The floor was cold and hard, but it was beautiful; a smoky marble shot through with veins of blue and green, and the hint of something gold. It was laid out in tiles that suggested the pattern of concentric circles, and at the center of those, she stood, her bag on her shoulders, her uniform hanging unevenly at the hem. In other words, out of place in every possible way.
Not so, Lord Nightshade.
He gestured; she looked up as he did, because his hand started at waist level and stopped just above his head, drawing the eye. She couldnt help it. Years of working the beat at the side of Teela and Tain hadnt in any way made her ready for Lord Nightshade; he was Barrani in the almost mythic sense, and theythey were real.
He was beautiful, in the cold way the floors were.
The ceiling above her head was rounded, like a gentle dome; it was rimmed by something that looked like marble, and its surface was engraved with runes. She didnt recognize them.
She didnt want to.
The wordsthose runeswere already here when you took possession of the castle?
They were, he said, sparing her a brief glance. His eyes traced the runes, and the light that rippled across them, as if it were reflected by the surface of a small pond in sunlight. But they are not, I think, a danger to you. Can you read them?
This was polite, as it was often polite to ask questions for which you technically werent supposed to have the answers. She distrusted polite in men of power. No.
Ah. A pity. I believe that among the runes above us there are words you can invoke, should it come to that. They will afford you some protection.
She said nothing.
I have taken the liberty of giving you one of the outer rooms, he continued. You will not be required to enter the Long Hall. If I remember correctly, it causes you some discomfort.
Its not the hall, she said, before she could stop herself. Its the Barrani. The ones that dont move and seem to be interested in blood.
Even so. He pointed. Against the far curvethere was no direction in this room, given lack of anything that offered a directional anchorwas a large, round bed. With pillows, even. It was pristine, and covered in silks she thought were worth more than two years of her pay. It was annoying. On the other hand, it lacked a canopy, which seemed to be the thing to attach to the beds of people with too much money.
I dont suppose you have a map of the Castle?
One that wouldnt change?
Ill take that as a no.
He smiled. There is a wardrobe for your belongings. You will also find
I dont need anything else. She remembered, clearly, her first visit; shed lost her uniform and had woken up in a really impractical dress. A really beautiful, attractive, impractical dress.
If you dine with meas I hope you willyou will need less political garb. I have seen to that, he added, his voice cooling by several degrees.
She remembered that annoying him was not a good idea. Not that she wasnt willing, but she wanted to choose the fights.
He walked over to the wall and gestured. Stone separated, and a section of the wall reflected light evenly. Perfectly. This, he told her quietly, is the mirror. You may use it, if you wish.
But youll hear everything.
Indeed.
And anyone who wants to reach me? Theyll be directed to this one. You are free to explore the Castle. I suggest, if you do, that you take a guard with you. Which one?
One of the two, he replied, who stand outside this door. And he walked toward it. I have much to attend to this eve. We will talk on the morrow.
I have to work
You are not a prisoner here, Kaylin. You are no longer a child. You know the way to the upper city.
The mirror didnt wait.
She was almost asleepshe had trouble sleeping in strange, obscenely comfortable bedswhen it went off. For a moment, she was disoriented; she was already out of the bed, and padding on cold stone toward the wrong wall when she remembered that she wasnt home; she corrected herself as wakefulness caught up with her instincts.
She touched the mirror, keying it; an image began to form in its depths. Familiar face, and a dreadful, familiar expression.
Marya?
Kaylin, thank the gods!
Marya was a midwife. Which pretty much said it all. Kaylin reached for her pack. Where? she said. Stevenson Street. Its Worleys old house. How long do I have?
There was a small, stressful silence. Silent answers were always the worst. Had she been home, it would be a five-minute sprint, a fifteen-minute jog. She wasnt anywhere that close.
MaryaIm not at my place.
I gathered. The mirror had trouble.
Kaylin cursed mirrors. And Barrani. And time.
Ill be there, she said quietly, yanking her boots on under her nightdress. Ill be there as soon as I can. Tell her toto stop pushing. To stop doing anything. Do you have worryroot?
Maryas nod was brisk. Everything we can do, weve done. The babys not
Kaylin lifted a hand and shattered the image. Her way of saying she was on the move.
She dressed quickly and sloppily; she looked like a walking human crease. Her hair, she shoved back and staked. It wouldnt hold through a real run; it would have to do for now. She stopped for a moment as a glint of light at her wrist was caught in a downward spark by the mirrors reflective surface.
Caging her power, opulent and ancient, the bracer that had been both gift and bane, its jeweled surface cool and distant. She could hear Marcus now. She had her orders: it was not to come off.
And she had her imperatives. She couldnt wear it and do whatwhat probably needed to be done. With a grimace, she touched the stones in a sequence that was so familiar she couldnt consciously say it out loud. A loud click, and it opened. She dropped it on the floor.
It would find its way back to its keeper, sooner or laterand at the moment, that keeper wasnt Kaylin. That much thought she spared before she ran to the door. The next thought was for the guards that stood outside of it.
She almost tripped over the men who now barred her way.
They were both beautiful, both perfect, and both utterly impassive. She snarled something in very rude Leontine.
They failed to understand. This could even be because they couldnt, although she wouldnt have bet money on it. I dont have time for this!
But she did. The baby didnt. The mother didnt.
They exchanged a glance. She lifted a hand to her cheek, and drew back in surprise; the mark was hot. She hadnt even seen it in the mirror, in the brief glance she had given herself before shed tried to flee the room.
We are not empowered to let you wander alone, one of the two Barrani said. She looked at him carefully.
I have to leave. Now. You have your duties, she added, and I have mine. But I will never forgive you if you keep me here, and I will never forgive you if any delay you cause costs me.
The mans gaze never wavered. But he drew his sword and nodded at the other guard. I will accompany you, he said. Where will you go?
To the upper city, she replied, pushing past him.
The ferals
She knew. It just wasnt allowed to matter. Not for the first timeand not for the lastshe wished she was an Aerian; she could fly above the reach of ferals with ease, had she but wings.
She started to run, stopped, and turned to look at the guard. What is your nameno, what should I call you?
A dark, perfect brow rose. Andellen, he said at last, as if shed asked him something that had never been asked by another living creature. Or not one who wanted to stay that way.
Good. Andellen. I dont know the Castle. I need to get out. Can you lead me?
He nodded. Whatever hesitation he had shown had vanished the moment he had agreed to accompany her. He was stiff; he wasnt at all like the Barrani Hawks she knew. He spoke High Barrani, and he chose a sword as his weapon; the Hawks usually used a very large stick.
He also wore armor.
But the armor didnt seem to slow him down, or if it did, it didnt matter; he was moving at a speed that Kaylin could barely match.
They made the vestibule, and Kaylin gritted her teeth as she passed through the portal and into the world.
There was no time for conversation. They made a lot of noise as they ran, and that was bad. It was dark, although the skies were clear enough that the moon provided light. For them, certainly. For the ferals, as well.
Fighting ferals usually involved a lot of running, but that took time. She made her way straight toward the Ablayne, and the single bridge that crossed it, praying silently. Its funny how someone who couldnt follow the names of half the gods in Elantra could pray with such conviction.
At her side, the Barrani guard ran. He glanced at her only when she stumbled, but did not offer her any assistance; she found her footing and continued, thinking of Worleys house. Thinking of how best to reach it. Thinking of only that. It helped.
When they reached the bridge, she exhaled, a long, slow movement of chest. The bright and dark moons across the water were a benediction. The guard, on the other hand, didnt have the grace to look winded. Had she the energy, she would have whiled away time in idle hatred for all things Barrani; as it was, she looked up at him once. His expression, being Barrani, gave nothing but ice away.
Which was good; had he intended to stop her, it would have looked worse.
She started to adjust her pack, and Andellen surprised her; he grabbed it instead. His hair flew in the stillness as he shouldered its weight, but he said nothing.
And she let him do it. As if he were Teela or Tain.
She led now, and he followed; he probably knew the entire city by heart, but the only roads he usually traveled were those ruled by Nightshade. She wanted to ask him how often he left the fief, but she couldnt spare breath.
Wasnt certain he would answer if she could.
The streets were now lined with stalls; there were men and women beneath the low glow of torches and the high lamps that decorated the skyscape; they would work all night, and well into morning, decorating, carving, nailing or sewing as the Festival season required. This was their best chance to make money for the year, and if sleep suffered, it suffered.
They noticed her as she ran past, but that was probably because of Andellen. He didnt wear a uniform. He wasnt a Hawk. And a smart person didnt get in the way of a running Barrani.
She made it past her apartment, turned the corner, skidded and fell; she rolled to her feet, cursing like a Leontineand in Leontineand kept going. Five minutes passed like a lifetime. And it wasnt her life.
And then, two rights, one short left, and three small buildings, and she was there. A lamp was hanging by the side of the door, the dark, glowing blue of the midwives beacon. She leaped up the three warped steps and pushed the door open; it wasnt locked.
Marya was waiting for her. Her eyes were dark, and her face was that kind of pale that speaks of whole days without sleep. Kaylin! Shes in the Her dark eyes rounded when she saw what followed Kaylin in.
Marya, Kaylin said, half shouting as she grabbed the midwifes hands before they picked up the nearest candlestick, hes with me. I dont have time to explain. He wont touch anything. He means no harm. She could not force herself to add, trust him.
Before Marya could answer, a thin, attenuated cry carried the distance of still room and closed door. A younger woman, fingers clutching the frame of the door for support, appeared as the door swung open and slapped the wall. Maryashes started to bleed
Kaylins here, Marya said, her voice pitched low, but pitched to carry. Kaylins here now.
And Kaylin pushed past the poor girl and into the bedroom. Get water! she shouted as she ran to the bed. Drinking water!
But Marya was already in motion, a comfortable, busy blur. Marya had worked with Kaylin before; she would know what was needed, and when.
Kaylin took the hand of the woman whose eyes were beginning their slow slide into shock. She pressed her free hand up and against the stretched, hard curve of belly and winced as the body told its story.
Late. She was late. She could feel the rupture.
She looked up and met the eyes of a young man that she didnt recognize; he was so white he was almost green. Get out, she told him. He shook his head, mute, his defiance the product of fear.
Marya
Gerrold, come away, the midwife said, her voice above Kaylins back. Now. Your wife needs her privacy. But she
Now. A mothers tone. With just the edge of anger in itand at that, the right kind of anger. Pity, compassion, or fear would have watered the command down so badly it wouldnt have workedbut Marya had confidence in Kaylin.
And the poor man? He had nothing. He tried to stand. Stumbled. Kaylin wondered if he was going to pass out. Better if he did.
Without another word, she drew her knife. It wasnt clean, but it would have to do. She heard a stifled scream from a long, long distance away; heard Maryas angry words attempt to drown it out.
And then she gave herself over to the sound of two beating hearts; one labored and slow, the other so fast and soft it could barely be heard at all.
Two hours later, she was finished.
Marya caught her hands, and forcibly broke all contact with the young woman who sat in the bed. Kaylin could hear the sounds of infant cries; could see the bundledand cleanedbaby resting in its mothers arms. The wound what there was left of itwas new and raw, but it wasnt bleeding.
Thethe father?
Hes there, in the chair, Marya said in the soothing voice reserved for the injured. He was a bit upset about the knife, dear, she added. We had to restrain him. She paused, and then added, Your man was most helpful, there.
My man? Kaylin shook her head. Who She turned her head sideways, which was much more effort than she would have liked, and saw Andellen. Hes not myhe didnt hurt him, did he?
Marya shook her head. Not much, at any rate. I think hell have a bruised jaw, but dear, he simply wasnt listening.
Kaylin could imagine. Blood had that effect on most people. She tried to say as much, and Marya took the opportunity to trickle water into her mouth. Its not for me