“I don’t think it mattered. The Lady knew that we were gone—that we were somehow heading to the Hallionne. The water sent us, in a panic. I don’tthinkthe water was trying to save the cohort—I don’t think the water was even aware of it. Something was done that upset the water—and I think it’s bigger than kidnapping. Or murder. Sorry,” she added, remembering that the intended victims were standing, in as much as ghosts could, around her.
“What could be big enough to upset the elemental water?”
“I don’t know. I’m not an integral part of the existence of the world. But I’m afraid we’re very likely to find out.”
22
Kaylin turned to Terrano. “When you broke into Orbaranne you said you weren’t aware that you were standing in a Hallionne.”
Terrano nodded, looking suspiciously at the familiar perched upright on Kaylin’s shoulder.
“You didn’t mean to slide under her defenses—but you said you had to push through to enter the safe space.”
He nodded again, looking even more suspicious, although this time suspicion was aimed at Kaylin.
“What, exactly, were you running from that you needed the space?”
He paused to consider this. “It’s not something that would harm you. Or could harm you. I don’t think it’s sentient the way we are—but there are predators in the outlands. Like wild animals, but hungrier. You get used to them,” he added, shrugging. “I recognized the space Orbaranne occupies as a space that predators wouldn’t go. They were avoiding it.”
“Those predators wouldn’t see me?”
“Not as you are now. I think.”
“Could you lead us there?”
“To where? Orbaranne?” He looked doubtful, and glanced at Sedarias as if for guidance. Which would have been ridiculous, except the ghostly Sedarias shook her head.
“I was thinking of Alsanis.”
Terrano frowned. “I think so.” The frown grew edges. “Dragon lady, you said you had experience fighting Shadow?”
Kaylin glanced at the gold Dragon; her eyes were now a deep blood red. “Yes.”
“I think now would be a good time to prepare.”
Kaylin, however, shook her head. “We need to get back to Alsanis.” She remembered, clearly, the way his Avatar had begun to melt, its form lost to what Terrano had called anger. And she remembered, as well—how could she have forgotten for even a minute?—what the cohort had tried to do to Orbaranne. They had not intended to destroy her, although that would have been the outcome of their goal; she would have been simple, collateral damage.
No, what they had hoped to derive from Orbaranne was the power inherent in the True Words at her heart. They required that power to free themselves, fully and finally, from Alsanis.
The war band led by Lord Barian’s mother had distracted the Lord of the West March and Lord Barian. Neither man remained within the Hallionne. Spike said there were two presences toward which the Shadow was moving. He had shown them two Barrani, with a human associate who had not accompanied them here.
And here, she thought, was the outlands. Of course he hadn’t.
Kaylin had asked if the Barrani were in need of rescue. What she hadn’t asked was if those two presences were actually incontrolof the Shadow, if it moved at their command. If it did, and if the Barrani Arcanists—and she assumed they must be Arcanists—were here in the outlands, they might be trying to do what Terrano had taught them, however imperfectly, to do.
She doubted very much they intended to approach Orbaranne. Not again. But she and Bellusdeo had fallen through the literal floor of Alsanis to land unceremoniously here. Here, where the cohort had been entrapped and almost devoured. They must be much closer to Alsanis than Terrano immediately realized.
“We need to go back to Alsanis,” she said. “That’s where the Shadows are heading.”
This time, the words caught the easily distracted Terrano, and his eyes widened. He had spent centuries perfecting his escape from Alsanis’s confines—but he did not hate the Hallionne. In some fashion, that Hallionne had become his only true home.
He was not the only one who felt that way; the whole of the cohort stiffened and turned. Sedarias spoke—silently, of course—but Terrano didn’t bother to make the attempt to catch her words. Grimmer now, he seemed older as he turned. This time, he nodded.
“Bellusdeo—”
“Get on,” the Dragon rumbled—at Terrano.
“The others—”
