Chapter 16

16

It was interesting—and unexpected—that it was Serralyn who somehow unruffled metaphorical feathers. Arbiter Androsse, who had been about to go toe-to-toe with the chancellor, offered a reluctant nod to the Barrani cohort student. The chancellor, eyes losing some of their red, did the same. Kavallac had remained silent—possibly because she had never quite trusted Azoria and had been far more reserved than the other two Arbiters.

Larrantin provided the only minor surprise. "If you wish to evaluate the space and its magical construction, and you are willing, I will accompany you."

"Bakkon is coming," Serralyn said, which sounded like a no to Kaylin.

"I have no issues with that. If you wish, I will ask Bakkon's permission as well. Unlike Arbiter Androsse or Arbiter Starrante, I have no difficulties leaving the campus." His smile was slender, sharp. "There have, from time to time, been people who have attempted to make it an issue."

"Have you been to the High Halls since the Academia was resurrected?"

One silver-gray brow rose. "Do not be ridiculous. I am willing to leave the Academia—and my research—on my own terms. I have no interest in the politics of the High Court." The brow lowered. "Very, very few of the people I would have considered companions are still alive. I believe my family line survived, and in some fashion serves the current High Lord, whoever he is."

Both of Serralyn's brows rose.

"Regardless, I am curious, and I believe you would not find a better candidate for research on the actual halls Azoria created."

Starrante made the Wevaran clicks that served as social coughing.

"Bakkon is an expert—as are many of your kin—in travel by portal. He is not so much an expert in spatial dimensions. And frankly, none of us are experts in death and its detritus."

Lord Emmerian had been so still, so silent, it was easy, in the ruffled nerves and muted hostility, to forget he was there. "Will you risk Mrs. Erickson?"

Kaylin shook her head. "Absolutely not. Until we know, until we can figure out what happened to Evanton, she is staying with Helen."

"It is her sensitivity that might prove instructive."

"No."

"And if she is asked to help, do you think she will refuse?"

"I'll have Helen keep anyone who'd be willing to ask her out of my house."

"Thus denying her the choice."

Serralyn approached Emmerian and took his arm. He glanced down at her. She shook her head. "Mrs. Erickson is part of our house. There isn't a single member of my cohort who doesn't like her. Kaylin's overprotective, it's true—but she's got nothing on Sedarias. Or Bellusdeo, if it comes to that."

"Bellusdeo understands self-determination," Emmerian replied.

Serralyn nodded. "She does. But she also understands that, at base, Mrs. Erickson is a people pleaser." She glanced at Kaylin. "That's the right word?"

"Yes."

"And people pleasers are very easily pressured to do things that aren't in their own best interests. If the Keeper and Terrano can't be found, we can revisit the question of Mrs. Erickson if none of our exploration yields any results. But she's not joking. She'll tell Helen to refuse to let you in, and Helen will obey."

Emmerian exhaled, but he nodded.

"We know you want to help Bellusdeo," Serralyn told him, her voice gentle. "So do we, especially Mandoran. But it's no good trying to help her if the help enrages her—and trust me, this will." She then turned to the Arbiters. "We're leaving now. If we do get permission to explore Azoria's various studies, it probably won't be until tomorrow at the earliest."

Only when they had left the library and its Arbiters did Serralyn turn once again, to the chancellor. His eyes had mellowed into red-flecked orange. The spine of steel that had held her up in the library deserted her as she faced him. "I'm sorry. I've seen enough of Androsse that I thought things were going to become unproductive really, really quickly."

The chancellor smiled. "And you've seen enough of Dragons to assume that part of that would be my fault?"

She swallowed and nodded. "Normally, I'd just do what the Arbiter requested. He can lock me out of the library, and I don't want to lose library time. But you can lock me out of the Academia, and in the end, that's more important."

"I do not wish to lose you to fragmented and poorly understood magic. My concern in that regard is genuine."

Serralyn smiled. "I know. We all do." She also no doubt knew that Dragons were famously territorial, and the chancellor was not going to surrender his authority over the Academia's students to an Arbiter. Had Starrante made the suggestion, he would have asked Serralyn; he would not have commanded her.

"Almost, I wish to contact the Arcanum; I would not be concerned if they threw Arcanists at the problem; the world would be a safer place with fewer Arcanists of middling competence. I would, however, be concerned that lurking in their midst would be someone with Azoria's ambitions and competence." He exhaled. "Corporal, Corporal. I believe you intended to visit Evanton's shop. Allow us to assemble our information about Azoria. If Evanton has managed to return, mirror me immediately; if he has not, return to the Academia after confirming his absence."

"The Arkon wanted me to report to him about this meeting."

"Very little of value has yet been determined. I would suggest that you visit Evanton's shop as your first order of business." He turned to Lord Emmerian. "I am uncertain as to your plans. I believe, however, that Mandoran should accompany the corporals; if Terrano returns before Evanton does or can, Mandoran would have that information immediately."

"I intend to accompany the corporals for the time being. Bellusdeo is safe with Helen, and unless Mrs. Erickson wishes to join us, I'm uncertain that she will leave her."

The chancellor nodded. "I will see you all again in a few hours."

Kaylin's stomach didn't embarrass her by joining the conversation, but she did insist on grabbing something to eat on the move to make sure it stayed that way. Mandoran and Emmerian declined food, but Severn nodded; they made their way back through Tiamaris to hit the streets where small lunch stalls could be found and ate while walking toward Elani street.

Grethan, Evanton's apprentice, occupied the old man's stool at the very large bar behind which he usually dealt with his customers. The stalks on his forehead were, in Grethan's opinion, largely decorative; he was Tha'alani by birth, but he could not join the Tha'alaan, couldn't hear it, couldn't access the racial knowledge and memories that most Tha'alani children could.

For Kaylin, that was normal.

For Grethan, it was normal as well—but he lived in an enclave where it was anything but. Subject to pity, isolated in his pain and anger, the way none of the other children were, he had eventually found his way here. To Evanton. To the elemental garden. Evanton had taken him in as an apprentice, but Kaylin could never decide if apprentice meant eventual successor as the steward of the heart of the elements, or if it meant menial servant.

On the other hand, she was in good company; Grethan didn't know, either.

He didn't look up as the door opened; he was in conversation with other customers.

They're not customers , Severn said, a thread of amusement in the interior words.

Oh. It was Teela and her partner, Tain, both wearing their tabards. Barrani Hawks were never given Elani as a walking beat.

Teela looked back as the four of them entered the shop. Her eyes were, not surprisingly, a dark shade of blue. Tain's were lighter, but his expression was grimmer.

Kaylin exhaled. "I take it Evanton hasn't returned."

Grethan looked up at the sound of Kaylin's voice; she saw relief push his eyes from green—not a good color for Tha'alani—to hazel. Gold, in Tha'alani eyes, was the comfort color, but given the circumstances, it was likely to be absent from Grethan's eyes for as long as Evanton remained absent.

He didn't rush around the counter to reach Kaylin, given the rest of her companions, but seeing his expression, she approached the bar and placed a hand across its surface. She was slightly surprised when he reached out to grasp it.

"Evanton hasn't come back. He went to meet you and your housemate." His eyes shaded toward green. "The garden is upset. I've managed to calm them down—but I needed the water's help. I can't understand all of what the elements say, especially not when they're all shouting."

"Shouting?"

"Mostly at each other. The water can talk, but it's getting harder."

"Well, the store isn't flooded and most of it hasn't burned down," she replied. "Are they trying to tell you Evanton is dead?"

Severn winced internally.

Grethan shook his head, the stalks on his forehead trembling. "He's alive. He's just out of reach, somehow. They can't hear him."

"He's not in the garden."

Grethan shook his head again. "It's not like that. I think the elements can talk to the Keeper. They could talk to him when he left; they could talk to him when he wasn't in your house. But they lost that ability; it's like he's still connected to them, but only barely. They can't tell if he's dying; they can only tell that he's not dead yet."

Kaylin frowned. "Evanton can talk to the elements when he's not in the actual garden?"

"Not the same way—and I can barely talk to them when they're right in front of my face, so I don't understand how it works. But—they can reach him, somehow; they can be heard. Or they could be. They're pretty sure they aren't being heard now." He hesitated. "Being a Keeper, as far as I can tell, is like owning cats."

Teela coughed.

"It's not that he's their boss. It's not like he owns them or they're obedient. They listen to him. He has the power to make himself heard. He has the power to isolate them if necessary—and given the way they'd fight otherwise, it's necessary, believe me. But... I think they have to like him. They have to want him around. They understand on some level that he's not like they are, but mostly they don't care."

"I didn't realize you owned cats," Kaylin said.

Grethan reddened. "Evanton has store cats, but mostly they hate people."

"So they're like their owner."

That pulled a smile from the overwhelmed youth. "Maybe I don't understand the garden. Evanton teaches me—but mostly I do chores. At least I don't have to carry buckets back from the well here."

"True. Ummm, I've always wondered—what do the elementals eat? I mean, how do you keep them fed?"

"Now is not the time, kitling."

Kaylin winced. Teela was right.

"Can you find him?" Grethan said, his voice weak enough to come out in a whisper.

"That's why we're here." She glanced at Teela. "Should we actually enter the garden?"

"I don't think that's wise. Which is probably why you suggested it."

Kaylin did her best to ignore this. "We can talk to the water."

"If the water lost contact with him in both your home and Azoria's manor, I wouldn't assume any useful information would be found."

"The water might be able to explain what's been upsetting the elements."

Grethan shook his head, eyes wide with alarm. "They're already unsettled. We don't want them to focus on what made them that way—we're trying to distract them. Evanton couldn't get a clear explanation. He didn't expect one."

"Fine. I have to head back to the Academia with current news. Can you mirror the Halls of Law—or me personally—if Evanton does show up while we're in transit?"

Grethan nodded. His expression made clear that he didn't think that would happen.

"Why were you two given the Elani beat?" Kaylin asked, when they were back on said street and the door to Evanton's shop was shut behind them.

"We volunteered."

Kaylin turned to Mandoran. "You couldn't have warned us? We could have skipped the visit to Evanton's."

"And do what? Sit twiddling our thumbs at the Academia while we wait on every other important person to write their reports?"

Fair enough.

"Plus, you ate. We don't have to listen to your stomach in the next meeting." He turned to Teela. "You might as well share your thoughts."

"I'd prefer not to do it in the middle of the street."

Hope, flopped out on Kaylin's shoulder, gave a quiet squawk of agreement.

"Where do you want to discuss it?"

"Helen, preferably."

"Bellusdeo's there."

"Bellusdeo and I have never come to blows. The only time we came close was in the tavern when a brawl broke out."

"No doubt caused by you."

"Absolutely not. She almost hit me because the person she was aiming for was really, really good at dodging." Teela grinned.

Kaylin glanced at Emmerian.

He shook his head. "I will return to the Academia."

"But—"

"My presence will at best be tolerated; at worst it will be an outlet for anger, frustration, and despair. No one needs that at this time."

"Helen can keep damage to a minimum," Mandoran pointed out.

"Karriamis couldn't keep all damage to a minimum," was Emmerian's wry reply.

Helen was, as she always was, at the open door when Kaylin crossed the fence line. She immediately moved out of the way when she saw Kaylin's guests: Severn, Tain, and Teela. Teela occupied an odd position; she was a Hawk, Kaylin's mentor, a Lord of the High Court, and a member of the cohort. The cohort had passed the Test of Name, and were theoretically also lords of the same court—but Teela's power in that court was fully established and unquestioned.

Helen quietly stood to the side until every visitor had filed in. "You didn't locate Evanton."

Kaylin shook her head. The question was a formality, asked for the sake of politeness; the minute Kaylin entered her home, Helen could read her thoughts about the day in progress. She already knew.

"Teela wishes a place to discuss the current search in private."

Kaylin nodded.

"Bellusdeo wishes to join that discussion."

Of course she did. Emmerian, as usual, was right. "Does she want to bring Mrs. Erickson?"

"I don't believe she considers that either wise or mandatory at the moment. Imelda is exhausted, and she is understandably quite upset at the turn of events. She is willing to join your discussion if I feel her input will be of aid."

"Do you?"

"I would like to hear the discussion first," Helen confessed. "But the decision in this case must be up to you."

"Me? Why me?"

"Because, Kaylin, you are the tenant. Inasmuch as I have the choice of who to serve, I nonetheless serve. My choice was an attempt to serve someone I desired to serve. But you could ask me to eject every person currently in residence, and I would do so."

"I would never force Mrs. Erickson to join us, and I certainly wouldn't ask you to kick everyone else out of their home."

"Yes." Helen's smile was gentle. "I have rearranged the parlor; it is larger. I have asked Sedarias to consider allowing Mandoran to pass on information as it arises."

"She agreed?"

"For now, yes. Terrano, as you must know, has not returned."

Kaylin nodded. "If we could find him, we could probably find Evanton."

"I think that would calm Imelda significantly. Azoria was not her fault and not her responsibility, but she nonetheless feels very, very guilty."

"She has nothing to feel guilty about!"

"Sadly, that is not the way guilt works."

Teela sat. When Helen offered her a drink, she actually accepted it. In theory, given that both she and Tain wore tabards, she was on duty. Drinking on duty was forbidden. Tain politely refused, which caused Teela to lift a brow in his direction.

"I don't have to deal with the rest of your friends," he said in response. Kaylin thought it a tad smug.

Teela, drink in hand, glared at him.

"No, dear, I don't think they would start the equivalent of a bar brawl here," Helen told her.

Mandoran laughed out loud. He then reddened. "Sorry. Some people think that would be entertaining. Not me, of course."

Teela exhaled slowly; she was probably silently counting to ten.

Kaylin took the chair opposite Teela as the door opened to allow Bellusdeo entry. The Dragon's eyes were copper. Helen expanded the room and the Dragon sat—heavily—to one side of Teela. Tain had not taken a chair.

"Give me whatever she's drinking," Bellusdeo said, sagging into the chair's high back and closing her eyes.

A glass appeared on the side table.

Severn stood beside Kaylin's chair. Mandoran, on the other hand, took the chair beside Bellusdeo. He didn't ask for anything to drink.

Hope, flopped across her shoulder, squawked.

"You asked me a question in Evanton's place," Teela said, speaking to Kaylin.

"No, I didn't. But it's true I didn't expect to see you there."

"The Keeper is missing. The High Court has become aware of his absence, and the High Lord and the Consort are concerned. I did not tell them that he disappeared while accompanying you, or they'd have hauled you into a court session."

"They can't."

"You're a Lord of the High Court, remember?"

Ugh. "Fine, they can. I'm not going."

"If you're called, Sedarias and I will accompany you. You will be in no physical danger. In fact, if you could control what randomly falls out of your mouth, it's unlikely you'd be in significant danger at all." Teela exhaled slowly, no doubt counting to ten again, which Kaylin thought hugely unfair.

"Mandoran told you you might as well tell us what you're thinking. Mandoran. Not me."

"Then Mandoran can tell you what I'm thinking," Teela replied. "But I assume you have actual questions that might generate discussion."

"Why?"

"Because you're not a fool."

"Look, I'm not a tagalong mascot anymore. I'm a corporal. I don't need to be constantly tested."

"Hmm, what do you normally say in situations like this? Oh, I remember. Sucks to be you."

Hope snickered. Kaylin flicked his nose. "Fine. I didn't expect you to be brought in—the Imperial Court has already pulled Severn and me off regular duties. I'm not going to ask how news of Evanton's disappearance reached the High Court. Let's assume that you were asked to look into it by the High Lord or his confederates."

Teela nodded.

"You'd do what I did, and check to see if Evanton made it back. You already know what happened, more or less. And you know that Terrano hasn't made it back yet. It's that part that's causing real worry. Terrano isn't easily caged. Evanton might be—he's the Keeper, not Terrano; he's probably got no experience escaping difficult traps."

"Continue."

"Evanton wanted to see Mrs. Erickson's home. He wanted to examine possible difficulties there. He found one, and it disturbed him. He then insisted that we visit Azoria's manse. Fine. She's dead. But it wasn't the same space we fought in before. It wasn't the space we'd faced Azoria in."

"And?"

"When we tried to figure out what Azoria wanted from Mrs. Erickson, we had to do our own investigating. Serralyn discovered a very, very old ceremony of binding. The flowers that were placed in Mrs. Erickson's hair before Azoria painted her family were flowers that can't, in theory, grow outside of the green."

Teela's nod was slower, more measured.

"But she had that flower. It's possible Azoria—outcaste—could sneak into the green, find such a flower, and steal it. I don't think that's likely, given the West March. Barrani memory is pretty long."

"Our memory is perfect; it's our grudges you're complaining about."

"I did think about it. Amaldi and Darreno were first captured when they were her slaves; she clearly spent time in the green during their early lives together. Could she have taken a flower and preserved it the way she preserved the two mortals?"

"That," Teela said, as she set her drink down, "would be the best possible option."

"And given our luck, it isn't. So option two: she grew the flower on her own. Which means one of two things, again. Either the knowledge that the flower blooms nowhere else is just wrong—and Serralyn's research implies that it's not—or..."

"Or?"

"Or she managed to build a slender connection to the green, and she could, with care and subterfuge, draw on it, at least to the extent that she could grow those flowers."

"That would be the worst possible option, yes."

"Which means the green is involved peripherally, and if something is growing in Azoria's metaphorical graveyard, it's possible the green is aware of it, disturbed by it, or in the worst case beginning to be affected by it. While she was alive, she could hide the connection; she could make certain it wouldn't be detected. Now she can't.

"So my actual guess is the Lord of the West March mentioned his concerns—which would be very recent—and his brother, the High Lord, mentioned them to you. And you're involved on a non-Halls level because of that."

Teela's smile was sharp, but genuine. "Very good. That is observant guesswork, Corporal."

"Just...how messy is this going to get? The Keeper, the garden, the green, and one big, dead—" Kaylin shut her mouth. "More and more things seem to be getting snarled in the problem. There are no experts in knowledge of the Keeper. There are certainly no experts in knowledge of the green. And no one can tell us more than a handful of questionable things about Necromancers."

"No."

"But if something dead is powering Azoria's manse, and the slender connective threads also lead to the green, that could be a disaster."

Teela nodded. "There are reasons children are never exposed to the regalia . The green's power is, and can be, transformative if those subjected to it are not fully protected or prepared." No one knew the truth of this better than the cohort, of which Teela was part. "I am therefore here as a representative of the High Court. I am experienced with the Arcanum as well."

"A lot of Barrani were—or are."

"Yes. But none of them are Hawks. Inasmuch as it is considered safe for anyone attached to the Arcanum to become involved, I've been chosen."

"How much did you tell them about Mrs. Erickson?"

"Kitling, I barely mentioned her at all."

"And Azoria?"

"She was far more heavily discussed, as the High Lord was aware of the traces of the quarters preserved after Berranin's fall; he was informed of the paintings and their presumptive use. Given the nature of Azoria's crimes, she will always be a sensitive subject."

"And Mrs. Erickson is mortal."

"And Mrs. Erickson is mortal." Teela's half smile was sympathetic. "You do not want my people to consider mortals significant. There is no advantage for you in it."

Kaylin said nothing, struggling a moment against the resentment of the immortality humans would never possess. She won, because it wasn't entirely relevant, but some days it was harder than others. "The High Lord's concern is the green, then?"

"Azoria is our version of the bogeyman," Teela replied, glancing at Tain for confirmation. Tain nodded. "If there is nothing else that unites a fractious, political people, the Consort and the Lake unifies in our desire to protect. The foremost scholars and Arcanists cannot tell us that the Lake is safe from depredation, because they have never been given access to study it. The High Halls is our only source of certainty—and that is both ancient and recent.

"The green has sentience in a way the Lake does not—again, according to the High Halls. The Lake does have some sentience—just enough to choose a Consort, a steward, a new mother for our race. It will surrender names to the Consort of its choice, and those names are carried to us as infants; it awakens us. We understand its purpose.

"We do not understand the purpose of the green. Although Barrani husband and tend it, we do so as supplicants. The green chooses those who participate in the regalia , and the green tells its story. We have never fully understood the reason the tale is told; assumptions have been made, but there is no way to prove them correct, which has annoyed and upset scholars for generations.

"In the green, flowers and trees grow that cannot be found anywhere else in the world. They are thought to be of the green—but they have no purpose that we understand. They were once used in personal vows, but they did not bind as blood oaths can; they were ceremonial. If they were once used for different reasons, that meaning is lost."

"And Azoria's use implies more than the ceremonial."

"Yes. Yes, it does. As I said, there is concern. If the Barrani do not own the green, we husband it and we guard it. But there are avenues to walk in the green that we cannot control."

"The Hallionne," Kaylin said quietly.

"Indeed. We have been much in contact with Eddorian, the only member of our cohort who did not choose to leave the Hallionne Alsanis. As you suggest, Hallionne Alsanis can allow guests to enter the green; it is not the path of approach that most of our people take, because it is not one that is widely known. Terrano made good use of it when he was first attempting to be free of the Hallionne's cage."

"Eddorian's been asking questions of Hallionne Alsanis for you?"

Teela nodded again; her eyes were darker. "It is Alsanis's belief that there is significance—and danger—in the fact of, the existence of, Azoria's flower. It was not meant to rest in mortal hair, in mortal lands. He does not believe that she somehow managed to grow the flower with no contact from the green at all."

"And the fact that she's dead doesn't change that."

"If the connection was firmly rooted in her life, the danger is insignificant. If it was not, the danger exists. And if the Keeper himself vanished in Azoria's mausoleum, Alsanis believes that the connection exists."

Kaylin blinked. "Why?"

"Alsanis believes the green is concerned. In the past two weeks, even the Warden has been turned away from the green. This fact, the disappearance of the Keeper, and the fact of the moving, animate statues in the manse imply that even if Azoria is no longer with us, the many roots she planted have not died."

"She'd learned how to build connections to the outlands," Kaylin said. "We know that from the paintings she left behind in the High Halls when her line was destroyed. Her manor drew on at least the power of the outlands."

"That is our belief."

"What does the High Halls want from this?"

"The destruction of the manor, and everything she built in or upon it."

Kaylin exhaled. "You're wearing our tabard," she said, although she herself wasn't.

Teela nodded.

"What do you want?"

"I want Terrano back. I want the Keeper back. In that order. I won't destroy the manor until both of these things happen. But I'll destroy it in a minute if both of those conditions are satisfied."

"And that's why you chose to accept this mission?"

"That's why they chose to accept me," Teela countered. "That, and they believed that of the High Court, I am the only person who could gain access to Azoria's former home."

There were now too many things to think about. Kaylin exhaled and turned to the silent Bellusdeo; the Dragon's eyes were almost red, although the flecks in it were copper, not orange. "We're heading to the Academia to consult with the chancellor and the Arbiters. What will you do?"

"I want to stay here, with Mrs. Erickson. Even if Mrs. Erickson was not much discussed, one Barrani could cause irreparable damage to her, she's so frail. They won't," she added, unnecessarily, "cause me damage."

Kaylin exhaled. "We'll head out now. If there's an emergency, we'll mirror Helen to let you know."

Hope's squawk conveyed annoyance and disgust.

"Fine. If there's more of an emergency."