“It was a problem Angrelados chose to devote time and knowledge to solving, for the sense of isolation did not leave him. Understand, again, that petty manners, petty etiquette, obscure the truth. Angrelados wanted an equal, a partner—but it was impossible. No attempt to alter his truth, his Name, could change that. Not all of his compatriots were pleased with his choice; they felt his enormous intellect was diverted to something so trivial as to be almost beneath notice.
“But he, as I, chose what was, and was not, beneath hisnotice. His interest oft made things interesting; that was his nature.”
She frowned.
“With time, with experimentation, he created and perfected a spell that would allow his communion, his connection, with beings of lesser power—or markedly less power. We thought, once he had accomplished this task, he would turn once again to greater mysteries, greater magics.
“He did not.”
“What happened to him?”
“That is beyond the remit of your query. What was created could be taught; it was not something that was entirely and only limited to personal use. Angrelados felt that many of us would benefit from a way of interacting, of binding, that did not destroy the precious object.”
Object. “Person.”
Androsse failed to acknowledge the correction. “The meaning was lost on many. It was considered irrelevant and impractical.”
“Impractical?” She could guess at why it would be considered irrelevant.
“Even if it is a minor use of power, it requires power. If one wishes to cherish one’s pets, there is no need to waste that power; protecting and caring for them will be done regardless.”
“Do not antagonize the Chosen for no reason,” Kavallac snapped.
“She bears the Erenne mark. It is a clear indication that Nightshade felt the difference in their power was too great.”
But shealsoknew his True Name. “When you saypower, what do you mean?”
“It is not a simple tattoo; it is not cosmetic. The meaning has been lost to those who use it, if they ever understood it at all.”
Kaylin wanted to shriek in frustration. The need to understandthispart waswhyshe’d asked for research to be done atall. “It’s thenatureof the connection that I need to understand. I can’t reach Nightshade through our namebond. There’s evidence that a similar spell or poison or whatever it is is affecting other Barrani as well. But the Erenne mark is still active. It still bleeds. It still reacts in some way to Nightshade. If I understandwhy, I may be able to heal him.”
“And he is your chief concern?”
“What? No, of course not.” She thought of the Consort. The Barrani Lake of Life. Annarion. “But he’s important in the larger scheme.”
Androsse exhaled. “The information you wish to access is not complete. Angrelados kept records of his experiments and their progress; I can give you dates that will have no meaning to anyone in this room. When he was successful, when he knew he was successful, he ceased to experiment.”
“But his observations?”
“I have yet to find them, Chosen. Or did you imagine that the entirety of the library is indexed in my mind? I know the books and scrolls that I have personally perused or seen; I do not know those I have yet to examine. There is a way to find information that might be relevant to our search—but if we are not familiar with what we unearth, we are required to actuallyread. Which requires uninterrupted time, if you even understand what that means.”
Kaylin’s eyes narrowed. She understood that Androsse stood in the seat of his power. The library was enmeshed with his existence. Her upbringing grappled with her current sense of responsibility. She knew better than to offend the powerful. She’d spent half her life desperately trying to be invisible to them, as if her existence in and of itself was a crime worthy of death.
“I understand what it means,” she said, forcing herself into High Barrani, a language in which it was harder to accidentally give offense. Speaking a different tongue made her do morethinking and less reacting. “If you cannot locate all of the information about his research, I wish to ask for your personal perspective.”
Silence.
“It is clear to me that Angrelados was someone you knew personally.” It was a guess, but she was certain of it. Androsse’s reactionswerepersonal.
If Teela had been allowed into the library, she’d probably be glaring daggers at the side of Kaylin’s face. Serralyn’s eyes were blue. But they weren’t as dark as Fallessian’s or Mandoran’s.
Careful.
Do you think I’m wrong?she asked her partner.
No. You’redefinitely right. That’swhyyouhave tobe careful.
“Angrelados achieved what he wanted to achieve,” Kaylin continued. She frowned. “He loved the person for whom he created the Erenne mark.” It was half a question.