Sanabaliss inner membranes rose. Your reaction?
I sat on my reaction, she told him, pacing around the chair. Butthe bracer started to light up.
The Dragon Lord lifted a hand. You did not speak?
No.
Bad, he told her grimly. But it will have to do. The class was ended at that point?
More or less.
I will attempt to augment your lessons with some of the material you expected to be handed. I am busy, he added more severely, but I will take the time to compose a list. You will not, however, be short of work.
Im working on the outside desk at the moment. Youve got a way to get me back in the streets? It was the only possible bright spot in a day that had left her with the nausea that comes in the aftermath of fury.
So to speak. I, too, have a letter which I wish you to deliver to Lord Grammayre. I guarantee that its contents will differ somewhat radically from those of Lord Diarmats.
Kaylin went home in the dark. Not that it was ever completely dark in Elantra, and certainly not close to the Palace, where magic had been used the same way stones had: it made the streets passable. Kaylin was all for useful magic; she usually felt that there wasnt enough of it.
Severn wasnt waiting outside for her, which was a good sign. It meant he trusted her to more or less survive a lesson with Diarmat intact. But she missed his company on the way home, because she was, in fact, still fighting fury, and it helped to have someone she could both shout at and not offend while she did. There were no muggings, and nothing that looked as though it demanded legal intervention. There were, on the other hand, a few people whod already spent too much time or money in a tavern.
She could unlock the front door of the apartment building in her sleep; unlocking it in the dark wasnt much of an issue. Navigation in the dark only involved the narrow steps, and they were worn and warped enough that they creaked in a totally predictable way as she climbed them. It wasnt late, yet. Shed eaten, and if she was hungry, she wasnt starving. Hunger could wait until morning.
Her door was locked. It often was, but enough of her friends had keys that it wasnt a guarantee; if Teela or Tain were totally bored, theyd show up and hang around. Tain was a bit more circumspect than Teela, who would often lounge strewn across the narrow bed while she waited. Severn, if worried, would also show up, but like Tain, he generally waited in her one chair.
Unlike Tain, he often tidied while he waited.
But he wasnt waiting now, and the room was its usual mess. None of that mess generally caused her to trip and injure herself in the dark, as it was mostly clothing. There were, of course, magical lights that one could buy to alleviate the darknessbut those cost money, and Kaylin was chronically short of funding. She hesitated in the open door and glanced with trepidation at the mirror on the wall; she relaxed when she saw that it was, like the rest of the room, dark. No messages meant no emergencies.
No emergencies meant sleep.
Before she could sleep, she opened the shutters to her room and let the moonlight in. It wasnt bright enough to read by; it was bright enough for navigation. There was one thing she had to check before sleep was a possibility. Kneeling beside the bedand shucking clothing into the rough and very spread-out pile shed, in theory, wash any time nowshe pulled a smallish box out from beneath its slats and removed the lid.
Nestled among scraps of cloth that were used mostly for cleaning in the midwives hall, was an egg the size of two fists. Well, two of hers at any rate. It had been born during the inexplicable magical upheaval that had left the City with thousands of newcomers, and no place to house them before Tiamaris had volunteered his fief. Other children had been born during that time, and in the magical zonebut theyd been children with unusual features: extra arms, extra eyes, full speech. No one in the guildhall had any idea what was in the egg.
Nor did Kaylin. But when Marya had handed her the boxat the grieving and shocked fathers insistence that the egg be disposed ofshe had dutifully picked it up and carted it home. It didnt weigh much. Shed meant to mention it to someone who specialized in magical theory, such as it was, but she didnt really want to hand it over to the Dragon Court, the Imperial Mages, or the Arcanum. This left a much smaller poolof oneand her desk duty had kept her off her current beat. Which was, sadly, where the single person she had in mind lived and worked.
The eggs shell had started out almost soft to the touch, but it had grown harder and stronger. She wasnt sure if this meant the egg actually had something living in it, because she wasnt sure if whatever it was could be sustained without magic. Which she didnt have. At least, not on purpose.
And thinking that, she carefully removed the bracer she wore as a matter of course throughout most of her working days. Laying it to one side of the box, she lifted the egg out, set it on the bed, swaddled it in her own blankets, and curled around it protectively to keep it warm.
Morning happened, and judging from the fall of sunlight, she wasnt late, yet. Her sleep had, to her surprise, been untroubled, which did happen a handful of days each year. She had time to fish food out of the magical basket that Severn had given her. Of all the magic shed seen, this one was the most quietly impressive: it preserved food. Even bread. She wasnt certain for how long, because food didnt generally last long in her apartment; shed have to test it one day.
She then dressed, snapping the bracer back into place on her wrist and rooting through the clothing shed thrown on the floor the night before to fish out the two letters shed been handed by two entirely different Dragon Lords. The forlorn and unhatched egg went back into its box, and back under the bed.
The walk to work ended with Clint and Tanner at the doors. Clint nodded, and Tanner said, You keep arriving at work on time and people are going to start worrying.
Oh? Who?
The ones who are losing money. He laughed.
She grimaced. Theyve started a different pool.
I havent heard about a new one.
Its called the end-of-the-world pool, but if you dont like the odds, theres one about the next call from the midwives. Theyd pulled her out of work during the day for the last three births; it meant she was on time for work, but still short hours.
Tanner chuckled and they stepped out of the way to let her pass. She ran a hand along Clints wings as she cleared the door, and heard his friendly curse at her back.
Caitlin was at her desk. Youre early, dear. How did yesterdays lesson go?
Im still alive.
You dont sound particularly happy about it at the moment.
Not at the moment, no. It only means I have to go back in three days.
That bad?
Bad enough that I now consider any other teacher Ive had to be friendly and put upon.
Caitlin raised a brow. And that made you early?
No. Early, Kaylin replied, removing the two sealed letters from her side pouch, was for these. I have hopes that one of them will get me out of desk duty.
Kaylin
And hopes that the other one wont be an immediate call for my execution. Theyre for the Hawklord.
Were they urgent?
They were delivered by Dragons. One of them, at least, was written by Diarmat.
Caitlin winced. Then at least one is urgent, for your sake.
The Hawklords busy?
Yes, dear. He and most of the Barrani Hawks are closeted in the Tower discussing the difficulties with the investigation into the Exchequers suspected embezzlement.
Which meant he wasnt going to take any interruption well.
Head up to his office and speak with his secretary. My guess is hell interrupt the Hawklord, at least briefly.
Kaylin shrugged. My job was to deliver the letters; it wasnt to stand over the Hawklords shoulder making certain he reads them.
Take them to his office, dear.
The Hawklords office wasnt actually the Tower, although thats where he held most of his meetings; it was vastly more convenient for Aerians to reach, as the dome in the roof opened. He did, however, have an office, with a secretary whose function was similar to Caitlins, albeit for a single man and not an entire office full of Hawks.
She liked the office better than the Tower for a variety of reasons. Chief among these was the fact that the Hawklords office doors had no door wards. They barely had working hinges, on the other hand. Hanson sat behind his customary desk watching the doors progress. Magic wasnt needed for protection here; no one could sneak into this office through those doors.
Hes not here, Hanson said when shed mostly managed to get the doors open.
I know. Hes in the Tower with the Barrani Hawks.
Yes. And an expert who calls himself a Forensic Accountant. Hanson grimaced.
A what?
Dont ask me. I just work here.
Kaylin, who also just worked here, nonetheless tried to wrap her thoughts around the title, and gave up. I have two letters I was told to deliver to him in person.
Do either of the sendees have any reason to want you dead or fired?
Not yet.
Hanson held out a hand. It was large, square, and belied the rather bookish clothing he generally wore for office work. Too many calluses, for one. Let me have them.
She would normally have been more than happy to pass them off as his problem, but this time she was torn. She had hopes for the contents of Sanabaliss letter, and pure dread about the contents of Diarmats. It didnt matter, though. Hanson lifted one gray brow and said, Im not opening either, in a flat tone of voice. I recognize both seals. Were you told, in either case, to wait for a report?
No.
And you are absolutely certain you did nothing to offend Diarmat?
Nothing besides breathing.
Take a chair, Hanson said, rising as he made his decision. Take any chair in my office except the one behind my desk.
Kaylin had been a bit of an explorer when shed first been brought to the office. Hansons chair wasnt entirely unfamiliar to her, even though shed only sat in it a couple of times. Unfortunately, the last of those times had involved a rather irate citizen of great import to his Caste Court, an absent Hanson, and an absent Hawklord. It had not gone well.
She wasnt thirteen anymore in any case; she took a chair by the wall nearest the desk and waited. Hanson came in maybe a quarter of an hour later; the windows here werent enchanted, so asking them for the time indicated a lower level of sanity or observation than the Hawks ideally liked in their employees.
The Hawklord will see you. Now.
Is he pissed off?
He was not entirely pleased by the interruption, no. I dont believe he holds it against you, on the other hand.
How badly is the investigation going?
It is not going well, and the Emperor is not pleased.
Kaylin winced. Thanks for the heads-up.
The Hawklords Tower was empty when she arrived; she could see this because the doors werethank the godsalready open. The landing in front of his Tower, on the other hand, was occupied. Teela was lounging against the height of the rails as Kaylin trudged up the stairs. She raised one dark brow in acknowledgment. I saw Hanson. Two official letters, from actual Dragons, no less. Why were you at the Palace?
Etiquette lessons, if you must know.
Teela frowned for a second, and then nodded. The fact that shed asked at all meant the investigation was going very badly; normally, she would have known exactly where Kaylin had been the previous day. Teela had taken to office betting pools like fish take to water.
You didnt offend Diarmat, did you?
I believe my inferior existence is offense enough, Kaylin replied, sliding into very clipped and precise High Barrani.
Tain chuckled. Hes old school, Kaylin.
Meaning?
Youll find out. Hawklords waiting, he added. And were not allowed back in until youve finished.
Lord Grammayres eyes were an unfortunate shade of blue; his wings were at full height, but at least they were only partially extended. He held what appeared to be two letters in one of his stiff hands, and he looked up when Kaylin entered. He didnt even tell her to close the doors; he gestured and they pretty much slammed shut at her back. Had she been Barrani, they would have closed on her hair. Or maybe not. Barrani hair never got in the way of anything.
I have two completely conflicting requests, and I have very, very little time in which to reply. Are you aware of what either of these letters contain?
No, sir, she said truthfully. She did snap a salute, and she did stand pretty much at rigid attention.
Lord Grammayre looked peaked. Had she been Caitlin, she might have asked him if hed been sleeping at all; as she wasnt, she didnt dare. Since neither request has anything at all to do with the Human Caste Court or the Exchequer, I almost consider the interruption a favor. Sadly, it is not a favor I can indulge in for much longer.
Lord Diarmat, after an hour of extracurricular lessons, has decided that things would work more smoothly with a cocurricular schedule.
Kaylin tried to make sense of this, and failed. Cocurricular?
Yes. He would like your etiquette lessonsand his involvement in the sameto be more he glanced at the paper comprehensive. He feels that there is some danger you will take the lessons far too casually otherwise.
Im still stuck on cocurricular.
Ah. The lesson schedule would become far more intensive, and the classes would be integrated into your duties to the Halls of Law. Your paycheckand possible promotion, and yes, thats also on my deskwould depend on your success. He feels that separation of his lessons and your duties are not again he glanced at the paper a strict advantage.
Kaylin had drifted off the topic of cocurricular and Lord Diarmat, and latched onto the fact that a request for promotionfor her!was on the Hawklords desk.
He lifted a pale brow, and then his eyes narrowed; they were still blue. Hed seen Kaylin almost daily since she was thirteen years old, and if she wasnt that child anymore, hed also become familiar with all the incremental changes time had made. He knew what she was thinking. If, he said, pinching the bridge of his nose, I might actually have your attention for the next five minutes?