“You’re worried about more than just the Arkon calling you stupid.”
Kaylin nodded at Teela’s verbal prodding. She had used the mirror in the High Halls to make an appointment—such as it was—with the Arkon; she had mirrored Helen, and Bellusdeo had amicably agreed to join her there. Like Mandoran, she didn’t trust the mirror network, and didn’t generally ask for possibly dangerous details when speaking through it.
And then Kaylin had said excruciatingly formal goodbyes, which had taken fifteen minutes. The only bright spot of the day was the fact that she hadn’t been summoned to attend the High Lord and his Court in person.
The city streets looked a lot grubbier in comparison, but that just made them feel more like home. “It’s the outcaste. The outcaste Dragon.”
“You think Margot’s vision pertained to the outcaste?”
“I can’t see how it doesn’t. He was flying over Ravellon. Bellusdeo has history with the outcaste. It’s not a happy history. But she met him on a different world. He was part of Ravellon by that point—and Ravellon, in theory, existed on all worlds.”
“You’re worried about the Dragon.”
Kaylin was. “Bellusdeo lost almost everything. She still feels the loss, the lack of home, her lack of place here. She’s strong,” Kaylin added quickly, feeling vaguely disloyal. “But—she’s a Dragon.”
“And Dragons are very, very good at bearing long grudges.”
Kaylin nodded. “I don’t know what the outcaste wants. I’ve never really understood it.”
“You don’t know what most other people want,” Teela pointed out. She paused to kick a loose stone; she wasn’t any more comfortable than Kaylin was. “You assume they want what you want. You assume they hate what you hate, even when experience has taught you otherwise.”
“I assume,” Kaylin said with emphasis, “that if I understand what someone wants, I can either help them or get in their way. And I’m pretty damn sure that whatever the outcaste wants is the opposite of whatIwant.”
“You’re not.”
“Not?”
“Not certain. Why?”
Kaylin exhaled heavily. “When we saved Bellusdeo, he was in the air. And I heard his roar. It didn’t sound angry—I’ve heard enough angry Dragon to last a lifetime, and I recognize it. It sounded almost—” She shook her head.
“Almost what?”
“Almost heartbroken, if you want the truth.” She had never said this out loud before. She wasn’t even certain why she was saying it now. “Bellusdeo wants him dead. And Bellusdeo heard Margot’s Records entry. She’s certain that he’s involved somehow. Look, I know you think I’m reckless a lot of the time. But I’m not reckless enough to go charging into Ravellon to confront a giant black Dragon. I wouldn’t charge into the High Halls to confront a random Barrani Lord, either.”
“Bellusdeo is not a fool.”
“No.”
“That sounded like a yes.”
“It really didn’t. She’s not a fool. But...it’s personal, for her. And I know I don’t do well when things become personal for me. I can’t figure out what the Aerians want, but I’m almost certain that what they want must have started with the damn Dragon. And that’s a twofold problem.”
“Is it?”
“Dragons aren’t exactly invisible when they take to the skies. They can mostly pass for mortal if you don’t know anything about Dragons—but there are always telltale signs if you do. If the Dragon came to the Reaches, he did it one of two ways: he flew—invisibly—or he walked. I’m leaning toward the walking, myself.
“He had to have some way to set up an appointment. I honestly can’t imagine that the Aerian Arcanist would have gone to the fiefs searching for the Dragon. I can’t actually imagine...” She cursed. “The Arcanist didn’t have to meet with the Dragon initially. I can guarantee that he didn’t go through Tiamaris. I can’t guarantee that he didn’t contact a different fieflord. But he’d still be visible, and an Aerian flying into the fiefs might attract some notice. Unless he flew at night.”
“Or unless he walked?”
“Walking would draw less attention if he walked in the dead of night, yes—but Aerians have great, honking wings.”
“Assuming they do exist, how long would it take to find those witnesses?”
Too damn long.
“Let’s go with the hypothesis that the Aerian Arcanist somehow visited the fiefs,” Teela continued. “The ferals and most of the Shadows wouldn’t be the threat they once were to you—Aerians can fly. Ferals can leap a great distance, but they can’t follow or attack from the ground.”