“With my life.” Kaylin felt no need to make any possible exceptions clear, and besides, it wasn’t a lie—she trusted him with her life. But there had been things she’d valued more, things she’d have died to protect, and it was her life that had been his concern.

“Did he always have that weapon?”

“Not when we were growing up, no. That came later.”

“Do you know how he came by it?”

“No.”

“And he’s never told you?”

“I’ve never asked. Look—I trust him, but I don’t own him. He has responsibilities that aren’t mine. If he wanted me to know, he’d tell me; if he didn’t want me to know, he didn’t think it would cause trouble for me.”

“Then he hasn’t made something clear to you.”

“I just said—”

“He cannot be what you are and wield those weapons. They were not meant for people like us.”

03

Kaylin tried hard not to interfere in Severn’s life—both to protect herself, and to protect him. But she’d developed an instinct when dealing with witnesses, and that instinct told her—no matter how much she shied away from it—that Amaldi was telling the truth as she knew it. The young woman spoke with grave certainty.

“Clearly that’s not true,” Kaylin finally said, although her words and voice were now softer. “Perhaps what you were told wasn’t complete, or perhaps people like us weren’t allowed to touch them?” She knew that the weapons had come from the West March; knew that the Barrani there weren’t best pleased with Severn’s acquisition of them, but also knew they were forced to accept it, however grudgingly.

Kaylin thought of the people trapped in the Academia, and thought of how long they’d endured there before the Academia had once again rejoined the real world. She’d assumed most hadn’t been aware of that captivity, but knew at least one had. And the building itself had been half-aware and injured.

These two were definitely not buildings. If it weren’t for the fact that they were clearly invisible to most people—she’d have to investigate Mrs. Erickson far more seriously after today—she would have assumed they were slightly oddly dressed people who’d traveled here from a different country.

But she believed they recognized Severn’s weapon, and to be fair, having seen it once herself, she’d never mistake it for any other weapon.

“Have you actually seen it in use?” she asked.

Amaldi nodded. Darreno was silent.

“When?”

The two once again exchanged a glance. Amaldi spoke. “It was not wielded by your...partner. Not then.”

Did you catch that?

I did, through you. But...in theory the weapons take shape based on their wielder, in some fashion.

Kaylin snorted. So the weapons thought you wanted that unwieldy chain with sharp bits attached?