Maybe that was why the man couldn't hide his flinch or the small broken sound he made.
A sound that only made Caden's smile widen.
It was an expression that told the prisoners exactly what sort of person Caden was.
He had no misconceptions about himself, as comfortable at the prospect of torture as he was at sharing a meal with Eva.
Some might claim him a monster for the ease with which he adapted to each situation, but Caden preferred to think of it as being flexible.
"Hello." Caden wasn't bothered by the terror on the other's face. He squatted beside the man. "I really must thank you for delivering yourself into our custody."
A soft laugh came from Ghost's corner, making the other man flinch again.
"We thought we'd have to scour the hills for a chance like this," Caden continued. "Didn't we?"
Fiona nodded. "We did."
The man's breathing accelerated, the promise of pain twisting his mind far more effectively than if Caden had just started in on the torture.
"We won't tell you anything," the man managed to grit out.
Caden lifted an eyebrow, a little impressed the stranger had managed a retort.
"We'll see," Caden said, rising.
He gestured to his Anateri. They nodded, understanding his order without him ever having to say a word. It was one of the benefits of working with those you'd rigorously trained and knew almost as well as you did yourself.
They'd arrange a constant guard for the prisoners, using only those they trusted.
"I won't make this too complicated," Caden informed the two, pausing when he caught the hot glare of the second prisoner.
Until now, the man had been careful to keep his presence low, but he couldn't hide the hatred brewing in his heart.
Caden smiled. Looked like they had a fighter on their hands. That was okay. Everyone had their breaking point. They'd be sure to find his.
"You tell me what you know, and we won't hurt you."
"No, you'll just kill us," the second prisoner spat.
"Yes," Caden agreed, not hiding his intentions.
Better to start this relationship off with a bit of honesty. There was no way either of these men would be set free to endanger Eva.
"But you get to decide if it's slow or quick."
Caden could tell from their behavior that they weren't expecting that response. Good. Keeping them off balance and uncertain was step one.
His message delivered, Caden prepared to leave.
"Wait. You haven't asked us anything," the first prisoner said with a panicked expression.
Caden looked at Fiona in expectation. She stepped forward, capturing their attention as Caden stepped into the night.
"Don't worry. You don't need him. We'll be happy to keep you company."
The faint moan of protest soothed the monster Caden had let loose, sating some of the blood lust still left over from the battle with the red back and the close call Eva had had.
Van's frown was perplexed as his gaze went from Caden to the tent behind him. "Wait. That's it?"
Caden didn't stop. "Were you expecting something else?"
"Where's the blood? The torture?" Van demanded, looking like a child denied his favorite treat.
"A person's fear is a far greater motivator than pain could ever be."
Though admittedly, pain helped to destroy a prisoner's determination, but it was only one side of the equation. The mind was the other. Manipulate it. Break it and your chances of success were greatly increased.
Van made a disapproving sound. "What nonsense is this?"
"The kind that works," Chirron answered for Caden. "Think about it. The prisoners have already been beaten and tortured and still didn't give up the information. Rather than continue and hope they break, Caden is choosing to employ a more effective tactic."
"And letting them get a good night's sleep will do that?" Van demanded.
"I doubt there will be any sleeping," Caden observed.
Fiona would make sure of that.
"I suspect this is only the beginning of what the commander has planned for them," Gawain said quietly.
Smart man. Maybe a little too smart.
"What do we do in the meantime?" Van asked, looking dissatisfied.
"We wait."
"For how long?"
"As long as it takes."
Caia's familiar soft whuffles and snorts pulled Eva from her comfortable sleep. There was a clop of hooves against the ground and the sound of movement before quiet settled in.
Eva started to sink back into her dreams when she frowned. That wasn't right.
She should be in a tent—and Caia with the rest of the herd.
Then why was she hearing Caia now?
As soon as her mind asked the question, she became aware of a light weight stretched along the length of her back. Eva parted the warm cocoon she'd made with her blanket, poking her head out of it just enough to frown blindly at her surroundings.
A wet snout touched her neck as the fire fox made a sleepy sound, as if asking if it was already time to get up.
The blanket fell from Eva's shoulders as she pushed her way fully onto her elbows, taking in the tent still bathed in soft darkness, the morning too new for even a suggestion of light to invade.
Caia's white-gray coat was easy to spot, sticking out like a sore thumb. The mare stuck her face in Eva's, lipping at the curl of blond hair that slipped over Eva's shoulder.
Eva shoved Caia's face away, still half asleep. "What are you doing in here?"
She couldn't find it in herself to be surprised at Caia’s presence or question how the mare managed to fit herself in the tent without bringing it down around them.
"Eva, are you awake?" Jason called from outside.
Eva's voice was scratchy with sleep when she answered. "Yeah."
"There's something you should probably see."
Eva pulled a face. Of course, there was.
"Give me a moment," she said, leaning forward to snag the set of clothes sitting on the stool next to her sleeping pad. She dragged them underneath the blankets and began to dress. Never exposing even an inch of skin to the crisp, bordering on cold, morning air.
It was a handy trick she'd developed since joining the Trateri. Privacy wasn't always assured, especially on the smaller, fast-paced missions. The bonus being she stayed warm the entire time. It made getting up a little easier.
Finally dressed, she lay back, enjoying her last moments under the warm blankets before the start of her day. Too bad she couldn't bring them with her. A little cocoon of warmth wherever she went.
Eva tossed the blankets back and swung her feet to the ground. She located her boots and stuffed her feet in them before standing.
Now came the hard part, extracting Caia from the tent without damaging it.
"I don't think Fiona will appreciate you messing up her things so just back yourself on out without destroying anything precious."
And please don't rip a hole in the walls, Eva added silently.
Caia didn't move, nudging Eva with her nose. With a sigh, Eva patted Caia's nose and cheeks.
"What am I going to do with you, sweet girl?"
Eva dropped a kiss on her nose and pressed her forehead to Caia's.