“Is it not uncomfortable to contain quite so large a form in a body our size?”

His brows rose slightly; this was not the question he’d expected. He recovered quickly. “It is not uncomfortable at all; it was, when I was very new to adulthood.”

Mrs. Erickson nodded, as if that had answered a question. Kaylin guessed both that it had, and that the question hadn’t originated with Mrs. Erickson; she suspected Darreno was the original source. If Darreno was to be believed, he had been born during a time before the first Draco-Barrani war, but the antagonism between the two Immortal races had had long roots prior to that war’s start.

“Did Kaylin tell you why she wished me to meet with you?” the Dragon asked.

Mrs. Erickson looked down at her feet while she answered. “She wanted you to assess my magical potential.” She lifted her lined face and added, “I did tell her that I was tested for magical ability when I was a child, and the Imperial Mages said I had no potential, but she didn’t believe their assessment was accurate.”

“Indeed. Did she perhaps tell you why?”

At this, the old woman seemed to shrink about three inches. She glanced at Kaylin; Kaylin nodded in what she hoped was an encouraging fashion.

“She believes that my ability to see ghosts is somehow related to magical potential.”

“I see. Do you believe she’s wrong?”

“I don’t know. She’s the only other person who has ever seen my friends—I mean, my ghostly friends. But she thinks she sees them because of magic, and if that’s why, she thinks I...” She trailed off. Her hands curved into half fists; were it not for her wrinkles and her frailty, she could have been a much, much younger woman.

“It is possible for Imperial Mages to be mistaken in their assessments. If they were unaware of your ability to see things that others can’t see—or if they perhaps considered it a childhood conceit or fancy—they may have rushed through very, very standard tests.

“For how long were you assessed?”

“It was a long time ago,” she replied. “But I recall it being most of a morning.”

“Very standard tests. Do you wish Kaylin to remain while I personally assess your potential?”

“If it wouldn’t be too much of an imposition.”

“And the other corporal?”

“She’s one of Corporal Neya’s friends, and she’s a Hawk.” A long way of saying yes, which Sanabalis did not misinterpret. He walked to the door, opened it, and held it open for Mrs. Erickson. “Come with me. Most of the tests will be conducted in a location other than my office; there are too many interruptions and I dislike interruption when I am attempting to give a task my full concentration.”