Page 145 of Cast in Atonement

“I’ll stay.”

“I’m staying as well,” Teela said.

Tain nodded, the meaning clear. If Teela was going to go through with this, she was his partner.

No one had to ask Bellusdeo.

Evanton appeared at the crack of dawn. Kaylin woke up at about the same time he’d set foot across the property line. She didn’t even have to get dressed. But she’d had trouble sleeping. She’d folded her blankets and stacked them on top of her body, but they hadn’t made her any warmer. Nor had they made her arms any less stiff. She could lift them, but she wasn’t certain she could lift anything heavier than a teacup without falling over; her arms were heavy now.

The new temporary marks, however, hadn’t woken Mrs. Erickson—or Helen—during the long, painful night. They remained fastened to her skin, just as the emerald dress did.

Evanton, as promised, was at the front door, his expression neutral. He did smile when Mrs. Erickson—escorted by plate-armored Bellusdeo—came down the stairs. Kaylin was only grateful because it meant she wasn’t the last person to arrive.

“I see you have yet to fully detach from the green,” Evanton said, looking at the dress.

Kaylin shrugged.

The Keeper frowned in response. “You otherwise look terrible.”

Mrs. Erickson looked momentarily scandalized.

“I look exactly like I feel.”

“It’s not just the dress, then.”

“No, it’s not. I’m carrying a lot of extra weight, and we can either stand around making fun of me, or we can head to Mrs. Erickson’s.” She was annoyed, because Evanton was the conduit who had told her what had to be done, so he at least should know better.

“Do not give me that attitude,” the Keeper said. “It is likely to be a long, trying day as is.” He turned and offered Mrs. Erickson an arm. As her arm was already in Bellusdeo’s, this was awkward; Evanton lowered his arm before it became a cause for Mrs. Erickson’s anxiety. Or Bellusdeo’s ire. “If I could aid you in your duty, I would. But I am Keeper. You are Chosen. And Mrs. Erickson is something entirely other.

“I would counsel everyone else to remain here, but I am too old to waste effort and breath on something that is pointless.”

“Good,” Bellusdeo snapped.

Teela nodded in agreement with the gold Dragon.

“I assume we will not be seeing Lord Emmerian,” Evanton continued, as Helen opened the front door to see them all out. “A pity. Of all the Dragons of my acquaintance, I find him the most reasonable.”

“The least passionate,” Bellusdeo said.

“I would not say that, at all. But perhaps you are young at heart and confuse boundless, unhampered rage with passion.”

Oh my god, make them stop.

Severn shook his head. If you want them to stop, head out. I’m surprised Bellusdeo didn’t insist on flying Mrs. Erickson to her home.

I’m certain she did. But Mrs. Erickson wouldn’t want to fly if everyone else was forced to walk. That’s just the way she is.

Even if everyone else would be grateful that they’re not in the presence of a furious Dragon?

Even then. Bellusdeo has never been furious at or with Mrs. Erickson, so I’m not sure she’d believe it.

Kaylin did head out first. Bellusdeo, annoyed with the Keeper, followed; if she was stomping, no one pointed this out.

Evanton followed Mrs. Erickson, then Severn and Teela and Tain pulled up the rear. Mandoran appeared at the top of the stairs but didn’t insist on following. He asked, Teela said no. He almost certainly took the argument private, but the only person who could forcefully override Teela was Sedarias, and Sedarias probably didn’t want to risk any member of the cohort except herself.

As she wasn’t accompanying them, no one else could. Serralyn hadn’t returned to the Academia, but she was in contact, and her research, ongoing, might yet produce something useful in their attempt to quiet the dead, or see them off to wherever it was dead Ancients went when they stopped being alive.

No, it was Terrano who was the driving force here. For all of the cohort. If he’d managed to get himself killed, Kaylin was going to leverage Mrs. Erickson’s power to make certain he knew exactly what she thought of him.

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