“No. I heard them, but I was too far away to come to their aid, and I do not know where they are.”
“Do you know if they are still alive?”
Terrano stiffened, but did not reply.
Lord Barian bowed immediately. “My apologies, Terrano. The Hallionne is concerned; it is much on his mind.”
Kaylin cleared her throat and considered avoiding the introduction of the Dragon. Her familiar squawked, and she relented. “This,” she said, when she had Lord Barian’s attention, “is Lord Bellusdeo of the Imperial Dragon Court.”
18
Accustomed as she was to Barrani blue, Kaylin still found the instant transformation daunting. Lord Barian was not a Lord of the High Court, but Barrani across the world hated the Dragons. Mortal memories were fragile and imperfect. Barrani memories, like Dragon memories, were not. It made Kaylin wonder what she would have been like if her memories of life in the fiefs never dimmed with time.
She didn’t really like the answer.
Kaylin almost blurted out a groveling apology, but held her tongue. She was not ashamed of Bellusdeo; the gold Dragon didn’t deserve that.
Lord Barian’s gaze went instantly to Lirienne’s, held it for a few seconds, and then returned to the Dragon. Bellusdeo stood quietly, arms by her side, chin slightly lifted; her eyes were orange, but at this point orange was the new gold.
“Lord Bellusdeo,” Kaylin continued, when no weapons had been drawn. “This is Lord Barian, the Warden of the West March. The responsibility of the Hallionne Alsanis has been his line’s.”
Bellusdeo offered Lord Barian an exquisite Barrani bow. It was lower and more exact than the bow she’d offered the Lord of the West March. Kaylin wondered if Lirienne noticed. Wait, what was she thinking? He was a Barrani man of power. Ofcoursehe’d noticed.
Yes. It is interesting. She is not what I expected of a Dragon.
I don’t think she meant to insult you.
No,kyuthe, she did not. The bow she offers Lord Barian is exact and correct; it is also graceful, something for which the Dragons were not noted. The bow she offered me is the bow she might offer to the respected head of a familial line.
Pardon?
She understands that you arekyuthe;you are kin to me. Lord Barian, however, has made no such claim; you are not under his protection, and your death or injury will not be his to avenge.
It wouldn’t be yours, either.
He chuckled as she turned once again to face Lord Barian. She had a habit of turning toward the person speaking to her if he was in the room—and Lirienne was. Bellusdeo was giving her the pointed side-eye, as well.Think, Kaylin, she told herself.You are in hostile territory. Every window could carry a person with a crossbow. Every shrub could conceal a person with a dagger. Or worse.Think.You’ve done this before.
But when she’d done it before, there had been no making nice. There had been no bows, no courtesies. Just silence, fear, focus. The price of failure had been clear: injury or death, and probably not the fast painless kind, either.
No. But youarekyutheto the Lord of the West March, and itishis duty to avenge you. Even if he arranged for your death, someone would have to publicly pay the price of it; they would sacrifice their own lives—or the welfare of their family—in order to kill you.
Hello, Ynpharion.Kaylin’s head was a crowded place, these days.
The Consort feels you will be safe if you remain with her brother. She feels, however, that the Dragon is best housed in the Hallionne.
And Terrano?
She is not entirely certain what to make of him.Silence, and then, as if thought were whisper,She is worried.
He did try to kill her. Or capture her.
You do not believe he will do so again.
No. He won’t. I think the only thing he cares about is the safety of his friends. Wait—she’s notcoming here, is she?
Silence.
It’s too late—it’ll take her weeks.
