Praise for
MICHELLE SAGARA
and The Chronicles of Elantra series
Cast in Shadow
No one provides an emotional payoff like Michelle Sagara.
Combine that with a fast-paced police procedural, deadly
magics, five very different races and a wickedly dry sense of
humorwell, it doesnt get any better than this.
Bestselling author Tanya Huff
First-rate fantasy. Sagaras complex characterizations
and rich world-building lift her above the crowd.
New York Times bestselling author Kelley Armstrong
Cast in Courtlight
Readers will embrace this compelling, strong-willed
heroine with her often sarcastic voice.
Publishers Weekly
A fast-paced novel, packed with action and adventure
integrating the conventions of police procedurals
with more fantastic elements.
Romantic Times BOOKreviews
Cast in Secret
The impressively detailed setting and the books spirited
heroine are sure to charm romance readers as well as fantasy
fans who like some mystery with their magic.
Publishers Weekly
Remarkable Filled with time-release plot threads and
intricate details, these books are both mesmerizing
and unforgettable. If youre a fan of rich fantasy,
this is the series for you!
Romantic Times BOOKreviews, Top Pick (4½ stars)
About the Author
MICHELLE SAGARA has written twelve novels since 1991, when her fi rst book, Into the Dark Lands, was published. Shes written a quarterly book review column for the venerable Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction for a number of years, as well as dozens of short stories (or novellas, to be more exact).
In 1986 she started working in an SF specialty bookstore, where she continues to work to this day. She loves reading, is allergic to cats (very, which means they crawl all over her), is happily married, has two lovely children, and has spent all of her life in her native Torontonone of it on Bay Street.
She started reading fantasy almost as soon as she could read, and fell instantly in love with Narnia; her next fantasy discovery was Patricia McKillips Forgotten Beasts of Eld. She moved on to The Hobbit, which led to her discovery of the life-changing The Lord of the Rings.
Her greatest hope for her writing is that someone will read it and be moved by the same sense of magic and mystery that she fi nds in the books she loves.
She will talk about writing, bookselling and books forever if given a chance. Youve been warned.
Cast In Courtlight
Michelle Sagara
www.millsandboon.co.uk
This is for Tanya and Fe, with gratitude for long years of friendship that involved phone calls about all of lifes little anxieties and triumphs, none begrudged.
Acknowledgments
The home team, again, came through: First and foremost Thomas, Daniel and Ross, who put up with my imaginative flights and figurative absences; John, Kristen, Jamie (affectionately referred to as His Majesty), Gary and Ayami, who do the same; and my mother and father.
The away team: For this book, my editor, Matrice, patient with my unusual inability to deal with outlines; my agent, Russ Galen; and of course, as always, Terry Pearson, who read it all a chapter at a time.
Thanks, guys.
CHAPTER 1
In the old days, before the Dragon Emperorsometimes called the Eternal Emperor by those responsible for toadyinghad invested the Halls of Law with the laws which governed the Empire, angry Dragons simply ate the idiots who were stupid enough to irritate them. Or, if they were unappetizing, burned them into a very slight pile of ash.
Ash had the advantage of requiring little to no paperwork.
Marcus Kassan, Sergeant for the Hawksone branch of officers who served in the Halls of Lawstared gloomily at a pile of paperwork that, were it placed end to end, would loom above him. At over six foot, that was difficult. The desire to shred it caused his claws to flick in and out of the fur of his forepaws.
The desire to avoid annoying Caitlin, the woman who wasinasmuch as the Hawks allowed itden mother to the interior office, which set schedules, logged reports, and prepared duty rosters and pay chits, was just slightly stronger. In their personal life, Leontines disavowed all paperwork, usually by the expedient of chewing it, shredding it, or burning it, when it wasnt useful for the kits litter.
Then again, hed been at his desk for the better part of an hour. He expected thered be a shift in the balance before the daywhich looked to be long and gruelingwas over.
Caitlin smiled at him from the nest she made of the paperwork she endured, day in, day out. It was a slightly sharp smile that looked, on the surface, quiet and sweet. That was Caitlin. Human all over. Shed been with him for years. He was aware of her value; the three people before her had lasted two weeks, three weeks, and four days, respectively. They had all babbled like morons.
Fear does that, Caitlin had said when shed applied for the job. She was bird-thin and fragile to the eye, and her voice was soft and feminineno growl or fang there. But definitely some spine. She was one of two people who manned the desks who could stand six inches from his face when he was on the edge of fury. She barely blinked, and attributed that, regretfully, to his breath.
At any other time of the year, paperwork was optional. Pay chits and duty rosters werent, but he was enough of a Sergeant to at least sign off on them when he wasnt actively composing the lists themselves. No, this hideous mess was courtesy of the Festival. Permits, copied laboriously by clerks in some merchant branch of the Imperial palace, had been sent by dim-witted couriers in bags that were half again as large as Caitlin. Bags. Plural.
But not just permits. Festival regulations, which seemed to change year after year. The names of important dignitaries from the farthest damn fringe of the Empire of Alaan, manifests of cargo transports, and diplomatic grants were also shoved in the same bags. The latter were, however, sealed in a way that screamed special privilege. Diplomatic immunity.
Marcus hated the Festival season. The city was enough of a problem; throwing foreigners into the streets by the thousands was just asking for trouble.
Not only that, but every get-rich-quick scheme that had occurred to any half-wit moron in the street could be expected to rear its imbecilic head during the next two weeks. Unfortunately, every get-rich-quick scheme that occurred to any cunning, intelligent person would also rear its head during the next two weeks. The money that flowed into the Empires capital during the Festival was staggering, and everyone wanted a piece of it.
The Swordlord, and the men who followed his orders, were probably in worse shape, and this provided a moments comfort to Marcus. He was Hawk, through and through; the Swords were his natural rivals. Not, of course, his enemies; they all served the Lords of Law, and they all worked in the labyrinthine buildings referred to as the Halls of Law by people who saw them from the outside. But the Hawks and the Swords had their own way of doing things, and when the Festival season was at its height, there were always disagreements.
On the other hand, at least the Swords were in the streets; the damn Wolves were at bay. It was hard to hunt in the city during the Festival, even at the behest of the Wolflord. The Wolves were kept in reserve in case of riot, when all servants of the Law could be called into action. This was, however, downtime for the Wolves, and Marcus sullenly resented them their freedom.
Paperwork was best left for bureaucrats.
Unfortunately, bureaucrats were damn good at shoveling the work onto the shoulders of men and women who were already too busy, where being too busy meant they didnt have time to kick up enough of a fuss to give it back.
He heard a door slam. It was followed by a raised, angry voiceonly oneand the sound of a very heavy tread. Deliberately heavy.
Paperwork looked almost good in comparison.
Oh dear, Caitlin said. Thats three this week.
Two. One of them left last week. He rearranged the paperwork in the vague hope that this would provide some sort of fortification against the red and dour expression of a very annoyed mage.
Sure enough, down the long hall that led from the West Room, which had been ceded to the Hawklord for educational purposes, the swirling robes of a man who had probably been ancient ten years ago came into view. His fists were bunched just below the drape of long sleeves, and his forehead was engraved with permanent wrinkles. The kind that said foul mood.
The office had grown somewhat quieter as people stopped to listen in. You could count on curiosity to get the better of work at Festival time. Well, to be fair, at any time, but during the Festival it was more costly.
The man stormed over to the Sergeants desk. You will tell the Lord of Hawks that I am finished with thisthis ridiculous task!
Marcus raised a brow. Given that his face was entirely composed of golden fur, this should have been discomfiting at the very least.
The girl is untrainable. She doesnt listen. She barely reads. She thinks like alike a common soldier. She is rude beyond bearing, she is stupid, and she is an insult to the Imperial Order of Mages!
The other brow lifted slightly as the Leontine attempted to look surprised. This was, however, lost on the mage, who was as human as Caitlinas human, in fact, as most of the other paper pushers who called the office their second home.
Leontines were many things, but actor wasnt one of them. They were sort of the anti-actor.
Tell your superior that I will have words with the Imperial Order about this!
As hed now heard a variant of this speech three times, he had it memorized. It generated some paperwork, on the other hand, which soured a mood that was worse than sour to begin with.
Holding his tongue was difficult. Holding his claws was a shade more difficult. He managed to breathe shallowly enough that the growl couldnt be heard over the mages shouts.
Which went on for another five minutes before he stormed off. It was a wonder he wasnt followed by black clouds and lightning bolts.
Oh dear, Caitlin said again, rising. He didnt last two days.
Marcus shrugged, letting the growl into his words. I told the Hawklord, he said.
I know. I think we all tried. There must be a suitable mage somewhere in the Order
I doubt it. You know how the Dragon Emperor feels about mages and sanity. Marcus pushed himself out of his chair. His claws clicked against the floorboards.
Ill tell the Hawklord, he said with a shrug.
Ill talk to Kaylin, Caitlin added.
Kaylin Neya was sitting in the West Room, her arms folded across her chest. There was a candle on the desk; it had been cut in half.
Dear, Caitlin said quietly, I think youre supposed to light it.
Kaylin muttered something about light and places in which it didnt shine. She was the youngest of Marcuss Hawks, and it showed.
He really is a nice old man, Caitlin began.
Theyre all supposed to be nice old men. Kaylin shoved herself out of her chair as if she were a miniature Marcus. On the other hand, she had boots instead of bare pads, and her very human nature didnt lend itself to extended claws and long fangs. Theyre arrogant, theyre long-winded, and they think they know everything.
They do know a lot
They know a lot about useless things! Light a candle? She rolled her eyes. I can light a candle in five seconds, the normal way. I can kill a man just as easily as a mageand probably more efficiently. Her hands fell to her daggers and rested there. I can run faster, I can see farther, I can
Kaylin, Caitlin said, raising both her hands. No one is doubting your competence as a Hawk. Youre an officer of the Halls of Law.
And how is this supposed to help me?
You cut the candle in half, dear?
It didnt get that way by itself.
No, I imagine it didnt. Caitlin shrugged. Youve already annoyed a number of the Imperial mages. I do think it would be best for the Hawks if you tried not to annoy any more. She paused. Added, Youve got to expect a little arrogance, Kaylin. These men are old, theyve survived the Emperors service, and they are considered experts in their field. Given your general reaction to any power that isnt owned by the Hawks, Ill forgo mention of the fact that these men are powerful. And youre insulting their lifes work.
Kaylins lips were set in a line that could be called thin. Or invisible. I dont want to be part of their lifes work, she said at last. I want to be part of my lifes work. I wantall Ive wanted since the first day I was introduced to all of youis to be a Hawk.
You are a Hawk, Kaylin.
The Hawks dont employ mages.
Caitlins smile froze in place. You do realize that annoying them probably wont stop them from coming? I can try.
The older womans expression gave trying a different meaning. I believe the Hawklord will want to speak with you. Again.
Kaylins shoulders sagged. She walked past Caitlin and out of the room.
The Hawklords tower boasted a fine set of stairs, one that curved upward against the inner wall in a continuous stacked spiral. There was good stonework here, girded by brass rails, and the echoes went up forever, bouncing against the walls.
Or against the breastplates of the guards on the various landings Kaylin walked past.
She nodded at them; they nodded back. If they were inclined to smirk, they managed to hide it, which was just as well. A brawl on these steps could cause injury. And, following it, more injury of an entirely Leontine nature. Marcus didnt approve of Hawks fighting each other in the Halls; hed long since given up on Hawks squabbling after too many drinks in their private time.