Cast in Wisdom (Chronicles of Elantra #15) - Michelle Sagara Page 0,71
But when Teela opened the doors at a nod from Kaylin, he paused. He looked out, his eyes narrowing. “I do not believe I can leave this building,” he said, the words quiet enough Kaylin could barely hear them.
She’d half expected he would vanish simply by attempting to leave his office.
“You found no trace of other people in your search?”
“No trace of the people we were looking for, no.” She paused. “Do you know Killian?”
He frowned. Hope bit Kaylin’s ear and whispered something longer. “Killianas.”
The frown cleared slightly, and as it did, it left the mild disapproval of an annoyed teacher in its place. “Killianas, yes. It happens that I wish you to perform a small errand for me.”
“And that?”
“I wish you to take this book to him. I am not certain that you will be able to do so if I cannot leave this building.” He then handed Kaylin the book he had tucked under his arm.
It was cold. It was like accepting a brick of ice from the morgue with bare hands; had it not been for her training about the cost and value of books—which, in the eyes of many, were more than a would-be private-now-corporal was worth—she would have dropped it. She didn’t. She did adjust her grip so that the bulk of the ice was pressed against her clothing and not her skin.
It helped, but not much. “I can try,” she finally said. She looked at Larrantin, a suspicion forming, and held out one hand, which was almost more than she could spare, given the book.
He stared at it.
“That is not one of our customs,” Teela told her.
“I know, but—I’m obviously not Barrani, and we do shake hands.”
He continued to stare at her hand. He then grimaced and offered her his own. She took it, or attempted to take it; there was nothing there. What she could see, what she could hear, and what she could physically touch were not the same. He frowned; he could not grasp her hand.
“...I see,” he finally said, and his expression made clear that he now understood something in a way that he hadn’t before. “Carry the book. If Killianas has words of wisdom to impart, I ask that you return. You will find me in my office.” But his eyes remained upon the open door as Kaylin, with the two companions he had not once seen or heard, left.
Chapter 13
“It has to be the marks of the Chosen,” Annarion said, as soon as Kaylin was in hearing range. In theory, he was speaking to Teela. This was the cohort’s way of inviting Kaylin into a conversation she couldn’t otherwise hear.
Teela nodded. “I would like Severn to join us,” she said. “It might be something as simple as mortality. Neither I nor Bellusdeo could see, hear or interact with Larrantin.”
Bellusdeo, however, turned to her Ascendant. Maggaron nodded and headed up the stairs. “What?” she asked as the Barrani all turned to look at her. “While Severn is often useful, Maggaron is mortal. All of the Norannir are.”
The door to the building was slightly ajar; Maggaron couldn’t slide in the same way Kaylin, or anyone who wasn’t almost eight feet tall, could. The doors themselves were tall enough, on the other hand. He opened them and passed through.
Five minutes later, he emerged. Bellusdeo looked up the stairs; Maggaron shook his head. “Let’s assume it’s either the marks or the familiar,” the Dragon told Annarion. Kaylin had a feeling she was actually telling Sedarias. “I’m more concerned about what you’re carrying.”
“It’s a bloody cold book.”
Everyone exchanged one of those glances.
“It doesn’t look like a book to you?”
“It doesn’t look like a book to me,” the Dragon then said.
“A little more information would be helpful, here.”
“It doesn’t look like a book to me, either.”
Since it was definitely a book and not a chunk of ice, Kaylin held it out, removing it from the layers of inadequately protective clothing and once again taking it in her hands.
She could see a spine, as books usually had or they would have been called a stack of paper. As she turned it, she could see a back cover, given orientation, and when she flipped that over while her hands began to ache, she could see a front cover. The cover contained one rune, a type of word. She couldn’t read the language. That was fair; there were books in the Imperial Library that were written in gibberish, too.
They are not written in gibberish, Ynpharion snapped.