Teela had followed.
Stay with the Consort, Kaylin told everyone who could hear her.Apparently, I have Teela.
Teela was decidedly pale and some evidence of sweat beaded her forehead. Both of these were unusual.
“Why are you here? No, wait. I take that back.Howare you here?”
“Enduring Mandoran has its uses.” She glanced at Spike, and lost whatever it was that would have followed. Probably more explanation, but the dry comment had been explanation enough. “I can finally hear Terrano. Is Spike safe?”
“For us? Yes. I know he looks intimidating.”
Apologies, Chosen. But if there is difficulty, it will be here.He looked down at Teela, although the direction of his gaze wasn’t immediately obvious.What they can do, I cannot do as effectively when I am with them.It took her a moment to untangle this.They must find the Barrani summoners and stop them.
“What are you going to do?”
I am going to the heart of the Tower itself; I will bolster its defenses. It is already severely weakened. Were it not for your Terrano, I might have said those defenses no longer existed; I cannot hear the Tower at all.
“But the Tower is obviously testing people. All of the cohort were put through their paces.” She looked to Teela.
Teela nodded. “Mandoran is coming.”
Testing is not the same as defense, Spike said. He began to move.It requires a different power, a different mode of interaction.
“You think the Shadow has already been summoned?”
The Shadow that you fear—that the Barrani fear—has been here since the Tower collapsed in on itself to trap and contain it. You did not possess—they did not possess—the power necessary to destroy it; not even the Tower at its full strength could.
Andwecan?
No, Chosen. But what your enemies now attempt will break the cage completely. And if that cage is broken, your familiar may protect you—but almost everyone else will be lost.He moved, all movements ungainly and disturbing.
Teela fell in beside Kaylin. Here, as in the streets of Elantra, she had the greater height, the greater weight; Kaylin could almost see the impressions her feet made in the ground beneath them. The ground which wasn’t ground.
It wasn’t Shadow, either, and Kaylin felt she should be grateful for the lack, but couldn’t quite dredge up gratitude. She managed only when a familiar figure drifted slowly into view, the lines of his face scrunched into what passed for concentration in Mandoran.
“There you are!” His eyes were gray, with flecks of color that seemed to be straining for freedom. Even at this distance, they were visible; the eyes seemed to occupy far more of his face than they should have. But the Tower hadn’t trapped or ejected him.
“Hey, is thatKariannos? I don’t think I’ve ever seen you—”
“Notnow,” Teela snapped. “Have you found Terrano?”
“No—and Sedarias is pissed off.”
“Use High Barrani when the Consort is present,” Teela replied. Not much of a reply, but Mandoran shrugged it off.
“Sedarias’s brother is present. His second in command is also present, as is his heir. There are other Lords of the Court, but Sedarias doesn’t recognize them all.” He spoke to Kaylin; Teela obviously already knew this. “She wants your help,” he added, once again speaking to Teela.
“Apologies. I was occupied at the time. You can hear Terrano?”
Mandoran nodded. “He’s not happy, but he’s not in pain.”
“You’ve spoken with him?” Kaylin said.
“No. Sedarias was against it. There’s too much interference, and she expects that some of that interference is probably hunting us. She’snothappy,” he added.
“She’s never happy,” Teela snapped. She exhaled. Turning to Kaylin, she said, “Annarion has finished. Or escaped. The cohort is gathered in two places. Three if you count Mandoran and me.”
“Are they here or there?”
