“Well, Sedarias has lost her appetite, and you’ve managed to embarrass—and amuse—Teela.”
“Well, so shewascondescending, but... I guess I felt the difference between us was just so huge, it seemed natural?”
“I think you should stop there. Sedarias hasn’t lost her temper. Yet.”
Kaylin winced. “Can we go back to Teela keeping her thoughts to herself?”
“Teela says you should ask Severn, because he’s both human and capable of doing what you can’t.”
Kaylin glared at Severn.
“Do thank Teela for me,” Severn said, the corners of his lips slightly curved in amusement.
“If it’s any help, most of us are terrible at hiding our thoughts. Terrano is practically a continuous shout. But Teela wants to know exactly why you’re asking.”
Since she couldn’t—or shouldn’t—answer that, she fell silent as they walked. But she finally said, “Tell Teela that I think the Lord of the West March is coming to visit.”
Mandoran drew a sharp breath. “She asks when.”
Lirienne? You’re coming to the High Halls, aren’t you?
He was amused.As you surmise, yes.
When?
A second, far more common, voice interrupted her.Kaylin, the Consort bids me to tell you that she has a very unexpected guest. The High Halls is noisy with his arrival.
Kaylin exhaled. “Tell Teela that the Lord of the West March is arriving about now.”
16
“You know—you could have lied. It’s not like she wouldn’t have found out tomorrow.”
“What difference does a day make? She’s going to know anyway.”
“Ireallywish you could spend time on the inside of our heads right now. You’d never ask that question again.”
“But you’d just be putting it off.”
“Look, when something is screaming—or is going to scream—in your ear no matter what you say or do, one peaceful day is a blessing.”
“It’s not peaceful right now anyway. How much worse can it get?” Kaylin frowned. “And why is she upset about it? I mean—he’s just visiting his sister.”
“You can ask her. Maybe she’ll spend her time shouting at you instead of shouting at the rest of us—who, I might point out, hadnothing to do with it.”
“I had nothing to do with it, either!” But she fell silent because it hadn’t occurred to her to check. Sheknewthe Lord of the West March, the High Lord, and the Consort were close; they cared for each other in a way most Barrani families didn’t. If the Consort’s ability to tend to her duties was failing, both brothers would be gravely concerned—for her.
And Kaylin had a way to check in on one of those brothers and hadn’t thought about it at all. The fact that everything else was also exploding wouldn’t serve as a good excuse where Teela was concerned. Kaylin wasn’t certain it served as a good excuse where she was concerned, either.
She and the Consort had had their disagreements—some of them bitter. Kaylin didn’twantthe Consort angry again, at least not at her. But this was bigger than that. Even if the Consort had continued to refuse to even look in her direction, Kaylin would have done everything she could to help. The future of an entire race was at stake.
Oh. That was why Teela was annoyed. If the Lord of the West March had arrived, without warning, in the High Halls, his presence alone confirmed any rumors that the Consort was having difficulties.
If the Consort lost her ability to wake sleeping Barrani infants, it was Kaylin Neya who would be called in. And she’d go, too.
Yvonne complicated things. There was no proof that Yvonne could step into the Consort’s shoes—but there were strong indications that shecould. That would mean it would be Yvonne, not Kaylin, who’d have to fill in. Yvonne, who had very little high-powered support in the High Halls.
Yvonne, who had some questionable difficulties in her past—enough that Severn could consider them a risk. She didn’t know what the risk entailed, but she was certain he wouldn’t put the entirety of the future Barrani people in danger. Probably.