Alright, I have a confession to make. I did not, in planning this story, spend a lot of time considering the accomplice to the crime. As I was re-reading the series, I realized that this was a gross injustice to Sagara and to those of you courtious enough to read my story. I have had to make a couple small changes to chapters 13 & 18 becaue of this. I've never really made a mistake in a story before and I'm Really Sorry it happened here.

To those of you who reviewed, you are the reason I push forward in the face of a thousand interruption, so Thank You. As always, I hope you enjoy this chapter!

They arrived first. Not, considering the difference in size between Dragon wings and Aerian ones, by much. It was an impressive display on the Hawklord's part and Kaylin gravitated to the edge of the landing area to watch him arrive. The rising sun caught his wings and made them almost golden. Kaylin knew, as a healer, that he was pushing himself; he was not entirely recovered. She couldn't, watching him, bring herself to complain about it, though. Maybe Moran would. Moran's flight as praevolo was beautiful, Kaylin knew, but so, too, the Hawklord's, in a different fashion. Kaylin stepped back to give him room as he landed. Which was when she noticed that Moran, Lady Grammayre, and a young Aerian - assumedly her son - were also waiting. If the others had exchanged greetings, Kaylin had missed them.

"Lord Grammayre," Moran greeted, with rare warmth. "It's good to see you recovered." He returned her smile.

"Sergeant dar Carafel," he said, acknowledging the Hawk tabard she had chosen to wear over her praevolo outfit. If the Hawklord was not expressive, Kaylin was familiar enough with him to recognize the surprise in the lift of his wings and the appreciation in his grey eyes. He hadn't expected Moran to be there as a Hawk. Kaylin wasn't certain he had expected her to be there at all. "If you had not gotten me to the private in time," he commented, with a glance at Kaylin, "I would not be here at all. Thank you. Wife," he added, his tone cooling.

"Husband," she replied, with even less warmth. Her eyes were an unpleasant blue and the Hawklord's shifted to match.

"Astrophel."

"Father." The youth greeted coldly. Kaylin frowned. Before he could say anything, Teela caught her wrist.

"Not one word," the Baranni Hawk murmured into her ear. That, of course, deepened Kaylin's frown. "Where is the suspect?" Teela asked more loudly. Moran glanced over at them and raised a brow.

"I have Clint and Declan guarding her." The sergeant replied.

"Declan's not a Hawk," Kaylin pointed out, almost instinctively. "He's an Arcanist." Although admittedly, a very, very strange one. Moran looked at her then sighed.

"He is. He is also, however, capable of sensing an incursion of Shadow, in my absence." At that, Kaylin nodded reluctantly.

"If you'll excuse me," the Hawklord interrupted. "I will return to my private quarters with my family." Moran hesitated, which was enough to halt the Hawklord.

"Sergeant?"

"You may wish to be present for the interrogation," she said. "The accomplice is known to your son." The food Kaylin had eaten sat like rocks in her stomach. The Hawklord's eyes were now Baranni blue, which matched Teela's, Tain's, and Andellen's.

"Perhaps Lady Grammayre and Astrophel would wish to join us?" Bellusdeo suggested, her eyes distinctly orange. Lady Grammayre looked like she intended to refuse, but the stream of smoke Bellusdeo exhaled was enough to change her mind.

"Of course." Her son sent her an incredulous look, but followed his mother's example. They all followed Moran into the Aerie, descending a series of tunnels Kaylin had never seen before. She had never before considered where the Aerians housed their criminals, but she was nearly certain they were heading for what passed for holding cells in the Southern Reaches. The thought didn't make her feel any better.

"You really need to stop idolizing them," Teela said quietly.

"I don't," Kaylin argued.

"You do," Teela countered. When Kaylin opened her mouth to argue, Teela continued. "If this were a Baranni family, would you be surprised?" Kaylin walked in silence for a bit.

"No," Kaylin eventually yielded, "but Teela, neither would you."

"Of course not," the Baranni Hawk agreed, "but kitling, I'm not surprised now. The Aerians are people, just like any others. I don't expect them to be better." Kaylin grimaced. After everything she had been through, it was so hard to think of herself as naive, but...

Kaylin was still considering this when she first heard the sobbing. Teela glanced at her, but didn't comment. Kaylin forced herself to set aside her doubts and focus on the job at hand. They came to a row of cells, dark compared to the rest of the Aerie, with Aerians in several of them. Clint and Declan were standing outside the cell the sobbing was coming from. Kaylin's rage about the attack was a hard ball in her chest and any sympathy she might have felt under other circumstances was conspicuously absent. It was dark enough in the cells that Kaylin's mortal eyes could only make out the huddled figure of an Aerian. Clint saluted the Hawklord when he saw them arrive, but held his position. His eyes matched the blue of the rest of the party. Declan extended his wings briefly in deference to Moran.

"Praevolo," he greeted. Moran nodded at him, but directed her words to Clint.

"Have her brought out," she instructed. Clint saluted and turned to open the cell. Kaylin watched. She had known that Moran was leaving the Hawks - almost had to leave, given she had finally claimed her birthright - but Kaylin was left wondering how many of the Aerian Hawks would follow her. There was, clearly, work similar to their own within the Aerie itself.

"Out," Clint instructed coldly. There was a shuddering pause in the sobbing, but the figure did, in fact, exit.

"Cynara!" Astrophel exclaimed, looking at the young Aerian woman. Kaylin estimated that she, like Astrophel, was not yet legally an adult. The girl kept her head down, her arms wrapped tightly around her waist, and went to her knees before Moran. Her wings were spread out in a full obeisance, as much as the space would allow; it was the Aerian equivalent of grovelling.

"Have mercy, praevolo," she choked out, failing entirely to acknowledge anyone else.

"You were seen in the company of a human believed to be responsible for the recent attack on Lord Grammayre," Moran said coldly. The young woman nodded, evening out her breathing.

"I'm with child," she explained, "and Astrophel told me his parents would not allow me to have the child." Kaylin felt ill, her fury sliding swiftly out of reach.

"Lord Grammayre offered me a position in his Hawks despite my illegitimacy," Moran replied evenly.

"You are praevolo," the woman countered, finally raising stormy midnight eyes to meet Moran's. Kaylin winced, knowing how much that had cost Moran. Moran, being far better at controlling her expressions than Kaylin, kept her face blank.

"You... tried to kill my father?" Astrophel asked, sounding very young. Cynara clearly couldn't bring herself to look at her lover.

"I know that you won't marry me. I just want my child to be safe." Kaylin had never expected, never imagined, that she would feel sympathy for someone involved in the Hawklord's attack.

"How did you arrange the attack?" Teela questioned, getting them back on track. Which was good; Kaylin couldn't speak.

"I visit a market outside the city," she confessed, dropping her gaze. "There was a man there who sold enchantments. We spoke, sometimes. Last week, he saw that I was upset and asked me about it. When I told him of my fears, he offered to help." The concept of an Arcanist offering to help boggled Kaylin's mind. Of course, an Arcanist selling enchantments at a market seemed equally unlikely to Kaylin.

"He was the man you brought into the Aerie?" The Baranni Hawk asked. The Aerian woman nodded her head.

"How did he offer to help?" Tain questioned.

"He said," her voice faltered, then recovered, "he said that if Lord Grammayre was dead, Lady Grammayre would not be in a position to force me to abort the child."

"A child is not responsible for its birth," the Hawklord said, choosing to speak at last. "The parents are responsible and the conversation I had with Astrophel a few days ago involved arranging a marriage between the two of you." His wife's eyes were almost black, but Cynara turned to look at him, her eyes the purple of Aerian surprise. Kaylin could have kissed the Hawklord.

"The fact that you involved a human Arcanist in the attack," Moran began, making Cynara's head snap around to her, "means that this is a matter for Imperial Law, not the Caste Court. Lord Grammayre?" Cynara's gaze slid back to the Hawklord.

"How did you arrange for the witnesses to alter their testimony?" He asked, his expression as smooth as glass. The girl's wings shifted as she frowned.

"I don't understand. What about their testimony?" She glanced between them as the silence stretched.

"Father?" Astrophel eventually asked, ignoring the way his mother turned to hush him. "What will happen to Cynara?"

"She will be brought to the Halls of Law and interrogated," the Hawklord replied without inflection. Cynara's wings came up to wrap around herself.

"Interrogated?" Astrophel asked thinly.

"A request for a Tha'alani representative was issued," Teela answered cooly. Kaylin grimaced because she should have thought of that, however little she wanted the Tha'alani exposed to criminals; she was never going to make Corporal at this rate. "I expect someone will be waiting for us at the Halls of Law." The woman's shoulders caved in acceptance.

"No!" Astrophel, on the other hand, clearly felt the need to protest. "There's no need for that! She's answering your questions!"

"You can forgive us for not believing her," Teela replied, not sounding particularly concerned if he didn't.

"How do we transport her?" Kaylin asked into the silence. Moran shifted to look at her.

"I will fly with you."

"I'm coming with you," Astrophel interjected, before they could pursue the topic.

"No," Kaylin stated, ignoring the raised brows she got from both Teela and Tain.

"Until we know how and why the Hawklord was targeted, you need to stay in the Southern Reaches. The Arcanist was human and will not be able to easily reach you here."

"He was clearly able to reach my father here."

"We're working on that." Kaylin turned to Cynara. "By Imperial Law, a pregnant woman cannot be executed until the child is delivered. I'm a midwife. I'll do everything within my power to ensure your child is born safely." Cynara stayed resolutely silent. "The Hawklord isn't a man who will kill children. If he was, he would have killed me when we first met." That got Cynara to lift her head and look at Kaylin. "I was thirteen. I tried to kill him." Teela snorted.

"You would have bitten anyone who called you a child," the Baranni Hawk commented.

"You said I was like a kitten," Kaylin countered, instantly distracted.

"A feral kitten." Kaylin frowned, but before she could reply, the Hawklord cleared his throat. She blushed. Right. They were working.

"The Tha'alani will need to examine you," Kaylin continued, turning back to Cynara. "Don't fight them and it won't hurt. Whatever your sentence, your child isn't guilty." Cynara let out a shuddering breath.

"I understand," she replied.

"Corporal Clint, attend us," the Hawklord commanded. "Wife, Astrophel, I will see you this evening."

"Father," Astrophel said, stepping forward. "If you want me to marry Cynara, I should stay with her. It should be my responsibility to care for her while she carries my child." The Hawklord evaluated his son in silence before finally nodding. Kaylin wasn't sure about the marriage portion of that at this point, but it was the Hawklord's decision to make.

"Very well."

Lady Grammayre and Declan peeled off before their group made it to the landing area. Kaylin couldn't help but hover behind the Hawklord protectively; Cynara had conspired to kill him and his son was joining them for her sake. He had too much dignity to acknowledge her and enough mercy not to tell her to stop. He glanced at her when she put her hand on his shoulder. He was, as she had expected, exhausted, but he hadn't reinjured anything in his flight. "Please have some food, sir," she murmured quietly, knowing the Immortals would hear her regardless. "You need to eat more to make up for the blood you lost." He glanced down at her then nodded.

"Once we've returned to the Tower," he accepted quietly. Then he frowned at her. "I believe you have a guest of import joining you for dinner this evening." Kaylin grimaced. Was everyone going to remind her? "I will also attend." Kaylin paused mid step, but the Hawklord continued and she had to walk quickly to catch up again.

"Yes, sir." Kaylin wasn't sure she had ever looked forward to a dinner less, although the last time the Emperor had dined with them came to mind.

It took a few minutes to get them all out of the Aerie, but while Kaylin had intended to fly alongside the Hawklord, Moran's presence made that superfluous. Whatever effort was needed for Aerian flight was clearly greatly reduced when the praevolo flew with them; the Aerians kept pace with Bellusdeo and Hope. Soon they landed before the Halls of Law, Hope and Bellusdeo shifting as soon as their passengers were off. Hope leapt onto Kaylin's shoulder and draped himself there like the lazy shawl he usually was.

The Hawklord's presence caused a predictable stir; everyone knew an attempt had made on his life and no one was feeling very sanguine about it. An older Aerian flew straight up from his post at the door, in an Aerian salute worthy of the Hawklord. It made Kaylin smile.

"Lord Grammayre," Tanner said, saluting from the ground. Kaylin didn't need to turn to look to know that the Hawklord had raised a brow at the man. He wasn't someone who got stopped at the doors, ever.

"Report, Corporal," the Hawklord commanded.

"Ybelline Rabon'alani of the Tha'alani has arrived, sir. I believe she was escorted to your Tower." Which saved them from going to the holding cells before being redirected. Admittedly, you wouldn't ask a Castelord to wait in the holding cells, even if Kaylin knew Ybelline wouldn't take offence. The Hawklord nodded. "Also, sir, it's good to have you back." With that, they cleared the doors. The Hawks in the halls stopped what they were doing and made a point of saluting their Lord. He nodded in acknowledgement, but didn't stop. Kaylin straightened in pride. This was her Lord.

They entered the office and found a very fluffy Marcus waiting for them. All of the desk Hawks stood and saluted when the Hawklord entered. The Hawklord failed to acknowledge Marcus's claws, which was unquestionably for the best, but gestured for the rest of the Hawks to resume their work. There were the scraping sounds of people being seated, but even those were muted; everyone wanted to listen in.

"Welcome back, sir." The Leontine Sergeant greeted.

"Thank you. Do you have any reports for me?" Marcus's eyes flitted over their group, darkening at the sight of Astrophel and Cynara. They were nearly red as he answered.

"Hanson has them, sir, and Ybelline Rabon'alani is waiting in your office." Kaylin tried not to snicker, wondering how many times the Hawklord was going to hear these conversations repeated.

"Very well," the Hawklord accepted. They trailed the Hawklord up the stairs to where Hanson was waiting for them.

"Welcome back, sir," Hanson greeted. If they hadn't had company, Kaylin would have snorted. The Hawklord showed no signs of being bothered by the repetition, but he did speak before Hanson could tell him that Ybelline was waiting for them.

"Once Ybelline has received the testimony here, I will require a full report."

"Yes sir," Hanson saluted. The door was open and if the first thing that caught Kaylin's eye was Ybelline, the second was a large pot of flowers beside the desk. Kaylin was sure Caitlin had gotten everyone in the office to contribute and it made her smile. Before she could comment, Ybelline walked over and gave her a hug.

I'm sorry, Kaylin said as soon as Ybelline's stalks touched her forehead. She could feel Ybelline smile.

I know. I was sorry to hear of the attack on your lord. Reminded of why Ybelline was actually there, Kaylin quickly filled her in. After absorbing the information, Ybelline stepped back. Astrophel and Cynara were staring at them in shock.

"Ybelline will only look at the memories relevant to the attack on Lord Grammayre," Kaylin told the girl, trying to reassure her. "Remember, as long as you don't fight her, it won't hurt." Cynara nodded and Ybelline approached her with a beautiful smile. Cynara, to her credit, didn't fight. After a few minutes, Ybelline stepped back.

"I have retrieved an image of the Arcanist who assisted Cynara," Ybelline told the Hawklord, "and she is entirely ignorant of any efforts made to obstruct the investigation."

"Thank you for your efforts," the Hawklord acknowledged. "At the moment, the Records for this investigation are being kept by the Avatar of Private Neya's home. I would appreciate it if you could place the images your received directly there." Ybelline bowed in acceptance. "Corporal Danelle, please have Cynara placed in the holding cells in the interim."

"Father!" Astrophel protested. Kaylin spoke before anyone else could.

"Cynara has conspired with an Arcanist to assassinate the Lord of the Hawks," she said, meeting Astrophel's very blue eyes. "Do you have any idea how important your father's work is for this city? Do you even know what he does?"

"He is the Head of the Investigative branch of the Halls of Law," he replied, as if by rote. Kaylin spun to meet the Hawklord's Baranni blue eyes.

"I request permission to have Astrophel join us during these investigations, sir," she almost demanded. The Hawklord's face hardened.

"If Astrophel is prepared to allow Ybelline to examine him for possible involvement in the case, I will accede to your request, Private." Kaylin's indrawn breath was so sharp, it could have cut glass. Teela had made her way over to her and murmured in her ear.

"You really can't keep your nose out of anything, can you?" Kaylin grimaced, but her eyes were glued to the Hawklord. Did he really suspect his son of possible involvement in his assassination? Glancing at Astrophel, his eyes were still the Aerian purple of shock. After looking at both Cynara and Ybelline, he squared his shoulders and nodded.

"If that's what you require, Father."