“A message has arrived for you.”
“Is it from Saidh?”
“No.”
“Unless it is from the Emperor himself, all messages are to be put on hold.”
“No one informed our mirrors of this prohibition.” Helmat unfolded his arms and stood. “The mirrors in the Halls of Law are not under your jurisdiction.”
“Apologies, Helmat,” she said in a distinctly unapologetic tone. “You are free to accept any messages you desire. I am free to refuse to engage with them. I will not answer any of the messages being routed through you; I have already made that clear to the Tha’alanari.” Her eyes were martial green.
“En?”
Elluvian shrugged. “They’ll be angry at you, not her. It’s your decision.”
“They will not be angry at Helmat.”
Helmat concurred. Ybelline had never, in their interactions, attempted to give any commands—not to Helmat. The color of her eyes made clear she was upset. “What did you learn in the Oracular Halls?” Helmat’s forehead creased further as his eyes alighted on Severn. “What are you carrying?”
Severn spoke as if he hadn’t heard the interchange between Helmat and Ybelline; the boy’s expression gave almost nothing away. Years from now, Helmat thought, Severn would be controlled enough that he might meet with the castelords and even the Emperor—and in Helmat’s estimation the number of years would be few. “One of the Oracles—the one who requested an appointment be made for us—drew sketches and made small sculptures for us.”
“For you,” Ybelline said, voice softer, eyes still flecked with green. “I do not require them to remember what she showed me.”
Helmat’s brows rose. “You touched an Oracle?”
“At her request.”
“Youtouchedan Oracle.”
Severn cleared his throat. “Ybelline has an assignment from the Imperial Service she wishes to complete; she was interrupted before she could finish.”
“Interrupted by what?”
“Caste court business,” Ybelline said.
Helmat stared at Ybelline in consternation. “I have never heard you use those words before—not unless speaking of the humans or the Barrani.”
“I wish I had no cause to use them now.” She turned to Elluvian. “With your permission, Severn and I will return to your office.”
“While I remain outside of it, I assume.”
Ybelline nodded.
“I wish to examine the items the private brought out of the Oracular Halls.”
“You will have ample time to do that later. With Severn’s permission, you might do so now. I would, however, make one request should Severn grant that permission.”
“Oh?”
“I wish Helmat to be with you when you examine the contents of this bag, and I wish the entirety of those contents to be entered into Records.”
Interesting. Elluvian had Ybelline’s full attention.
Helmat turned toward the Barrani Wolf, who made no reply to Ybelline’s demands. What he saw there convinced him that her demands, ridiculous on the surface, might just be necessary.
“I will wait until Severn is available,” Elluvian said. “How long do you think this will take?”
Ybelline shook her head. “I don’t know how many questions Severn will ask.”