Kaylin was certain her brows had disappeared into her hairline. “No. We’re going to the Imperial Palace.”

“The Imperial Guard won’t see me.”

Kaylin cleared her throat. “Mrs. Erickson will.”

“I’m accustomed to pretending I can’t around most people,” Mrs. Erickson said, in a tone that implied she felt sorry for Terrano, or at least for his exclusion.

Before Kaylin could speak, Teela said, “No.”

Given Terrano’s expression, she wasn’t the only member of the cohort to say so. Kaylin was fairly certain that Terrano would make the attempt regardless, but sometimes he surprised her; he listened to Sedarias. Given that Teela, a member of the cohort, intended to escort Kaylin, Terrano’s presence wasn’t required; Sedarias would be able to see and hear via Teela. And none of the cohort really wanted to anger a Dragon.

Teela did not drive the carriage, so Kaylin and Mrs. Erickson arrived at the palace in one piece, without losing anything they’d had the time to eat before the ride. Teela was giving Kaylin the stink eye for much of the ride because Kaylin’s attitude toward Teela driving was well-known. It was also well deserved in the cohort’s opinion, although Mandoran and Terrano were more ambivalent; Teela driving was never going to be boring, after all.

The palace steward’s face was made of stone, given his expression, but he did check his appointment book, and he did call for a page to escort the trio to Sanabalis’s office. The office itself hadn’t changed location; Sanabalis clearly hadn’t chosen an out-of-the-way room with a door that appeared by magic but couldn’t otherwise be seen. The former Arkon was famously grouchy when interrupted; Sanabalis wasn’t.

Given his expression when he opened the door, however, that was probably likely to change.

Kaylin didn’t understand the function of an Arkon within the Dragon Court. Given that Immortals had perfect memory, a keeper of history seemed almost irrelevant.

“Come in. Or stand outside in the hall while I close the door on you.” Sanabalis was speaking Elantran, not the High Barrani generally used by Imperial bureaucrats. Given how suspicious they were of Barrani, Kaylin had often wondered why High Barrani was the language used for almost all legal or bureaucratic work.

Then again, given how much she hated both, maybe that was the answer.

The orange-eyed Dragon looked at Kaylin, the gaze pointed.

“This is Mrs. Erickson of Orbonne Street. And this is Corporal Teela of the Hawks.”

Sanabalis turned to Mrs. Erickson. “I am Lord Sanabalis, Arkon of the Dragon Flights.”

Mrs. Erickson tilted her head as she studied the Dragon. She looked intrigued, not intimidated.

“Might I ask a question?”

“Certainly,” he replied. “You are the reason I allowed the corporal to interrupt my day’s work.” He smiled, and the orange in his eyes lightened.