Cast in Wisdom (Chronicles of Elantra #15) - Michelle Sagara Page 0,54

I believe she is capable of living outside of Helen’s boundaries, but not all of the cohort can—not without causing unforeseen damage to the rest of the city. The cohort is the greater threat to the city.

She wasn’t thinking about the city. She was thinking about Bellusdeo.

* * *

The border between Liatt and Farlonne was visually similar to the border between Durant and Farlonne. Farlonne’s Tower looked like the peak of a citadel, and Kaylin was almost certain that the lower end of the building would match what would be seen above the skyline.

Liatt’s Tower was different. If Durant’s was workmanlike to its height, Liatt’s was not. There was, about it, something that implied dreams. Or nightmares. Kaylin wasn’t certain what. It was certainly ostentatious; where Tara was white, Liatt was hues of silver and gold, but the gold did not reflect sunlight in a way that made it painful to look at.

Ah, no.

It was gold and silver in the border zone. She could see its colors clearly. None of the other buildings had real color, just the hint of what their former color might have been when they’d been a natural part of the city. The Towers did not control the border zone. They were aware of the demarcations of their boundaries; they did not reach beyond them.

But they could still be seen here.

Kaylin frowned.

“What are you doing?” Bellusdeo asked as she slid off the Dragon’s back.

“I can see the Tower of Liatt,” Kaylin replied. “But we’re between Farlonne and Liatt; I should at least be able to see the Tower of Farlonne just as well. Severn?”

He dismounted, as well. His vision was better than Kaylin’s; always had been.

“Can you see them?” she asked as she turned toward what she assumed was Durant.

Severn was silent for a long beat as he narrowed his eyes.

“I can’t see Farlonne,” she continued, when he failed to answer. “I can only see Liatt. Or what I assume is Liatt—I’ve never been there in person.”

“I can’t see Farlonne. I can see Liatt.”

“But this is a zone between the two fiefs, right?”

It was Bellusdeo who nodded.

“Do you think the Tower we can see shifts when we enter the border zone from the other side?”

“There is a way to determine that without the endless theorizing.” The Dragon’s voice was a rumble, but it was mostly amused.

* * *

Entering from the Liatt side of the border, Kaylin could see the Farlonne citadel. She could no longer perceive the Liatt Tower.

“How much exploration did you do?”

“Probably less than Tiamaris; we had different goals.”

“He was trying to study ancient, mostly lost things, right?”

Severn shrugged. It wasn’t precisely a fief shrug. “I would say that it wasn’t entirely academic. He did want that information.”

“Lannagaros wanted that information,” Bellusdeo said. “I would bet on it.”

“Tiamaris was interested in it, but...the Arkon, for whatever reason, doesn’t seem to move much. I wouldn’t be surprised if the interest overlapped; Tiamaris wanted to explore, and the Arkon wanted the information Tiamaris could dig up.”

“Fair enough.”

Kaylin looked at Bellusdeo. “You’re worried,” she finally said, voice flat.

“What gives it away? The eye color?”

“Your eyes are always that color when you’re anywhere near the fiefs. They’re probably mostly that color when you’re sleeping.”

Hope squawked; Bellusdeo snorted. “Let’s take a look at the Liatt border.” By which she meant the Ravellon border in Liatt.

The fief of Liatt’s border into Ravellon resembled what Kaylin had come to expect: the buildings were run-down, the streets deserted. Only the truly desperate would choose to live here, and Kaylin doubted that they’d stay for long. Ferals could come into buildings, but buildings weren’t their first choice—only if their prey fled through a door did they follow.

It was scant protection, but it was better than none.

Maybe. Kaylin had never had the entirety of a building collapse on her, and she guessed that that would do as much damage, but in different ways.

Bellusdeo was not impressed by the border itself, although it appeared to be similar to Nightshade’s to Kaylin’s eye. Perhaps the foray into Farlonne had given her hope that the other fieflords were not as neglectful. She could find nothing—aside from a total lack of early warning system—that indicated that there had been a breach. Kaylin wasn’t certain how she determined this, and any attempt to get answers resulted in more confusion. Later, when they had time, she would try again.

None of the citizens of Liatt attempted to impede Bellusdeo’s progress, and the gold Dragon followed the Ravellon border, heading toward Nightshade