Page 106 of Cast in Conflict

“I was—and I’d much rather be there. But Mandoran said it was serious.”

Severn stood, and put another banner in the wagon. He glanced back, but there was no visible sign of Terrano; even the hand had vanished.

“Are we going to find your family’s banner here?”

“Probably. Farther in.”

“Farther in?”

“This is a large, flat field, like a circle. The edges are all cliff.”

“She’s down the cliff.”

“Yes.”

“Which direction?”

“Damned if I know.”

“Where is everyone else?”

Silence.

“Helen?” No answer. Kaylin wondered if they were even contained in Helen anymore. It was a thought that made her very uneasy.

“She’s here,” Terrano’s voice said. “But it’s harder for her to communicate with you.”

“Why?”

“Because you brought him with you.”

“What?”

“You—you’re not normal, you know that, right? You’re as human as the rest of us are Barrani.”

“But you are Barrani.”

“Sure,” he said. It sounded like a no. “I’d tell you to send him back, but you can’t; Helen’s entire focus is on protecting Severn. I think you could do it, but she’s not certain, and she is certain Severn’s death will cause severe fractures in this current iteration of reality.”

Kaylin wasn’t stupid. “Because of me.”

“Because you’ll be upset, yes.”

“Will Sedarias try to kill us?”

“No.” It sounded like a yes. “Come on, we need to find Mandoran.”

“He’s here?”

“Yes.”

“In Sedarias’s head, for want of a better word?”

“Yes—but that’s normal for us.”

“This battlefield is not normal.”

“Actually, it is. Some of us are better at words than others. Some of us are excellent at words—but only as weapons. Guess who’s the latter?”

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