“Fine, I deserved that. But I think it’s way more political than usual. The Consort doesn’t feel having you by my side would protect me in the long run.”
“That is one opinion.”
“Teela—what’s going on at court? What’s happening? Does it haveanythingto do with Nightshade?”
“It is not of me that you must ask those questions,” Teelareplied, speaking in High Barrani. She was annoyed. Kaylin wondered if she would respect the Consort’s advice.
Kaylin slid into High Barrani as well. “She felt that it would be wisest if I visit her wearing the Hawks’ tabard. Severn is invited to accompany me.”
“She did, did she?” Teela was definitely annoyed.
Mandoran opened the dining room door. “We’d appreciate your opinion as an Arcanist,” he told Teela. “And you know she’s right. There’s no way almost thirty Barrani soldiers went to Nightshade without intervention from one Lord of the High Court or another. Whatever’s going on, it’s got something to do withdeeppolitics. If it involves Nightshade, it could have roots in things that happened centuries ago.
“We’re too new. We spent those centuries in the Hallionne. You didn’t. You know this better than any of us: if Kaylin’s to remain outside the Barrani political sphere, you’re not the person she should be with.”
Teela failed to reply—at least where Kaylin could hear it.
Nightshade had not miraculously regained consciousness.
Teela entered his rooms only after Andellen had both opened the door at her knock and invited her in. He treated Teela with genuine respect, even given her casual clothing. Then again, she was wearing the sword, one third of The Three:Kariannos.
If she wasn’t expecting trouble of some kind, she wouldn’t be wearing it now.
“With your permission, I would like to examine Lord Nightshade,” she told Andellen in formal High Barrani.
“This way,” he replied, nodding. “Although Lord Annarion’s permission will no doubt need to be given as well.”
Teela nodded, as if Annarion hadn’t already granted that permission. She allowed Andellen to lead, although she knew the way: she knew what the cohort knew.
Andellen gestured through the open arch beyond which Nightshade lay. Annarion was by his side.
Mandoran let Teela follow Andellen, hanging back to speak with Kaylin.
“We don’t expect Teela will be able to do anything you can’t do,” he told her. “But she’s always been a bit cagey about the extent of her Arcanist knowledge, and it can’t hurt. You’re going to the High Halls, right?”
Kaylin nodded. “Is Teela?”
“We’re arguing about that right now. Her compromise was, she’ll go wearing the Hawks’ tabard as well. With Tain.”
Kaylin almost shrieked. “She can’t!”
“She can. Teela’s powerful enough that an assassin or two won’t make her break a sweat, and many Lords of the High Court loathe her position as a Hawk. They consider it an outrageous insult to the Barrani as a whole. She isservingthe Dragon Emperor. Given that, she feels it’ll draw ire, which will deflect any ire directed to you.”
Ugh. “You know how these things work. Yes, she’s right. It’ll piss people off. But powerful, petty people tend to take out their issues on the distinctly less powerful. Which would be me.”
“You’re the Chosen,” Mandoran replied. “If anyone’s going to take the fall for thumbing their noses at the powerful, it’ll likely be Tain.”
“Tell her not to come.”
Mandoran exhaled. “You better get going. She’s waiting.”
“Patiently?”
“No one’s died yet.”
Kaylin thought it unfair that Teela was annoyed at Kaylin for tarrying, and not at Mandoran, who was the entire reason she hadn’t followed the Barrani Hawk immediately. Teela’s eyes were a dark blue, but not the midnight they sometimes became when she was furious or deeply worried.
“You tried to heal him?”