“We will change when we reach the High Halls; I have appropriate clothing in my quarters there for both of us.”

Kaylin failed to argue because Teela had used that tone.

Hope sat up on Kaylin’s shoulder and smacked her face with his wing, covering her eyes as he often did when he thought there was something she should see.

In this case, it was Amaldi and Darreno. They were watching Mrs. Erickson from a distance, which was unusual for them. Kaylin immediately realized why. Teela.

“She can’t hurt you,” she told them, as she made her way to where they were standing. “She can’t see you.”

“Do you know who she is?” they asked.

“Yes. She’s Corporal Teela. I’m Corporal Neya. We work together in the Halls of Law, which I’m assuming you haven’t visited.”

“We visited the palace,” Amaldi said, “and the place you call the fiefs. And we’ve gone to the harbor and to see the ocean. Everything’s different. We don’t remember the city ever looking like this. And...” She lowered her voice. “There’s a Dragon Emperor.”

To people who had probably been Barrani slaves when they had first been put “somewhere safe,” the idea of a Dragon as Emperor was probably shocking. Kaylin had told them about the race of the Emperor, but clearly they hadn’t fully believed it.

“He’s my boss,” Kaylin told them.

“Kitling? We are going to be late if you keep this up.”

Kaylin grimaced. “The woman who is about to start a lecture is an officer of the Halls of Law—the place Mrs. Erickson goes to every day, rain or shine. You probably don’t recognize her. She wasn’t a power when you were last allowed to walk the city. I have questions for you about the real reason you don’t visit Mrs. Erickson’s house.”

They nodded. Amaldi’s gaze slid off Kaylin’s face, which wasn’t generally a good sign.

“Kitling, you know what the Consort is like when she’s angry.”

Kaylin held up a hand, palm facing Teela. “Tell me why you’ve avoided Mrs. Erickson’s house.”

They both glanced at Mrs. Erickson, who was now looking worried, although it was clear the worry was not for herself.

They glanced at each other again, and then looked at their feet as if their feet were the only compelling thing on the crowded street. People did pass through them as they attempted to avoid answering Kaylin’s questions. It made them seem very much the age they appeared.

“It’s not safe,” Amaldi finally said. “For us. It’s safe for Mrs. Erickson because she can see. And you,” she added, voice shaking slightly. “You can see.”

“What do you see, when you approach her house?”