“Given our current guests and our utter ignorance of who or what they are? I’d bet on the Academia.” She also bet that Sedarias was still feeling a tiny bit abandoned, and having a reason to have all the cohort under one roof again was a huge incentive for her.

Terrano nodded. “I’ll go with her.”

“Don’t break anything. I have work in the morning and the Consort in the evening, and I am not looking forward to that.”

“Neither is Teela,” he replied.

“Teela is present and is fully capable of speaking for herself,” Teela snapped. “Honestly, I cannot recall how it is that I have not strangled you yet.”

“You’d regret it.”

“I’m almost willing to take that risk.”

Serralyn laughed. “I’m heading back to the Academia, and taking Mr. Not-Yet-Dead with me before he really makes you angry.”

Sedarias came down to the parlor after Serralyn and Terrano had left it. Helen put away the fully dimensional images of the flowers and the young Mrs. Erickson. Kaylin was brooding.

“She’s lived in that house for the entirety of her life, and she’s been safe,” Helen said gently, knowing exactly what worried her tenant. “A few more days are unlikely to harm her.”

“What if she’s never been entirely safe?” Kaylin demanded. “The children—I’ve never seen them like they were today. She has. What if they’re somehow connected to that room, that painting? Look, I can’t imagine a Barrani Lord of power being interested in cozy, happy families. I can’t imagine them being so touched by sentiment that they would do all this work for free, as a gesture of kindness.

“Whoever painted that picture wanted something, and given the recipient of that flower, it was something from Mrs. Erickson.”

“And do you believe that the painter received what she desired?”

“I don’t know. Maybe she hasn’t received it yet.” Kaylin frowned. “Maybe the reason Mrs. Erickson can do whatever it is she does is somehow the result of what was attempted. Until we understand the intention behind the ceremony, we don’t know. The new Arkon seemed to feel that Mrs. Erickson shouldn’t have the power she does possess—it’s why he was caught off guard.”

“Did he believe that this was because she’s mortal?” Sedarias asked.

“I think so. To be honest, things were chaotic enough I don’t remember everything that happened.”

“Teela does,” Sedarias said, although Teela could in theory speak for herself. “I would have assumed the same, but Helen’s reaction changes things.” She then turned to Helen. “Could our guests shed light on this if you could communicate with them efficiently?”