She seems to like Teela.
Teela is hardly Barrani.
I heard that, Teela said, a distinct edge in her voice. And if it came from anyone else, theyd be picking up teeth. Or body parts. To Kaylin, she said, Try to keep him out of trouble, hmm?
* * *
Kaylins beat was Elani Street, and she headed there with Severn and Mandoran in tow. Only years of long practice stopped her from patrolling in ground-eating, angry strides. She made clear what she thought of politics in several different languages, settling at last on Leontine as the most appropriate, because it implied the most violence.
Mandoran understood every word; hed picked up most of the phrasing from Teela without the need to actually learn it himself. Kaylins extremely foul temper seemed to be a balm to what had started out as a gloomy, bored mood.
Did you see the assassin? Kaylin demanded.
Of course I did.
Did Teela?
Sensing her mood, he answered. No. And before you ask, I dont know why I could see her and Teela couldnt. She could, however, take a look through my eyes.
Male or female?
Is there a bet riding on the outcome?
Kaylin rolled her eyes.
What? If you could be careful enough to count every breath you take during an average day, youd bet on that. It was more or less true, which was annoying. So far, the morning had been nothing but annoying.
Let me guess. You didnt think to make a bet.
She hadnt. It doesnt matter. Was the would-be assassin an Aerian? It was the only question that actually mattered. She desperately wanted the answer to be no, because she desperately wanted to be able to thumb her nose at the Caste Court. And if she were being honest, that wasnt the whole of the reason.
She was upset because Teela was probably right. For some reason, Kaylin expected better from the Aerians.
It depends.
Kaylin glared. On what? Did they have wings?
Yes.
What was left of her hope curled up in a ball on the inside of her chest. Mandoran, however, stopped walking, forcing her and Severn to stop. When she turned back, he said, Am I Barrani?
* * *
She didnt answer the question immediately, although anyone else looking at Mandoran would have. He looked like the Barrani. He didnt look young or old; his age was only obvious, according to Teela, because of his behavior. But he had the same skin tone, the same eyes, the same perfect hair and flawless skin, and even the same height.
But she knew that the answer was both yes and no. Mandoran was in Elantra for Annarions sake, but he was trying to relearn the art of being Barrani, the race to which hed been born, for his own.
Does Teela know?
Of course she does. Teela couldnt see her, he added. I imagine only your familiar and I could. She could see what I saw, when she chose to look.
Her.
Mandoran grinned. Kaylin couldnt. Teelas talking to your sergeant now. Oh, no, waitshes heading up the Tower stairs to talk to the Hawklord. He frowned. Shes just shut me down, so I cant give you a report on what he has to say. This is bad information?
It means the Caste Court is likely to get its damn exemption, yes. She walked for two full blocks, Mandoran keeping easy pace with her stride. She wasnt like you.
No. But she wasnt entirely Aerian, to my eye. She had the form, the shape, the wingsand she also had an odd weapon, as well as a healthy command of magic. But Teela said her invisibility wasnt entirely due to a spell.
What was it due to, in Teelas opinion? Dont give me that lookif I ask Teela shell just pat me on the head and tell me to mind my own business.
Not entirely clear.
Kaylin hesitated. Can we take a small detour? she asked Severn.
He nodded. Darrow Lane?
How did you guess?
* * *
As it happened, they didnt make it to Darrow Lanean area that would have taken investigational difficulty to new heights, given the midday traffic. Kaylin had been considering the logistics glumly while they walked very briskly to the site of the attack, but she stopped as a passing shadow grew larger and darker overhead. It was an Aerian shadow, and it wasnt doing a patrol flyby. She wasnt surprised to see Clint join his shadow as he landed.
She wasnt even surprised to see that his eyes were very blue. Disheartened, but not surprised.
Ive been sent to find you, he told her.
Youve been sent to chase me away from Darrow Lane.
Ive been sent to make certain that you observe the...etiquette of the laws of exemption, yes. His expression made clear that he didnt care for exemptionsbut no one in the Halls did, unless the exemptions were for the Barrani. That was just practical. The Barrani were pretty much death for any Hawk who wasnt.
And, Kaylin thought silently, even the Barrani didnt care much if the Barrani were murdering each other.
Clintwhats going on?
Im not on the Caste Court, he replied. And no matter how much I rise in rank, Im never going to be on the Caste Court. I cant answer your question.
Would you, if you knew?
Laws of exemption, he replied.
Her hands found her hips as she looked up at her favorite Aerian. Laws of exemption apply to legal consequences. They dont govern answering bloody questions!
Kitling, the human Caste Court isnt the Aerian Caste Court. They exert different powers. The human Caste Court might as well call itself the Order of Merchants with Jumped-Up Titles and Pretensions for all the difference it makes to anyone who isnt the Emperor. Do you know what happens to outcaste humans?
Kaylin frowned. What do you mean, what happens?
Are you, that you know of, outcaste?
No. She paused. I dont think so.
Exactly. The human Caste Court doesnt give a damn about you. As far as I can tell, they dont give a damn about humans in general, except the rich or powerful ones. You dont give a damn about themyou probably cant name the members that constitute the Caste Court.
Its not relevant to my life or my work, she said, sounding defensive, hating it and unable to stop. Shed never liked being called stupid, even by implication, and while shed made strides in her response, the feeling never completely vanished.
No, its not, Clint replied, his voice gentling. Hed known her for years. Youre a Hawk. Youre a human. Theres no point in learning all of this crap because it doesnt make a difference to either your life or your work. But, kitling, the Aerian Caste Court isnt the human one.
Youve never mentioned it before.
Its never been relevant. If Moran werent a Hawk, it wouldnt be relevant. Theres a reason shes in charge of the infirmary.
Because shes terrifying?
He winced, giving in for a moment to amusement. It died fairly quickly. Other than that. Do you know what happens to outcaste Aerians?
She didnt. She shook her head. Was it covered in racial integration classes?
No. The human Caste Court adopted many of the practices of the Barrani Caste Court. They adopted many of the same attitudes and the same pretensions. If Barrani are made outcaste, and they are powerful, they are simply shunned.
But the Aerian Caste Court adopted many of the practices of the Dragons. Do you know what happens to outcaste Dragons?
They die. Unless they fly into Ravellon.
Yes. It is the duty of each and every Dragon to exterminate the outcaste.
Well, yesnow. Theres only one remaining flight, and its boss happens to be the Eternal Emperor.
The Aerian Caste Court is far crueler, in my opinion, than the Dragon Court.
Kaylin almost gaped, and pressed her mouth into a tighter line to stop that. What happens to outcaste Aerians? She had never asked. It had never occurred to her that it would be relevant, anddamn Teela, anywayshe had never truly imagined that an Aerian could be outcaste.
They cut off our wings and abandon us on the ground.
She stared at him. Cut off your wings.
Yes.
Your wings.
Yes. He looked down at her, some of the harshness leaving his expression.
But Moran
The sergeant will never be made outcaste.
So...theyll just murder her instead.
Yes.
Clint, I dont understand whats going on.
No. But, Kaylinyou have a knack for kicking the hornets nest, even when you cant see it. Look, Ive known you since you were a kid. I know that youll only kick the nest when youre in a big hurry to help someone; you probably wont see it until there are swarms of angry insects buzzing around your face. I can ask you not to get involved. His acute stare made it clear that he already had. What I need you to understand, in this, is that the hornets arent going to sting you.
If you kick this nest, theyre going to sting Aerians. In the worst cases, we wont get welts. Well lose our lives in every meaningful sense. And yes, before you ask, mutilation is covered by the racial laws of exemption as long as both the involved parties are Aerian. The only personthe only personwho can safely discuss this with you is Moran. Ask me, ask anyone else, and get any answer... He trailed off, his meaning clear.
I cant even look at the attack site?
No. The exemption has been granted.
* * *
There were no more detours on the way to Elani.
Mandorans eyes were a restless green with hints of blue when he turned to Kaylin. Hes wrong about the Barrani Court. In theory, it is the duty of Barrani Lords to kill the outcaste.
Nightshade, was her flat reply.
Were a pragmatic people.
You invented freaking table manners, I swear. How is that pragmatic? Using utensils I get, but why do we need five forks? Kaylin had to force herself not to march.
Its almost never five. More seriously, he continued, Were pragmatic. Only when politics are heavily involved does it become trickier.
Meaning?
If the High Lord wished to rid himself of a particularly fractious member of his Court, he would order that lord to destroy the outcaste in questionlets use Nightshade as our example. If the fractious lord doesnt wish to become outcaste on a flimsy technicality, he has only one choice. He must attempt to destroy Nightshade. Mandorans tone made clear how unsuccessful this theoretical lord would be.
So...dont tick off the High Lord.
Thats always good advice. Nightshade has survived all prior attempts on his life, and he is considered a favorite, in spite of his status, with the Lady. And now youve distracted me.
You were doing most of the talking.
True. What I meant was, if the High Lord were intent on the destruction of a Barrani Lord, that lord would die. Period.
Clints not wrong. That wasnt what he was saying.
No? I admit Teela doesnt have all that much information about him, at least that shes willing to share.
Hes telling me that my interference could cost him his wings. His literal wings. Because the implication is the Caste Court takes its excommunication very, very seriously. And clearly, Moran is at the heart of it. Hes also telling me that Moran wont be stripped of her wings. The worst she can do is die.
But he didnt make that claim for the Hawklord. Her shoulders were bunching themselves up near her neck, which annoyed the familiar, who squawked loudly. And I owe Lord Grammayre my life. All of it. She glanced at Severn. What do we do?
Our jobs, he replied. And until we figure out where the hornets nest is, only our jobs.
* * *
The Elani beat was relatively quiet. The Hawks broke up one fight, stopped someone from breaking a window, gave directionsand withheld advice, which was much, much harderto new visitors to the quarter. Mandoran headed into Margots house of fraud, leaving Kaylin and Severn to their actual work.
If youre doing that just to annoy me, its working, Kaylin told him.
Mandoran grinned. Teelas advice. So you know who to blame.
It was, if one ignored the assassination attemptand apparently, shed been ordered to do just thata very normal day. The type of day she yearned for every time she left her own front doors.
* * *
The unusual part of the Elani patroland really, on a street full of fortune-telling frauds and miracle-medicine sellers, angry ex-customers trying to cause damage was the usualcame at the end of the patrol. Mandoran had rejoined them, his lips a suspicious shade of red that didnt look entirely natural. He probably deserved to be clipped by a door that flew open without warning.
The door belonged to Evantons shop. Grethan, Evantons apprentice, stood in the open frame, looking vaguely anxious. The anxiety cleared as the small dragon launched itself off Kaylins shoulders and onto the young apprentices.
Kaylin and Severn, who had come to an instant halt, shared a glance before speaking. Were you looking for us? Kaylin asked.
Grethan nodded. Evanton wants to speak to you. Hes in the kitchen with tea. And, um. Tea.
Um?
He has another guest. The ladys been in, on and off, for the past three weeks. She wants him to make something hes not certain he wants to make.
And...hes asking my advice? Did he fall and hit his head?
No. If he fell, hed probably manage to hit my head instead, was the morose reply. Im not sure why he wants to see you, he added.
Does he want to see the rest of us? Mandoran asked, remaining outside in the street. Given Mandorans previous visitswhich had involved a lot of water in the wrong placesthis was a perfectly reasonable question.
He didnt say, Grethan replied. But I think it should be fine.
Mandoran looked dubious.
I think he actually likes you and your brother. He just thinks youre walking disasters waiting to happen.
They are, Kaylin said before Grethan could continue. You coming in or waiting outside?
* * *
The small dragon liked Grethan; he always had. Grethan therefore remained his perch of interest while the apprentice led them to Evanton and his mysterious guest. They were, in fact, in the kitchen, a functional room that had never been intended for guests. The table could comfortably fit four. Evantons expression made clear that it was going to uncomfortably fit five, although he did take pity on Mandoran after everyone else was seated. You can wander around the store, if youd prefer. I would ask that you not touch anything without checking with Grethan first.