The Barrani who havent taken the Test of Nameand passed itare mostly invisible in the High Halls. Theyre not considered significant. They can be servantsand we do have thoseor guards; they can be soldiers, if war demands soldiery. But they cant be anything else. If they have ambition or pretension, they take the Test. Tain didnt.
So hes considered insignificant.
Yes. Shes hoping to change his mind, he added. Shes never considered him insignificant, and I think shes afraid shell lose him. He winced. Kaylin couldnt hear Teela, and was very grateful for that fact at this particular moment.
She didnt know Tain as well as she knew Teela, but she knew him well enough by now. He wont listen.
Thats what I told her. Does she believe me? No, of course not. She might believe you.
Im not stupid enough to try.
* * *
Bellusdeo found Kaylin in the breakfast room three hours later. The Dragon, like Kaylin, preferred Kaylins work days to her days off, and probably for similar reasons. What did Mandoran do this time? she asked, drawing Kaylins attention from whatever it was shed been looking at. Her hands, probably. Or the table. Helen had long since caused the plates to vanish, although technically cleaning up was Kaylins job.
Nothing.
Youre worried.
Kaylin nodded. I was thinking of paying a visit to the High Halls.
Bellusdeo wrinkled her nose. Take Severn with you.
Its not Hawk business. Not officially.
Almost everything you do is Hawk business. You intend to visit the Consort?
If shell see me. I have a hundred questions, and I think I have to whittle them down to the important ones.
And those are?
The ones I can ask without giving offense to anyone.
In which case, you might as well stay home. But the Dragon was smiling fondly. I dont suppose you could invite her to visit you here?
I couldbut I highly doubt she could accept. This isnt exactly a safe space Helen cleared her throat, and Kaylin flushed. Getting to Helen isnt exactly safe for the Consort.
Who would destroy her? Bellusdeo asked. Dragons might have, once, but the Dragons that would have are dead or asleep. And the Dragon that rules now would fight to the death to preserve her because she is, in part, of his hoard.
Kaylin flinched. Ill thank you to never ever say that where the Barraniany of themcan hear you. She pushed herself off her chair in order to pace the length of the large room. I hate politics.
Then you hate the livingof every race. Politics exist wherever the living congregate. What you call politics in the comfort of your own home are the things you feel are above you, beyond you. The Emperor is political. The High Lord is political. The Hawk Lord is political. What you fail to understand is that even within your office, politics happen. You call it something elsebut at base, it is not that different. The reach of the powerful is greater, therefore the effects of their gambits are both more visible and less easily affected.
Office politics dont get people killed.
No, with the possible exception of Teela.
That wasnt office politicsthat was High Court politics.
But office politics can get people dismissed. And Hawkslike any other living beingsneed food and shelter.
How do you know this?
I listen. I talk, but mostly, I listen. I look for the rules of the game being played, because any game requires a winner. And I dont play. There is nothing, here, for me to win, and very little to lose.
But not nothing.
Bellusdeo exhaled. I would almost suggest you move out for a month or two, if I thought you could. But Helen would not be happy, and I have no wish to hurt her. Teela personally chose the Barrani Hawks. One of them attempted to assassinate her. If she is not foolish enough to trust Barrani, she desires what she once built with her cohort: trust.
Bellusdeo held up a hand as Kaylin opened her mouth. The Barrani Hawks are not Lords of the High Court. They do not have power, and lack a Barrani measure of wealth. Teelas personal power has been enough, in the past, to protect them. She did not anticipate the necessity of demonstrations of that personal power to those who might consider becoming her opponents; she has been secure in her power for too long. Such necessary demonstrations will be neither peaceful nor entirely safe.
For me.
For you.
7
Kaylin woke to the sound of shouting. Some of it was in Elantran. Some of it was in Dragon. The rest was more or less Barrani. The small dragon was pretty much trying to put his claws up her left nostril, and his squawks, while quieter than real Dragon roars, were much closer to her ears.
She rolled out of bed, noted that she had not grabbed the dagger she kept under her pillow, and considered thismore or lessprogress.
It wouldnt help, Helen said. It is not morning by any standard definition. Would you care for light?
Her house did not wake her up in the middle of the night unless there was an emergency call from the midwives. Midwives did not enrage or terrify either Barrani or Dragons.
Where are they? Kaylin asked, squinting as her eyes acclimatized themselves to bright light. She got dressed while the familiar circled her head, waiting for a place to land.
I am currently trying to keep Mandoran and Annarion calm, with lamentably little success. I did call for Teela.
How?
The mirror. Helen disliked and distrusted the mirror network. The fact that she had used it made things much more dire.
Bellusdeo is roaring.
She isnt angry. She felt she needed to get the boys attentionand native Dragon certainly did that.
Kaylin headed to the door, her floors creaking comfortably beneath bare feet. At the door, she slid those feet into boots. She wasnt certain what had happened, but if running or fighting were involved, bare feet wouldnt be helpful. What caused this, anyway?
The cohort.
The cohorts not even here yet!
No. But they are traveling by Hallionne and portal path, and...they seem to have encountered some difficulty.
Kaylin froze, hand on the doorknob. Pardon?
I believe you did hear me.
But She was cut off by Dragon roar. Did that bit involve fire?
Yes, but its contained. Bellusdeo is trying to stop the boys from doing anything catastrophically hastyand she has my absolute blessing. I would advise you to hurry, on the other hand.
Oh?
Teela is almost at the door.
* * *
Teela was. But so, to Kaylins surprise, was Tain. Their eyes were midnight blue, their expressions grim. In the distance Bellusdeo roared, but this time it had intelligible words in it.
Teela made a beeline for the kitchen.
The boys are downstairs, Helen explained. I had to move them to the training rooms. Mandoran is not particularly happy with this.
Is Bellusdeo with them?
Yes.
Whats going on? Kaylin demandedof Tain.
Is Bellusdeo with them?
Yes.
Whats going on? Kaylin demandedof Tain.
You probably know as much as I do. Theres been some trouble with the cohort in the West March. The impressions left by the cohort are chaotic and unclear.
What do you mean?
I am not certain, at this point, that they can communicate with Teela and the boys. At all.
Kaylin cursed. In Leontine.
* * *
Barrani could run for longer than most mortals; they were taller than Kaylin and their legs had a greater reach. It took Kaylin five minutes to catch up to Tain, because the training rooms were down an intimidating spiral staircase that seemed to go on forever. Kaylin couldnt see the floor. She did, however, see a closed door on the wall side of the descent.
Theyre here? Tain demanded of thin air.
Yes, dear, Helen replied.
What, a familiar voice demanded, has happened? It was Nightshade. Kaylin didnt even fight him as she answered. I will be there soon. If Annarion reappears do not let him leave.
Im not his boss, and Im not his jailer.
I was not speaking to you. It took her a moment to understand that he was speaking to Helen. That moment, however, was spent watching Tains back as he opened a short, squat door. It was thick and old and scarred. She had been to rooms in Helens basement before, but this one, more than any other, reminded her of holding cells, except for the light.
Bellusdeo and Maggaron stood in the rooms center; the Dragons eyes were orange red, and the Ascendant was armed. Not that weapons appeared to be necessary.
There was no sunlight, no window into the external world. There were no obvious sources of illumination, and even had there been, Kaylin might not have noticed. What she noticed were the moving, swirling splashes of color that seemed to spread across the walls and the ceiling as if they were alive. It reminded her of Shadow, although each color was too bold, too definitive, otherwise. There was a conversation going on that Kaylin couldnt hear, and this was its detritus.
Tain appeared to see what she saw, but color wasnt what he was looking for.
Teela!
To Helen, Kaylin said, in a much quieter voice, Is this the room Teela entered?
And Helen said, Yes.
Teela was nowhere in sight.
She is, was Helens grim reply. Shes with the boys. Those flashes of color you thought of as argument? Shes one of them.
* * *
Tain stepped into the room, Kaylin practically hugging his back. He hadnt drawn a weapon, but both of his hands were lifted. To Kaylins eye, everything was a blur of color, and none of that color was Teela. Or Mandoran or Annarion either, if it came to that. Are they even here? Kaylin demanded of Helen.
Yes. As she spoke, some of that color shifted, becoming less of a flat, moving splash against stone as it did. Kaylin was suddenly reminded of Annarion in Castle Nightshade and was glad that she hadnt bothered to eat much.
Guys, she said, raising her voice to be heard. There wasnt much sound in the room if she stopped to think about it, but something about the kaleidoscope of color implied shrieking. There is no way you are going to the High Halls like this! Theres no way you could even enter a Hallionne in this shape or form!
The slowest of the racing colors recombined; they came together in a way that resembled Annarion, had he been sculpted by someone who wanted to suggest his form artistically, rather than render it realistically. Even his eyeswhich were very bluedid not look solid or whole.
Your brother is coming to visit, she told him. And Id really appreciate it if youd give Teela backTain is about to explode.
* * *
It took another five minutes before Annarion resembled his usual, breakfast-room self. Teela emerged more quickly, but her color was off. Kaylin would have been gray or green; Teela was simply pale. Her eyes were the same shade of midnight that Annarions were. Mandoran did not coalesce.
Tain was at Teelas side the minute her feet were solidand it was her feet that took shape last. In all, it was disturbing; it was not something that Kaylin had seen Teela do before, and she had a very strong desire never to see it again.
Look, I appreciate that you guys had to learn how to talk to, and live in, a Hallionne. But Teela didnt and she is not cut out for this. Youre guests here. Im happy to have you. Mostly. But this has got to stop.
Mandoran lacked a mouth to reply.
No, he doesnt, dear, but I dont think Ill repeat his answer.
Kaylin folded her arms. To Annarion she said, Your brother will be here soon. Anything you can do to become more solid would probably be good.
Oh great, Mandoran said, speaking for the first time. Tell him we dont want visitors.
Kaylins arms tightened. If this is what you do when youre upset or worried, youre never going to become Lords of the High Court. I doubt they can actually kill youbut they can make you all outcaste if you push it.
Bellusdeo dropped a hand on Kaylins left shoulder. Small and squawky curled his tail around her neck. He didnt lift a wing to bat her face, and he didnt press it over her eyes, either. If he could see Mandoran as he was, he didnt feel it was necessary for Kaylin to see him, too.
If youre all outcaste, youll never take that Test. You wont make it past the front doors.
They can try to stop us. Mandorans disembodied voice again. The splashes of flat color across the rooms walls moved as he spoke. It was not comforting.
Kaylin, Helen began.
They will try. But youre not the people theyll put pressure on first. Maybe youve got no friends and no living family. Maybe youve got family, and they dont want to give your stuff back. But Teela has friends. She has allies. Theyll start there first, because they dont have a choice. Theyve already started.
Teela may be part of your cohort, but shes lived in the High Halls for centuries, on and off. Shes the wedge in the door. She went to the green, and she returned. She fought Dragons. She did it well enough that she has one of the three damn swords.
If they can kill her, theyre free to shut you all out.
Tain cleared his throat. Teela locked her hands behind her back, which was unusual. She really did look terrible.
This is the only place you can afford to do thisand its hard on Helen. If you could please pull yourself together, we can have the rest of this discussion.
What rest? Mandoran demanded, not really budging. Or not really staying still; the colors were practically vibrating.
Your cohort, Kaylin snapped back.
The rest of the colors bled from the walls back into the center of the room, as if they were liquid and someone had just pulled a plug. Mandoran stood three feet from Annarion, his arms folded in almost exactly the same way Kaylins were. His expression was grim, his eyes narrowed slits. ...Fine, he said. Im listening.
It was Teela who turned to Kaylin. We are not in contact with our...cohort, as you call them. Helen says the lack of communication is not by her choice; she doesnt interfere with us.
I contain the unintentional noise, Helen added.
You can stop communication between people who are bound by True Names, Kaylin pointed out, more for Teelas benefit than Helens, since Helen already knew this.