“Meaning she doesn’t believe Teela’s in charge.”
“I believe that is what it indicates. I am glad you are here,” she added. “It reminds me of the possible cost of losing my temper. Yes,” she added before Kaylin could speak. “I am angry. It has been a long time since I have felt this particular anger. I hope the two do not find a point of entry—I cannot guarantee that they would survive.”
“They could do a lot of damage,” Kaylin said, thinking of Alsanis.
“Yes, but so can I, dear. You have had a remarkable array of guests since you became my tenant, and I have had to expand my understanding of the spaces they occupy in order to properly house—or contain—them. Gilbert’s last visit was especially trying, but I am glad that he did return.” Speaking seemed to calm her.
“It does. It reminds me of the reasons I became what I am now. I am not all that I was, and at times I regret what I lack—but you would not be here had I made that choice. And I like your home, although it is more...lively. Oh, dear.”
Teela had drawn her sword.
The blade seemed to absorb the sunlight; it didn’t so much reflect it as glow with it, and the area around Teela darkened in comparison. No, Kaylin thought, eyes narrowing, not in comparison. Had she ever seen Teela use that sword? Did she want to see it now?
Without thought, she headed out the door. Or tried. “Helen.”
“Teela does not require your aid at this time.”
“Helen,please. It’smyhome, not Teela’s. She wouldn’t be living here at all if she’d managed to talk sense into the cohort.”
“And you want them to know that the person they have to kill in order to possibly gain entry and access to your guests is you?”
Kaylin let her hand fall away. “It sounds stupid when put that way.”
“Because itisstupid,” Terrano snapped. “You’re the only mortal here—you’re the weakest.”
“Severn’s here.”
“Youhonestlythink he’s easier to kill than you?”
Kaylin shrugged, but that took effort; she was annoyed. “Neither of us are dead yet, and—”
Something shattered. Kaylin wheeled toward the foyer windows and almost froze there. This time, when she tried to exit the front door, Helen didn’t stop her.
She brought the sword down, Severn said as Kaylin strode down the drive, her hands balled in fists so that she wouldn’t draw both daggers.
Where are you?
At an upstairs window. Helen thought to alert me to the possible danger. I’m almost at the door, now.
Don’t come out yet.
I will stay with Helen.
Teela’s sword arm was slightly lifted, but the position of her back hadn’t changed. Tain, however, was now combat ready. He didn’t carry a sword; he was now sporting two long knives.
Brought it down onwhat? She’s on the inside of Helen’s boundary!
There were no bodies, no corpses and no obvious blood on either side of the fence; Teela hadn’t inserted the blade of the sword through the tines of the gates to impale Bressarian. Nor had she brought her sword down through the iron tines of the fence, which was what Kaylin had been desperately afraid she’d done.
But she’d hit something.
The familiar squawked in her ear, adjusting his position on her shoulder, and as he did, Kaylin could see the shards that had fallen in a jagged circle around Teela’s feet. They were melting, their edges disappearing as they slowly blended together.
Kaylin’s arms, legs and marked skin suddenly caught fire. Or that’s what it felt like. She stumbled, gritting her teeth as the movement of cloth and leather against that skin made it feel like the skin was being removed.
When this was over—and if she survived—she was going to go to the Arkon’s library, endure his annoyanceandhis condescension and make him tell her everything he knew about the Chosen. She’d study it without his advice, but most of his prized collection wasn’t conveniently written in either Barrani or Elantran. She was tired of her own ignorance. She had stumbled through crises trusting luck and instinct; she had taken the only gift the words had provided—the healing—and used that power without ambivalence about its source.
But she needed to know what the words did. She needed to know why some magic made her want to cut her own limbs off just to avoid the pain, and others—that were just as obvious, just as visible—did not. Maybe the Arkon wouldn’t have answers. But there were clues that might lead to answers in his collection, and she could handle the detective work now.
