As Devargo speaks Dalen maintains a straight face. Dalen maintains a straight face through Devargo's story about Elliana, finding it wholly believable and in character for her. If he twitches at all, it's from Silas message. He sighs in exasperation when Devargo says that she attempted to cast a spell on him and shakes his head, whispering under his breath, "she's here," while providing the barest of mental focus to allow the whisper to carry to Silas.

"Yes, I understand your position. Rest assured, I share your irritation with such flagrantly incompetent use of magic," Dalen pauses to let Aliani speak, then sees his opportunity and turns back to Devargo, "suppose we were to leave collateral, then? If we succeed it's all the same to you, and if we fail you'll have been compensated. I'm sure this is the kind of finger twiddling you approve of, yes?" Dalen rubs his fingers together as if there were a coin between them.