Teela ignored it. She did, however, choose to speak in High Barrani, not the Elantran with which she usually addressed Kaylin. “I would tell you to abandon this inquiry, but I know you too well. Perhaps, if the trapped children were adults, you could do it—it would spare many lives in the end.”

“You think there will be more deaths?”

“Don’t you?”

Sedarias remained silent, leaving the discussion in Teela’s hands, which wasn’t like her.

“If you cannot leave it be, let me accompany you,” Teela continued.

Kaylin froze. She felt Severn’s amusement, although it was a quiet, black amusement. She’s always kept an eye out for you.

The Barrani aren’t supposed to investigate this—they’re not supposed to mention her name at all—and Teela isn’t subject to the laws of exemption if she’s killed in action.

I wouldn’t be so certain of that; she’s an Imperial Hawk. I’m certain, given her history as An’Teela, that she will not be approached with the cold-minded carelessness that the Mellarionne allies were. If she were, the assassins would be the ones to die.

“I won’t be going anywhere immediately.”

“You’ve been escorting Mrs. Erickson home when you’ve finished desk work.” Not a question.

Kaylin nodded. “Not because of Azoria, whoever she was or is, but because Mrs. Erickson’s neighbor is—” She paused and then pulled out a Leontine obscenity for good measure. “According to Jamal and Esme—Esmeralda was her full name—he’s forced himself into the house at least once. They made him leave. Jamal can...interact with physical objects, but as he can’t be seen, the neighbor believes the house is haunted.”

“So the neighbor isn’t entirely stupid.” This, in Elantran.

“I wouldn’t say that.”

“You generally dislike acknowledging the strengths of people you otherwise despise, yes.”

“No, that’s not what I mean. He thinks Mrs. Erickson has something that belongs to him—that she maybe stole it or something. And he’s hell-bent on getting it back, which is why he tried to force himself into the house the one time.”

“What exactly does he think she stole?”

“She has no idea. He never said. I highly doubt he’d tell us, either.”

Teela’s answering frown was much more familiar—and oddly comforting—to Kaylin. “You want to get into a brawl with him.”

“He almost hit me,” Kaylin replied, which everyone present took as yes. “But Jamal scared him off.”

“I will accompany you when you escort Mrs. Erickson home.”

“She’s harmless. I don’t want you intimidating her.”

“Why would you think I would do that?”

Kaylin snorted. “You’re Barrani. You intimidate people just by breathing in their direction.”

Teela raised a single brow. “I will, of course, be wearing the tabard of the Hawks.”

“It’s after hours,” Kaylin snapped. “We’re not on duty.”