Im sorry, she said without looking at him. I
I heard about it this morning.
How?
Teela mirrored me; she thought Id like to know before I hit the office.
I
You had better things to worry about.
Youre angry anyway.
Im angry, yes, but Im not angry at you. He stopped walking. I should have been there.
You didnt know.
Why didnt you mirror when you hit the office?
Everyone was so pissed off, I didnt think about it. She hesitated and then added, Im still not thinking about it very clearly. At all. I know what happenedI was therebut part of me still thinks I can take the normal route home.
You could stay with me.
She hesitated. I would, she said, because it was true. But I cant leave Bellusdeo. The Emperor wont give permission for her to live with younot that youd enjoy itand Im betting he wont give his blessing if I move out on my own, unless she requests it.
He glanced at the small dragon on her shoulder but made no comment; Kaylin guessed that Teela had also mentioned its appearance, and didnt ask. Mention of her home had dampened a mood that hadnt been that cheery to begin with.
* * *
Kaylin made it to the Halls with a few minutes to spare and found Tanner and Kelmar on the doors. Getting into the Halls took a little longer than usual, because both of the Hawks wanted to take a look at the glass dragon, and the glass dragon seemed lazily inclined to allow their inspection. While they looked, Kaylin asked if theyd had any word, and their nonanswer was incentive enough to jog through the Halls to the office.
There, she headed straight to the duty board. She read it with care, grinding her teeth as she noticed the address of her apartment and the fact that it wasnt anywhere near her name.
She then headed straight for Caitlin. Why am I not being pulled in on the investigation into my own apartment?
Think about what you just said, dear.
But its my
Exactly. Your judgment would not be considered impartial or objective enough. Caitlin frowned slightly. I realize youre upset
I think Im allowed!
but you shouldnt be so upset that you forget one of the more significant rules governing investigative assignments. If it helps, the Imperial Order has been working since
Have they found anything?
Not conclusively.
Kaylin perked up. What was inconclusive?
There was, as far as the mages could tell, only one signature left at the site.
Thats unusual. Kaylin hesitated and then added, Its also inaccurate.
Caitlin winced. I think you should talk to Marcus, dear. But hes been dealing with Dragons and mages, so hes not in the best of moods.
* * *
This had better be important, Marcus said as she approached his desk. He didnt even bother to look up. He was elbow deep in reports. This would have been unusual, but as it was not the most unusual thing about Marcus at this very moment, Kaylin barely noticed. His left armor the fur on ithad been either seared or singed off. What are you staring at, Private?
Nothing. Sir.
Good. Why are you gaping at nothing in front of my desk?
She took a deep breath and lifted her chin slightly. Its about my apartment.
No.
Its not about the investigation, she said quickly. But the Imperial mages apparently only found one magical signature at the detonation site. I saw two.
Marcus dug a runnel into the desk. When exactly did you see these?
Just after the bomb destroyed my home.
Good. Id hate to have to demote or discipline the Hawks on duty there today; you are not supposed to be on-site. At all. He gave up on the report he was writingfor a value of write that involved reading and a signature that was shaky to begin withand lifted his head to stare at her. After a significant pause, he pulled a report from one of the piles. Here.
Kaylin had learned love of reports from Marcus but took it anyway.
Im up to my armpits in Imperial Concern, he continued before she could ask about its contents. The Imperial Order will be interested in what you have to say about a second signature. Theyre also likely to feel insulted. I suggest you go directly to Lord Sanabalis; Ive come this close to relieving one mage of his throat this morning already.
Yes, sir.
Read that report. You can give me a précis of what it actually says later. And, Private, I mean it: you go anywhere near our investigators at your former address, and youll be suspended without pay until you leave the City.
* * *
Reading reports wasnt nearly as onerous as writing themunless you happened to be the Sergeant. Kaylin retired to her cramped, small desk, discovered that someone had commandeered her chair, and sat on the desks nearly pristine surface instead of going to find it. Bellusdeo was not in the office, and her mood was not Kaylins problem, but she felt guilty enjoying the Dragons absence. The report helped with that, but not in a good way.
She was uncertain as to why the report was even on Marcuss desk, because in theory, it involved the fiefs. The Hawks kept an eye on the bridges between the fiefs and the rest of the City, but it was cursory; they couldnt stop traffic from entering the fiefs, and they couldnt stop traffic from leaving them, either, although admittedly questions were asked in either case. There was, with the exception of Tiamaris, very little of either.
Oh, wait. There it was: the small tendril that led to the large, omnipresent web. A boy, Miccha Jannoson, had, on a dare from his friendsKaylin snorted at the wordcrossed the bridge from the City into the fiefs. He was lucky, in that the fief in question was Tiamaris; there was enough traffic over that bridge, and most of it seemed to return in the other direction at the end of the day.
He was unlucky, in that he didnt appear to be one of the returnees. His grandmother had filed a report with Missing Persons the following morning. Which would be yesterday.
Tiamaris was both fieflord and Dragon Lord, and he was willing to cooperate with the Halls of Law in their search.
She read through to the end; there, transcribed, was a brief message from Tiamaris: the boy was not the only person to disappear within his fief in the past two weeks. In other fiefs, such disappearances might not be noticed, noted, or of concern; in Tiamaris, they were apparently personal, Tiamaris being a Dragon. He requested, at the Halls leisure, a check for possible similar disappearances within Elantra, but asked that the check be broader: not teenage boys, but people, period. Mortals.
Kaylin glanced at the small dragon draped across her shoulders. She had four days before her departure. Four days wasnt a lot of time for an investigation of something bigand the fact that Tiamaris had made an all but official request meant he considered it significant. Maybe it was time to visit the fief and speak to Tara.
* * *
Teela dropped by her desk as she was planning. Kaylin almost fell over when she saw the Barrani officers face; it was bruised. Her eyes, however, were green. Mostly.
Kitling, Teela said, sounding as tired as she looked.
Kitling, Teela said, sounding as tired as she looked.
Kaylin felt her jaw hanging open, and shut it.
Why are you staring? I dont recall ever saying I was impervious to harm.
What the hells were you fighting? Barrani?
A dozen.
Report forgotten, Kaylin swiveled in her chair. What happened last night?
We met some resistance.
You didnt go on a raid with two bloody Dragons expecting no resistance.
Sit down. I didnt come here to deliver bad news; I came here to extend an invitation to the High Halls.
Kaylins brows disappeared into her hairline; if they hadnt been attached to the rest of her face, they would have kept going. P-pardon?
It is a personal invitation, Teela added.
Im guesting at the Palace at the moment, on account of having no home.
Yes. You could stay with me in the High Halls instead; I find the Halls very dull and otherwise too peaceful. Regardless, you will require suitable clothing for your journey to the West March. I assume that very little of yours survived.
Im wearing most of it. Kaylin sat. Youre not going to tell me what happened, are you?
You can read the report when its written. You can read any of a dozen reports; Marcus probably wont.
Teela
Teela lifted a hand. Two of the mages died. We lost four Hawks; three of them were Barrani, one was Aerian. Clint was injured, but not badly; Tain has a broken arm and the disposition one would expect from that.
Marcus?
His fur was singed, as you may have noticed. Hes alive. Hes alive, Teela added, because he can move his bulk at need, and he moved.
I dont suppose the Dragons
The Dragons are, of course, fine.
The Arcanum
The Arcanum was damaged during the fighting; it is, however, still structurally sound.
Evarrim?
He was not involved in the fighting. The way she said it made clear that no more questions about Evarrim were going to be answered; it also made clear that she would have been happier if he had been.
What were you looking for anyway?
The Arcanists involved with the Human Caste Court and their missing funds.
Did you find them?
All but one.
Are they in custody?
Teela stared at her until she felt embarrassed for even asking. Do remember, she said, that the Emperor can hold his own laws in abeyance should the need arise, hmm? The Arcanists were expecting trouble; they just werent expecting the quality of the trouble they did get. She said this with a particularly vicious smile. Ill meet you here after work.
But I cant stay in the High Halls.
Why not?
Bellusdeo will kill me.
Teela frowned. You havent learned anything from yesterday, have you?
What do you mean?
Hanging around with that particular Dragon is not good for your health. Im not sure shes in the clear yet, and if shes not, you wont be.
Im in the Palace, Kaylin pointed out.
Not at the moment, youre not. Your point is, however, taken. Id prefer to avoid the Palace, if at all possible.
Why?
Because the Emperor isnt terribly happy with the Barrani, its Lords, or its mages, and Im not assuming that hes going to be entirely happy with its Hawks, either.
Why?
Kitlingthink instead of talking, hmm? She gave Kaylin five seconds to do that thinking, which seemed a tad unfair. The bomb wasnt thrown by mortals; it certainly wasnt planted by Dragons. Whoever tried to kill Bellusdeo was almost certainly Barrani; it is not inconceivable that they were working in concert with humans.
If I ask why again, are you going to hurt me?
Ill seriously consider it, Teela replied, but her eyes stayed on the safe side of blue. Bellusdeo is both female and Dragon. The Dragon population has been static for a long time now; the Barrani population hasnt. If were not at warand were notthe war still informs us. Someone doesnt want there to be any more clutches, and killing Bellusdeo pretty much guarantees that.
* * *
Kaylins regular beat was still embroiled in the investigations and magical cleanup demanded by the Emperor and the Imperial Order of Mages. They were drawing to a close, which meant the growing line of concerned citizensMargot chief among themwere likely to be less of a feature in the various offices the Swords occupied. Which was a pity. Margots inability to make money by swindling the gullible was a genuinely bright spot in what was otherwise magical chaos and displacement.
The panicked reports of citizens at the edges of the Elani district had dropped to a manageable level in the two weeks itd been more or less locked down, which meant the Hawks confined to desks in the public office were released to their regular duties. In the case of Private Neya and Corporal
Handred, this meant a stroll to the fief of Tiamaris; as Elani was still in lockdown, and it was their beat, they had time in the schedule for low-level investigations of a more incidental nature. As the Hawklord called them.
As the two Hawks headed toward the bridge-crossing that led to Tiamaris, Kaylin filled Severn in on the admittedly scant details of the report Marcus had offloaded, hoping that Severn would drop in on Missing PersonsMallorys domain
tomorrow. Mallory didnt have the apparent contempt for Severn that he had for Kaylin. To be fair, Severn didnt have the apparent contempt for Mallory that Kaylin had, either. Severn was much more likely to be granted full records access for a search of those reported missing the past two weeks.
The small dragon chewed on the stick in Kaylins hair without dislodging it or, worse, snapping it, as they made their way across the bridge and, from there, to the less crowded fief streets. They hadnt bothered to ditch the Hawks tabard, so the occupants of those streets kept their distancebut they didnt duck into the nearest building, doorway, or alley just to move out of the way. Things improved, if slowly.
To Kaylins surprise, Tara wasnt in her garden when they approached the Tower itself. Kaylin slowed, ducked around the side of the building, and found it empty, as well. Severn nodded when she glanced at him; he found it unusual, as well.
The Tower doors were shut. Since they had no warda kindness offered by Tara, who understood just how thoroughly uncomfortable wards made Kaylinthe two Hawks knocked and then took a step back to wait. The doors took five minutes to roll open.
Standing between them as they opened was Morse. She was alone, which was also unusual; she was on edge, which was worse. Tiamaris wants to speak with you, she said without preamble.
Wheres Tara?
In the mirror room. If she wants to be disturbed, shell let us know. Shes been there for the past three days, she added as she turned and began to lead them into the cavernous, wide halls of the Tower.
Morse?
Morse shrugged. Yeah, she said, answering the question Kaylin had asked by tone alone. Its been bad. She paused, squinted, and then said, Whered you get the glass dragon?
* * *
Tiamaris was waiting in what looked like a war room. The wall opposite the doors was a vast display of mirrors, none of which were in their reflective state. The whole of the fief, in much cleaner lines than the streets ever saw, was laid out to the left. Across those streets were lines in different colors; one was a bright, sharp red. It demanded attention.