“Notmypain,” Kaylin muttered.
* * *
What felt subjectively like hours later, she finished. Since Terrano’s injuries were not severe enough to be life-threatening in the immediate future, she should have been fine—but she felt exhausted, and stumbled slightly when she rose. Terrano fell silent; he was glaring at her when she managed to open her eyes.
“Alsanis,” she said, as Bellusdeo held out a discreet but steadying arm, “I thought I heard the Consort’s voice toward the end.”
“Ah, yes.”
“Yes, I heard it or yes, I thought I heard it?”
The question seemed to confuse Alsanis. “Both? She is not physically present, if that is your concern.”
“But I heard—”
“She is within Hallionne Kariastos’s domain. She spoke to me from within Kariastos.”
“I thought the Hallionne weren’t connected?”
“We are not connected. We are capable of communication, should we be awake. And as of your first passage through the West March, the Hallionne are all awake. She intended to walk the portal paths directly to me.”
Kaylin stopped breathing for one long beat.
“But she was convinced to wait.”
“By who?”
“Kariastos, initially, although I believe it was Bertolle’s word that carried the most weight. They could not reach me at all, and they were concerned about her eventual fate.”
“And she decided to listen?”
“Let us say that while the Consort is powerful and clever, finding a path that would lead to me without their will and their aid would have taken much, much longer, and been far less safe. She is headstrong,” he added, as if he were talking about the cohort and not the effective Empress of the Barrani. “She is not a fool. She was—and is—very concerned about the current difficulties facing my children.”
His children.
Everyone else joined Kaylin in breath holding; Terrano exhaled first. “She doesn’t want them to leave, either.”
“Did you tell the Consort about the delegation sent to the Emperor?”
“Ah, no, Lord Kaylin. She is desirous of speech with you, and I believe it best that you convey your concerns in person.”
“You said she wasn’t allowed to travel here.”
“You,” he said, “will be traveling there. But not today.”
* * *
Alsanis was kind enough to allow Bellusdeo to fly out of this vast and cavernous forest, which meant Kaylin could ride on her back without having to enter a portal. Terrano joined them, which surprised both Kaylin and the Dragon; he was silent for the entire flight. Given his reaction to riding Dragon-back the first time, Kaylin was worried.
“You don’t want to try flying yourself?” Bellusdeo asked, her voice a rumble of sensation beneath them.
“No. Alsanis doesn’t like it.”
“I have no objections,” Alsanis said. Although his Avatar was not present, his voice was. Unlike Helen, Alsanis could exist, in Avatar form, anywhere simultaneously. He had chosen not to in order to spare Bellusdeo another passenger.
During the flight, Kaylin spoke with everyone namebound to her who had finally broken through whatever wall had existed between Alsanis and parts of himself. Ynpharion started, because while Ynpharion had remained behind in the High Halls instead of accompanying the Consort, he was still the Consort’s servant; she held his name. And while he had been somewhat deflated about being abandoned, he had come to understand very clearly why she wanted him there: he was her eyes and ears in the Court and its many halls. It was not known to the Court at large that he had surrendered his name to her.
He was, regardless of the physical distance, also her line of communication with Kaylin. The Consort had left in a furious rush, taking little time to pack or arrange for more comfortable modes of travel. He did not believe the High Lord was pleased. Kaylin could well imagine.But why was she in such a rush?
