“What if the Aerian mages—and there are rumored Aerian Arcanists in the mix—do use that power now, even if they don’t completely realize what it is?”
The Arkon’s eyes were burning a steady orange.
“I mean—what if they do? Or did? What if the Aerians that want Moran gone are somehow entwined withourversion of Shadow?”
“Meaning?”
“If they summoned their power and got more than they could control. Fire elementals have reduced their summoners to charred flesh—or worse—before. At least that’s what I’ve been told.”
“You believe that something other is now driving the Aerian Caste Court.”
“I believe that itmightbe. We know what happens when the other elementals are too much for the summoner to control. It’s obvious. It involves corpses. But...what if that’s not what uncontrolled Shadow does?”
The Arkon rose. “I have much to consider,” he said. “I will see you out.” This was a very polite way of sayingget lost. Probably because Bellusdeo was in the room.
* * *
Only when they had crossed the fence line of their home did Bellusdeo choose to speak. “Lannagaros was upset.”
“I’m upset, as well.”
“Ah. I do not think he faults your reasoning—neither do I, if it comes to that. I think he hadn’t considered it before. Not in the way you put it. He’s right, however.”
“About the cost to the Aerians?”
Bellusdeo nodded. “People always try to simplify their lives. Most humans do not interact with the Aerians—and of the ones that do so regularly, most are merchants or members of the Imperial Palace staff. They think of Aerians as people with wings who live outside of the city. And as Hawks.
“If rumors spread, the only thing most people will know is that Aerians are infested with Shadow. Nothing will balance the fear.”
Kaylin slowed, as she sometimes did when she was thinking. “It’s like me.”
“Pardon?”
“It’s like I was about the Tha’alani.”
“You seem to like them.”
“Now, yes. But I hated them for years. All of them. I identified them by their forehead stalks and their racial ability, and I hated them because I feared them.” She squirmed, saying this out loud; squirmed thinking about that younger self and how stupid she’d been. It made her wonder how many other things she wasstillbeing stupid about without realizing it. This was not a comfortable thought.
“You learned,” Bellusdeo quite reasonably pointed out.
“Yes—but that was almost a fluke. And that kind of fluke isn’t going to happen to every other person who believes what I believed.”
“No. People are always fearful, dear,” Helen said, although they hadn’t even reached the door. The door did open, and her Avatar stood in the frame, but her voice was much closer than the rest of her. “I have always thought it unwise to let fear be your personal guide.”
“Which one would you prefer? Love has its problems as well, if you listen to old stories.”
“Ah, but I would argue that that is not love—it isfear. It is fear of the loss of love. But we might spend idle hours arguing the definition of the wordlove, and I have dinner prepared. Moran,” she added, “has been waiting for you.”
“For me?”
“You are, I believe, to visit Evanton’s shop tonight. With her.”
Damn. “I forgot all about it.”
“Well, the loss of the infirmary and its attendant difficulties would probably drive less pressing needs out of your thoughts,” was Helen’s very charitable reply. “But you don’t have a lot of time before you have to leave.”
* * *