Cast in Wisdom (Chronicles of Elantra #15) - Michelle Sagara Page 0,179
to aid in this endeavor to survive more or less unscathed.”
Which was a pity, because given how touchy the Arkon was about his personal collection, Kaylin didn’t.
As if the Emperor could hear the thought even Kaylin knew better than to put into words anywhere within the palace grounds, he chuckled. “I have oft been accused of unreasonable expectations by Lannagaros; I am certain this will not be an exception.”
He then turned to Sanabalis. “Arkon,” he said.
“Your majesty.” Sanabalis bowed, box in hand. “I believe the empty interior of the palace currently occupied by the Arkon would be a suitable haven for the symbols of the office I have accepted.” He glanced once at the former Arkon—Kaylin was going to have a hard time with the names going forward—and tendered him a bow.
His eyes were gold, as were Emmerian’s.
Diarmat’s were gold, which was far more of a surprise. Kaylin could not recall Diarmat’s eyes ever lacking a tint of orange.
Bellusdeo’s were luminous and shining. She eschewed Court decorum in its entirety, and not, this time, to annoy Diarmat. She threw both arms around the older Dragon’s neck and caught him a bruising hug that would have cracked bones had she done it to Kaylin.
Wordless, he returned the hug. “You will visit.”
“I will continue to bother you, yes.”
“Good.”
“I shall remind you that you said that.”
Epilogue
Kaylin felt she hadn’t been home for days. Weeks, maybe. She was stiff and sore, but Helen had made certain she was no longer hungry. Her room was dark, and the halls beyond it almost unnaturally silent.
“You are worried.” Helen’s voice was gentle.
Kaylin said nothing.
“If you don’t wish to speak about it, I will leave.”
“You never leave.”
She could almost feel her house smile. Like the voice, it was gentle.
“Candallar’s dead,” she finally said, pulling the counterpane up and tucking it beneath her chin. Hope was curled up on the pillow—the second pillow—and appeared to be asleep.
“Yes.”
“His Tower is empty.”
“Yes.” Kaylin’s silence extended, but it was wakeful. “You are worried about Bellusdeo.”
Kaylin nodded. Unlike Helen, she didn’t need to actually say words to be heard.
“You are worried about yourself.”
There was no point in lying or denying it; there was no one but Helen to hear her.
“She will not leave yet, Kaylin. But she is not a child. This is not her final home.”
“She could have babies here.”
“Not yet. You are to help Lannagaros in the morning. Sleep.”
* * *
Bellusdeo was commandeered by the Arkon to be one of his moving aides. Bellusdeo, in turn, commandeered Maggaron, who was built for it, and Kaylin, who was not.
The cohort, however, was teeming with almost indecent amounts of curiosity; they had never visited the Imperial Palace and had therefore never come close to any of the Arkon’s personal hoard. Sedarias offered to help Bellusdeo in her assigned task—where, by offered, one meant commanded, no matter how it was phrased.
Bellusdeo chose to find it amusing rather than annoying and agreed instantly. Kaylin almost pitied the Arkon, who was likely to be frazzled and aggravated even if everything went perfectly. Where the cohort was involved, perfect was a distant, never-visited country.
But Valliant and Serralyn were practically quivering with excitement. Helen was less sanguine than Bellusdeo.
“I am not at all certain they are ready to enter the city streets,” she confessed. “Annarion still has difficulty in certain circumstances. I am not worried about Sedarias, Mandoran or Terrano, and Allaron and Fallessian have never caused any detectable problems.”
“We’re going by way of Tiamaris, and Tara should be able to dampen any noise they make.”
“Dampen, yes. I think you will find that you lose some of the cohort to the Academia.”
“I’d be surprised. Sedarias—”
“Sedarias is not the cohort, as you well know.”
“No, just the boss of it.”
Helen chuckled, but once again lapsed into her worried expression. “If they weren’t so interested in the Academia, I think I would counsel heavily against their help.”
Kaylin felt the same. “Terrano will be with us, and he seems to be able to hear when things are off. I think he can keep them in line—or enough in line—until we reach Killian. They’ll be safe there; they won’t have to worry about being heard by things we’d prefer didn’t hear them.”
Helen nodded.
All eleven of the cohort in residence piled out of Helen’s front door in Bellusdeo’s wake. Mandoran was underfoot—Bellusdeo’s feet—the entire way to the palace. Only Teela was absent, but she would be aware of everything the cohort experienced.
* * *
The Arkon’s expression upon sighting the cohort was instantly pinched and