Cast in Deception

by Michelle Sagara

  “It was here,” Bellusdeo replied, although Kaylin was pretty sure the question wasn’t aimed at the Dragon, “or the East Warrens.” Kaylin couldn’t see Bellusdeo’s expression, but the bland, cheerful, neutral reply was like a red flag.

  Severn had probably made the smarter choice. Tain’s desk was safer. But Kaylin had really wanted to see Teela for herself. She’d wanted to be certain that Teela was whole.

  It was the sergeant, not yet retired, who said, “The East Warrens. Marcus sent Kaylin to the East Warrens.” Clearly she had not been informed, and while the duty roster was not her responsibility, she knew it was a Barrani beat. Her glare traveled down the hall, as if she were considering offering Marcus a few choice words herself.

  “I was, of course, with her.”

  Moran folded her arms. “Come in,” she told the Dragon brusquely. She ignored Kaylin entirely and Kaylin followed like a shadow.

  * * *

  “You met Candallar. In the warrens.” Teela was now lounging on a chair so bare it should have been uncomfortable. To her left, in one of three beds in the small room, a Barrani Hawk slept. Since Barrani didn’t need sleep, he was probably unconscious. Or wishing he were.

  It was Canatel. He was, like Teela, a corporal. He’d been part of the Hawks for as long as Kaylin could remember, which really only meant about eight years. In Barrani terms, that was a blink of the eye.

  “This is well above your pay grade, kitling. It is not for you.”

  “How many people are descending on my home in the near future?”

  “If I have any say in it?” Teela exhaled and stood, losing the studied nonchalance of chair lounging. “You’re certain it was the fieflord?”

  “I’ve never met him. Severn was certain.”

  More Leontine followed, but it was soft. Clearly Teela trusted Severn’s opinion.

  “Why is Candallar involved?” Kaylin asked, as Bellusdeo said, “Candallar is outcaste, yes?”

  Teela only answered the Dragon’s question. “Yes.”

  “Does he happen to be related to any of the cohort? Because I’ve got one furious fieflord visiting my home at least three times a week, and I think I could do without another one.”

  “You would rather he visit your home than encounter him elsewhere. Candallar noted your mark?”

  “Nightshade’s mark? Yes.”

  “Good.”

  Kaylin thought she’d take the nearest seat, she was so shocked. “Good? You still hate him for putting the mark there!”

  “Yes. But it will serve as a warning to Candallar, if a warning is required. He is not Nightshade.”

  “Nightshade is more powerful?”

  “He was, before he was removed from the High Court. There is a reason he possesses one of The Three.”

  And a reason, Kaylin thought, wanting to smack herself, that Teela possessed one as well. Three swords created to fight Dragons. They were called The Three; the capital letters were practically pronounced. Had she never really considered that they weren’t just handed out randomly?

  “Candallar is younger?”

  “We are all ancient compared to you. Candallar is younger. He was of the High Court. He took, and passed, the Test of Name.”

  “Why was he turfed out?”

  Teela pinched the bridge of her nose. Bellusdeo suggested Kaylin speak in Barrani, or High Barrani. “Which part of ‘above your pay grade’ isn’t clear? I can repeat it in all of the languages you know, and three you don’t. I am certain that Bellusdeo could repeat it in her native tongue—”

  “That’s illegal without permission—”

  “And suffer few ill consequences.”

  “East Warrens was Canatel’s beat. His and Tagraine’s. Candallar was there—invisibly, by the way—to meet them.”

  “He said so?”

  “He said he was visiting friends.”

  “Of course he did.” Teela cast one backward glance at the unconscious man on the cot. It was not a look of loathing; it was not a look of anger.

  “What happened?” Kaylin asked.

  “Tagraine and Canatel had an argument. They came to blows in the office. I invited the Barrani to the West Room to discuss, among other things, self-control. In retrospect, this was unwise.” Her smile was grim, but genuine. “It was clever,” she added, as if to explain her expression. “Only Barrani were present, as they must have known would be the case. I did not get far into my ill-tempered lecture before Tagraine attempted to kill me. With a dagger,” she added.

  What was Teela not saying?

  “Canatel attempted to stop Tain from interfering. Canatel was injured. Tagraine died.” Both her voice and face were devoid of expression.

  This was not exactly the story Kaylin had heard. She knew better than to trust gossip for accuracy, but... “Canatel didn’t try to kill you? He didn’t help?”

  “He attempted to come to the aid of his partner.” Teela’s glare was ice and steel.

  Bellusdeo cleared her throat. “Candallar.”

  “That’s not the direction I expected the politics to travel. I have limited access to fieflords. In theory, so does the rest of the Court—but the rest of the Court does not serve as Hawks, with the legal boundaries necessitated by that office. I was...unprepared for that avenue of pressure. Did you attempt to engage him?”

  “She threatened to arrest him, if that helps,” Bellusdeo offered.

  Teela covered her forehead with her left hand. “Of course she did.”

  “He seemed surprisingly conscious of Imperial Law,” the Dragon continued, “and entirely unintimidated by it. He did not ask Kaylin for either information or concession; I believe he was distracted.”

  “By the presence of a Dragon?”

  “By the confirmation of the presence of a Dragon within the Halls of Law.”

  That was not the same thing, and Teela knew it.

  “On the other hand, if his contacts were Hawks, it is not entirely surprising he would have that information. Nor are the Hawks the only way that information might reach him; the Hawks themselves might speak with members of the High Court, and the High Court is, of course, very aware of my existence.”

  “You are much more likely to survive involvement in my life than Kaylin is,” Teela said. “But the arcane bomb that would have ended your life was thrown well away from both the Halls and the High Court.”

  “I would not be certain that my involvement in your affairs would be the cause of another assassination attempt. Nor,” she added, as Teela opened her mouth, “could the Emperor be. How much of a concern is Candallar?”

  “He’s a concern. Whatever pressure he put on Tagraine—and I won’t know until Canatel wakes—he’s just a lever.”

  “Do you have any idea who might be pushing that lever?”

  “Some vague suspicion. I know Canatel’s family. Candallar was made outcaste for purely political reasons; he did not attempt to harm the Consort. Nor did he engage in illegal activities involving other races—at least not until he was forced to flee and found himself at home in the fiefs.”

  “And he wants?”

  “I would guess he wants to be repatriated. He wants to be forgiven.”

  “But—”

  Both the Dragon and the corporal turned toward Kaylin. “But?” Teela asked.

  “But it’s the High Lord who decides, isn’t it?”

  “In theory, yes. In practice? No. I do not believe the High Lord is behind Candallar’s movements.”

  “You say that like you have some idea who is.”

  “No, kitling, I don’t. I have some idea of who isn’t.”

  “Why would they do this?”

  “Tagraine? Canatel?”

  Kaylin nodded. At heart, this was the only question she needed answered. The politics and malice of Barrani who were not H
awks was like rain or heat; it existed outside of the Halls.

  “I can’t speak for Tagraine. I can’t speak for Canatel—he cannot speak for himself at the moment. And I should not tell you even this much. But Canatel has a sister. She is older, and she is a Lord. She is, however, a very, very minor lord whom most feel survived the Test of Name because the sheer terror of it drove her to mindless—but ultimately pragmatic—flight. She is surrounded by Lords of greater age and far greater power, be it economic, political, or as is generally the case, both. Had she never taken the Test, she would not now be in danger.”

  Kaylin raised a brow, and Teela exhaled. “They would have to find her. Many of the Barrani who are of the High Court do not make their homes in the city.”

  “And the ones who aren’t do?” This made no sense to Kaylin.

  “It is frequently where the landless poor among the mortals dwell.”

  “Teela, if rumor has any truth to it, Canatel tried to kill you.”

  Teela said nothing; her eyes were a shade of gray blue.

  Bellusdeo exhaled smoke with a bit of actual heat in it. “Kaylin,” she said, to make clear that her target of annoyance was not Teela, “you can be forgiven your ignorance; it is remedial. It can be alleviated. Teela, however, has enough to deal with. Corporal, Sergeant, my apologies for intruding while you are so clearly busy. We will take our leave now, as Kaylin is expected to begin her interrupted patrol on Elani.”

  Teela actually chuckled. “I feel almost sorry for Margot today.”

  5

  “What am I missing?” Kaylin demanded, when they were safely quit of the halls and halfway to Elani. The word “ignorance” still stung; there were better ways to point to lack of knowledge, but given Kaylin wasn’t terribly diplomatic on the best of days, even thinking that was kind of hypocritical.

  “Teela feels that the failure lies with her.”

  “What?”

  Severn, Kaylin’s actual partner, was silent and steady. Small and squawky actually left her shoulder to sit on his for half the march, glaring balefully at Kaylin as he did.

  “I have not discussed this with Teela; I doubt she’s discussed this with anyone. I am therefore guessing, based on some minor observation.”

  “Skip the part where you imply that I’m stupid.”

  “I did not imply that; I implied that you are not observant.”

  “Bellusdeo—”

  “You focus on your job. You focus on your home. Where it is necessary, you will focus on other things as they effect the former or the latter. Beyond that, however, you still feel that the world is somehow other, or foreign.” She exhaled at Kaylin’s expression, and added, “You know nothing about knitting.”

  Kaylin blinked.

  “I do not expect that you will know anything about knitting. But when you are wearing a sweater of some intricacy, I will unconsciously assume that you know something of what went into its making. Let us say I know something about knitting. Don’t make that face, I chose this example for a reason. I have seen the same sweater you have seen, but I have marked the intricacies of stitch and design. I know that the sweater could not be made by, well, you. But I understand that it could not be made by me without painstaking effort. I assume, at times, that you will also see what I see.

  “You have been given such a sweater. Your concern is the cold, or laws of public decency. You don’t care that it’s oversized. You don’t care that it might be inappropriately heavy given the weather. You understand that it is clothing, and some clothing is better than none. You don’t appreciate the quality of the sweater itself. It seems almost irrelevant to its function. I occasionally forget this. When someone wears such a sweater, it is, like most expensive fashion, meant to be a statement. No, it is a statement. Most people who make such statements are pretentious—but not all, and regardless, even the pretentious understand what they think they are trying to say. You don’t.

  “Were knitting, however, integral to your job, you would. You would see the stitches, the wool used, the dyes used on that wool; you would know what size the needles were, and whether or not different sizes were required to knit the whole. You are not stupid. You are, however, too narrowly focused. Better?”

  “I’m not sure.”

  “That’s the best I’ve got.” She glanced over Kaylin’s head at Severn and the familiar.

  “What Bellusdeo was trying to say before she started on knitting,” Severn then said, “was that Teela considers the attempt an act of desperation and fear. If she’s insulted at all, she’s insulted because Canatel—and Tagraine—didn’t come to her first. They didn’t ask for her help. They assumed that the people threatening them held all the cards. Barrani are, at heart, snobs.

  “Teela is a Lord of the High Court. She has one of The Three. We all know this. But we also know Teela best when she’s wearing the Hawk. If she weren’t in service to the Halls of Law, none of the Barrani Hawks would know her. They’d know of her, the same way we know of the humans in the human caste court.

  “When Teela’s wearing the Hawk, she’s just like them. Or you. Or me. She’s a Hawk. The Barrani can’t see someone who wears that Hawk as a power.”

  Kaylin opened her mouth and shut it again.

  “When they first started out as Hawks on the force, they were probably allowed to do so because they were considered—by their own people—barely better than your average mortal.

  “They haven’t considered that their ability to be Hawks was guaranteed by Teela as Lord of the High Court. They’ve had at least a decade to see Teela in action on the ground. They can no longer hold her in awe. They can’t think of her as an actual power because she does exactly what they do. She even obeys a Leontine. She is not called Lord when she’s in the office. That had to be a deliberate choice on Teela’s part—and I’m not certain she’s happy with the results.

  “The people who are threatening them, however, are powers, in Tagraine’s and Canatel’s minds. They didn’t come to Teela first because they felt, viscerally, that she was just another Hawk. They didn’t trust the protection she could have offered. That’s why she’s insulted. And I believe she holds herself responsible for their attempted assassination.”

  “Because she knew things were getting political,” Kaylin said, after a more thoughtful pause, “and she wasn’t prepared.”

  Severn nodded. “The Barrani Hawks have already been used.”

  “Against Moran, though.”

  “It doesn’t matter. It’s recent enough that she knew they could be used. She didn’t shore up her own defenses—and part of those defenses would be providing protection for the Hawks. They were threatened because she was too caught up in the concerns of her cohort.”

  Kaylin thought that was hugely unfair.

  “I’m not agreeing with her assessment,” Severn continued. “My agreement won’t matter to Teela one way or the other.”

  “I’d suggest you stay out of it,” Bellusdeo told him quietly.

  Severn glanced at Bellusdeo. “We need information.”

  “Teela’s a Lord. Leave the information gathering to her.”

  “Teela is a Lord,” he agreed. Severn could agree as if agreement were irrelevant. “But a Lord doesn’t enter the warrens. A Lord doesn’t—ever—meet with outcastes.”

  Bellusdeo’s eyes had shaded to a gold orange. Kaylin intervened. “Teela’s met with Nightshade before.”

  “Not under her own instigation. Her tabard and her choice of employ protects her in such situations. While the High Court does not consider the Halls of Law a suitable place for the Barrani nobility, they have all sworn oaths of service to the Eternal Emperor.”

  She remembered what Candallar had said, and nodded.

  “Teela’s interactions with Nightshade are considered, by the Barrani, to be a direct result of her tabard. Were she not a Hawk, she would not h
ave met with him. Teela’s enemies are Lords of the High Court.”

  Kaylin nodded, thinking. “The Barrani Hawks met with Candallar. They probably didn’t meet him by accident. Either he was told to approach them, or they were told to approach him. Do you think they left the East Warrens and headed into his fief with an offer of some sort? Or do you think he already had an offer on the table and left the fief to meet them?”

  “Either would work,” he replied, in his neutral tone. “If the Hawks crossed the Ablayne, there are bound to be witnesses.”

  “They’re from the warrens. They’re not going to talk to us.”

  “They’re not going to talk to Hawks, no.”

  “Corporal,” Bellusdeo said, in a sergeant’s tone of voice. “Teela is no doubt waiting for Canatel to regain consciousness to ask him.”

  “He has a vested interest in giving her the answer she will find most acceptable,” Severn countered.

  “It’s none of our business.”

  “It’s not,” Severn agreed. “Until the cohort descends from the West March. We’ve got six weeks, if they travel overland the way we did.” And he clearly intended to use those six weeks to their full advantage. “Although I believe Mandoran is attempting to talk them out of it.”

  “No one listens to Mandoran,” Kaylin pointed out.

  He chuckled. “That’s certainly how Mandoran feels. But Helen is concerned. She cannot—and would not—refuse to house them; she’s your home and you wouldn’t.”

  Kaylin opened her mouth.

  Severn spoke before she could. “She’s a building, Kaylin. She’s sentient. She has will. She’s made choices that were physically almost ruinous for her in order to maintain some sense of her own autonomy. You think she did that to buy her freedom.”

  “She did.”

  “Yes.”

  “And no,” Bellusdeo cut in. Severn fell silent, allowing Bellusdeo to carry the rest of the conversation. “She bought a measure of freedom. She injured herself so that she had a measure of choice. But her choices are, and have always been, confined. She is a building. She was created to be a building. Her sentience was bound into her nature. It is not that different from you—or me, or Teela. There are things we might want to do that our actual existence does not allow. You cannot live forever, no matter how cautious you might choose to be. Not,” she added, “that you ever choose to be cautious.