She was. She was very surprised, but she was pleased. Small possibilities had defined her life. “What’s the catch?” she asked, as reality caught up with the brief moment of triumph.
“The acceptance—or rejection—of exemption status depends almost entirely on you. As of your arrival this morning, it was solely dependent on you, but your claims—of Shadow nets—could not be corroborated. There are two messages that relate to that. The death of the Aerian in the holding cell was caused by an Aerian who is no longer with the Halls of Law. He has been remanded to the Aerian Caste Court.”
“Where he’ll no doubt be celebrated and rewarded for murder.” She would have clawed the words back if that had been possible. If the Hawklord’s expression hadn’t been so forbidding, Kaylin would have asked him which Aerian.
“Where he will no doubt fall ill of an unspecified sickness and expire,” the Hawklord corrected, eyes narrowed.
“But that’s—”
“Yes. It is a rough application of justice.”
“Why would they want to kill someone who followed their orders?”
“Because the order was, technically, illegal.”
“Not if they’re exempt it wasn’t.”
“Private, the Caste Courts may well be the cesspit of power and politicking you believe them to be—but the Aerianshavelaws. They are not Imperial Laws, but thereisa reasonable overlap. If I ordered you to go to the holding cells and kill our newest prisoner, what am I guilty of?”
“Conspiring to commit murder.”
“And if you obeyed, what would you be guilty of?”
“Murder.”
“Why, exactly, do you expect the Aerian Caste Court to be different?”
“Because they’re trying to assassinate Moran. Which is illegal.”
“Do not allow sentiment to cloud your vision. You’re a Hawk.”
Kaylin exhaled. The small dragon began nibbling at loose strands of her hair while she thought. “They’ll kill him because he knows he was commanded to commit murder.”
“Indeed. If they are otherwise principled, his family will not suffer.” He lifted a hand. “Were he to stand trial in the Aerian Caste Court, they would. If he perishes of ‘illness,’ they will not. And you have diverted me. This morning’s assassination attempt,” he continued, as if he expected these attempts to become part of the Halls’ daily activities, “relied upon you as eyewitness. There was no Records capture. There was no proof. The Caste Court could deride your report. They have already begun to do so.”
“What did Margot actually send to the Halls?”
“Proof,” he replied, “that Shadow is involved. The Records capture does include your response to what you perceived when you looked through your familiar’s wing—but that is entirely dependent on your reliability. What you did toward the end, however,wasincluded in Records. The prisoner clearly ejected a small patch of Shadow. Margot was kind enough to offer to send the rug on which that small patch landed. I have already arranged to have it retrieved; it should be in the Halls momentarily.”
He turned. His eyes were a pale blue. “I will ask that you avoid all of the Aerians currently sworn to the Hawks until the situation is resolved.”
Kaylin blinked. “You can’t think they’d hurt me.”
“I cannot command it,” he continued. “You will continue to see and interact with Sergeant Carafel. I cannot prevent that, but I trust the sergeant. If you die in her presence, it will be because she has died.”
“But if there’sproof—”
“Yes. You are not Aerian. You are, essentially, proof. If you are dead—” the familiar squawked loudly at this “—we will not be able to fight to have this remanded to the Halls of Law. Shadow is, in the Imperial view, enough of a threat that it supersedes all other claims. But this one Records capture serves to underline your claims. Not one of us could see what you saw this morning.”
“I think Mandoran could.”
The Hawklord frowned. “Mandoran? One of Teela’s cousins?”
“In a manner of speaking.”
“Is the corporal aware of this ability?”
“Yes. I’m not sure he’d make a good Hawk,” Kaylin added. “And I’m not sure he’d make a great witness.” There was a difference between ability and presentation. She had no doubt that Mandoran would—without the familiar nagging him—see something out of the ordinary. She was also certain that his ability to convey this information without impatience or cheek was very, very shaky.
