Page 46 of Cast in Conflict

Fair enough. Even Emmerian had said he’d lost his temper. “Why, exactly, did Bellusdeo go full Dragon?”

“That is not a question to ask of us.”

“Fine. Why did you—or most of you—disincorporate?”

“Face full of angry Dragon,” Terrano muttered. He then winced.

“No, please do continue,” Sedarias said sweetly. Sweet, it was clear, was a poison, and possibly a deadly one. “Since this was entirely started by you.”

“I just wanted to settle the question of the Tower and the fiefs. And it was better to do it here than do it on the actual site.”

Kaylin had no argument with that. Her guess as to how things unfolded was probably right: the cohort’s reason for wanting the Tower would offend the hells out of Bellusdeo, the only person present who had firsthand experience with what Shadow could and would do to an entire world if given its freedom.

“I don’t suppose you’ve decided to step back?” she asked Sedarias.

Sedarias said a cold, loud nothing.

Severn’s arrival saved them all from a conversation that was going to be entirely pointless.

Bellusdeo did not leave the house early; she remained in the parlor with Emmerian while Helen escorted Severn back to the questionable safety of the dining hall. Helen had a chair waiting for him by the time he entered the room, and breakfast as well.

“Didn’t you already eat?” Terrano asked, as Kaylin joined him.

“When we head out for the day, we’re often forced to skip lunch,” Kaylin replied. “This is lunch.”

Terrano rolled his eyes. “I can’t sit here and watch you do nothing but eat.” He rose.

“You’re not coming with us.”

“You can’t stop me.”

“Helen can.”

“Not easily.”

“I can,” Sedarias said.

No one was stupid enough to argue with that.

“Mandoran is coming with us.” Kaylin offered this as a concession.

“Given the Dragon’s mood?” Mandoran said; he’d been almost entirely silent, which was unlike him.

“I’m going out with her, and she’s probably taking her mood with her.”

“You’re getting paid.”

She had better be. And even if the current special assignment tripled her pay, Kaylin wasn’t certain it was worth it. Since Imperial Command meant do it or be out of the job you otherwise loved, it wasn’t about the money. Well, not entirely about the money; here, pay was the consolation prize. She would also be much, much happier to have none of the cohort with them, given the events that had pretty much thrown her out of bed in a panic.

Mandoran groused, but when Kaylin and Severn rose to leave—at Helen’s less than subtle prompting—he rose as well. His eyes were very blue, but that wasn’t necessarily because of Bellusdeo.

Bellusdeo started the rest of her day—which involved the expected incursion into the fiefs—in Dragon armor. Kaylin stared at it. She opened her mouth once, but words failed to emerge.

“I have already destroyed another dress,” Bellusdeo said, answering the words Kaylin hadn’t said. “And there’s no guarantee I won’t be forced to fight. I see no reason my possible emergencies should deplete the Imperial coffers further.”

“Did Emmerian—Lord Emmerian—leave?”

“He is currently speaking with Helen. And no, I do not believe they require interruption. If, however, you don’t intend to accompany me, please feel free to join them.” Her smile was very toothy.

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