“Emmet, will you relay the events of tonight to the lawyers first thing in the morning, please?” Cotovatre asked.
“Of course,” Emmet said, as if he had been planning to do so.
In the dark of the car interior, Cotovatre took one of Hallie’s cold hands in both of her warm ones. “I know it’s been a stressful evening, and I am sure you’d rather be in your own home, but I hope I can provide an alternative for you that will be comfortable as well as out of your mother’s reach.”
“I am sure,” Hallie said, and then shook her head. “It’s Rosalia’s home, not mine. When I got there and stood in front of the house, that was my first thought. It’s her dream. And she’s so happy. It makes me happy to see that.”
“You are a good friend,” Cotovatre said, squeezing Hallie’s hand before letting her go.
“I try to be,” Hallie said. “I don’t have many friends and I don’t want to lose them. Or be taken away from them.” Her throat tightened. If Wilona Talbot had her way, Hallie would spend therest of her life under the control of the Talbot vine, and would almost certainly not be permitted to have contact with anyone that Wilona did not approve of. She would be isolated, cut off, used however Wilona thought fit. A tool, nothing more. Hallie shuddered. She had fought for a very long time for the ability to make her own decisions, the thought of having that taken away from her was terrible.
“Your mother is a force to be reckoned with, that’s for certain,” Cotovatre said, a hint of laughter in her voice, “but she is in the wrong and she knows it. We will prevail. Unfortunately, it’s going to take longer than I had hoped.”
“I can’t believe she wants even more money,” Hallie said, eyes stinging as she stared blindly out the car window. “I don’t know precisely how much money she does have, but I know it’s a lot more than almost everyone else in low city. And that was before you gave her whatever you did to secure my freedom.”
“It’s a language she understands,” Cotovatre said, the calmness and acceptance in her voice soothing the hurt in Hallie’s chest. “She can’t see that the real treasure of the family is its people, with all their quirks and talents.”
“I’m so glad you got to meet Kaherdin and Morgana,” Hallie said, voice warming.
“So am I,” Cotovatre said, warmth and old, old grief in her voice.
“And I am very glad that they got to meet each other, too,” Hallie added, trying to steer away from the remembered pain she could hear in Cotovatre. Her ancestor had borne a half-human son and had then had to watch as he aged and died while she remained seemingly ageless and unchanged.
“Yes. And that Morgana has found such a fine young man,” Cotovatre added, a bit of mischief in her voice.
“Another lawyer,” Hallie commented, matching the mischief.
“On another matter, I am hosting an event tomorrow evening, to mark the opening of the next Conclave. I would love you to join us, and Girard, too, if you can be spared.”
“I would be happy to,” Hallie said, parsing the truth a little. She might not fully understand what being Cotovatre’s heir meant to thehochlen, but she knew enough that she should attend an event which her ancestor was hosting. And bringing Girard would mean that there was another friendly face there should Cotovatre and Emmet be caught up in hosting duties. It would also give her a good reason to spend some more time in Girard’s company, which was always welcome.
“It will not be that bad,” Cotovatre said, laughing. “The people you met at the house will be there, and a few others I am sure you will know. I invited the director, too, but haven’t had a reply.”
“That doesn’t sound like him,” Hallie said. “But he’s been busy with the investigation.”
“And that’s where his focus should be,” Cotovatre agreed. “Ah, we’re here.”
Hallie blinked, startled, and wondered how the journey from low city to high city could have passed so quickly, and how she had missed them stopping at the checkpoint. Cotovatre got out of the car before the driver could hold her door and Hallie followed, pausing to stare around her.
Cotovatre had called their destination an apartment, which in Hallie’s mind had created an image of a large house-like structure divided into flats. But of course, this was high city, and not low city.
The building that they’d stopped in front of was a few storeys high, and reminded Hallie strongly of the building where Rosalia had lived while she’d been kept in midtown. With the clear sky and moonlight, Hallie could see that the building was formed of pale stone, with large windows and a pitched roof that overhungthe upper levels enough to provide shade from the sun. The building sat in its own, extensive, gardens which were full of lush plant life. Scents of fresh mint and sweet honeysuckle teased Hallie’s nose as she stood, taking it all in.
“There are a few buildings like this here,” Cotovatre said, in a conversational tone. “Having the Conclave meeting here means that there are a lot of staff living here year-round, so accommodation outside the family houses was needed.” She gestured with her hand and Hallie realised that there were a few similar buildings nearby, all discreetly positioned so they didn’t look out on each other. The buildings were also surrounded by mature trees and more gardens. “Some of your colleagues live in these buildings. Girard lives in this one,” she added, and the mischief was back in her voice.
“He does?” Hallie didn’t know why she was so surprised. She’d known that Girard had his own place, away from his parents’ house. Then she narrowed her eyes. “And you just happened to have an apartment in the same building as him?”
“A recent acquisition,” Cotovatre said, eyes gleaming in a smile. “Come, I know it’s been a long day for you and you’ll need a good night’s sleep, but I really want to be the one to show you the place.”
Wondering just what else the evening had in store for her, and trying not to smile too much at the thought of living so close to Girard, Hallie followed Cotovatre along the wide, sand path to the double doors, aware of Emmet following them, carrying Hallie’s bag.
Passing through the heavy-duty glass doors, opened by an electronic key card, they were met with a spacious lobbycomplete with a night watchman on alert behind his desk. Cotovatre introduced Hallie to the watchman, who was a grey-haired, elderlyhochlenwith watchful dark eyes that suggested some kind of security or military training. After the smoothest, quietest lift journey Hallie had ever experienced, they arrived at the top floor. There were only two apartments per floor, Cotovatre said, and handed Hallie the key card, inviting her to go first and explore.
Opening the door, Hallie wasn’t sure what to expect. She had found herself oddly comfortable in Vertiger, the ancient house somehow welcoming despite its size. She’d been in a few otherhochlenresidences with a mix of styles, and admitted to being apprehensive about what she might find.
Soft, warm lights on the walls came on as she, Cotovatre and Emmet passed through the door. They were in a modest entryway with what looked like a closet that was likely for coats and a pair of doors leading off. The one to the side led to a small bathroom, the door opposite the front door opened into a living space which was one end of a long room. The living end had a collection of comfortable-looking chairs and side tables, with a dining table and chairs at the other end, next to an open door that Hallie assumed led to the kitchen. She was distracted by the windows in front of her, stretching along the long side of the room, and giving spectacular views across the city. The windows faced out across midtown and in the distance, Hallie could see the port and the ocean. She wanted to stand there and stare for a long time, but could feel an odd tension from Cotovatre. Glancing at her ancestor, she saw the lady had her hands together in front of her and was holding herself still. Waiting for Hallie to explore, as she’d suggested. So Hallie turned away and kept on exploring.
She’d been right about the door leading off the dining area. The kitchen would have made Rosalia dance with joy, and camecomplete with a coffee maker that made Hallie happy. Behind the comfortable living area was another door that led to a short corridor with one door on each side, opening onto large bedrooms, each with its own walk-in closet and bathroom. To Hallie’s surprise, the bedroom at the front, with its windows giving the same spectacular view over the city, had the bed already made, with some clothes in the wardrobe.
