* * *
“I don’t have much time,” Margot told them. “I have an appointment later this afternoon.”
“With the same guy?”
She shook her head. “With avery importantclient.”
“And the rich man wasn’t?”
She shook her head again, her gaze falling to the floor. “I’m not sure I’ll see him again.” She lifted her head and met Kaylin’s eyes. “I know you think I’m a fraud. I’m not. Not entirely.”
Kaylin nodded.
“Ever since the incident on Elani, I’m less of a fraud.” She looked pretty bitter about it, too.
“Let me guess. Most of the people who pay you money don’t actually want the truth.”
“Got it in one. Look, we all need to eat, right?”
Kaylin said nothing.
“I don’t have many other skills. The offers of employ I received when younger would probably curl your toes.”
Kaylin said, “I grew up in the fiefs.”
“...Or not. Look, I know you don’t like what I do. I don’t particularly care for what you do while you’re here, either. But there are times I’m grateful for the Halls—mostly the Swords—and you could be a lot worse. I’ve had beat Hawks proposition me—”
Kaylin held up one hand. “I just ate,” she lied. She didn’t want to believe Margot, and she wanted to havelessto disbelieve. But the implication that she’d lost her appetite was true.
“Right. The man wasn’t asking about Aerians, not specifically. But the answers I received were about Aerians. And Hawks.”
“Hawks?”
“Yes. Neither of these are guesses,” she added. “I’ve seen that tabard for all of my tenure on Elani. I know it when I see it.”
“And the Aerians?”
She hesitated. “I don’t do much business with Aerians, so I don’t know a lot about them. I know that they’re generally normal people, but with wings attached. The wings differ in color. But I haven’t seen wings like the ones I saw in my vision before.”
“Go on,” Kaylin said, her jaw tensing.
“They were pale, but speckled gold.”
The speckles were brown. Kaylin did not correct the description. No one expected information gained in Oracles or visions to be accurate.
“You don’t look surprised.”
“No comment.”
“You do look pissed off.” She hesitated. “You want to know why I’m talking to you about this.”
“You said that already.”
“Yes.” Margot exhaled. “I’ve spent a lot of time to get where I am. I’ve made my own decisions, my own choices; I have my own money now. I’m not beholden to—to anyone. Got that?”
Kaylin nodded.
“I’m telling you this because of the client. He did—or said—something just as I sat down.”