Page 36 of Cast in Atonement

Kaylin shook her head. “We went to Mrs. Erickson’s house to help her move the few items she wanted to keep, but she’s been living with us since then. I’m not sure she’s gone back; she’s getting used to Helen. Who adores her.”

“Does the house Azoria occupied still stand?”

Kaylin fell silent.

Evanton’s brows creased. “Do not tell me you have not checked.”

“I’ve been a little busy.”

“Be more productively busy.” He pinched the bridge of his nose again. “I would like to meet Mrs. Erickson.”

“But you never leave your store.”

“I leave it very infrequently, it is true. But I have an apprentice now, and I believe it is necessary. Also: you should have that house checked. If it is still connected to Mrs. Erickson’s humble abode, her house should not be sold to anyone else.”

The only thing, beside Bellusdeo’s sisters, Kaylin had purposely left out was the single moment when Mrs. Erickson had chosen to command Azoria An’Berranin—and Azoria, dead, had had no choice but to obey. Mrs. Erickson had done so only with Jamal’s permission; she had promised him, or perhaps all of the children, that she would never use that power.

Which meant it was power they thought she did have: the power to command the dead.

Given that most people couldn’t even see the dead, it hadn’t seemed like all that much of a danger to Kaylin; sure, Mrs. Erickson could order ghosts around, but the ghosts couldn’t do anything.

But as Evanton had reminded her, at least some of the dead weren’t dead in the normal way. And some of them had possessed Sanabalis—a living Dragon. If Mrs. Erickson could command those ghosts, she could do a lot of damage. The fact that she would never, ever do it would count for very little.

“When did you want to visit?”

“I will speak with Helen and arrange a time.”

“Could you come after my work hours? I mean, tomorrow or the day after that.”

“That could be arranged, yes. I believe I understand some part of the unease the elements have been feeling—but not all. In the meantime, arrange to visit Mrs. Erickson’s empty house.”

“I’m going to have to do that after hours—we still have the rest of our patrol and any resulting paperwork to get through.”

“I believe you will be allowed to inspect that house as part of your legal duties.”

“You’ve never met my sergeant.”

“As it happens, I have—when he was much younger. But as you say, you have work to do and I have interrupted it. Do not let me further detain you.”

“Academia tonight,” Bellusdeo said, after Evanton’s door was firmly closed behind them. “He can visit Mrs. Erickson some other time.”

This didn’t come as a surprise to Kaylin. Bellusdeo had no desire to harm—or even cage—Mrs. Erickson, and she assumed speaking with the ghosts of her beloved sisters would cause no harm. Her sisters—her weeping sisters—were the highest priority to the gold Dragon. Kaylin understood it. But she was far less certain that Mrs. Erickson would be safe. “I think I should revisit her home; Evanton’s going to have more questions that I can’t answer, and maybe I can get ahead of a couple of them.”

“I’m not certain that visiting her house will supply answers to those questions.”

Probably not. “Not visiting will mean he has fewer questions and way more criticisms. But if I’m going to her house, I think Mrs. Erickson should come with us.”

“You’re against this?”

Kaylin shook her head.

“You’re afraid she’ll be too tired?”

“Normally I wouldn’t be—she walked to the Halls of Law hauling her basket of baked goods every single day. But...the new ghosts have been acting up, and I think she’s been calming them. They remind me of newborn infant schedules. She’s exhausted. But yes, Academia this evening. I just don’t want Mrs. Erickson to be overwhelmed or intimidated. I promised Jamal I’d keep her safe.”

“You don’t intend to bring her to the Academia?”

“I would have—but we had an incident last night and right now she’s living in the same rooms as the ghosts we brought back from the Imperial Palace. The cohort will be at home; if we need to ask Mrs. Erickson questions, Serralyn can ask Annarion, and he can ask Mrs. Erickson.

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