Lanfear has the rising sense that whatever happens next entirely depends on her words, but she also suspects that he's at least willing to hear her out — whether rooted in his own curiosity or some other deep-seated motivation that she simply hasn't figured out for herself yet.

"I believe you know as well as I do that oftentimes, information can be its own form of power," she replies, more straightforwardly than she has been through any of their other conversations.

"Whether you intend to do something with the information you possess in the present moment or wait for the right time to wield that knowledge later matters less than simply having it. But more than that, I believe you'd be a worthy ally in this place." Now, it's her turn to reach for him, to lightly notch a pale hand into his until her knuckles are grazing his palm. "Am I mistaken?"