Page 50 of Cast in Conflict

“Ah.”

Kaylin, beside Bellusdeo, glanced at the Dragon; she was smiling, and her eyes were orange, but shading now away from red. “I have not made an appointment to speak with Lord Durant.”

“Durant,” the woman then said, her own smile evident. “No. But we’ve received reports that a Dragon—a gold Dragon—has been seen in the air above the fief in the past week, and we’re aware that a Dragon has been landing in Farlonne. If you will take the risk, Durant is more than willing to meet with you.”

Kaylin watched the guards; they seemed relaxed. They, like Maggaron, were armed, but hadn’t drawn weapons either.

“I would be both honored and delighted.”

“And your companions?”

“Maggaron is my Ascendant—my personal guard. He has been with me since childhood. His,” she added, in case this wasn’t obvious. “To my left is Corporal Kaylin Neya. To her left is Lord Mandoran of Casarre, and behind, Corporal Severn Handred. Kaylin and Severn are Imperial Hawks—and they are well aware that Imperial Law is neither enforced nor observed in the fiefs. They have been ordered by the Emperor to accompany me.”

“And you accept this?”

At this, Bellusdeo’s smile deepened. “One of the corporals is my—what is the Elantran word?—roommate. Lord Mandoran also shares that distinction.”

“Clearly things are more interesting across the wall than we realized. Please follow me.”

Durant’s streets were in decent repair; the roads themselves had some ruts, but nothing that would cripple a wagon if the wagon was unlucky. The buildings were a mix of wood and stone, and if the stone was aged, cracked or chipped, it wasn’t in danger of crumbling. Windows were a mix of shutters and glass—and it was the glass, which was definitely not new and probably in need of some serious cleaning—that was most surprising. To be fair, there were glass windows and elements of finery in parts of Nightshade as well, but they were parts of Nightshade that everyone who lived there knew to avoid like the plague.

She had assumed—until Tiamaris—that all fiefs were the same.

But Farlonne was not. And clearly, neither was Durant.

Durant wasn’t Tara—his Tower wasn’t girded by vegetable gardens. There was a gate and a gatehouse similar in form to Helen’s, and probably just as practical. But Marshalle walked up to the gatehouse, a man left it, and the gates opened.

Kaylin turned to face Bellusdeo. Bellusdeo’s eyes were a more martial orange; she didn’t need to be told that entry was a risk.

“What do you counsel?” the Dragon asked the Hawk.

Kaylin exhaled. Flight—of the turn around and retreat variety, not the draconic one—was the smart choice here. She glanced at Marshalle; the woman’s attention was shifting between Kaylin and Bellusdeo, as if assessing both Kaylin’s role and the Dragon’s intent.

“I would prefer our first meeting to be somewhere more neutral,” Bellusdeo finally said.

Marshalle’s easy smile faded.

“Gestures of trust are acts of confidence when any two strangers first meet,” the Dragon continued, voice soft. “And only a fool displays such confidence when the place of meeting is inside the territory of a building such as a Tower. There, all martial prowess and experience are reduced by the building, should the building desire it, to utter irrelevance.

“For reasons that I trust are obvious, some minor caution is desirable on my part. I am willing to speak with Durant in any other building of his choosing in the fief of Durant. The fief of Durant is still a place of power for him, but the power is less absolute; should I desire it, I can escape.”

“Or kill him?”

Bellusdeo did not smile. She did not respond at all.

Kaylin did. “Bellusdeo, more than anyone except the Norranir, has reason to respect the Towers and their function. The last thing she would do, given any other choice, is attack the fieflord.”

“Rumors indicate that Candallar may be without its captain,” Marshalle replied.

Kaylin offered a fief shrug. “Bellusdeo had nothing to do with that death.”

“You are so certain?”

“I am. I was there.”

Marshalle’s brows rose. “Who, then, was responsible for Candallar’s death?”

“In my opinion? Candallar himself. He attempted to destroy the foundation of the Academia. His death occurred because only his death would prevent it.” She’d fallen into High Barrani.

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