16 #2
genuine, was wry. “She tended to charge ahead, especially when she was angry. Her general rule was punch first, ask questions
later. But she was the most martially competent of all of us.” Kyrie winced. “. . . in my opinion, of course.”
Definitely like the cohort. Kaylin could practically hear the argument on the inside of their head.
“Are you worried?” Kyrie asked, head slightly tilted as she assessed Kaylin.
“I’m used to Bellusdeo.”
“Ah. You are concerned that I am here because I have wrested control of her body away from her.” It wasn’t a question. It
was also true. “As you must know, we are not entirely whole. In the past, we would have been a seamless individual with the
amassed knowledge and interests of nine distinct fragments. That did not happen for us. What we’ve achieved is anomalous,
according to Logia. We are too distinct; there are nine people, not a unified whole.
“Some argument and discussion have occurred since we became as we are, and a rough consensus has emerged—with Bellusdeo’s
blessing. We can, if the situation warrants it, step forward. Bellusdeo has not been pushed aside without her consent—but
if a majority decide that it would be better to allow a different sister to become spokesperson, she will step aside, agreement
or no.
“Not all such decisions are fractious. Logia came to speak with you; Bellusdeo had little interest in the subject or the possible
resultant discussion.”
“That isn’t the case now.”
“No. But her grief and rage drive her at times when it would be wiser that they not. As we’ve pointed out many times, we were the ones who died. If our deaths do not motivate us to be enraged and resentful, we do not believe they should affect
her that way.”
Good luck with that.
Bellusdeo laughed. No, not Bellusdeo—but maybe not Kyrie either. Kaylin didn’t know Bellusdeo’s sisters well enough to tell
them apart. That would come with time, if it came at all. Time, however, was the one thing they were all short on.
“The Arbiters have been looking into things, but not all of their research was done at my request.”
Severn stepped forward. “It is, at the moment, more personal in nature, and it involves Barrani customs. Kaylin is Chosen;
what is personal may have follow-on effects.” All of this was a lie, in Kaylin’s opinion.
The cohort are your family, Severn said, his expression unchanging. Family matters are considered personal.
Still lying.
“However,” Severn continued, “I’m certain if Shadow is found to be involved, your expertise and experience—”
“Dying to Shadow?” This was definitely not Kyrie. The tone was way too amused for that.
Severn didn’t even blink. “Yes. Most of our investigations take place after the fact of death. We can’t usually interrogate
the dead, who would otherwise be the most salient witnesses.”
“Bellusdeo isn’t happy you just said that.”
Severn offered whichever sister it was a fief shrug.
“You’re a lot braver than you look.” The sister grinned. “I’m Mezanne, by the way. I only come out when everyone else has
given up in frustration.”
“When Bellusdeo is frustrated, she breaks things.”
“That’s not all she does. But this is Lannagaros’s hoard. She won’t break things here.”
Kaylin knew she wouldn’t plan to break things. Or burn them down.
“Mezanne,” Killian said, bowing. “We are expected.”
“I’m just going to keep you company.” She frowned, walked down the stairs, and pulled Terrano out of thin air. Terrano’s eyes
were wide with shock.
Mezanne laughed. “You and I are going to get along just fine. I’m keeping you all company,” she added. “Bellusdeo insisted on at least that much. How did she put it? Oh. Keep Terrano
out of trouble. You’re Terrano, right?”
“How did you see me?”
“What, were you trying to stay hidden?” Her grin deepened. Kaylin had never seen that expression on Bellusdeo’s face before.
“Hiding is my area of expertise.”
“You’re a Dragon—how much hiding did you have to do?”
“A lot if we wanted to sneak out. I mean—everyone guarding us was an adult Dragon.”
Terrano nodded as if this made sense, and the blue of his eyes lightened without dipping into green.
Mezanne frowned and turned to Mandoran. “Apparently you don’t cause the same kind of problems this one does.” She jerked a
thumb in Terrano’s direction. “I think Bellusdeo actually likes you. Given your race, we wouldn’t have expected that.”
Mandoran said nothing. His expression was as reserved as Tiamaris’s. Tiamaris, however, was irritated, given the color of
his eyes.
Killianas patiently gathered everyone and led them into the building.
Mezanne wasn’t particularly quiet; she certainly wasn’t reserved.
She let Terrano go, but Terrano chose not to sidestep the way he usually did.
Mezanne had clearly seen him. Kaylin wanted to know how, but didn’t want to ask right now; Mezanne appeared to be in a good mood, which Bellusdeo had definitely not been.
Happy Dragons were far safer than unhappy Dragons, for everyone concerned.
Serralyn was waiting by the library door—the portal that led to the Arbiters. She wasn’t particularly surprised to see Bellusdeo
but wouldn’t be. She did smile brightly at Fallessian, who had characteristically remained silent throughout the Dragon’s
various speeches.
Fallessian returned the smile, although his eyes remained a rigid blue.
“We’ll be leaving you here,” Terrano told Mezanne. His grin was cheeky.
“For now, yes. I’m not like you—at least, not according to Bellusdeo—but I’m a tiny bit more flexible than the rest of my
sisters were. Except Logia. Don’t trust her with anything too important.” Her smile dimmed. “We’re different people, but we
all take Shadow seriously. Bellusdeo is willing to trust Kaylin—but it’s taking more effort than it should.” To Severn she said,
“Remember your promise.”
Severn nodded.
Kaylin didn’t breathe again until they crossed the portal and arrived in the library proper. Partly that was the nausea of
using a portal, and partly relief that Bellusdeo, or Mezanne, or Kyrie, had remained on the other side. Killian never entered
the library, and only one of the Arbiters could leave it.
That Arbiter lifted the two legs at the front of its hairy, rounded body and waved them in the group’s direction. Serralyn
immediately broke away by running toward the Arbiter as if to hug him.
Kaylin understood that Starrante wasn’t a spider, but her visceral reaction required thought and will to suppress. She liked Starrante. But part of her hindbrain instinctively recoiled at some of his gestures. She wished she could be more like Serralyn
or Robin, a student who had learned many of the Wevaran gestures, and treated the Arbiter as a beloved uncle.
She did, however, follow behind Serralyn.
“I hear you have been busy,” Starrante said, his voice a crackle of sound around perfectly normal syllables.
“And how,” Kaylin replied. “I hear we’ve been keeping you pretty busy as well.”
“Much of the research has been done by Arbiter Androsse.”
Ugh. Androsse was the Arbiter Kaylin least liked. He was arrogant, dismissive, and self-important in a way that had always
set her teeth on edge. She was respectful because he was powerful, and the library was his domain. Or rather, a third of it.
Androsse and Kavallac didn’t get along all that well; it was the Wevaran who played peacemaker. Or maybe Starrante genuinely
respected both the Barrani Ancestor and the Dragon. They had all been chosen as Arbiters by the Ancients who had created the
bubble in which the library existed, safe from invasion and destruction.
“Serralyn has been in communication with us,” Starrante continued. Androsse and Kavallac appeared to be absent—but Kaylin
had no doubt they’d show up.
“I believe you asked her a few questions. Understand that inquiries made of the library are personal in nature; unless and
until they become a threat to the library itself, they will not be discussed or divulged without permission of the supplicant.”
“Supplicant?”
“The person who’s asking,” Terrano murmured. He clearly didn’t like the word, either.
“That said, the presence of Barrani in the border zones, where they seem to be building a very clear line of escape to Ravellon, is of grave concern. Your subsequent questions—about healing magic and the Erenne mark—would not normally be bumped to the
head of the queue, but Serralyn was persuasive.
“She felt you would not have asked those questions—which are interesting in their own right—if you did not feel they were at least peripherally connected. Arbiter Androsse will have questions to ask, to better focus the results of his library search.”
“He didn’t care about the Erenne mark, did he?”
Starrante exhaled. “He did not care for it, no. But he considered the arguments made in defense of the question, and he agreed to expand his search to include something
he considers trivial.” Before Kaylin could speak, he lifted one arm. She waited. “Things that seem trivial to Arbiter Androsse
can destroy whole families. What is trivial to us is not trivial to you. The word is not meant as a judgment—but given the
situation, it is not entirely unreasonable to feel it might be irrelevant.
“Why did you ask for these two searches?”
“I got involved through Lord Nightshade. Most Immortals can’t stand to be healed. They’d literally sooner die. But he was
unconscious, and I thought I’d be really careful and just . . . heal him enough that he could wake up.”
Starrante nodded.
“That didn’t work, though. I couldn’t touch him at all. No, I mean, I could touch him—but not with the power of the Marks
of the Chosen. My healing powers only came to me when the Marks did, and they were the only good thing about having the Marks. But the power didn’t reach him at all. It’s as if something was in between us, something
that protected—or rejected—the power of the Marks.”
Starrante’s eyes rose—well, some of them. Most remained nestled across his body.