Page 61 of Cast in Atonement

“And the ghosts?”

“They live with me, too. The only person who can communicate with them is Mrs. Erickson.”

“Tell me, Chosen, what did you see, if you saw the ghosts at all?” Evanton’s question was somber.

Kaylin exhaled. “Words. True Words.”

Evanton was silent as he considered what he’d been told. “Mrs. Erickson, I would like—if possible—to be introduced to your new friends.”

The old woman was surprised. “I’m not sure you’ll be able to see them. Kaylin can’t, without her familiar’s interference.”

“But she could see the children clearly?”

Mrs. Erickson nodded. “She could speak with them as well. She could hear them.”

“Do you see these ghosts as words?”

“No. They look like people to me. Younger people. They aren’t as visually clear; to my eyes, they look like what ghosts would be expected to look like in stories. My usual ghosts looked like people to me—hair color, eye color, skin color.”

“I see.”

“But why are you asking?”

“Ah. Yes, I suppose I should answer that question, inasmuch as it can be answered. I am what the ancient world knew as the Keeper of the elemental garden. It is my duty to calm the elements upon which the stability of the world depends; the elements have will, and desires, as any living thing does. Left to their own devices, they would burn, drown, or bury everything in their need to display their primal abilities.

“The garden was created by the Ancients to contain the heart of the elements, and to allow them to coexist in relative peace. But the elements, if housed in the garden, are only theoretically constrained there; they exist in the world. Mages who summon them touch some part of their awareness.

“The elements are contained—but they are not the only things the garden can shelter. It is a liminal space; its edges touch the world in which we live, and the places in which elements of our world are based. The elements, as an example, are aware of the green in the West March; they are aware of the reformation of the High Halls; they are aware—peripherally—of Ravellon when it stirs.

“I, as Keeper, can be aware of those things, with greater or lesser effort. Often it is the restlessness of the elements that indicates that something has gone wrong or will soon go wrong. The ability to sense such things is a function of the office itself.

“The reason I wished to meet with you is a direct result of that. When Kaylin dropped by my store, she was accompanied by Lord Bellusdeo. Lord Bellusdeo is much occupied with concern for her dead. One thing led to another, but when Kaylin mentioned that she had a new housemate, I thought it possible that some of the uneasiness in the garden might be indirectly related to you.

“Let me emphasize that: indirectly. Kaylin can be very annoying at times, but her instincts are good. She clearly holds you in great affection. She does not consider you a threat or a danger; indeed I believe she feels that you should be protected from all threats or dangers. She therefore considers questions surrounding you and your abilities to be of lesser import unless those abilities might have immediate, pragmatic use. She is interested in solving Bellusdeo’s difficulty, as an example.

“The name Azoria An’Berranin is not unknown to the elements, which is not generally considered a good sign, at least in my job. I believe there were perturbations caused by that woman, who I am assured is now dead. I would like to hear about that,” he added.

Kaylin fell silent, joining Mrs. Erickson.

Terrano took up the rest of the story because no one else wanted to touch it. Kaylin’s reasons were no doubt different from Mrs. Erickson’s, but Evanton was right about one thing: she wanted to protect the old woman who baked for the Hawks and whose company Helen so enjoyed.

Terrano, however, hadn’t seen everything Kaylin had seen.

He had, however, seen the dead Ancient.

So he could speak about the events—could speak about the trapped, enslaved dead that Azoria had gathered in the home that was magically attached to Mrs. Erickson’s small bungalow. He could speak about Azoria’s end. He could not speak about Mrs. Erickson’s promise to Jamal, or rather, her attempt to get him to make an exception.

That promise, Kaylin didn’t know—but given events, she was certain her guess was right. Mrs. Erickson had promised, sometime in her childhood, not to command the dead. Not to use the power of command. It was the one thing Kaylin didn’t want anyone else to know—not yet. Not when the question of Necromancy hung in the balance.

Evanton listened without interruption and without further questions. All of the interruptions came from the cohort as they tried to add clarity to Terrano’s chaos. Both Mrs. Erickson and Kaylin kept words to themselves until Terrano was done.

Evanton’s gaze had moved from speaker to speaker, but when Terrano was finished, it returned to Mrs. Erickson. “You have not, by chance, sold your house?”

Mrs. Erickson shook her head.

“Very well. If it is acceptable to you, I would like—with your company, of course—to visit that house.”

Mrs. Erickson seemed surprised, but not upset. “It would have to be in the evening—Kaylin has work during business hours. Oh, but she said you had a store, so you must as well.”

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