously helpful. Thank you, both."
Lokan felt something ease in his chest. Carol with a purpose was Carol at her best.
Kalugal shook his head. “You have enough on your plate, my love. Perhaps you can just give pointers to Carol, and if anyone needs more convincing, you can do it over a video call.”
Jacki let out a breath. “That’s true. I always overestimate what I can accomplish in a day.”
Kalugal took her hand and kissed the back of it. “You accomplish more in a day than most people do in a month.”
"What about you?" Kian turned to Lokan. "Do you want to assist your mate? You have insight into the Brotherhood's operations that none of us have."
"You want me to help my mate train women to seduce politicians?" Lokan raised an eyebrow. "That's progressive."
"It could help them understand what they will be working against," Kian said. "You know how they think and how they operate."
Lokan nodded. "I can do that. I think. I'm not sure what's going on with those enhanced soldiers and how we are supposed to deal with them. We encountered them in Mongolia. My father's way of saying hello. They were stronger, faster, and nearly impossible to put down. I couldn't get into their minds."
Kalugal regarded him with curiosity in his eyes. "How is your ability progressing?"
Lokan shrugged, uncomfortable with the scrutiny. "It's still not strong enough to affect most immortals. It only works on the weak-minded, but it saved us nonetheless."
Kalugal put his wine glass down. "I find it interesting that the ability to manipulate immortals only started to manifest recently. We share the same genetics, and I've been able to do it since I was a boy."
"I have a theory," Syssi said, turning to Lokan. "You are over a thousand years old. Your abilities should have manifested a long time ago. I think fear held you back—fear of your father. When you met Carol, when you had something worth fighting for, you stopped holding back. Does that make sense to you?"
Lokan nodded. "I thought it was just being around someone as wonderful as Carol rubbing off on me, but perhaps more than one factor influenced the development of my abilities."
