Chapter 02

02

"This may take a little bit of time, and I'm afraid you'll only hear my side of the conversation—and it may be the same conversation eight times."

Bellusdeo closed her eyes and nodded, lowering her chin. Kaylin almost looked away. She had seen Bellusdeo angry before—even enraged—and she had seen her upset. But it had never been like this.

The ghosts Mrs. Erickson could see—ghosts Kaylin couldn't—were Bellusdeo's sisters, dead on a world that had, slowly, lost its war with Shadow. It had been consumed, and Bellusdeo had wandered in the Shadows that led to Ravellon until she had arrived on this world—the world into which she'd been born.

Kaylin had seen the corpses of those sisters in the morgue of the Halls of Law. But Bellusdeo had somehow kept their True Names within herself, and those names, they'd become part of Bellusdeo's name. They were inextricable elements of the adult Dragon name that Bellusdeo had finally adopted.

Maybe that was why nine little Bellusdeos had been hatched in an Aerie that had been empty for centuries. To forge one Bellusdeo, golden Dragon, queen of a vanquished, lost kingdom. That was what Kaylin had assumed, when she'd helped her friend's name form and cohere.

But even if that were true, these nine Dragons had been sisters and friends for the entirety of their life. Bellusdeo's rage at the outcaste Dragon was fueled in part by the loss of those sisters and their many voices. She had seen their number diminish during the course of the war, and in the end, she had been the last survivor.

Kaylin was annoyed with herself. She had assumed that Bellusdeo, having emerged into her adulthood, her full name established, had somehow subsumed those names, had made them a part of her. That she was, if not joyful, triumphant.

True Names weren't people. She had seen the words in the Barrani Lake of Life and she knew this. The name didn't give the infant for whom it was selected the memories of that previous life; it gave them the essence, but the life lived was separate, unique.

This was the first time she realized that Bellusdeo was not okay. She wasn't fine. She wasn't whole. She wasn't, in this moment, triumphant. The loss of those sisters had wounded her, and the scars had been too deep to vanish with time.

Mrs. Erickson's voice was gentle, even coaxing. Kaylin had heard her speak this way with Jamal and the other children. She spoke a few words and waited, the essence of patience, until she received a reply. It was a reply that no one in the room could hear except Mrs. Erickson—and Helen if she were eavesdropping in the particular way sentient buildings could.

When Sanabalis cleared his throat, Helen moved toward him, lifting a hand. "Kaylin?"

Kaylin nodded and joined them. Mandoran seemed rooted in place, staring at Bellusdeo, his hands flexing because there was nothing he could do.

"Yes," Helen said to Sanabalis, although the Dragon hadn't spoken. "Imelda is a shaman. We don't call her a Necromancer in this house, although that would not technically be incorrect; there are too many negative associations with that word. As you're aware, she's received no training. Only the experience of having ghosts as childhood friends and lifetime companions.

"You mentioned the Academia, and I believe some research there is in order, if Mrs. Erickson can receive the appropriate permissions."

"She can," Sanabalis said, voice soft. "Lannagaros has a deep affection for Bellusdeo. If Bellusdeo wishes to escort Mrs. Erickson to the Academia, he will see her, permission notwithstanding. And Bellusdeo has never been one to ask for permission." He hesitated, his eyes a copper shade. "Bellusdeo did not know of Mrs. Erickson.

"Do you know why she chose to visit?"

Helen nodded. "Her visit is personal in nature; it does not involve external danger or political strife."

"Meaning you will not discuss it."

"No. I have not been forbidden such discussions; it is left to my own discretion. But I believe this is something Bellusdeo should discuss with Kaylin—if she even remembers it at all now.

"If you meant to continue with Mrs. Erickson's lessons today—"

"No. I can see that this is going to take some time, and if Bellusdeo is willing to wait, I will not interfere." His eyes shaded back to their natural orange. "What she is willing to say to Kaylin—or Lannagaros—she will not say to me. I am the Arkon."

"He was the Arkon, too."

"Ah, yes. But he was her elder in the Aerie, and he had a strong wish to provide her with a sense of normalcy or continuity, duties aside. I was not, and cannot; what she accepted from Lannagaros, she will accept from no other member of the Dragon Court. She would possibly be enraged to notice that I am witness to this, and I will never mention it in her presence."

Kaylin wanted to know why Bellusdeo, in a foul mood, had marched to the house, but she was certain that the irritation had been overwhelmed by Mrs. Erickson—or by what Mrs. Erickson saw.

At the end of the first hour, Mrs. Erickson had managed, with patience, to speak with—not to—two of the sisters; Kaylin half expected her old roommate and her new one would still be in the hall at the end of the normal workday.

Sanabalis was worried about Bellusdeo, and he had already been concerned about Mrs. Erickson. "I will speak with Lannagaros to arrange a meeting between Mrs. Erickson, Lord Bellusdeo, and him. I will also inform your sergeant that you have, indeed, been seconded by the Imperial Court."

"You did that."

"I implied that it was possibly necessary. There is now no possible about it."

Bellusdeo's voice was a pure draconic rumble as she turned her head in Sanabalis's direction. "Mrs. Erickson," she said, her eyes red, "is otherwise occupied."

Her words were punctuated by fire.

Helen suggested that Mrs. Erickson and Bellusdeo retreat to Mrs. Erickson's room, and given the gouts of flame Sanabalis's interruption had caused, this seemed like the smartest idea. Helen also suggested that Sanabalis retreat for the day. His regularly scheduled visit was a few days away, and she suggested that Bellusdeo might be calmer at that time.

She didn't suggest that Bellusdeo would be absent.

"I should go to work," Kaylin told Sanabalis. "There's no way Bellusdeo is leaving, and whatever problem she was having before, she's forgotten it."

"If Helen agrees to mirror you should an emergency arise, I suppose that would be acceptable ."

Which was no . Behind Sanabalis, Mandoran was shaking his head.

"...or I could stay home just in case something happens."

"An excellent idea," Sanabalis said, smiling broadly, his eyes borderline red.

That was tough , Severn said. He was at work. He clearly wasn't out on patrol, because his beat partner was trapped in her home. Babysitting a traumatized Dragon and an old woman who could see the dead wasn't Severn's job.

And that was unfair. But there wasn't anything Kaylin could do here, and she knew work would be piling up. Dragon Lord or no, life didn't stop happening just because she'd been seconded.

Bad things came in threes. Seeing friends shouldn't be considered a bad thing.

"An'Teela is approaching the front door," Helen informed Kaylin. Kaylin had taken a seat at the dining room table, beside Mandoran, whose eyes were an uncharacteristic shade of blue, and had been since Bellusdeo had arrived. The Dragon hadn't left, but neither of them expected she would anytime soon.

Kaylin glared at Mandoran as she got to her feet. "You knew Teela was coming. You couldn't give me a heads-up?"

"She was going to come anyway. She's worried."

"Why is it fine for her to worry about me, but a deadly insult if I worry about her? No, don't answer that. It'll just piss me off."

Teela wasn't alone. Tain had accompanied her. Teela's eyes were a darker shade of blue than usual; Tain's, while blue, were lighter in color. He offered Kaylin a sympathetic nod—from the safely behind Teela's back.

"I hear you had quite a morning," Teela said, pushing her way past Kaylin, who hadn't had enough time to step out of the doorway.

Kaylin frowned. Teela's eyes had been dark blue before she'd invited herself in. Something other than Kaylin's situation was bothering the Barrani Hawk.

Tain joined them, glancing briefly at Teela.

"We have a case that was opened and closed just before you joined us as our mascot. It might be open again."

Kaylin frowned. "Caste court closure?"

Teela nodded. "As you're aware—sometimes loudly—caste court exemptions can be called when the crimes involve only the race over which the caste courts preside. Any member of the race itself, when affected by a crime, can demand an Imperial investigation, regardless."

If the investigation had been halted due to the caste court, it meant none of the victims of the crime had been willing to go against the caste court's decision. In Barrani exemption cases, the reasons for that were clear: anyone who spoke against the exemption usually had a fatal accident shortly thereafter. That murder, along with the prior crime, was also under the laws of exemption.

It was the reason there were very, very few interracial crimes at high levels of power.

"What did the Barrani do this time? Did you find someone else involved in whatever that crime was?"

"I didn't say it was the Barrani caste court but thank you for jumping to that conclusion."

"Come on—you know as well as I do that the Barrani are the worst exemption exploiters." Even in cases where the crimes involved other races, the caste court interfered: the suspected criminal wound up as a corpse, sometimes on the literal front steps of the Halls of Law.

"They are. It's expected of my people; it's the reason Barrani crimes are generally kept in check. Without the weight—and disapproval—of the caste court, the Barrani would feel far freer to act. We are a people who value power—and power must be visible to be acknowledged. Mortals are clearly less powerful; were it not for the Eternal Emperor, there would be far, far less safety from some of the Barrani than mortals currently enjoy.

"But in this case, a surprise exemption demand came from the human caste court."

Kaylin frowned. In all of the years she had dogged Teela's footsteps, there'd never been an exemption requested from the human caste court. "The Emperor accepted it?"

"He wrote the laws that were being invoked. Yes, he accepted it."

Kaylin glanced at Tain; his face was a mask, his lips closed. He did shoot Teela a subtle glance, but she'd clearly decided to ignore the silent opinion. Kaylin had known them for almost half her life; she knew Tain didn't want Teela to speak about this publicly. Or at least not to Kaylin.

"You think you've found someone who can stand against the exemption rules."

"It's a possibility."

"I don't disagree with your intentions—you know how much I hate exemption exceptions. But why are you pushing this when you never care about Barrani exemptions?"

Tain tapped Teela on the shoulder. "Not here," he said, voice low. "Why don't we go out for a drink?"

"Only if you two promise not to start a stupid brawl." It had been a while since she'd gone out drinking with Teela and Tain. The last time, Bellusdeo had joined them. And Mandoran. "But maybe that might not be a terrible idea. Do you mind if I bring company?"

Teela shot Tain an almost venomous glare, which was unusual.

Tain ignored it. "As long as it's the same company as last time."

"You're going to regret that," Teela murmured, but as she exhaled, some of the tension left her shoulders. Until it did, Kaylin hadn't realized how strong it had been. "Fine. Ask Bellusdeo, if that's who you had in mind."

"About that..." She glanced at Tain. "Has Teela informed you about the morning's excitement here?"

"I inferred it, given her insistence that we visit Helen."

Kaylin filled him in on what he'd missed.

She'd gotten to the halfway point when Bellusdeo strode into the dining room. Helen sometimes brought the parlor to life when Kaylin had guests, but Teela and Tain didn't quite qualify. They therefore headed into the dining room, as it was the most common gathering spot in the house.

"We've permission to visit Lannagaros in the Academia," Bellusdeo announced.

The gold Dragon was wearing the large plate scales that formed armor when a Dragon was otherwise naked.

Had Bellusdeo been alone, Kaylin would have felt less concerned. Bellusdeo did not arrive alone. Mrs. Erickson was in tow.

"You don't plan on flying across the city—which is illegal—do you?" Kaylin asked, without much hope.

Bellusdeo grinned. Given the color of her eyes, no one voiced any further objections, but Bellusdeo grudgingly added, "Mrs. Erickson seemed quite intrigued at the idea of flying on Dragon back. Stop it. You'll make Mrs. Erickson feel guilty. The Arkon gained permission for the flight."

Hope squawked loudly.

Bellusdeo frowned, and glanced at Helen, not Kaylin.

"It's true, dear," Helen said—to the Dragon. Although her voice was soft, it could be heard clearly over Hope's continued squawking. "Your ghosts are not the only ghosts Mrs. Erickson is seeking to comfort, and the other ghosts have already proven dangerous. I am not certain why you wish to visit the Academia immediately—you seemed somewhat opposed to it this morning."

Because Sanabalis had suggested it, of course.

Mrs. Erickson coughed. It was her way of interrupting. "If possible, I wish to learn more about my abilities—as quickly as possible. Bellusdeo agrees and has offered to escort me."

Hope squawked in obvious disgust and pushed himself off Kaylin's shoulder, heading up the stairs the Dragon had only half descended.

"He is going to remain near the other ghosts," Helen said. "He feels you will not be at risk at the Academia."

"But you can watch them, can't you?"

Helen's smile was complicated. It was as close to uncertainty as she got. "I would appreciate the help," she finally said.

Teela, dragging Tain, went in search of the rest of the cohort. Bellusdeo, Mrs. Erickson, and Kaylin went up to the tower that had the retracting roof. From there, Bellusdeo could take off safely.

Mrs. Erickson wasn't as unsettled as Kaylin would have expected. She had some difficulty climbing the Dragon, but Kaylin was there to help.

Technically, flying as a Dragon in the city was illegal without express Imperial permission, which was far less likely to be given in broad daylight, which this still was. The sun was edging toward the horizon, but hadn't reached it yet.

The streets below the Dragon's wings were a mass of wagons, emptier than they had been at the start of the day, headed toward various stables, some on the edge of the city boundaries, and some outside its walls.

Kaylin sat behind Mrs. Erickson. If Mrs. Erickson wasn't afraid, she wasn't accustomed to any of this. If she fell, Kaylin would feel both guilty and enraged. She did her best to watch for any instability, any hint that Mrs. Erickson might teeter over one side of the Dragon or the other.

Mrs. Erickson didn't notice. She was considerate by nature, but at the moment careful consideration had given way to awe and delight; were it not for her obvious age, she might have been a child.

Helen had said Mrs. Erickson's childhood must have been difficult because of her power. Given that Kaylin's childhood had hovered on the edge of starvation and cold, she hadn't thought much of it. But she wondered, seated behind Mrs. Erickson, if Helen might not have been right.

She wanted to ask Mrs. Erickson what she'd managed to achieve in regard to Bellusdeo's ghosts, but she couldn't have that conversation while on the Dragon's back; she'd be shouting at the top of her lungs, Bellusdeo was flying so quickly.

Whatever the reason, Sanabalis had seen fit to get Bellusdeo permission to fly in Dragon mode; he was the Arkon, and he had a direct line of communication to the Emperor.

Unless Bellusdeo had lied.

She wouldn't, would she? Not if she was carrying Mrs. Erickson?

Had Kaylin not been so physically tense, she would have wilted. It was Bellusdeo. Of course she would.

She didn't have much time to really build stomach-twisting anxiety, because at Bellusdeo's speed, half the city passed by in an eyeblink; taking off and landing took more time than the rest of the journey.

A second Dragon joined Bellusdeo as she approached the Academia; from the air, it could clearly be seen. That Dragon, red and slightly larger, was familiar: Lord Tiamaris, of both the Dragon Court and the fief of Tiamaris. He, unlike Bellusdeo, had no rider. He did have a voice, and a volley of Draconian thundered across the air that separated them.

Bellusdeo didn't even turn her head; Kaylin was certain she was aware of Tiamaris but considered his presence either an annoyance or irrelevant. Or both. She never stood on ceremony, but any situation when she felt someone was demanding behavior when they had no hierarchical right to do so never turned out well for the demandee.

Since they'd cut across the fief Tiamaris ruled, Kaylin felt a polite reply would have been in order. Bellusdeo clearly didn't; she sped up—which Kaylin would have bet was impossible—heading straight for the grassy quad at the center of the Academia's oval road.

Barrani and mortal students bolted in any direction that took them away from the quad's center as not one, but two, Dragons landed. The quad certainly looked a lot smaller when it was occupied by two gigantic Dragons.

"Get off," Bellusdeo said, in curt Elantran. The words rumbled beneath Kaylin; she could practically feel the two syllables. She slid off, and then turned to Mrs. Erickson, who was staring at Tiamaris, eyes wide.

"I've never seen a flying Dragon before today, and now I've seen two," she said. Kaylin offered her a hand, and then shifted to offer both open arms.

Mrs. Erickson managed to jump off—closing her eyes at the last moment as she collided with Kaylin. She didn't weigh much. Kaylin wondered if she'd been eating properly. And then grimaced and wondered if she'd been spending too much time with either Mrs. Erickson or Caitlin.

"This is the Academia?" Mrs. Erickson asked, when her feet were on solid ground again.

Kaylin nodded. "If I were you, I'd cover your ears," she told the old woman, lifting both of her hands to cover hers.

"Why?"

"Both Dragons have deeply orange eyes, which means they're about to start shouting at each other—in their native tongue."

"Oh, dear. Should I not have come?"

"It's got nothing to do with you—they'd be shouting at each other even if you stayed at home. Bellusdeo flew over Tiamaris's fief—obviously without warning or permission. She ignored him when he met her in the air. It was rude, and Tiamaris doesn't appreciate bad manners." She glanced at her shoulder; she'd forgotten that she'd left Hope at home.

She'd really gotten used to the little lizard over the past year.

Mrs. Erickson didn't raise her hands. Possibly because it would have been rude. Kaylin really needed to work on her delivery.

The argument sounded like a terrible storm—without the lightning—when the doors to the main building of the Academia flew open and a robed and orange-eyed man marched down the wide front steps toward the two Dragons. Kaylin lowered her hands instantly, although the Dragons were still going strong.

The former Arkon, the current chancellor of the Academia, did not condescend to join Bellusdeo and Tiamaris in draconic form, but he certainly didn't spare them the draconic voice; he roared .

Bellusdeo and Tiamaris stopped midroar, two Dragon heads turning in the direction of the chancellor, whose eyes were not orange as Kaylin had assumed at a distance; they were red with flecks of orange. The only thing stopping him from exhaling literal fire was the grass and trees in the quad; they probably wouldn't survive it, and they were part of the Academia. Which was his. His hoard.

"I will hear your reasons for this disgraceful behavior in my office. Now."

"Oh, dear," Mrs. Erickson whispered.

The two Dragons receded in size until they were plate-armored humans, at least in shape. One wore gold plate, the other red. They glared at each other, but when the chancellor turned and walked—heavily—toward the main building, they followed.

Bellusdeo, however, turned back to Kaylin and snapped, "Don't even think of avoiding this."

"I wasn't the one who broke the rules and deafened the students in the quad," Kaylin pointed out.

"And?"

She exhaled. "Fine. You go ahead. I'll lead Mrs. Erickson to the office."

"Do they not like each other?" Mrs. Erickson asked, as they walked—slowly and infinitely less dramatically—up the stairs.

"They care about each other," a new voice said.

Mrs. Erickson looked up as the building's Avatar—Killianas, Killian for short—appeared at the height of the steps, framed by an open door. He smiled, his smile so gentle it almost looked like a mask. Killian had a Barrani face, and Barrani didn't smile like this.

"I am happy to welcome you to the Academia." His smile deepened. "Yes, I am like Helen, although we have two different imperatives. Mine is the Academia, and the protection of the students who reside here." The smile dimmed. "I apologize; the chancellor is not generally in as foul a mood as he is today, but he is angry at the two Dragons, not at you."

"Or me?"

"He is mildly irritated with you as he believes you have some sway over Bellusdeo—but his ire is focused on the two Dragons. While he expects you to join them in the office, might I suggest we take a small tour of the building before we arrive there? It should give them time to calm down."

Or try to kill each other, but Killian would prevent the damage Dragons fighting would otherwise cause anywhere else in the city.

"Did Bellusdeo get permission to visit?"

"Permission is not generally required—for Bellusdeo."

"So that's a no." There were some days it didn't pay to get out of bed. No wonder Hope had disappeared.

"Yes, I noticed the lack of your familiar. It is unusual."

"Do you know if Bellusdeo intends to visit the Arbiters?"

"She is not entirely certain what she intends." He then turned back to Mrs. Erickson. "I apologize for the noise; I assure you that this is a highly unusual occurrence in the Academia."

Mrs. Erickson shook her head, smiling up at Killian. "If anyone should apologize, it isn't you. And I wouldn't have the courage to demand an apology from three rather angry Dragons. Should I wait, or is it safe now?" She glanced at Kaylin as she spoke.

"I'm a Hawk," Kaylin replied, knowing just who Mrs. Erickson was worried about.

"Yes, dear, but we're both only mortal."

It was, according to Killian, safe. Kaylin stayed by Mrs. Erickson's side through one change of classes, the only time that the Academia halls were full of loud, boisterous students. There were quiet students as well, but they didn't have to be avoided. Killian's Avatar remained by Mrs. Erickson's side, so the student body largely avoided colliding with her—if not each other—and the walk to the chancellor's office was orderly, if not silent.

Killian gently explained the Academia schedule as he walked. Mrs. Erickson always wanted to know everything, because everything was interesting to her. But maybe it would be—she'd become so accustomed to bringing home interesting stories to her children. To the ghosts that she had, with effort and at great risk, finally released from their captivity within the walls of her house.

Mrs. Erickson would never have trapped them there, but her life had been built around them; free of the responsibility of four dead, unaging children, she had to find a different life, a different path, for herself. It would have been hard for Kaylin; she imagined it would be all but impossible for a gentle old woman. But Mrs. Erickson approached life as if it were a gift, unasked for and unexpected.

"Evening classes are less numerous, but the first dinner has just let out, which is why the halls appear to be so busy. Some students will be heading for the late dinner hour."

Mrs. Erickson had never learned how to hide her joy; her eyes became almost luminous. For a person who was technically a Necromancer, she found joy in life in a way that Kaylin wished she could emulate.

Joy was a little less evident as they reached the chancellor's closed doors.

"Have they stopped arguing?" Kaylin whispered.

"They have stopped discussing their differences in their native tongue."

Good enough. She hoped that the room wasn't full of red-eyed, bristling Dragons; orange was the new gold.

The chancellor was behind his desk, that great divider that made clear to anyone who entered who was in charge here.

Bellusdeo and Tiamaris were seated—stiffly, given their armor—in chairs large enough to accommodate them comfortably, if one ignored the fact that neither wanted to sit in the first place. Eyes had remained orange, but barely.

The chancellor looked up as the door opened; Kaylin and Mrs. Erickson were bracketed by the doorframe. "Corporal."

Kaylin lifted a hand. "I'm off duty."

"Kaylin, then. Won't you introduce your companion?"

"This is Mrs. Erickson."

"Ah. Lord Sanabalis has mentioned her." To Mrs. Erickson, he added, "He believes you are a Necromancer. What do you believe?"