Hope squawked.
She is aware that you will also come to her aid should it be required. She is not foolish enough to trust An’Teela.
But foolish enough to trust me?
You know when trust is offered, he replied, his voice stiffening into a more familiar tone.
When the difference in power is so large the trusted person is almost irrelevant.
Exactly.But he was uneasy. He was constantly dismissive, constantly contemptuous, but behind that layer of what she assumed was the majority of his unpleasant personality, he wasn’t certain that Kaylin herself wasn’t actually powerful.An’Teela is a power. Understand, then, that her inclusion implies a far greater threat than An’Teela herself could offer.
Teela wouldn’t threaten the Consort, Kaylin snapped.
She believes that you believe this. She is willing to take the risk of An’Teela’s presence; it implies support.
She shouldn’tneedsupport. No one would threaten the Lady.Kaylin was engulfed by Ynpharion’s worry—which she didn’t need. She’d started worrying all on her own the moment the Consort’s invitation had arrived, and she hadn’t stopped.
“If Ynpharion is conversing with you, I will have words with him later,” the Consort said, her green eyes belying the possible threat to Ynpharion.
Kaylin, awkward in her dress, offered the Consort a hand. If she had to dress the part of a Lord of the High Court, the Consort didn’t expect her toactthe part. Just to pass muster for witnesses who were forced to keep their distance.
The Consort’s hand, when it met Kaylin’s, was surprisingly cold. Kaylin’s eyes narrowed instantly. “Are you unwell?”
The familiar green of the Consort’s eyes flickered blue. Of the Barrani, the only person besides the Consort who had green eyes was Serralyn; the Consort’s green was far rarer. “If you wish to assess, I grant permission.”
Kaylin knew that attempts to heal most Barrani were met with rage and resentment. Saving their lives could be a death sentence—for Kaylin. The healing bridge was a bridge bothpeople—healer and healed—could cross; they discovered much about each other.
Barrani survival had always depended on lies and secrecy. It’s what made the cohort so incredibly unusual. Kaylin attempted to assess the Consort’s physical health.
She touched nothing.
She touched nothing, just as she’d done with Nightshade. Something appeared to be interfering with the only truly good power the Marks of the Chosen had granted her. She could not examine the Consort.
The Consort’s smile was gentle; there was no surprise in it.
“Is this why you called me?” Kaylin’s voice was barely louder than a whisper.
The Consort nodded, her expression grave. “Were you perhaps suspecting that I would be concerned about Lord Nightshade?”
She had been and felt no need to hide it. “I was. The timing suggested it.”
The Consort’s eyes were once again green. “You are aware that I hold him in some affection.”
It is dangerous, Ynpharion said.
Were you aware that something was wrong?
Silence. No. The Consort had not chosen to explain the reason for her summons to Ynpharion. But she must have been aware that he would discover the reason through Kaylin. Kaylin didn’t ask, because another thought, another fear, suddenly blossomed, swamping almost all other thoughts she might have had.
Severn had not taken a seat; neither had Teela. There had only been one chair across from the small table at which the Consort waited.
“Lady,” she said, her voice almost a whisper. “Can you even touch the names in the Lake?”
The Consort’s smile was a broken, terrible thing, yet beautiful in its own right. “You understand the problem. It is as if thenames themselves are unaware of my presence at all. Were it not for your existence, I am uncertain I would be stable enough to receive visitors.”
Kaylin exhaled. “Should we visit the Lake first, or can I talk about Nightshade?”
The Consort frowned. “You wish to discuss Nightshade in such an emergency?”