She really hated Mandoran at the moment.
And that is interesting. You lie even when no one else can hear you.
Someone can always hear me, she shot back.
I have been somewhat occupied of late. Your Helen does not trust me at all. She is willing to tolerate me, but only for Annarion’s sake. She does, however, bear obvious fondness for him. I am therefore guarding myself on two fronts, and even this conversation is likely to annoy her immensely.
He was probably right.
I cannot hear your thoughts when you are in your home.
You can hear them now.
Yes, and that is unexpected. I am not certain why she allowed my words to reach you. Perhaps she hoped that it would make the rest of the discussion less awkward.
What discussion?
He chuckled, although his face was perfectly composed.You did not answer my question.
Not mine to answer.She thought of Moran—just a brief flicker of awareness of how little Moran wanted to be the subject ofanydiscussion. And of course, that stray thought was enough.
But she hadn’t expected the stillness that spread out from Lord Nightshade. She’d thought him still and composed when he sat; she’d thought him still and composed during the opening salvos of what promised to be a less-than-comfortable dinner. He was frozen now, for one long minute that threatened to spiral out of control, taking what little sound and light there was entirely out of the room.
“What,” Nightshade said, “are you doing housing thelllumen praevolo? Have you lost your mind?”
* * *
Kaylin wondered, briefly, why he’d asked the question out loud.
“I thought it best,” Helen replied. “I am somewhat occupied at the moment, and I did not feel that dinner conversation would become difficult. I apologize for my lapse in supervision.”
Kaylin realized two things then. First: Nightshade would no longer be able to speak with her through the bond of True Name; Helen had killed that avenue of private discussion. Second, and more troubling, that Helenhadallowed it to begin with. Kaylin didn’t believe that the lapse, as she called it, was accidental. Nor did she think that Helen truly believed that the conversation would not be difficult, given the way she clearly felt about Nightshade.
Her house hadliedto her. What she couldn’t understand waswhy—and just in case Helen was listening in, she made it clear that she didn’t need to understand why right this very second. Later would do, if they all survived the meal.
“What did you say?” she asked Nightshade.
“I asked if you had taken leave of your senses.”
“Before that.”
“Illumen praevolo?”
They were the exact words Lillias had spoken. Lillias had been fragile, nervous, afraid. Nightshade was none of those things. “Yes, that. What does it mean?”
“It means nothing to humans,” he replied. His eyes were a glittering blue, hard as sapphires as they absorbed the room’s light. “It means much to Aerians. Was it theIllumen praevolowho survived the assassination attempt?”
“Yes.”
“They do not belong here.”
“Thanks, but it’s my house. My castle. I get to decide that.”
“Did you know, before you offered shelter?”
Kaylin was irritated. “What do you think?”
“I think you were ignorant.”
