Rennyn reached out and brushed her fingertips along the side of the hand he had raised. "Perhaps he could sleep through the visit?" she said, with a smile.
"That is tempting." He sat looking up at her, grave. To enspell someone out of convenience walked the near edge of what could be considered justified.
"We will see what happens, then," she said, putting off the problem of Rhael Samarin, just as they had postponed the question of whether she should end the lingering life of the original Kellian.
But the answer—and the consequences—would have to be faced. All too soon.
Chapter Seventeen
Illidian turned his head, listening. Then he rose, and held his hands down to her. "Sarana’s group has arrived."
They emerged into the hall at the same time as Sukata, who had clearly heard as well—a neat demonstration of why a silence casting was necessary for a truly private conversation in a Kellian household. The girl’s habitual lack of expression did not hide her excitement, for she was near to bouncing as she headed for the stair.
Sukata had come from Kendall’s room, and the shorter girl followed along behind, wearing a consciously blank face. Having now a better understanding of what had so disturbed Kendall, Rennyn was fairly certain that whatever overtures Sukata had made had been received with a determination to pretend that nothing whatsoever was wrong—and that Sukata was probably convinced that her own display of temperament was at fault.
Illidian checked as they reached the head of the stair, then leaned down to murmur to Rennyn: "A deputation from Aurai’s Rest has come to meet us, and joined them on the road."
There was relief, and just a note of amusement to his words, and Rennyn blinked up at him, then looked down at the crowd. From this angle, a single stranger came to her eye, but it took only a moment to trace a strong resemblance and translate Illidian’s observation into: My mother is here.
Darian Faille. Rennyn knew her to be highly respected among the Kellian, and also strongly of the opinion that it was a mistake to live among humans. But since the Kellian were extremely disinclined to force personal opinion on others, she could not be regarded as a leader of a faction against serving as Sentene in Tyrland, but rather simply someone who chose not to do so herself.
Since Kellian were by nature unsmiling, Rennyn was unsurprised when Illidian’s introduction produced only a handshake and a moment of direct study. Sukata provided contrast, first hugging her mother and then a second newcomer, a slender girl not quite her own height.
This last prompted Rennyn to look about for Kendall, spotting her sitting almost out of view at the top of the stair. The new arrivals had come at a bad moment, but not seeing anything to be done about it, Rennyn returned her attention to the crowd, and was introduced to the Kellian girl, Tesin Asaka, pretending not to notice the girl’s patent wariness whenever she spoke. At least these two removed the lingering concern that her Wicked Uncle was off attacking Aurai’s Rest.
Five Sentene pairs had formed Sarana’s party, and Rennyn’s hired Kolan servants, though told days ago to prepare for the main arrival, took a flustered and overwhelmed attitude toward the task of adding an extra two to this number. Rennyn sorted mentally through the room arrangements, made a quiet suggestion, and then went to sit in her capacious parlour, knowing that Illidian would effortlessly ensure confusion became order.
The arrival of the rest of the expedition brought forward the item on the journey’s itinerary that Rennyn particularly didn’t want to face, and she wished they’d caught some nearer trace of her Wicked Uncle, so they could put off the visit to Aurai’s Rest. Giving the survivors of the original Ten Kellian a choice about their future might be both right and necessary, but her own discomfort at her role was compounded by the impact it would have on Illidian.
All of the Kellian struggled not to shrink from what she represented. Killing the Ten, no matter how kindly, was not going to improve Rennyn’s relationship with the Kellian descendants. Nor Illidian, even though he had raised the possibility in the first place. How could it not place another pressure, another strain on their marriage?
That wasn’t each broaching the question of the impact of the death of the original golems on Solace’s casting was something she could not approach with any measure of pragmatism. Would it be easier for the Kellian if the enchantment was broken, and they became a more ordinary sort of people? Would their personalities change?
Who would she be married to?
This vexed thought was interrupted by movement at the half-open door, and the arrival of a determinedly-brisk Kendall with a tray.
"Hope you’re not planning to keep these numb-suck servants on," the girl said. "They’re as useless as a shed-full of hens after you’ve said boo."
"It is unfortunate that we arrested a person who seems to have been the mainstay of the household," Rennyn agreed, looking over the tray with interest. "But these are only a temporary engagement. Whoever makes these nut cakes can stay—I don’t care about the rest of them. It’s a bit complicated, since I don’t know how long we’ll be away."
"You’re not going to pay them to kick their heels here while we go north?"
"Perhaps a partial staff. Leaving it unoccupied strikes me as unwise."
"Leave the Pest behind to lord it over them. He can finish cataloguing your library." Kendall’s eyes narrowed, and Rennyn realised her own expression must have changed. "Finally sorry you brought him along?"
"I don’t think it would be very safe to leave any of our group alone," Rennyn said. "We haven’t managed to be very quiet on this trip."
"You think That Monster might have heard?"
"All too likely," Rennyn said, looking up as Illidian came into the room, escorting his mother and Sarana Illuma. "Though I admit to a tendency to see my Wicked Uncle in every shadow, to blame him for encounters with Eferum-Get, and suspect him of taking to kidnapping mages."
"Kidnapping?" Sarana said, nodding acceptance when Rennyn held up an empty cup.
While Rennyn poured tea, Illidian gave Kendall a glance that sent the girl reluctantly from the room, then briefly recounted the Emperor’s warning.
"You believe this Helecho Montjuste-Surclere to be responsible for the disappearances?" Darian Faille asked.
"I believe that…it is not wise to underestimate my Wicked Uncle," Rennyn said. "A mage born in the Eferum, a blood-drinker, and inventive. He is capable of posing an enormous threat, and it seems to me that these disappearances constitute the loss of Kole’s strongest defenders."
"A prelude to an Eferum-Get invasion?" Sarana said, and almost visibly began to plan defences and counter-attacks.
"Would you know Prince Helecho if he changed his appearance?" Illidian asked, accepting a cup of tea.
Rennyn, turning this over, abruptly remembered Kendall, in an exaggerated imitation of Rhael Samarin’s amused confidence, saying: "I expect I’m even younger than you think." Rennyn had repeated that to Illidian and he must be thinking of it in connection to her Wicked Uncle, whose age was a somewhat uncertain matter thanks to the time-distorting nature of the Eferum. She met his eyes, startled, then said:
"No, not necessarily. An illusion I would spot, but features can be altered in the same way a wound is healed, and there would be no trace of that once the initial casting was done. But I’d certainly notice an inability to go outside during the day. I suppose it’s possible that my Wicked Uncle will eventually adapt to this world and become more tolerant of sunlight, but I’d be astonished if he had already reached the point where it was not fatal to him."