It was helpful to have Bellusdeo here, on the other hand, because the baskets in which food was generally carried home were still in said home. They made their way back to the apartment; by this point, Bellusdeo had no difficulty finding it.
The Dragon practiced her Elantran in the market, and she practiced it in the street. Kaylin triedvery hardto elide all swearing from her commentary and her answers to Bellusdeos questions, and only in part because it was slightly embarrassing to have to explain what the rude words meant.
But she was hungry and slightly discouraged as she made her way to the apartment, her thoughts mostly on the midwives, Tiamaris, and the total lack of privacy one room afforded.
She unlocked the door, entered her room, and made a beeline for the mirror; when it showed a total lack of calls, she relaxed. She let her hair down, literally, and tried to put the stick where she could easily find it in the morning. She then went to the kitchen for a couple of plates. There was still water that was potable, and the food shed bought for the evening didnt require anything as complicated as cooking.
Bellusdeo took a seat on the bed, which was fair; the chair was a clothing repository at the moment, and Kaylin wasnt so exhausted that she needed to fall over and sleep. The bed, however, creaked ominously as it received Dragon weight, and while it hadnt yet collapsed beneath Bellusdeo, the sound reminded Kaylin of the unhatched egg that now resided beneath her. She quickly shoved the remainder of a hard, smooth cheese into her mouth and tried not to look as if she was diving in a panic for the box that contained the egg.
Bellusdeo snorted. Kaylin had the grace to look a little embarrassed as she unwound the various bits and pieces of cloth that served as poor insulation for the egg during her absence.
The egg was a pale shade of purple in her hands.
It wasnt that color earlier, Bellusdeo observed, leaning back on her hands and stretching.
No, it wasnt. Tomorrow, if it hasnt hatched, Im going to bring it with me to the office.
Oh, your Sergeant will love that, Im certain. She frowned and looked up at the shutters of the window as they popped open.
Kaylin, still holding the egg, winced and rose. Sorry about that, she said, because the shutter had narrowly avoided the back of Bellusdeos head. Theyre warped. I keep meaning to see about getting them replaced
When you say replaced, do you mean you intend to build new ones?
Hells, no. I couldnt make new shutters that would be half as good as these, and these are no good. Let me tie them together.
Bellusdeo, however, was looking at something in her lap. She rose, her expression freezing solid. It wasnt her expression that was the problem: it was the color of her eyes. Theyd shifted from lazy gold to a deep, deep red without stopping for anything else in between. Kaylin, she said, moving toward her and toward the door, as well. The shutters
But Kaylin didnt need to hear more, because something flew in through the open window.
Chapter 2
Kaylins first instinct was to ram the shutters shut, but she was carrying the egg, and shed have to set it downor drop it. Get down, Bellusdeo. Her voice was sharp, harsh.
Bellusdeo caught Kaylin by the shoulders and dragged her from the window as Kaylin ducked out of any line of sight that wasnt at a severe angle and tried to see where the crossbow bolt had landed. She didnt find it.
Kaylin, we have to leave.
If theres more than one assassin, Kaylin countered, running out the door in a panic is playing into their hands. She grabbed for the eggs carton as a second bolt flew through the open window.
Except it wasnt a bolt. Kaylin felt the hair on her neck instantly stand at attention, which was bad; the marks on her body began to burn, which was worse. She couldnt see what shed clearly heard land on the floor of her apartment, but she didnt need to see it to knowsuddenly and completelywhat it was. Her eyes widened.
GodsBellusdeoits an Arcane bomb
The room exploded.
* * *
Wood flew out in a wide circle: shutters, parts of the wall, wooden floor slats, and the soft wood that formed their base. Her mattress sent feathers into the air, and the feathers were caught in a blue, blue sizzle, becoming a miniature lightning storm. There was so damn much magic in the room, Kaylins entire body was screaming in pain on the way to total numbness.
Which was better than being dead.
Bellusdeo had her arms around Kaylin and her back toward the window; her body was pressed against the egg that Kaylin still held between almost nerveless palms. The world expanded around them; shards of mirror flew past Kaylins cheek and lodged in the Dragons hair. The floor beneath their feet cracked and gave; the joists above their heads did the same, bending up toward someone elses floor. Wind whipped whatever wasnt nailed down through the airwhich would, in this apartment, be everything.
Everything except the two women who stood at what had once been its center. Kaylin could see a sphere surrounding them; it was a soft, pale gold, like the color of a living wordbut there were no words to shed it.
Are you all right? she shouted.
Bellusdeo nodded. Her eyes were still bloodred, and her hands were like bruising pincers.
I didnt know you were so powerful
Bellusdeos brows rose into her very disheveled hair. Im not. This isnt me.
Its not me, either. Kaylin looked at the bracer on her wrist; its gems lights were flashing so quickly they looked like chaos embedded in gold. Somewhere above, below, and to the right, people began to shout and scream as Kaylin looked at her hands.
For once, Kaylin was barely aware of the civilians.
The eggs shell had cracked, and bits of it were flying in the unnatural wind the Arcane bomb had caused. It didnt matter. What was inwhat had been surrounded bythat shell stared up at her. It was small and pale; it was also, like slightly smoky glass, translucent. Everything except its eyes. Its eyes were disturbing; they had no irises, no pupils, no whites. They would have been gray or silver, except for the constant, moving flecks of color that seemed to all but swim across their surface. Like opals, she thought.
Or, remembering the effects of the Shadow that had destroyed the watchtowers in the fief formerly known as Barren, like malignant storms.
Bellusdeo looked down, as well. She tried to move out of the way, but since she didnt actually let go of Kaylins shoulders, it was awkward. Dragons werent known for their flexibility. She hissed, a wordless sibilant. Kaylin, your arm.
The bracer does that some of the time. Ignore it.
I wasnt talking about your bracer. Youryour marks, Chosen.
Kaylin frowned. She couldnt take her eyes off the small creatureand only in part because she didnt want to. It had the form and shape of something reptilian, but not the actual scales. A long neck, a long tail, and a delicate head with a tapered jaw, the beast now sat in her palms.
Kaylin.
It opened its mouth, revealing translucent teeth, translucent tongue, and some hint of translucent upper palate. I thinkI think its yawning.
I think youre crazy, Bellusdeo snapped in Elantran. In Barrani, she added, Is that the right word? It means insane.
Kaylin.
It opened its mouth, revealing translucent teeth, translucent tongue, and some hint of translucent upper palate. I thinkI think its yawning.
I think youre crazy, Bellusdeo snapped in Elantran. In Barrani, she added, Is that the right word? It means insane.
Yes. But when it stretched its neck, its tongue flickering like a snakes tongue might, she saw the last little bit of its body as it slowly unfurled wings. For something that fit more or less in the palm of her handwell, a little lessit had long wings. Long wings; eyes like opals.
Kaylin
Kaylin shook herself. Im sorry, she said, looking at the spot where the floor wasnt anymore. It happened to be far beneath her feet, but she hadnt yet fallen. Neither had the weightier Bellusdeo. What about the marks?
If you can manage to divert your gaze by a few degrees, youll see for yourself.
Kaylin looked slightly over the small creatures head. Oh.
Oh, you say.
One of the marks from Kaylins arm was floating in the air above the small creatures head, hovering, in miniature, the way the spoken True Words did. Bellusdeo, can you read it? Can you tell me what it means?
Bellusdeo shook her head. I was taught very little of the ancient tongue.
But youre as old as the Arkon
Yes. I was not, however, considered adult in my Aerie, because I wasnt. What I learned, I learned by subterfuge and charm. Mostly charm.
It wouldnt kill you to try that on Diarmat. It might, at this point, kill him.
The rune began to thin as Kaylin watched it. No, not thincompress. Three horizontal strokes began to shift their position, making a jumble of a pattern that had, for a moment, looked tantalizingly familiar. There was a short, fat dot in the center of the pattern, and slender, vertical squiggles to the left; those were pulled in as well, until there was something the shape of a very odd funnel just above the hatchlings delicate head.
It flicked its tongue and then roared. Which came out as a pretty pathetic squawk. As it inhaled to try again, the funnel above its head began to descend; the creature opened its mouth andbegan to eat it. Or drink from it.
Bellusdeo, pinch me. Oh, never mindyou already are.
Bellusdeo, however, was staring at the creature. Do you understand what you have in your hands? she finally asked in a hushed voice.
A baby Dragon?
Remind me to speak to the Emperor about the standards of your biological education, was the scathing reply. Anything that small and delicate that hatched in the Aerie would be crushed or suffocated before it got out of its shell.
Well, it looks like a Dragon, except for the color.
It looks nothing like a Dragon!
Kaylin decided not to press the point.
And if it were, wed both be dead.
What do you mean?
Its a familiar, Bellusdeo replied. Theyre almost legendary creatures. No, let me rephrase that: they are legendary creatures. Ive never seen one before.
Then how do you know what it is?
Familiars, according to legend, are born in magical conflagration.
From eggs?
Funnily enough, the legends didnt specify. This one, though, was.
What can you tell me about familiars? From legend, I mean, she added hastily.
Very little. They were the creatures of sorcerers, and in one particular story, the sorcerer who sought to summon a familiar destroyed half a world in the attempt.
Half a world? Kaylin looked around the wreckage. This doesnt even qualify, if thats the level of magic youre talking about.
Bellusdeo shrugged. Legends are neither scientific nor historical. Arcane bomb? Is that what you called it?
Yes. She frowned. I didnt see it; I could feel it. But I can see the sphere that absorbed most of the impact. On us, she hastily added, looking at the debris.
The Dragon looked around the ruins of what had once been Kaylins apartment. Or rather, her building, since the one above and the one below werent going to be suitable living quarters for anything but desperate mice.
Is this, Kaylin nodded at the small dragon, the source of the sphere?
Pardon?
The sphere. The one surrounding us.
Bellusdeo closed her eyes. When she opened them again, Kaylin was happy to see that they were orange. You are correct, she said softly in Barrani. There is a sphere surrounding us. You can see that without casting?
Kaylin nodded. It doesnt seem like a strong spell.
Bellusdeos eyes rounded fully. Apparently this was idiocy beyond even her expectations of mortals. In what way?
Kaylin was now looking, eyes narrowed, at every standing surface in the surrounding apartment. No signature, she replied, still examining the walls.
The small dragon turned its head toward the large one; its tongue flicked air, and Kaylin saw that its tongue was now the same color as its eyes. The rune was gone.
* * *
Kaylin was almost afraid to move, but she didslowlythe small dragon cupped in her hands, the large Dragon attached to her shoulders. She didnt tell Bellusdeo to let go, because she had a hunch that the sphere was generated somehow by the creature Bellusdeo had called a familiar, and it was the sphere that seemed to be allowing her the slow, timid steps she was taking through what was essentially air with splinters thrown in. She didnt want Bellusdeo to fall.
But she looked at what remained of the floor where the Arcane bomb had exploded, and she could see the harsh illumination of a sigil against the broken floorboards; it was huge and splashed up against what remained of the walls.
What are you looking for? The device?
No, thats gone. Im looking for the signature of the mage who created it. Arcane bombs are usually designed to have up to three different magical signatures, and none of those signatures is guaranteed to correspond to an actual criminal. She frowned.
Bellusdeo looked shocked. Outraged. It instantly made Kaylin feel better. What do you mean, an actual criminal? Isnt the creation of a magical item of that nature criminal enough?
Since it was more or less an annual rant on Kaylins partif she was being generousKaylin had no arguments to offer in response. This ones different.
How?
I can only see two, and frankly, they seem a bit on the small size.
Maybe it wasnt what you thought it was?
Or maybe the whole egg-hatching-in-conflagration thing did something with most of the magic the item contained. She glanced at the creature, who had curled up so that his head was practically under one of his wings. He appeared to be sleeping. Hes really, really cute, she whispered.
Kaylin, please. Focus.
Yes, Bellusdeo, she said in exactly the same meek tone she sometimes used to ward off Marcus-level irritation.
* * *
Kaylin was wondering how in the hells they were supposed to leave the apartment and make their way down to the presumed safety of the street below, because the floors between here and the doorwhich had incidentally been blown clear off its admittedly flimsy hinges and probably lay in pieces on the stairs belowwere nonexistent.