Nevoran’s eyes were almost gold by the end of Caitlin’s barrage of friendly questions; Marcus’s eyes were distinctly orange. But he tolerated it with only a background growl of general irritation.
Nevoran had been well trained. He knew what Leontines were likely to do or be. But he also clearly understood Caitlin’s role in the office; he knew that answering her questions would not be considered insubordination of any kind, because it was Caitlin who asked. It made him comfortable—or as comfortable as he could be, given his job here. Kaylin was grateful for the office den mother as Marcus impatiently took the lead.
Chapter 17
The Barrani guarding the prisoner were playing dice. It wasn’t, strictly speaking, a cultural pastime of the Barrani, but they’d adapted well to it. Humans didn’t play with them, though, as the Barrani had a fairly rarified concept of cheating: It didn’t count if you won. Since the Barrani had an aptitude for magic, and the type of magic that helped dice stop on certain faces was so trivial it wouldn’t be worthy of note among their own kin, it was a great way to throw money away. No Hawk, no matter how green, was willing to lose their temper and start a brawl when the opponent was Barrani.
Well, unless they were drunk. Or young. Kaylin winced, thinking about being young and drunk, and decided to think about the prisoner instead.
He was skittish. Of course he was. Nevoran was here.
“I’ve cooperated! I’ve answered all your questions!”
Fear, Kaylin thought, was the contagion that the Tha’alanari were trained to keep away from the racial mind. Fear was, to the Tha’alani, a particular type of insanity; if left untended, unquieted, it spread like fire through dry grass, with about the same results.
She had hated the Tha’alani when she had first come to the Halls of Law. She didn’t hate them now. But she understood the man’s fear and tried—very hard—not to judge him. Her natural protective instincts made this harder than it should have been. He’d come to threaten and control Margot. But...Kaylin had done worse, in her time.
“Yes. You have. But there are elements of your story that require further investigation. Before you start whining,” the Leontine growled, “I don’t believe you’ve lied. But an Arcane bomb destroyed an important room or two in the Halls and everyone is on edge.
“You were carrying Shadow.”
The man blanched. He had seen it with his own eyes; he couldn’t deny it. It was, Kaylin thought, the heart of his fear. He didn’tfeeldifferent. But what if he was? What if the Shadow had transformed him, somehow?
“Well, so was the bomb. Private Neya has experience with Shadow. None of that prior experience is useful. We don’t know how you were infested with Shadow; we know that you were, and that it was purged. By the private. What we need to know, now, is who hired you—”
“Itold youthat!”
“And what they gave or exchanged with you that might have been a way to convey that Shadow. It’s obviously not something you noticed.”
The man’s eyes were wide; he was almost green and sweating. Kaylin understood this, as well. She turned to Nevoran, lifting her face. Nevoran’s eyes rounded, and then his lips quirked in an almost bitter smile. But he dropped his stalks to Kaylin’s forehead.
I’m really, really sorry.
I am not aware that you have anything to be sorry about. The decision was the Emperor’s, or the Hawklord’s. It was not, and is not, yours. You wish him to witness this contact, yes?
Yes. I can’t tell him that you’re not going to read his mind—of course you are. He’d have to be dead not to notice. This is all I’ve got. I can let him see that you touch me, and that I’m not noticeably insane—stop laughing.
Sorry.
I don’t think that word means what you think it means.And you know what? He doesn’tdeservethe consideration. I don’t care if he’s terrified—he should damn well be terrified. He should never have agreed to work for Aerian assassins, and maybe—if he survives this, and you’ll note the Barrani guards—he’ll remember never to do it again. I’m not doing this for his sake.
No. You are attempting to lessen his fear for our sake.
Yes. And I resent it.
She heard Ybelline’s laughter. It was bright and full and it permeated the entire mental space with a kind of wry, affectionate approval.
Nevoran withdrew his stalks; Kaylin was smiling with an echo of Ybelline’s amusement. There was no edge in it. There was never an edge in the Tha’alani castelord’s laughter.
The man had watched, openmouthed, as Nevoran had touched Kaylin’s forehead. Kaylin, who resented him, nonetheless said, “Don’t fight it. The only thing the Emperor wants is information about what was done to you—and how it might have been done. If you let him see that without struggling to hide it, there won’t be any pain, and it’ll be over before you know it.
“He’s not going to look for all the other crimes you were involved in. He’s not going to look for anything about your past that isn’t directly related to the Shadow incident. Got it?”
“What did he want from you?” The man’s voice was shaky, and his color was still terrible—but it wasn’tasbad, which was probably as much as anyone could hope for.
“To say hello, more or less.”
* * *
