Usually disaster doesnt strike quite so close to home
It has been a busy few weeks for Private Kaylin Neva. In between angling for a promotion, sharing her room with the last living female Dragon and dealing with more refugees than anyone knew what to do with, the unusual egg shed been given began to hatch. Actually, that turned out to be lucky, because it absorbed the energy from the bomb that went off in her quarters.
So now might be the perfect time to leave Elantra and journey to the West March with the Barrani. If not for the disappearances of citizens in the fief of Tiamarisdisappearances traced to the very Barrani Kaylin is about to be traveling with
Praise for New York Times bestselling author
MICHELLE SAGARA
and The Chronicles of Elantra series
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 on The Chronicles of Elantra series
Intense, fast-paced, intriguing, compelling and hard to put downunforgettable.
In the Library Reviews on Cast in Shadow
Readers will embrace this compelling, strong-willed heroine with her often sarcastic voice.
Publishers Weekly on Cast in Courtlight
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 on Cast in Secret
Along with the exquisitely detailed world building, Sagaras character development is mesmerizing. She expertly breathes life into a stubborn yet evolving heroine. A true master of her craft!
RT Book Reviews (4 ½ stars) on Cast in Fury
With prose that is elegantly descriptive, Sagara answers some long-standing questions and adds another layer of mystery. Each visit to this amazing world, with its richness of place and character, is one to relish.
RT Book Reviews (4 ½ stars) on Cast in Silence
Another satisfying addition to an already vivid and entertaining fantasy series.
Publishers Weekly on Cast in Chaos
Sagara stirs together an abundance of adventure, action and humor to produce one extraordinary storywith the bonus of introducing a highly intriguing new character. An utter gem!
RT Book Reviews (4 ½ stars) on Cast in Ruin
Cast in Peril
Michelle Sagara
www.mirabooks.co.uk
For Tobin,
who escaped to the west coast,
but has since discovered that being a brother is a life sentence.
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Epilogue
Acknowledgments
Chapter 1
The worst thing about having a roommate, in Kaylins opinionand admittedly after only two weekswas morning. The fact that this particular roommate was a Dragon didnt help. Bellusdeo was clean, tidy, and ate very little. She didnt actually require sleep, and for the first couple of nights, that had seemed like a good thing because Kaylins apartment only had one bed. It only had one room.
But around morning number four, which had come on the heels of an urgent mirror message from the Guild of Midwives and a hideously touch-and-go birth, the good thing developed the preceding words too damn much of a
Ten dayswhich included three more emergency callslater, Kaylin struggled out of bed when the shadows in the room were far too short, and came face-to-face with someone who looked refreshed and annoyingly cheerful. She always looked refreshed and cheerful, but the annoying part had grown with time and familiarity.
It was far too late for breakfast, in part because Kaylin hadnt managed to get to the market the previous day and there was no food in the apartment. So she scrounged for clean clothing, taking what little time she had to tend to the large unhatched egg she slept wrapped around.
Kaylin, I think the egg has changed color, Bellusdeo said. She stared at the egg but didnt actually touch it. She did, however, help Kaylin gather the cloth she kept wrapped around it when she left it for the day.
Kaylin, who was still bleary from sleep and fatigued by the work of the previous night, squinted. Maybe. Do you thinkdo you think that means its going to hatch?
I dont know. I dont recognize the species of egg.
Kaylin pressed her ear against the shell. She could almost hear something moving within itbut the sound was so faint it might have been due to hopeful imagination. She considered taking the egg into the office with her, remembered that it was magic-lesson day, and decided to take the risk of leaving it untended for the afternoon. It was afternoon by this point, so it would be a shorter absence than usual.
Bellusdeo then accompanied Kaylin into work.
* * *
Kaylin accepted the barrage of amused mockery her hour of arrival caused with less than her usual grace. She had managed to go almost three weeks without being late. Admittedly on two of those days shed perambulated around the office like someone doing a good imitation of the walking deadbut shed been timely walking dead, damn it.
If you dislike the mockery, Bellusdeo told her as she walked gracefully by Kaylins side, why dont you just arrive on time?
I need to sleep.
You dont have to go to the midwives guildhall.
If I miss a few hours here in the morning, Marcus snarls at me and I expose my throat for a few minutes. I also win someone some money in the betting pool. If I miss an emergency call from the midwives guild, someone dies. Guess which is more important?
Bellusdeo nodded. We have an etiquette lesson this evening, the Dragon added. It was true. It was also a subtle reminder that Bellusdeo did make Kaylins life a little easier, because while Lord Diarmat pretty much despised Kaylin, he couldnt openly treat Bellusdeo with contempt, and Bellusdeo had an uncanny knack for asking the direct questions that would have caused mortal offense had they come from Kaylins mouth. In this case, mortal was accurate.
Kaylin grimaced and straightened up. I have a magic lesson in half an hour.
With Sanabalis?
The same. Kaylin hesitated and then added, Do you think you could call him Lord Sanabalis?
Why? You dont. If you dont, I can hardly see that it will make much difference if I fail to do so.
It wont make much difference to you. Itll get me in less trouble. She headed toward the reception desk, where Caitlin was watching their progress down the hall. The mirror dutifully announced the time the minute Kaylins foot had crossed the threshold. At least it hadnt called her by name.
Good afternoon, dear, Caitlin said, rising from her chair. The midwives called you in last night?
Kaylin nodded. Marya woke me at two in the morning.
It was bad?
It was very bad; I almost didnt make it in time.
Did you eat anything before you came here?
Yes.
Bellusdeo lifted a lovely golden brow but said nothing. Not that words actually had to be spoken around Caitlin, who pursed her lips.
Lord Sanabalis is waiting for you.
Of course he is.
* * *
Bellusdeo didnt actually join her for magic lessons; as a member of the Dragon Courtalbeit on a technicalityshe didnt require them. She did, however, go to Elantran language lessons in the East Room for the duration; the Imperial Palace had ordered two linguists to work with her during that time. What the linguists made of Bellusdeo, Kaylin didnt know; she was just grateful for the few moments in which Bellusdeo was someone elses problem.
I admit Im surprised to see you on time, Private, Sanabalis said as she cringed her way through contact with the rooms door ward and entered.
Oh?
Given the time at which you left your dwelling last evening, I assumed you would be at least an hour late.
Kaylin sat and folded her arms across her chest. Youre having my apartment watched at two in the morning?
Sanabalis didnt answer the question. Instead he said, How is Bellusdeo adapting to life in the City?
She hasnt changed much since I spoke to you about it two days ago.
And have you reconsidered the Emperors offer to house you in a more suitable location?
Sadly, she had. On offer was a much, much larger apartment. It was, however, farther from the office, and Kaylin still held on to the faint hope that Bellusdeo would get tired of living in a run-down, single-room apartment with no privacy and choose to move out on her own.
So far, Dragon stubbornness was running neck and neck with human stubbornness. It seemed unfair that only the human was suffering. If they had a larger dwelling, Kaylin could have an entire room to herself, and they would have room for Bellusdeos Ascendant, a Norannir who would only barely fit through Kaylins current doorif he crouched. Maggaron could keep an eye on Bellusdeo, and Kaylin might actually have a dayat workin which she didnt have the Dragon as her constant companion. As it was, that Ascendant, Maggaron, had been exiled to the Tower in the fief of Tiamaris, and he was very, very glum about the separation.
What she said, however, was No. Were doing fine. Kaylins biggest fear was that she would move, lose her smallbut affordableapartment, and have nowhere else to go when Bellusdeo finally decided to move out. Severn had suggested that she pay her rent while staying in the Imperial building, but it galled Kaylin to spend that much money on something she wasnt even using.
She glared at her nemesis, the candle.
Sanabalis folded his hands on the tables surface; it had been newly oiled and waxed, and the Dragons reflection stared back up at him. Your etiquette lesson is tonight.
I know.
You seem to have survived the previous lessons.
Yes. So did Diarmat and Bellusdeo.
Sanabalis winced, but he chuckled, as well. I believe Lord Diarmat is on the edge of repenting his decision to teach you; he may well ask the Arkon to undertake that duty instead.
But he wont fall over that edge until weve suffered at least as much as he has?
Ah, no. I believe he would be more than willing to continue to teach you, but he feels that Bellusdeo is an impediment to your effective absorption of necessary knowledge. Sanabalis nodded at the candle. Begin.
* * *
The entire department heard her shriek.
Only half of them left their desks to see what had caused itor at least only half of them were visible when Kaylin threw the door open and tried to run through them into the office. She was bouncing.
Teela! Tain! I did it!
Whatever you did, kitling, Teela replied, you broke the silence spell that usually protects us from your cursing during class. She glanced pointedly at the warded door. What do you think you did?
Kaylin spun and pointed.
The candles wick was actually burning. Shed been staring at it every class for what felt like yearsbut couldnt have been more than a couple of months in objective timeand had even cut it in half in a foul mood. Not once in all those months had the damn thing done what it was supposed to do.
But today?
Today shed almost felt the warmth of fire; shed grasped and visualized its name. It had taken the better part of an hour to accomplish that much, because it was a large name and parts of it kept sliding out of her grip. It didnt matter; this was the first class shed had with Sanabalis that hadnt ended in total, frustrating failure.
Lord Sanabalis rose, and Kaylin hesitated, losing a little of her bounce. You didnt do it, did you? It was me?
It was you, Private Neya. And because youve succeededonceI will consider todays lesson complete. If you will accompany me?
Pardon?
I believe Lord Grammayre and Sergeant Kassan would like a few words with you. They did want to speak with you earlier, but I felt the matter could wait until after your lesson.
Yes, because Lord Sanabalis was a Dragon and Lord Grammayre and Sergeant Kassan were only the men responsible for signing off on her pay chit.
* * *
Lord Grammayre and Marcus were waiting in the Hawklords Tower. Kaylin, torn between panic at the length of time theyd been made to wait and worry about the topic of discussion, went up the stairs at a brisk clip, as if rushing to her doom. Dragon knowledge of the effective chain of command in the Halls of Law was pretty simple: the Dragon Courts desires took precedence over everything. It was hard to get that wrong. Their knowledge of the finer details, on the other handand in particular Kaylins place in the food chain as a privateleft a lot to be desired, especially since their pay and their rank werent ever going to be at risk. She tried not to resent this as Sanabalis, curse him, practically crawled.