It was Annarion who said, “No.”
“Did someone try to stab them?”
It was Teela who said, “I think so, figuratively speaking.” At Kaylin’s expression, she added, “Just because you can see what someone else is seeing doesn’t mean that it makes more sense. I haven’t had the experiences the rest of my cohort has had. Ihavehad more experience with the arcane arts that are confined to the reality I perceive. I believe, if you were to venture to the location in which they disappeared, you would find obvious—and large—traces of magical aftershocks.
“It ispossiblethat those aftershocks exist for perfectly understandable and harmless reasons—”
“But not bloody likely.”
“Not in my opinion, no.”
Kaylin opened her mouth. Before words came out, Helen said, “I believe Lord Nightshade has arrived.”
Annarion said nothing. Mandoran, however, said a lot. In Leontine.
* * *
By this time, everyone was more or less “stable” as Helen called it, and she ushered them all into the parlor. Kaylin would have preferred the dining room, but Helen chose to ignore those preferences, probably because Nightshade was involved.
Moran was not in residence, which was the one silver lining of the evening. The last thing Moran needed was the political infighting of an entirely different caste court, given her current position.
Everyone else, however, was in the parlor. Mandoran had attempted to have Bellusdeo excluded, but Helen vetoed it, and Kaylin—who really didn’t want to put the Dragon at risk—hadn’t the heart to agree with Mandoran. Bellusdeo was more likely to survive extreme danger than Kaylin herself.
Nightshade appeared composed and almost casual. He also looked like he’d gotten sleep. While she knew the Barrani didn’t require sleep, every other Barrani in the room, Tain included, looked like they needed about a week of it. She was certain she didn’t look any better.
“Not really, dear,” Helen said.
Severn was the only regular who wasn’t in attendance.
Annarion’s bow, when offered to his brother, was stiff and overly formal, which was not lost on Nightshade. Since the brothers had had almost two weeks of relative peace, Kaylin had hoped that this meant arguments were behind them. But no, of course not. The issues that had caused the argument hadn’t been resolved.
The attempt, on Annarion’s part, to resolve them had become the point of contention, widening the conflict to encompass everyone else.
Helen offered drinks to everyone present. Teela and Tain immediately accepted. They didn’t ask for water. Kaylin, who already had a headache, decided that alcohol wasn’t going to make it any better, but Mandoran followed the Barrani Hawks’ lead. Annarion and Nightshade did not.
“Kaylin has told me some of what has occurred.”
This wasn’t entirely accurate, but Kaylin let it go. What mattered right at this particular moment was the cohort. All of it.
Annarion was silent. Teela, however, took the reins of the conversation, such as it was. She had always been a reckless driver—no one with any experience in the Hawks let her drive anything if they had to be a passenger—but she steered this particular conversation with ease. Probably because it was short and the Barrani were good at implying things without actually using the words.
“But they were not in the Hallionne?” Nightshade asked, when it was clear Teela had finished.
Mandoran answered. “No. They were in transit to Hallionne Orbaranne, on the portal paths.”
Annarion did not glance at his brother, but it wasn’t required. Kaylin suspected it was Annarion who was directing the conversation because Mandoran spoke High Barrani, and he spoke it politely and perfectly.
Nightshade considered them all. “Lord Bellusdeo,” he finally said.
She was orange-eyed and regal as she nodded. Teela’s eyes were blue; Tain’s eyes were blue. They were seldom any other color in the presence of Nightshade.
“Lord Kaylin has been granted access to the Hallionne, should she be the agent of investigation. You however...”
“Have not.”
“No.”
“And would not likely be granted that access.”