When Tauran arrived at Falka’s office, Falka was in a meeting. Tauran considered leaving and coming back later when the door opened and Emilian stepped out, gaze sliding briefly over Tauran.
“Everything all right, General?” Tauran asked. It struck him again how hollowed-out Emilian looked. Like a ghost of his former self. Tauran wondered if he’d looked the same after the battle. If he still did.
“Yes,” Emilian simply said, not pausing as he passed Tauran and headed outside.
“Can I help you?” Falka’s voice made Tauran turn. Falka stood in the doorway, offering Tauran a friendly smile. “It’s good to see you.”
“I come with a request, General,” Tauran said.
Falka’s office was considerably more welcoming than Emilian’s had been, the walls lined with shelves holding anything from trophies to awards and trinkets from foreign places. Tauran took a seat in the high-backed bloodwood chair in front of Falka’s desk.
“Let me hear it,” Falka said, wordlessly offering Tauran a drink from the crystal decanter on a tray.
“Thank you.” Tauran took the glass when Falka poured, trying not to seem too eager. “It’s about Mister Ro-Ani,” he said, remembering Kalai’s request not to call him that, but calling him Kalai to the general felt far too personal.
“So you’ve been by the archive?” A faintly pleased expression ghosted over Falka’s face, which he clearly tried to hide.
“He has a lot of clutter, and I have a lot of free time,” Tauran said slowly. He knew where Falka wanted to direct the conversation and felt himself growing tense. He focused on relaxing one limb at a time.
“That sounds like a productive combination.” Falka leaned back and smiled.
Tauran raised the glass to his lips. The alcohol warmed his mouth and throat and helped him settle the remaining tension. “It is,” he said. “As I’m sure the guards you left him with have already reported, he cured the egg of its sickness.”
“Indeed,” Falka said, the corners of his eyes creasing. “I was planning on heading over there this afternoon. After a whole slew of bad news recently, I cannot tell you how relieved it has made me.”
The back of Tauran’s neck prickled unpleasantly. He wondered how much Kalai had told the guards. If he had withheld the part where Tauran had cradled the egg in Kalai’s bed like a broody hen. No, if he had, Falka would have mentioned it already.
“It’s a relief,” Tauran said, and offered the general a smile in return. “Only, earlier today, I was made aware that Mister Ro-Ani is suffering from what he describes as a... fainting condition. We were working when he suddenly collapsed. He could have hurt his head badly.” He furrowed his brow. “I don’t know anything about it, but I aired the idea that you might know someone who can help him.” He met Falka’s gaze, letting his confidence shine through. After what Kalai had done to save the titan egg, getting him help for his condition was the least Falka could do. “Nothing shady,” Tauran added. “I promised him.”
Falka nodded, expression thoughtful. “I’m glad you’ve told me,” he said. “I had a recruit once who suffered from something similar.”
“Really?” Tauran asked, hopefulness making him forget his own discomfort.
Falka hummed in confirmation. “If it is the same condition, it should be treatable. I’ll talk to the doctor who saw the recruit once I’m done looking through these reports.”
“Thank you, General,” Tauran said, and stood.
Falka shook his hand. “Any time, Tauran.”
CHAPTER 9
Providing the egg with touch and body heat was not as easy as Tauran had made it seem.
Kalai’s smaller frame made it near impossible to get any kind of work done while carrying around an egg twice the size of a watermelon.
In the end, Kalai brought a pile of papers and documents to his desk, curled up in the chair, settled the egg in his lap, and got to work on translating.
The temperature readings and timed rotation cycles had largely gone out the window. At first, it made Kalai nervous, and he kept the pinard horn glued to one hand. But the heartbeat inside the dark crimson egg stayed strong and steady.
He wondered what Arrow would think of the egg. Kalai smiled at the thought, even as his heart ached with longing. He hoped Arrow was all right, wherever he was. So long as he stayed away from Kal Valreus. Soon, Kalai would make a trip out of the city to see him. If he could find him. He couldn’t remember a time they’d ever been