Cast in Wisdom (Chronicles of Elantra #15) - Michelle Sagara Page 0,114

were just Arcanists and transformed Barrani.”

“Which would heavily imply that in the outlands—outside of the personal boundaries inscribed by their names and functions—the will of the Hallionne is no stronger than any other will. You have assumed that the border zone is, somehow, like the outlands; you feel there is a similarity.”

“I do now—but only because the cohort couldn’t see what the rest of us could. The rest of us saw the streets and buildings that conformed to the fief; we saw what we expected to see. The cohort, with the exception of Teela, didn’t. It was fog, and it was dense enough that they had to be led—but the fog cleared as they approached the central circle that also contained Killian. Or the building Killian is trapped in.

“If this is true—and if Candallar or one of the Arcanists somehow understood it, it wouldn’t be hard to force the streets to conform to a shape that better pleased them. Say a squat building with a giant eyeball embedded in its backside.”

“I don’t believe that the border zone is like the outlands,” the Arkon then said.

“Why?”

“Because the border zone did not exist until the Towers rose. I will, however, grant that there must be elements in common with the outlands as you perceived them. It is almost a pity that you did not retain Spike.”

“Not for the High Halls.”

“No—but for Killianas. What Spike saw, or could not see, would be useful, and it might better help you to solve this mystery. I will, however, grant that Candallar seems to have some element of control of his border zone. The building that we found seemed to be a fixed point—and from what’s been said by those who have dared to explore the border zones, the buildings are not fixed; they are solid and traversable, but they are not reliably located.

“The squat building seemed to be of newer construction and it seemed solid; you found it easily. And the eyeball, as you call it, in the back of the building is almost certainly Killian’s. Candallar, or someone with whom he has chosen to ally himself, was aware of Killian, or perhaps aware that Killian’s existence was not entirely extinguished.

“If this is the case, the only question I have is: How did they remove Killian’s eye? The eye is figurative. It is metaphorical. If you chose to gouge out one of your Helen’s eyes, she would nonetheless still have two eyes, should she retain the ability to manifest an Avatar at all.”

“Not all of the sentient buildings are awake. They can perform their functions while sleeping—many of the Hallionne do.”

“Tell me, does Killian appear to be awake to you?”

“...No.”

“Hallionne exist, as you’ve said, regardless of their state of wakefulness. But a wakeful Hallionne is something that even the Barrani who might reside there in safety are reluctant to trust. Is this correct?”

“Yes.”

“From what you have said—and your memory is a tangled, jumbled mess—the Consort woke the Hallionne as you traveled to the West March. The Hallionne had been in use before she woke them; they had served their primary function. Some of the Barrani did not choose to avail themselves of the hospitality of the Hallionne thus wakened by the Consort.”

“Right.”

“Killianas is not awake. But he is not the Hallionne, and he is not Helen.”

“I don’t think the Consort could wake Killian.”

“No more do I, Corporal. But I believe if Killian could be woken, he would be in a better position to defend himself.” The Arkon had also stopped, his expression troubled.

“Do you think Larrantin’s book—or whatever it is—could wake him?”

“I think it highly possible.”

“Then...why didn’t he take the book?”

“That is the question we are attempting to answer. He sent us here, a space lacking rooms, doors, people or students, if you prefer. But if Killian believed Larrantin’s message might begin the process by which he wakes, he also considered waking now to be a threat. That expression implies you are thinking.”

Kaylin turned to Bellusdeo. “When we explored the border zones,” she said, “we could always see the Towers. But...we could only see one. We could see one in the direction we were heading. If we entered Candallar’s border from Candallar’s fief, we could see Tiamaris or Durant. We could see the Tower we were approaching, not the Tower that controlled the fief we were leaving. That was true of all the Towers. Did you look back?”

Bellusdeo’s frown was as expressive as Kaylin’s but was immune from criticism. Or at least the Arkon’s. “Kaylin