“If it weren’t for Teela’s reaction,” he said, folding his arms and half sitting on the stair railing, “no one would be concerned. Whoever Azoria was, she isn’t the only person to own human domiciles.”

“And by person, you mean Barrani.”

He winced. “Yes, I did. Sorry.”

“Never mind. When you say Sedarias is concerned, I take it you don’t mean she’s sitting in her room fretting.”

“Oh, she is. But that’s not all she’s doing.”

Kaylin very much wanted Sedarias to be Teela’s problem. Or anyone else’s. She and Sedarias didn’t have business which overlapped often, and at the moment, Kaylin was grateful for that.

“She wasn’t in her room this morning. Two guesses where she went.”

“Can I maybe have the rest of this discussion in the dining room? I’m hungry.”

“Fine.”

The dining room was almost uninhabited; the table was therefore much smaller than it was when the cohort—or those parts that could be bothered—were in full attendance. Mandoran and Terrano had joined Kaylin.

“Teela’s on the way,” the latter said cheerfully.

Mandoran rolled his eyes.

“Is Teela on the way to speak to me, or Sedarias?”

“Does it matter?”

“Kind of—I have to work with her.”

“Both, I think. She’s not happy.”

“Figures. I want to note for the record that I’ve done nothing wrong.”

“Neither has Sedarias,” Mandoran said, his tone more serious than Terrano’s. “She visited the Mellarionne rooms in the High Halls, and spoke with a few of her family’s supporters.”

“This would be after Teela’s surprise?”

Mandoran nodded. “Teela didn’t wish to discuss Azoria An’Berranin. Sedarias did. She therefore chose to approach those who serve her line with a request for information. Those she tasked with investigation weren’t familiar with the name.”

“But Teela is.”

Mandoran nodded.

Kaylin chewed on both food and thought for a bit. “Which means Azoria is old.”

“Very, in my opinion.” This was Terrano. “I don’t think Sedarias was counting on ignorance. Now she’s annoyed.”

“Annoyed?”

“She dislikes being ignorant of significant events, and Teela’s reaction made clear that some significant event surrounds this Azoria. Don’t worry—if Teela won’t talk about it, we will.” He winced. Sedarias clearly didn’t agree.

Neither did Teela.

Although Teela wasn’t one of Helen’s guests, she’d stayed with Helen before, and she was part of the cohort. It would never occur to Helen to keep Teela out. Nor would it occur to her to give much in the way of warning, given the presence of Mandoran and Terrano.

The Barrani Hawk walked into the dining room. Before she took a seat—if she intended to—she said, “Drop all parts of the investigation that have anything to do with Azoria.” When Kaylin failed to answer, she amended her previous demand. “Drop the investigation entirely.”