Page 59 of Cast in Atonement

“And, Mrs. Erickson, forgive me if I seem intrusive, but I would be interested to know how you met Kaylin as well. I assume she did not free you from a prison.”

Mrs. Erickson nodded.

To Kaylin’s surprise, Helen brought food into the dining room. Usually she just caused plates to magically appear, but today she was determined to be more formal. She began—at the head of the table—to put plates in front of the various diners.

Mrs. Erickson wasn’t raised with fourteen forks and spoons and knives, but she didn’t look too intimidated. Kaylin did, but she’d learned manners—with Bellusdeo—and could now eat without using the wrong utensil, even if she resented the need for all of them. A fork was a fork, right? Why did there have to be so many of them?

Why could Severn use all of them so naturally he might have been born with utensils in his hands?

“I first met Kaylin in the Halls of Law,” Mrs. Erickson said, smiling. She liked the Halls of Law. Kaylin loved her job, but conversely didn’t love the office as much as a lonely old woman whose only friends were ghosts had. “I visited the front desk frequently.”

“The front desk?”

“It’s the desk where the officers listen to the concerns of private citizens.” Mrs. Erickson looked at her food, and then looked at how others were eating before picking up a small fork.

Kaylin expanded Mrs. Erickson’s overly positive explanation. “It’s where people report vampire sightings, werewolf sightings, missing dogs, cats, and the occasional person. Oh, also arguments with neighbors over fences, in the hope that there’s no further crime that will need to be investigated.”

“You met Kaylin while she occupied that desk? And you befriended her?”

Mandoran and Terrano snickered; even Bellusdeo’s eyes lightened, although they wouldn’t reach full gold this evening.

Mrs. Erickson’s smile was gentle. “Of course I did. She’s a Hawk, and she takes her duties seriously. And I suppose I should confess that I was there to report the findings of my various ghostly friends as well.”

“Which no one took seriously, I assume.”

“There were few occasions when my reports would be considered urgent—but Kaylin did take my concerns seriously.”

“She just wanted the baking,” Mandoran pointed out. “Mrs. Erickson is a really good baker, and she always brought baked goods with her when she made her reports.”

“Oh, it’s not just that—the Hawks were very helpful. I broke my leg, and I live alone—it was the Hawks who came to check in on me when I didn’t show up.”

“And how—if it is not too intrusive to ask—did you come to live with Kaylin?”

Mrs. Erickson glanced at Kaylin, as if for permission.

“I asked her if she was willing to live with Helen and me.”

“Not the rest of us?” Terrano’s grin was practically contagious.

“I may have forgotten to mention it’s a package deal.”

“I’m quite happy to be living with all of you,” Mrs. Erickson said, smiling. “And Kaylin asked me to join her because she thought I would benefit from Helen’s company.”

“And that is the only reason you chose to accept?”

The silence was brief, but it was clear Mrs. Erickson was now less comfortable. She once again looked to Kaylin. This time Kaylin kept her voice soft as she spoke to her newest housemate. “Everyone in the house knows already. Bellusdeo knows. I’m sure Sanabalis—ugh, the Arkon—would discuss the matter with Evanton if Evanton could be moved to visit the Imperial Palace.”

Evanton’s snort made clear that this wasn’t going to happen anytime in the near future.

“It’s a bit of a long story,” Mrs. Erickson then said. “And if everyone else already knows it, I’d hate to take up their time by repeating it.”

“I’m certain they won’t find it boring,” Evanton replied, his tone taking on some of the steel he reserved for difficult customers.

“I won’t,” Terrano said.

“I wouldn’t mind hearing it from a rational point of view,” Mandoran added. “I mean yours, in case that wasn’t obvious. Kaylin swears too much.”

Mrs. Erickson’s smile deepened. “Well, she is a Hawk.”

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