“How important do you consider Terrano?”
“Very.”
Evarrim did not agree. Nightshade, however, did. No one bothered to ask Teela.
“Very well. You found Calarnenne.” And her cheek was still blistered and raw from that effort. “You cannot find Terrano in the same fashion. He is not bound to you.”
Teela was tensing; her eyes flashed in almost the same way the sword’s blade did, which would have been fine except it really didn’t look like a reflection.
“No, I can’t.”
“Do you believe you can find him, regardless?”
Kaylin took some time to answer, because the intelligent, thoughtful answer wasno. “Yes.”
“You do not have confidence.”
“It’s impossible to have confidence in a space like this. If what Spike is saying is true, the Tower is like Helen or the Hallionne. At one point in time, it might have been stronger than either. If Helen wanted to hide something from me, she could.”
“Very well. Find him, if you can. If you cannot find him quickly, we must leave his retrieval for a later time.” To Teela, she said, “I give you my word that should we all survive this, and should Terrano be imprisoned in a way that Lord Kaylin cannot perceive, we will return and we will free him.”
Teela said something in High Barrani that Kaylin did not understand.
Edelonne was shocked. Ynpharion was outraged.
The Consort was neither. She lifted a hand, held it, palm out, toward Teela. Kaylin joined Edelonne and Ynpharion in shock and outrage as Teela drew the edge ofKariannosacross the mound of the Consort’s palm. Blood followed in its wake. Teela did the same to her own palm—an action that barely registered to Kaylin—and then pressed that palm into the Consort’s. She spoke three words.
Without turning to look at Kaylin, the Consort said, “Go, Lord Kaylin. Return when I call you.”
Go where?Kaylin thought. She was politic enough not to say this out loud—more for Teela’s sake than anyone else’s, including her own. There was a particular tinge of indigo to Teela’s eyes that spoke of fear—and almost nothing scared Teela.
But fear of loss was something Kaylin understood intimately. She headed down the stairs, which happened to be where the breeze was coming from. Teela was right behind her. The Consort didn’t call her back, but a glance at the Barrani Hawk’s expression made clear that she’d probably fail to hear any command that didn’t take her where she wanted to go, at this point. Nightshade, however, remained with the Consort, as did Evarrim. And Severn.
Terrano’s voice became louder as they descended.
“Can you hear him?” Kaylin asked Teela.
“No.”
“He’s getting louder to me. Look—I’m not certain that you can go wherever it is I’m going.”
Teela grimaced. “I can. Not easily, and not without discomfort, but I can. Mandoran,” she added, “is practically screaming instructions. Sedarias isn’t happy about it.”
“Terrano or Mandoran?”
“Both. You’re certain it’s Terrano?”
Kaylin nodded. “I wasn’t completely certain up above, but...it’s his voice.”
“What’s he saying?”
“You really want me to repeat it?”
This drew a grim chuckle from Teela. “Not where the Consort can hear it, no. I take it he’s not happy.”
They stopped when Kaylin cursed in Leontine.
“You can hear the rest of the trapped,” Teela said, voice flat, her tone making clear that she could.
