Ah. I take it this means Bellusdeo intends to accompany you?
Shes hoping to live with me, yes. We did okay before the bomb.
I dont envy you.
Evantonyou never envy me.
Astute. I am, however, making the onerous attempt not to pity you.
Thanks. I think. She glanced over her shoulder at the sound of a foot tapping. It was Teelas.
Come back and have tea when you have more time to tell me about the past few months.
* * *
Teela didnt take Evantons advice. She switched patrolling positions and let Kaylinand the armored Dragontake the lead. If Kaylin had privately envied the attention that Bellusdeo drew when they were togetherand she pretty much drew it allshe repented; people were practically dropping their jaws at the sight of her now. On the other hand, very few of those peoplesome who were very familiar to the Hawksdared to approach her, something the court dress hadnt seemed to discourage.
Bellusdeo looked like a Dragon now. Many mortals had no reason to ever cross a Dragons path, and because they hadnt, it was easy to mistake them for human. From a distance, thats what they more or less resembled. Their eye colorand the inner eye membranewere a giveaway only when you were close enough to examine the Dragons face. Most people had no reason to get that close.
No one could mistake a Dragon in dragon form for a mortalbut when you were looking at giant scales, wings, claws and tail, that was understandable.
Dragon armor, even wrapped around a human-size bodyalbeit a tall onewas distinctive. And at least one of the gargantuan statues of the Eternal Emperor that littered the more respectable parts of Elantra sported itwith metallic leafing. The first time Kaylin had seen that statue, shed thought the artist a pretentious nit. The first time shed seen the armor in actual useon Tiamarisshed silently apologized to that unknown artist, which she felt was fair, since it was the same way shed dismissed him.
Bellusdeo therefore looked like a Dragon as she strode down Elani street by Kaylins side. It made the days work a lot easier, and as long as Kaylin ignored the probable consequences of the need for Dragon armor, she could be grateful.
CHAPTER FOUR
Mandoran was silent upon leaving Evantons shop. He was silent throughout the rest of their patrol. Anything that had caught his attention when theyd first reached Elani street failed to grab it now; he was almost grim. No, Kaylin thought, Teela was grim. Mandoran looked as if he was walking toor fromthe funeral of a very close friend.
Kaylin wanted to speak with him, but given Teelas expression and the casual way in which she now hovered, it wasnt safe. But if it had been, what then? Wordsespecially words of comfortwerent exactly Kaylins strong suit. Sadly, inactivity wasnt, either. She wanted to do something to help, while being privately certain that any attempt would only make things worse.
Kaylin? Bellusdeo said.
Sorry, just thinking.
About?
If I had a suit of armor like yours, Elani street would be a lot easier to manage.
Fear has that effect. The Dragon grinned. The only thing your citizens seem to fear is the Emperor.
Not true.
No?
They fear starvation, disease, and homelessness. Among other things.
A golden brow rose in a distinct arch at Kaylins snappish reply. I touched a nerve.
She had. Kaylins response was a fief shrug. Its not easy being a mortal. Before Bellusdeo could speak, she added, Its not easy being immortal, either. Im coming to understand that. But our fears arent your fears. I think theres overlap. Anyone, of any race, gets lonely. Anyone, of any race, can feel both grief and loss.
But most of our lives arent taken up with war and larger-than-life magical conspiracies. We die anyway, no matter what we do. And you wont. But the lives we live arent insignificant to us; if we only have a handful of years, we want them more.
I will not even argue that. Perhaps life is like friendship.
Kaylin glanced at her.
If you have many, many friends, friendship is a given, a matter of fact. If you haveat mostone or two, it is rare, it is precious. The loss of a friend in that case is shattering because one cannot assume that there will necessarily be others. I did not mean to diminish either your fears or your experience.
...No. Kaylin exhaled. I used to think that people like you had it easy.
Bellusdeo didnt seem surprised by this.
Youre beautiful. Youre charismatic. You never get old, or fat, youve never been plainor ugly. You dont get diseases. The cold wont kill you. You dont need to sleep. Youre never going to starve. If worse comes to worst, you can hunt. I used to thinkwhen I was a childthat if I were Barrani, I would never, ever have to be afraid.
The Barrani are not without fear.
No, I know that now. Neither are the Dragonsthey just fear different things. All the things that terrified me as a child in the fiefs would never have been able to hurt me had I been you or Teela. It didnt really occur to me that other things could. My life was a desperate, mortal life. Until the marks appeared on half my body.
And yet you do not seem to be comfortable with them.
Kaylin grimaced. Honestly, if she didnt stop doing that, her face would get stuck that way. A dozen children were killed because these marks existed. Two of them were my family. Id trade the marks, even now, if I could have them back.
But I love my life. I mean, I hate parts of itdont get me started on Sergeant Mallory or the idiots who demand nothing but paperworkbut I was helpless when I was that child. I couldnt have imagined living the life I have now; even escaping the fiefs was a daydream, something that other people did.
What you love about your life now is that you can make a difference?
Kaylins nod was so instant and emphatic, she should have gotten whiplash.
Even if that difference involves total strangers?
Its why Im a Hawk.
I will say that the only thing that makes me reconsider my opinion of the Emperor is the Halls of Law. Its the Hawks, in particular. There are many, many ways he could have approached ruling a city of this size. Or the Empire outside of it. To most of my kin, these laws of yours would be incomprehensible. They were made for mortals, designed for them, and are enforced by them.
Teela coughed. Loudly.
Bellusdeo chuckled. Mostly enforced by them. In the Aeries of my youth, the suggestion would have been a jokeat best. Only the sentimental, the naive, or the foolish would have dared to suggest it.
So...you think better of the Emperor because hes sentimental, naive or foolish?
Teela coughed again. It was louder. Do remember, kitling, that youre likely to be observed, hmm?
Its a joke.
Yes. And Immortals are famous for their well-developed sense of humor.
Mandoran said, in all the wrong tone of voice, Im amazed that my kin have consented to be ruled by a Dragon.
And Im amazed, Bellusdeo replied, as Kaylin cringed, that a Dragon has consented to rule Barrani, given the damage theyve done to our people.
Mandoran said, in all the wrong tone of voice, Im amazed that my kin have consented to be ruled by a Dragon.
And Im amazed, Bellusdeo replied, as Kaylin cringed, that a Dragon has consented to rule Barrani, given the damage theyve done to our people.
Kaylin turned to look over her shoulder; Teela had fixed her with a glare so pointed she should have spontaneously started to bleed. Good job, she mouthed, in Elantran.
Arrogant, annoyed Mandoran was probably better than grieving, morose Mandoran. Probably. On the other hand, arrogant, resentful Bellusdeo?
* * *
By the time they returned to the office, Mandoran and Bellusdeo were figuratively bristling; had they been Leontine, it would have been literal. Color had returned to Mandorans face, but it wasnt what Kaylin would consider particularly healthy. Color had mostly left Bellusdeos lips, they were compressed so tightly. They had descendedascended?to raised voices half a dozen times; Bellusdeo apparently considered the loss of Kaylins home and the possible loss of Kaylins life almost unforgiveable. Kaylins attempt to point out that Mandoran had not in any way been responsible for the Arcane bomb, given he wasnt even resident in the Empire, fell on selectively deaf ears.
It would have worked had Mandoran not called the bombs lack of success regrettable. The fact that he apologized for the sentimentto Kaylindidnt appear to help much.
I take it back. Teelas teeth were clenched so tightly it was a miracle she could wedge words between them. You were definitely less of a concern than Mandoran, even when you were thirteen.
This wasnt much of a surprise to Kaylin. Mandoran was Barrani, after all. Lets just never, ever take him drinking, okay?
* * *
The guardsClint and Tannerthat manned the outer doors of the Hall were on alert. Anyone would be, given that Bellusdeos eyes were a shade of orange that could almost be mistaken for red, and Mandorans eyes, a blue that could almost be mistaken for black. They didnt shift much in color as the small party made its way to the office, either.
Given that three of the four were still dampwhich was a charitable descriptionsilence descended on the office, rippling outward as people stared. It was broken by the usual whispers that implied gossip, but even that took longer than usual to start; no one wanted to piss off a Dragon or a Barrani. Well, except other Dragons or Barrani, apparently.
Marcuss facial furand earsrose a good two inches as the Hawks made their way toward his desk. Report, he demanded, growling on both rs.
Kaylin glanced at Teela. Teela was staring at a spot about six inches above the Sergeants eyes.
We had a bit of a mishap at Evantons, Kaylin said. She tried to keep her voice as quiet as possible.
Wonderful. Youre aware that Lord Emmerian is waiting for you in the West Room?
She didnt cringe. It took effort.
If this requires more paperwork on my part, I will take it out of your hide. Dont just stand their gapinggo.
* * *
Lord Emmerian was not wearing Dragon armor. The fact that Bellusdeo was couldnt be hidden, and his eyeswhich appeared, from first glance, to be a cautious brass, shifted instantly into an orange that was in the same dark range as Bellusdeos. Teela had all but grabbed Mandoran by the ears and dragged him as far away from Bellusdeo as office space permitted.
Since eye color was the first thing Kaylin noticed about Immortals, and his was bad, it took her a moment to look at the rest of him. She had briefly met Emmerian what felt like years ago; he had been silent, then. It was a better silence than the current one. She had seen him in the air above Elani street, with most of the rest of the Dragon Courtas a dragon. She thought his draconic form blue, although color did shift with mood.
At the moment, he was not in dragon form. He wore the usual expensive cloth of Court dress, but it was far less ostentatious than anything Bellusdeo wore. He had no beard, unlike Sanabalis or the Arkon. It made him look younger, not that the appearance of age meant much where Dragons were concerned. Aside from relative age, he looked nothing like the other Dragons Kaylin had met.
Oh, he had the eyes. But he was missing some of the arrogant bearing that she associated with Immortals. If it werent for the telltale inner eye membranes, which were raised at the moment, she could have mistaken him for a regular person. A regular, rich person.
Lord Emmerian, Bellusdeo said. To Kaylins surprise, she bowed.
Bellusdeo.
Bellusdeo smiled. Her eyes lost some of their murderous rage as she did. I was informed by Lord Sanabalis that an escort would be provided for our apartment huntif thats the correct usage of the word hunt.
It is, he replied. I was pleased to be offered the opportunitybut I confess that I did not expect such a search to be...martial in nature. I am not perhaps suitably attired?
She laughed. It was a lovely, low shock of soundunexpected given the day. It is, of course, I who am unsuitably attired; Im tempted to retain the armor for the search. Any landlord who can overlook it is less likely to be troubled by having us as tenants.
Lord Emmerian said nothing, although he smiled.
The small dragon lifted his head; Kaylin could swear he opened only one eye as he surveyed the latest Dragon Lord. He then sighed in a whiffling sort of way and lowered both head and eyelid.
If you will accompany us to the Palace, I will change there. With luck, the explanations likely to be demanded wont detain us until midnight.
Kaylin was willing to make bets on that. Sadly, most of them involved another sleepless night and a lot of Dragon shouting. Let me talk to Caitlin before we leave? She had a few suggestions for places we might look.
Lord Emmerian froze.
We have to find someplace I can afford, the private informed him, her voice a mix of defiance and apology.
* * *
Caitlin had a list, of course. She handed it to Kaylin, and Kaylin glanced briefly at the addresses while the office denmother dispensed advice. Since no one came to Caitlins desk expecting to avoid advice, Kaylin didnt bristle. Dont mention the reason youre looking for a new place, dear. I realize that might seem a tad unfair to the poor landlordbut I cant think of many people whod want to take that risk.
Kaylin couldbut only one: the Emperor. I dont think the Barrani are likely to make another attempt; the only people wholl be more vigilant about possible attempts than the Emperor are in the High Halls. They were embarrassed, she added.
I dont think thats true of all the Barrani.
No, Kaylin replied, thinking of Mandoran. But the Barrani Lords know the High Lord is angry; theyll walk carefully for the next little while. Which, in Barrani terms, is a few decadespossibly enough of them that Ill be dead of old age and it wont be my problem. Or my landlords. Thanks for this.
Caitlin opened her mouth, shook her head, and closed it again. As a send-off, it was ominous.
* * *
Bellusdeo did make it to the Palace, and to suitable clothing. She didnt make it out again without the need to tender a report, but given the reportee was Sanabalis, it was quiet and relatively brief. The small dragon was slumbering across Kaylins shoulders the entire time; clearly Sanabalis was not worth the effort of waking up. On the other hand, Sanabalis ignored the small dragon, as well.