“Lord Nightshade is still speaking with his brother.”
“And?”
“I still don’t trust him. It requires a diversion of attention in order to properly contain the intrusion of the mirror network.”
“I honestly don’t think he’s going to do anything damaging or stupid—at least not to you.”
“No. But Annarion is at his least stable when his brother is visiting, and it takes some effort to contain the possible danger of his instability, as well.”
Kaylin exhaled, nodding glumly.
* * *
Moran did not come down to dinner. Bellusdeo and Maggaron did, the former dressed in something other than her armor. Kaylin was certain she’d be hearing about the armor sometime in the morning, and tried not to think about it too much.
The entire dining table fell silent when Annarion joined them, because Annarion brought his brother. Both he and Nightshade were blue-eyed, and it wasn’t the resting state of caution and natural superstition; it was dark.
Annarion bowed very formally and very correctly; Mandoran snorted. Loudly. While both Teela and Tain had stiffened into the type of formality that signaled the possibility of upcoming death, Mandoran lounged. He nodded at Nightshade as if the fieflord were mortal.
Helen set a place for the unexpected guest without being asked. But Helen, like Teela and Tain, had an air that was distinctly more martial. The dining room became, with the insertion of Nightshade, a small battlefield. On the other hand, the cutlery didn’t turn into daggers or swords.
Nightshade’s seat was not beside Annarion; nor was it beside Kaylin. It was between Bellusdeo and Teela. A dark, perfect brow rose as he glanced at Helen; his lips folded into something too sardonic to be a smile. An acknowledgment, perhaps. Her suspicion did not offend him.
No, Kaylin thought with some surprise. The only thing in the room that appeared to do that was the younger brother he had come to visit.
Chapter 5
The table was silent for a good five minutes. This was almost miraculous for a house that contained Kaylin and Mandoran. Kaylin was willing to swallow words; she was too ill at ease to speak without thinking, and her thoughts were so tied up in the Aerian problem she didn’t have any left over to waste on not offending Barrani.
You will not offend me. No one but Kaylin could hear Nightshade’s voice, a reminder—probably deliberate—that they were bound by his True Name. She started, flushed and met his gaze. His eyes were much greener, but given his seating, not green.
You have this thing about dignity and proper respect. All of you do, except Mandoran,Kaylin replied.
I was long considered overly tolerant among my own kin.
How many of those that believed this are still alive?
His eyes widened. She’d surprised him. And amused him; the two expressions chased across his face, easing the lines of tension slightly.A few. At least one of them is at this table now.
He could only mean Teela. Kaylin’s gaze swiveled toward her, and veered at the last minute. Too late. This amused Nightshade, as well. It had never been Kaylin’s life’s ambition to amuse Lord Nightshade.
“I hear,” he said gravely, “that you had an eventful morning.”
She nodded, glaring at Mandoran. Mandoran shrugged his lazy, bored shrug. It was too long, too indolent, and too graceful to properly be the fief shrug that he was trying to copy. “Annarion was worried.”
“Don’t try to shift blame,” Bellusdeo said. “You were bored.”
“Well, I was until the street cracked,” Mandoran replied with an unrepentant grin. “Pursuit was interesting, as well. Everything else has been a letdown.”
Nightshade glanced at his brother, who was glaring at Mandoran silently, but not, Kaylin was certain, wordlessly.
“Annarion said only that there had been an attack, a possible assassination attempt. Did he not refer to Lord Bellusdeo?”
Mandoran snorted. “No. I’d understand it if someone tried to killher.”
Maggaron was destroying cutlery in the sudden tension of his grip. His very large grip. No one spoke.
Interesting. Whowasthe target?Nightshade asked Kaylin.