Page 20 of Cast in Conflict

“And the streets from Liatt?”

“Our assumption is that they are—when the Academia existed entirely within the same realm as the fiefs, it occupied geographical space between Liatt and Nightshade. The Academia as it is currently constituted can be reached from any of the fiefs. Or rather,” she added, “the Academia can exit into any of those fiefs. The exit is repeatable; the border zone does not prevent it.”

“Who investigated?”

Tiamaris exhaled smoke. “Bellusdeo.”

“She’s been investigating for the past two weeks?”

“I believe Lannagaros requested it.”

Kaylin raised a brow. When Tiamaris failed to speak, she folded her arms.

“He is not lying,” Tara told her. “And he is not attempting to withhold information. Lannagaros is chancellor, but he is aware that the Academia needs students. In particular, it needs students whose passion for knowledge and learning is genuine. In the past, there were students—or so he told Bellusdeo—who attended because such attendance implied status.

“That will not be the case immediately. I think Lannagaros underestimates the possible attraction of the Academia, but it has only been a few weeks—less than an eye blink in the course of his long and exalted existence.”

Kaylin had difficulty imagining the Arkon as exalted. Respected, yes—she’d seen that with her own eyes. Exalted?

“He is exalted by Dragonkind, and many, many of the Barrani elders think of him with respect.”

Tiamaris glared at Kaylin, although she hadn’t spoken.

“Look—you can’t exalt people you actually know.”

“The Emperor?”

“I don’t actually know him. And as I get to know him—entirely because of Bellusdeo—I don’t think I exalt him. Fear him, yes, because anyone who doesn’t would be dead. Respect him? Yes, because politics suck, and he’s dedicated his life to it.”

Tara cleared her throat. It sounded like an earthquake.

Hope sat up and squawked loudly.

“I think it best,” Tara replied, her voice and expression serene. “You may, however, speak to her later.”

Do not make her give me another headache. Hope settled, disgruntled, across her shoulders, fuming slightly—which in his case was literal.

“Next time, stay at home.” She wasn’t surprised when he bit her ear.

Tiamaris’s cleared throat was nowhere near as felt as Tara’s. “Lannagaros has an interest in the accessibility of the Academia. He knows that it can be reached from Tiamaris, so the desire for more information is not something on which the fate of the Academia rests. But it is like him to be concerned about the access from the rest of the fiefs.

“I have personal reasons for agreeing that this information should be known. Lord Nightshade has, independently, confirmed that the Academia is easily reached from the fief of Nightshade; Bellusdeo has not been sent to Nightshade.”

“But she’s been sent everywhere else?”

Tiamaris nodded.

“No wonder the Dragon Court is concerned.” Concerned hadn’t been her first word choice, but she decided to speak in Barrani instead; it was a lot harder to default to inappropriate language in Barrani. On the other hand, there were so many things that could be considered rude or inappropriate by the Barrani.

Culture was complicated.

“Lannagaros understands Bellusdeo better than any of the Dragon Court—and I am no exception. He understands war, and the costs of war; he has found his way through losses that would have driven—that did drive—others of our kind to madness. If Lannagaros did indeed request her aid—”

“He did,” Tara said quietly.

“—then I have to trust that in some fashion he feels that this is safe for Bellusdeo.”

Kaylin nodded.

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