Darreno said, “We can, but we didn’t wish Mrs. Erickson to feel uncomfortable.”

“I would never feel uncomfortable inviting friends to my house,” Mrs. Erickson replied. Given her expression she meant it, too.

“If you’re safe now,” Severn said out loud, “I will return to my duties.”

Kaylin nodded; they were in theory off duty, which meant the rules governing partnering didn’t apply. She thought Amaldi and Darreno would be more comfortable if Severn was anywhere else. Besides, she had an inkling of what he now considered his duties to be: research into Amaldi, Darreno, and the clothing they wore.

If what they had said was true, they had woken this time when the High Halls had changed, becoming the building it had once been before Shadow had started the war between Dragonkind and the Barrani. She wondered if the master Amaldi spoke of was Barrani at all, or if it was one of the Ancestors that had, woken, nearly destroyed the High Halls for no reason at all that Kaylin could understand.

They had been surprised by Hope; they had recognized the word familiar.

“I’m certain this isn’t how you imagined you’d be spending your evening,” Mrs. Erickson said, dragging Kaylin’s attention back to the present. “But if you’ll let me do a little bit of shopping, I’ll make you dinner.”

“Don’t worry about feeding me.”

“I’m not, dear. Most of my friends can’t eat, and cooking for one can be a bit lonely.”

A bit of shopping later, Kaylin carried a much fuller basket—she insisted—as she followed Mrs. Erickson home. Amaldi and Darreno walked to one side of the old woman, Kaylin to the other.

“I’m going to go quiet for a bit,” Kaylin told the two. “Hope is probably getting a wing cramp.” Hope immediately retrieved his wing, folded it across his back, and fell across her shoulders as if greatly fatigued.

“Poor dear,” Mrs. Erickson said, with genuine sympathy.

Kaylin considered pushing him off her shoulder, especially when he started to snicker.

The first thing Kaylin discovered about Mrs. Erickson’s house was: it was an actual small house. It was narrow, and to either side larger houses had been built in place; they were both obviously newer than Mrs. Erickson’s, and if not in better repair, then at least constructed in a way that implied they should be.

Mrs. Erickson had a small lawn. Kaylin wondered if this was the remnants of a coach house, but the houses to either side weren’t an indicator of the kind of wealth required to own one’s own horses and carriages. Admittedly she didn’t know a lot about horses, and what she did know generally caused horse people to frown or lecture her.