Page 31 of Cast in Atonement

“She saved Annarion and Mandoran when they first arrived. She offered us shelter and sustenance when we joined them. Even now, she does what she can to protect us, and most of us are truly grateful.”

“Most?”

“Terrano has never liked external protection.” Mandoran shrugged.

Torrisant continued. “These guests destabilize Helen; they threaten the security of our home. What I was not—and will never be—willing to offer Immolan, I will offer Helen. While we believe it would be best if she ejected the guests she has accepted, we know that she—like you, her primary tenant—will not do that. But there is a danger. If I cannot fully hear or understand the words, I hear enough. If such words can be frightened, they are; if such words can have ambition or will, they do.

“I believe they want what Helen gave to us; they cannot perceive her attempts to offer them shelter in the way we did and do.” Torrisant exhaled. “I will, if you intend to visit the Academia again, go with you. But I will not apply to join Serralyn and Valliant.

“And for what it’s worth, Serralyn’s family would have considered her tenure in the Academia to be a contemptible waste of time; Valliant’s family would have been embarrassed, if not humiliated, at his choice to remain there. Had either of their families intended that fate for them, I am certain they, too, would have rejected the Academia.” He looked at his untouched food, and then rose to join Fallessian. “Helen will inform me when you are ready to leave.”

She turned to Helen. “I’m going to try to get some sleep after dinner—but I’ll be heading to the Academia after work.”

“You are going to the Halls of Law?”

Kaylin nodded. Sanabalis wanted her to deal with Bellusdeo. Bellusdeo had Imperial permission to accompany Kaylin. And Mrs. Erickson needed to spend time with the ghosts she’d brought home—not Bellusdeo’s sisters. “I don’t think it’s a good idea for Mrs. Erickson to leave the house while the ghosts are so unstable.”

Helen nodded in silent agreement.

There was no emergency in the middle of the night. Kaylin slept without interruption, woke up on time, and dressed quickly, then headed to the breakfast table. Mrs. Erickson was absent. “Helen?”

“She spent much of the night awake speaking with her newest ghosts, and she is not—in her own words—as young as she used to be. I therefore chose to let her sleep. Bellusdeo mirrored.”

Kaylin winced.

“She intends to accompany you to the Halls of Law this morning. She is not highly pleased to have any delay in her return to the Academia; she believed you would be heading there, instead of the Halls of Law.”

“Doesn’t she have a Tower to captain?” Marcus accepted Bellusdeo because the gold Dragon had insisted, with vehemence, that she was no part of the Imperial Dragon Court, but he was never going to be happy about Dragons.

“I believe she had an argument with either her Tower or Lord Emmerian, and felt that finding a different occupation for the day would allow her to rein in her temper.”

Great. Angry Dragon in the Halls of Law.

“But Imelda did make baked goods yesterday. She asked that you deliver them to the front desk if you have the time; they won’t last another day.”

06

Bellusdeo was at the door before Kaylin had finished eating. Mandoran finished quickly so he could offer Bellusdeo his particular brand of support, which meant mostly friendly sarcasm. Her eyes were fluctuating between gold and orange—but the gold, in Mandoran’s presence, was stronger.

Annarion was distracted; he didn’t join in. But he’d never been prone to the same friendly teasing as Mandoran.

“You’re sure Mrs. Erickson is okay?” Kaylin asked Helen, as she stood.

“I’m certain she’s exhausted—and she feels guilty about it. I’ve tried to explain that, in my opinion, she is utilizing power she doesn’t understand to communicate with these particular ghosts, but she feels ‘just talking’ shouldn’t have this much of an effect. And she had been planning to visit the Halls of Law today—she hasn’t seen the Hawks at the front desk for a while now.”

Bellusdeo frowned, her eyes shading instantly to orange.

“Mrs. Erickson is fine. She’s just tired.”

The gold Dragon crossed her arms.

“I’ll explain it as we walk to work. I’m on a winning streak for timely arrival, and I don’t want to break it.”

“Because you’ll lose a bet?”

“Something like that.”

Mandoran said he was bored enough that walking through the Elantran streets with a Dragon as a companion seemed far better than being stuck in the house—no disrespect to Helen.

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