Page 33 of Cast in Atonement

Hope squawked; it was his complaining squawk, not his alert one.

Bellusdeo’s eyes were orange with flecks of gold; she agreed with Kaylin’s general disgust about the merchants on Elani street. But her gaze was often aimed beyond the city streets.

“Why did you come to visit the other night?” Kaylin finally asked.

“I needed to get out of the Tower for a bit.”

“Who were you arguing with?”

“Why do you think I was arguing with anyone?”

Kaylin rolled her eyes. “You generally don’t need to get out of the house unless you want to prevent yourself from murdering someone. You can’t murder the Tower.”

“Some days I’d like to try. Karriamis is a smug, arrogant, condescending—” She bit back the rest of the sentence.

Some days. So it wasn’t Karriamis. “Lord Emmerian is living in the Tower, isn’t he?”

Bellusdeo’s jaws snapped shut. It was a wonder she didn’t crack her own teeth, and her eyes’ gold flecks changed to crimson flecks.

Kaylin lifted a hand. “You can say anything you want about Emmerian. I can’t, not publicly—he’s a member of the Dragon Court.”

Bellusdeo exhaled a stream of smoke from her nostrils.

“And I’m the worst person in the city to come to for any relationship advice. Trust me on this.”

“I don’t want advice,” the gold Dragon snapped. “Not about Emmerian. I can deal with Emmerian.”

“The Emperor values him. Hells, I value him. He’s the only Dragon I’ve met who knows how to be consistently considerate.”

“I know. And I hate it.”

Dragons were definitely not human. “How could you hate that? Don’t touch the small dragon,” she added, when someone whose gaze was welded to Hope approached.

“He never, ever says what he’s thinking. He always takes time to find words; if it weren’t for the color of his eyes, I’d have no idea how he feels about anything.”

“That’s generally considered a good thing—Hey, I’m serious. Don’t touch.” Before Kaylin could say it a third time, Severn intercepted the large hand—which was attached to an equally large man. Severn’s silent intervention was far more effective than Kaylin’s spoken warning, which irritated her immensely. She was at least as dangerous as Severn—possibly more so, given her visceral reactions—but it was always Severn people avoided offending.

Ugh. This was life. It was life as she’d experienced it as a child; it was life even when she wore the Hawk’s tabard. She wasn’t as tall, or as large, as Severn, and people didn’t immediately equate her with danger. She could hate it all she wanted, but unless she stepped out of line and beat the crap out of the stranger, she couldn’t change it. Even if she did—and she’d be back down to private from corporal—it would change exactly one person’s reaction.

Hope surprised Kaylin; he sat up, his body rigid. When she continued to walk, he squawked, loudly, in her ear. She sighed. “I think Hope wants us to check in with Evanton.”

Severn nodded. Evanton was part of their regular patrol.

“Why does he want us to visit the Keeper?” Bellusdeo asked, her eyes losing the crimson flecks.

“I don’t know—you can ask him.”

Bellusdeo raised an eyebrow in Hope’s direction, and Hope squawked. Bellusdeo’s expression grew thoughtful, neutral; her anger, her ire, at Emmerian was pushed aside.

“What did he say?”

“He thinks Evanton wants to see us.”

Evanton was sitting behind his long desk, a glass over his right eye. He looked up as the door chimed entry. In the Elani merchant shops, exterior doors weren’t warded; it was seen as discouraging possible customers.

“Corporal. Corporal.” Evanton was seated on a bar stool, which made him seem taller than he actually was. “It’s good to see you. Did Helen pass on the message?”

“I’m working. If you sent it during my patrol hours, I haven’t heard it yet. It’s better to contact me through the Halls of Law during normal working hours.”

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