“The Dragon is part of the Dragon Court, and in case you don’t know, the Emperor is called the Eternal Emperor for a reason: he’s a Dragon. They can live forever if they want. So...the palace is going to be concerned. I don’t think any Dragons have been possessed before, and Dragons can cause a lot of damage if they’re not in control of themselves.”

“Or if they are?” It was Callis who asked.

“Or if they are, but that’s illegal and the Emperor would be angry. Teela?”

“With Mrs. Erickson’s permission, I’d like to examine the house.”

“Of course, dear.”

Teela looked down the hall. “Kaylin, help out.”

“What’s she going to do?” Jamal demanded.

“If I had to guess, she’s going to look for magic.”

“What, here?”

“Here.”

“And what are you going to do?”

“Help her. Look, if you’re suspicious, you can just follow us; she can’t see you anyway.”

Teela was, indeed, looking for magic, or rather, for the sigils that the casting of magic left behind. Every mage left a trace of self, a trace of their magic, in the wake of the casting of spells. The stronger the spell, the longer that trace lasted. Only those with magical ability could see those traces, and they saw different things when they looked; it was why it was useful to have multiple mages investigate the scene of spell use.

Or that’s how she explained it to the kids, all of whom did follow her. Although they should be used to the idea that they were both invisible and therefore safe, they crowded behind Kaylin wherever it was possible.

Teela’s use of magic was the normal use, and Kaylin grimaced as the Barrani Hawk spoke. Kaylin’s arms started up with the goose bumps and the hair on the back of her neck stood on end.

“Sorry,” Teela said, without a trace of apology in the two syllables.

“It’s fine. I’m used to it. At least it’s not a portal.”

“Wait, what’s a portal?” Jamal asked.

“A portal is...like a door, but made of magic. If you walk into a portal, you walk between one place and another. Sometimes the second place isn’t part of the first one. So if there were a portal in front of your house—at the door—it could lead to the very back of the house. Or outside of it.”

“Or somewhere else?”

“Or somewhere else entirely, yes.”

“You should mention that portals that cross dimensions require a different kind of anchoring magic; they are difficult to create, and can be difficult to maintain.”

“They can hear you fine—you can’t hear them.” She turned to Jamal and paused. She knew he was a ghost, and therefore dead, but he seemed to be turning a familiar green—the color Kaylin was assured she resembled when she exited a portal.