“Cousin, you okay?” Pan asked

Thia nodded. “Yeah. They took out the duplicates before they got to me.”

“Cool. That’s a great spell…you should use it more often.”

She shrugged. “Magic’s not unlimited. You know that.” Looking past him, she said, “Hey, Adam! Don’t move.”

Pan watched her go to help the warlock unhook his cloak from the rock. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Jinnaari. The paladin was wiping blood off of his sword, but his focus wasn’t on the weapon. It was on Thia.

Walking over, he leaned against the wall near the Dragonborn. “You missed a spot.”

Jinnaari grunted, “No, I didn’t.”

“Can I ask you a question?”

“If I say no, will it matter?”

Pan laughed. “No, I’ll still ask it.” He shifted his focus for a moment, looking at Thia, then back to Jinnaari. “Why are you here, anyway?”

“Bahamut gave me a task. I’m here to take down Lolth. You know that.”

“Yeah, but I’m starting to wonder if you’re here for more than just that one thing.”

Jinnaari stopped wiping the cloth across the blade for a moment, then started again. “Not sure I know what you’re talking about, Pan. Care to explain?”

“You seem to be more protective of Thia than the rest. That’s all.”

“Lolth’s trying to kidnap her, force Thia to worship Her. We’re all trying protect her, Pan.”

“Yeah,” he persisted, “but that’s not all, is it? I mean, it seems like there’s something else at stake with you. It’s almost like you’re watching her to make sure she’s not changing into something else.”

Jinnaari looked at him. “I’m trying to keep her safe, Pan. That’s it.”

Pan watched as the paladin rose and walked away. “Sure it is,” he muttered, unconvinced.