Basta was not far gone enough that he did not recognize the compassion in this strange woman’s eyes; he did, and it confused him. Why was she looking at him like that? Where was the fear, and the panic? She was not outwardly perturbed, which in turn perturbed him, and there was nothing Basta disliked more than being set on edge. Underneath her gaze, he resisted the urge to squirm, and hid his discomfort behind a scowl.
Even the news that she would never be able to return to her home did not move her, and he began to wonder what would make her break. Usually his knife was enough to bring the terror to the surface, but this was a pretty piece of work and he was not the only one who thought so. Capricorn had liked her too, perhaps not as much as Resa, but enough that Basta would not dare ruin her face. Yet.
Idly - confidently, purposefully, to show to her that he was not in the least bothered by her unusual composure - he rested his thumbs in the belt loops on his pants, tilted his head a bit as if it helped him to see her better. A thin smile floating about his mouth. “‘Cos you’re not in your world anymore, and there’s no way back to it.”
The smile twisted a bit further; a form of magic indeed. Even though he was more often a failure than a success, even though he was a shirking, stuttering little man, Stumbletongue had a gift. “You could call it that.”
Like a hawk watching its prey, she took him in completely and focused on his body language. Being a woman meant she was underestimated many times, she used such assumptions to her advantage. The glass shifted in her grasp as she gained some distance away from him with a few steps backwards. What was he truly thinking, what were his intentions? Sarah longed to know.
So far, he provided her with food and didn’t come to bring her harm, though she shouldn’t be too quick to speak of the latter. Something in his eyes told her he was capable more than capable of being devious. Men that captured women never truly had the best of intentions in their hearts, after all.
His words stung and it was reflected in her gaze. She turned her cheek to him, allowing a few, rebellious curls, to fall upon her profile and conceal her expression. If she was not in her realm, just where in all the kingdoms was she? Not once did Sarah believe she was plucked out of a story, her own story. "Where..exactly are we?“
Her inquiries were mild and were addressed to him as she turned around once more and stepped close. So magic had pulled her from her land, but for what reason? What would anyone want with a High Summoner unless it was the magic she herself had. That thought concerned her, but Sarah pressed on, "Is there something you or my captors seek from me? Perhaps ransom,” the Duchess swallowed hard and took a deep breath.
One thing was for sure, Sarah wished to be released and knew that past that door was her only escape. The man could probably bring her down before she had a chance to see daybreak, or was it evening? It mattered not. She was entertaining the idea of running while the heavy glass turned between her slender fingers. She paused before speaking quietly, “Or something else that you seek..”