Kaylin and Severn weren’t in the office for most of that day, though. They were out patrolling Elani Street. It was the first time in a long time that Kaylin appreciated petty fraud. She didn’t even grimace when she caught sight of Margot on the way to Evanton’s storefront.
* * *
“I don’t mean to be offensive,” Grethan said a moment after he opened the door, “but you look awful.”
“It’s been that kind of day. Is Evanton in?”
“He is. I don’t think he was expecting you, if that’s any comfort.”
“Some,” Kaylin admitted. She frowned. “Ilook awful, orwelook awful?”
“Severn kind of looks the same as he always does. You look—”
“Awful. Just me.”
Severn shrugged, fief shrug. “I didn’t say it,” he pointed out when she glared at him. “I haven’t been a Hawk for nearly as long as you have. Before I joined the Hawks, I was a Wolf. We don’t have an office the way the Hawks or the Swords do. We don’t serve the same function. A death in the holding cells mightbeone of our assignments.”
“It would never be a Wolf assignment.”
“No?”
“They don’t call in the Wolves if they can actuallyputthe criminal in questioninholding cells.” She exhaled. “Sorry. You’re right. But—it brings up all the old stuff. It reminds people of the last time. It’s just—” She shook her head. “I don’t want it to be an Aerian. I don’t want it to be anyone in the Halls.”
He was kind enough not to point out that the Hawklord probably already knew who the killer had been. Her ignorance at this point was irrelevant; it was pointless to cling to it. She knew it, and hated the whine that underlay her thoughts. But the hells with it. She’d let her ignorance go when she was good and ready. Or, more likely, when the Hawklord was.
She headed toward the kitchen, in serious need of cookies. Severn followed. Evanton was seated at the table, his apron a bit grimy, his expression a match for Kaylin’s. They eyed each other warily. Since it was Evanton’s shop, his bad moods took precedence over hers when all things were equal. Other than that, they shared.
“I have had two visitors today,” Evanton said, going first. “Both Aerian, oddly enough.”
“We had three, but they came together in a single group,” she countered.
Evanton pushed the cookie tin in her general direction. “Both of the Aerians were from the Upper Reaches; they were representatives of castelords, or the Aerian equivalent. They felt it necessary to actually threaten me.”
Kaylin winced. “So...not very bright representatives.”
Evanton’s smile was humorless and thin. “No. They were dissuaded from that avenue of communication quite quickly.”
“Our visitors didn’t bother with the threats or the negotiations. They were invisible, they had a net that appeared—from the ground—to be made of Shadow, and wethinkthey were there to assassinate Sergeant dar Carafel.”
Evanton winced.
“We managed to bring two of them down. One of them died in the holding cells, and not by his own hand.”
“I’m not certain you’re allowed to say that,” Evanton said. “It’s probably a breach of some sort of security or other.”
“Probably.”
“Do you think these two incidents are related?”
“The assassination and the deaths in the cell?” Kaylin asked in a veryWhy are you asking if water is wet?tone.
“No. The visit to my humble shop and the assassination attempt.”
“Oh.” She took a cookie. Or two. “Maybe. I was coming to ask you about that.”
“Ah.”
“This blessing thing that you were asked to craft—does it actually give the flightless flight?”
