18 #2
But when Bellusdeo shed her draconic form, golden scales becoming the plate armor of Dragons who would otherwise be naked after transforming, her expression was both troubled and thoughtful.
It was an expression very familiar to Kaylin—it was just on the wrong face.
Serralyn often looked like this when she was researching something and the facts didn’t quite line up.
“Logia?”
Logia smiled. “You’re more perceptive than Bellusdeo gives you credit for.” She spoke Elantran.
“She must have loved you guys a lot,” Kaylin replied.
“She did. We loved her just as much. Possibly more, depending on which of us is speaking. She was our warrior; in martial
strength and reaction, she was our best. It makes sense to us that she was the one who survived.”
Kaylin exhaled. “I found her in Ravellon.”
“I know. But I can find no trace of contaminant in her. She was physically transformed, but otherwise herself—and that is
usually not the case where physical transformation has occurred.”
Kaylin nodded. She wasn’t an expert in Shadow, but that matched her experience. “You wanted to meet Helen.”
Bellusdeo apparently had dimples—at least one. “I do. But I’d like to say hello to Mrs. Erickson as well. We’re enormously
grateful to her—Bellusdeo most of all.”
Kaylin grimaced. “You know there are things I can’t talk about, right?”
“So I’ve been informed. Don’t get me—or us—wrong. We’re all concerned with Shadow. But it’s not as personal for us as it is for Bellusdeo.”
“So you think you can be more objective?”
The dimple reappeared. “Don’t you?”
Lannagaros must have had his hands way more than full with these sisters. But Logia’s eyes were almost gold, and Bellusdeo’s
had been almost red. She’d take this flavor of handful over the other one.
“Have you talked much with the chancellor?”
“I have—mostly me, but we’ve all taken turns. My interests most closely match his—although this wasn’t always the case in our childhood.”
Helen opened the front door. “You don’t need to stand outside to converse. The parlor is open, and I’ve had refreshments brought.
Imelda baked,” she added. “I think baking is her response to worry, and she’s been a bit worried about all of you.”
Fallessian’s grimace was worn but affectionate. He really had been spending time with Mrs. Erickson. “I’ll go ahead,” he told
Mandoran. “Terrano should be here in a couple of minutes. I’ll tell Imelda that no one’s injured and no one’s lost.”
“Yet,” Mandoran muttered.
“Logia, please come in. For reasons that have never been clear to me, people often converse outside the house, when inside
is more comfortable. And no, it’s not about avoiding me—if that were the intent, you would never have crossed the fence line.”
Logia smiled and nodded. She then turned to Kaylin, caught her by the hand, and dragged her toward the door. This was something
Bellusdeo would never have done—Bellusdeo would simply have glared in command, and Kaylin would have followed.
“It’s interesting,” Logia said as they reached the door. “Bellusdeo found the cohort highly unusual. She understands it better
now. We don’t have separate bodies—we can’t have separate lives the way the cohort does. But we argue a lot.
“Bellusdeo isn’t interested in academics. Unless the possible subjects—such as history—contain information that will tilt
the balance of war in our favor, she considers it a waste of time. How can knowledge be a waste of time? If it were useless,
she would never go to the Academia at all.”
Helen clucked sympathetically as she guided Logia—still attached to Kaylin by the hand—into the foyer, and from there into the parlor. “Imelda will join you, but she wants to make sure you have to time to talk about important things before she interrupts you. Corporal?”
Severn remained on the other side of the door. “Kaylin will never need a guard or an escort here,” he said. “And I have other
business to which I must attend. I will leave Kaylin in your care.”
“Wait!” Kaylin said, turning back, or half turning, as Logia didn’t release her hand. “When should we invite Yvonne to visit?”
“I believe the cohort has opinions on that very subject. For my part, I believe sooner would be better. You won’t need to
prepare for her visit.”
“She’ll need to prepare for An’Tellarus,” Mandoran said.
“She won’t. An’Tellarus won’t cause trouble here unless she thinks someone else has started it first. She’s not like An’Teela.
If you offend her, she won’t hunt down every living member of your family and kill them to make a point.”
“You’re sure?”
“I don’t know what she was like when she was young, but she’s not young, now. She’s impulsive. She’s considered indulgent,
in general. But if Sedarias doesn’t somehow attempt to politically outmaneuver her, she will cause no harm.
“It is safe to invite Yvonne to visit at any time, but there are pressing reasons why it should be soon.”
“I like him,” Logia said when Helen had opened the parlor and escorted her to a seat. She had offered her a drink, but apparently
Logia and Bellusdeo had different tastes, and Logia declined the alcohol Bellusdeo sometimes favored.
“Him?” Kaylin didn’t drink a lot, partly because she’d seen Tain and Teela bingeing and felt someone had to stay sober.
“Severn. Bellusdeo approves of him. It’s not even grudging. What is he to you?”
“He’s my partner. He’s a Hawk.”
Logia nodded. “She would like to know who Yvonne is.”
Kaylin knew better than to speak of Yvonne, but she’d asked Severn about Yvonne—out loud—when it would have been way smarter
to ask him through the namebond. “She’s a young woman I met at the High Halls.”
“Barrani, then.”
“Yes. She was servant to a Barrani Lord who commanded our presence. I would have said no, but neither Teela nor Severn thought
it wise. If we hadn’t been summoned, we wouldn’t have met Yvonne—Yvonne was there.” Kaylin frowned as the words left her mouth.
She wouldn’t have met Yvonne if not for An’Tellarus’s interference. An’Tellarus clearly knew Severn, and Severn knew her as well.
She’d assumed An’Tellarus was tweaking Severn’s metaphorical nose.
But what if the purpose was actually Yvonne? Severn appeared to know Yvonne. Kaylin didn’t. Teela didn’t. There’d be no reason
for either of them to meet her. If An’Tellarus had commanded their attendance, she must have expected that Severn would agree—and
if he did, both Teela and Kaylin were likely to follow. Not certain, but likely.
An’Tellarus was older than Teela. She’d survived as the lord of her line for a very long time. She was considered eccentric
but was accepted because she would survive it, and those who attempted to use those eccentricities against her would not.
It wasn’t meeting An’Tellarus that had been the entire point of that little play. It wasn’t embarrassing Severn; it wasn’t
intimidating Teela.
Well, no. Maybe a bit of it was intimidating Teela. Or making clear to Teela where Tellarus’s interests were currently aligned,
well before hostilities could begin. It couldn’t be meeting Kaylin.
She was interested in you, Severn said. This surprised Kaylin. Something about both An’Tellarus and Yvonne had been locked away with a giant do not enter sign hanging from the very closed fences. It’s not that she hadn’t—or didn’t—want to know. It’s that she didn’t want to be
a hypocrite. Hypocrisy ranked high on her list of most-hated traits that were, in many cases, legal. There were too many things
she didn’t want to talk about, either.
Is it because I’m Chosen?
That has to be part of the reason. I’ve had reason to interact with An’Tellarus in the past; we’re acquainted. Our interests aligned;
she’s capable of cooperation when it suits her purposes.
Do you have any idea what her purpose is?
Silence. It wasn’t a wall. No. But if she were so easily predicted, she would not be what she is. I think you’re right: she wanted Yvonne to be seen.
She wanted Yvonne to be seen as part of Tellarus, and beholden to An’Tellarus herself.
So . . . warning Teela off.
I’m less certain about that. She let you go off with Yvonne; she didn’t wish me to join you.
Had she said that? Kaylin couldn’t remember that.
But I think you’re right. Yvonne was central to that summons.
. . . which means she must know about the test of the Lake.
Severn agreed.
Does this mean she knows about the Consort’s difficulty?
No. But it means she possibly could.
“Bellusdeo says I shouldn’t interrupt you because you’re wearing your thinking face, which is rare.”
Kaylin rolled her eyes.
“You have reached a conclusion, then?”
“Yes.” Kaylin turned her attention to Logia. “She’s letting you talk because she thinks I’ll be comfortable enough to let
things slip.”
Logia laughed with what seemed genuine delight. “I did warn her,” she said.
The problem was: it was true. There was a little bit of Serralyn in Logia. Kaylin liked Bellusdeo. There was no other reason to offer her a home in Helen when the Imperial Palace grew too awkward, too fraught,
for the gold Dragon. But Bellusdeo had always been prickly and temperamental; Logia seemed almost her exact opposite. Too
comfortable.
But everything Logia heard, Bellusdeo would hear. And there was no guarantee that Logia would even think of keeping things
to herself. Terrano didn’t—he probably couldn’t.
“Well, she listened enough that you’re here instead.”
Logia laughed again, but her expression sobered. “She’s been alone for a long time.”
Kaylin understood her meaning and tried not to feel irrelevant—Bellusdeo had been living with Kaylin, not on her own.
“And if it helps, she’s worried about you.”
“It really doesn’t.”
Logia looked faintly smug; Kaylin guessed that Logia had said this, as well. “Not all expressions of affection are welcome
to the targets of that affection,” Logia said, as if confirming Kaylin’s suspicion. “But if we don’t get down to business,
Bellusdeo will take over.”