The Draykon Series (1-3)

Lokant: Chapter Thirty-Seven

Or maybe he was just sleeping.

'We're exploring,' she said in a low voice. 'Stay close.'

'I can't go anywhere anyway.' On her giving him a questioning look he added, 'You still have hold of my hand.'

'So I do.' She quickly disentangled her fingers from his.

'That wasn't an invitation to go away.'

'Shhh.' Some slight sound had reached her ears. From Tren's sudden tension she guessed he'd heard it too. Maybe somebody was home after all.

A light-globe went on in the next room.

'Who's there?' The voice was deep and rich, definitely male.

'Mr Byllant?' Eva made to step forward, but Tren put out an arm to hold her back. He took the lead, advancing warily into the small living room.

A tall figure stood in the middle of the room with the light at his back, leaving him largely in shadow. He wore dark clothes to help that effect along, and his face was partially covered.

'Who are you?' he demanded.

'No danger to you,' she assured him. 'At least, not yet. We must ask you some questions.'

'How did you get in?'

'We knocked. When there was no reply, we took a more direct method.' The man had made no move to attack; Eva stepped out from behind Tren, gently pushing his arm out of her way.

Byllant's eyes were black in the darkness and shadowed, but she could see that he studied her. His gaze was fixed on her hair. Then he stepped into the light, pushing back the scarf that hid his features. He had Darklander-pale skin, hazel eyes and chestnut hair tied back. His smile was confident and charming.

Eva knew that face. Last time she'd seen him he had been in a state of very ill health, his face wan and dark shadows marking his skin. But it was unmistakeably the same man.

'Devary Kant?'

Tren looked sharply at her. 'What? You know him?'

'We've met, once. At Ynara Sanfaer's house.' Eva stared at Yna's friend, completely confused. 'Are you Byllant?'

'I don't know who you mean,' Devary replied with another of his charming smiles. 'Perhaps you've come to the wrong place?'

'I doubt that. Getting Byllant's address wasn't easy. Finding you here, Mr Kant, is a pretty big coincidence, don't you think?'

'Coincidences happen sometimes.'

Eva shook her head. She didn't want to believe that a friend of Yna's would betray her this way, but Kant's protests made no sense. How could he possibly just happen to be here, in a house registered to Byllant?

'I'm sorry you've come all this way for nothing,' Kant continued. 'Can I offer you some refreshment before you leave?'

Eva's brow contracted. She hadn't had much conversation with Devary Kant before, but she remembered that he spoke with a hint of a Nimdren accent. It had been attractive. He was speaking her own language now, but without any trace of Nimdren inflection. Had he merely adopted the accent before, or was he disguising it now? If anything, his new intonation was Ullarni.

She nudged Rikbeek with her thoughts, surreptitiously shaking him out of the folds of her skirt. Silently, ignoring his protests, she directed his attention towards the man who claimed to be Devary Kant. The gwaystrel applied his unique senses to the task, building an image of the man that had nothing to do with his physical appearance.