Kaylin looked at the book she was carrying in the space between her clothed arm and her rib cage. “Since yesterday.”
“Yes.”
“And you think he’ll turn us to ash—”
“You,” Bellusdeo interjected.
“Fine. You think he’ll turnmeto ash if I interrupt him.”
“I believe you are capable of interrupting him, but his method of displaying annoyance will be more harmful to you, yes.” Lord Emmerian replied.
Which probably meant he was going to be a fire-breathing, angry old Dragon. Fire would cause financial damage to Emmerian and Sanabalis; they were wearing actual clothing. Given that Bellusdeo had left Helen in her scale armor, she probably didn’t care. Dragon hair in this form didn’t burn the same way Kaylin’s would.
She turned to Bellusdeo. She realized that both of the Dragons had also turned toward Bellusdeo, as if the entire decision rested on her shoulders.
“I believe that he will be interested in what Lord Kaylin carries. And I believe it may be germane to his current area of study.”
“What,” Sanabalis said again, “is Kaylin carrying?”
“I don’t suppose you have gloves? Mittens?”
His eyes remained orange, but he now looked down his nose at her as if she was sitting in the west room for one of his lessons and had failed to do the homework that lesson required.
She grimaced and pulled the book out. It was easier than trying to explain it.
Sanabalis’s eyes shifted color instantly, the orange giving way to something that looked like tarnished silver. “Where did you get that?” His voice was almost a hush.
Emmerian’s eyes remained the gold-orange they had been when he had accompanied Sanabalis down the hall.
Kaylin didn’t answer. She wanted Bellusdeo to do it because she was pretty certain she’d bite her tongue if she tried to explain. The explanation would require a lot of talking, and she couldn’t stop shivering.
Bellusdeo, being Bellusdeo, only smiled, the smile almost feline. “I don’t believe we wish to have to tell the story more than once. You arecertainLannagaros cannot be interrupted?”
“I begin to understand,” Sanabalis replied, as his eyes returned to their regularly scheduled orange, “why Lord Diarmat finds you so difficult.”
Chapter 14
The library doors were closed. Sanabalis did not offer to take what Kaylin was carrying. Neither did Lord Emmerian. Lord Emmerian, however, produced a scarf—from where, Kaylin couldn’t see—and she wrapped it gratefully around the hands that were numb, but still felt freezing cold.
“You will never,” Sanabalis said as they reached the doors, “become proficient in the use of magic if you cannot make time to even learn the basics.”
“Could we skip the candles and move straight to light?”
He snorted smoke. With fire in it.
“Light would be useful.”
“Candles provide light.”
“I don’t carry candles with me.”
“Poor planning.”
Bellusdeo seemed to find this amusing. “She’s missed your lessons,” she told Sanabalis. “Given the alternative, I’m certain at this point she would happily spend a month closeted in the West Room in the Halls of Law.” She then looked at the closed doors and frowned. “Shall I?”
Sanabalis didn’t find anything amusing. “It depends.”
“On?”