City of Towers_ The Dreaming Dark - Keith Baker [92]
Daine’s luck had held true to form, and his hand was mixed and useless. He set down an earth card of his own. “Pardon my asking, but … you’re kalashtar, aren’t you?”
She gave the ghost of a nod. “Yes. There is no shame in the question.”
“You’re the first kalashtar I’ve ever met. I’m afraid I know little about your people.”
The fractional shrug appeared again, the barest shifting of delicate shoulders beneath the flowing cloak. “We are raised to hold our secrets. Most of my kindred rarely leave the isolated communities they create for themselves, hiding in the shadows of the great cities.”
“Forgive me for being blunt, but what is it that makes a kalashtar? You look human to me.” He drew two cards.
“I’ll trust that was intended as a compliment.” She crossed her cards with the alchemist of earth and placed another coin on the table. “We are human, more or less. What defines the kalashtar is a matter of mind and soul. It’s difficult to explain in few words, but I share my body with a spirit from the region of dreams. As with you and Cyre, this spirit has been driven from its home. Now it can only exist by spreading its essence through my soul and those of my sisters.”
“So you have an … extra spirit sharing your mind?”
“It’s not that simple. Ashtai is a part of me, but I cannot speak to her directly. She moves within my soul, shaping my thoughts and emotions in subtle ways. Why do you ask?”
“Well … I do have an extra spirit sharing my mind. Uninvited and very unwanted. And if he’s telling the truth, he’s planning to drive me out of my mind. I was hoping you might have a friend who’d know how to deal with this sort of thing.”
Lakashtai’s lovely eyes widened. “A mind wraith? You shouldn’t be wasting time.” She set down her remaining cards, revealing all three dragons. “Add it to my credit, Talaran,” she said, standing up. She didn’t even bother looking at the dealer’s cards. “Come with me, Daine. Quickly. And don’t worry about the loss.” She nodded at his unrevealed cards. “I’m still ahead for the night.”
Noise and music filled the air as Lei and Pierce rose into the heights of Sharn. Lei studied the other passengers on the lift. After her recent experience with Sergeant Lorrak, she was happy not to see any guards, but the other travelers were a colorful lot. Three drunken men howled with laughter—scions of noble families from the look of their fine clothing. A bard of House Phiarlan toyed with a set of fine pipes; his doublet and breeches were covered with darkweave ribbons, so it seemed as if the night itself clung to him. A muscular Karrn woman wearing leather armor and the scars of many battles kept her back to the railing. She had a greatsword strapped to her back and an ironshod club in one hand, and there was a fresh bruise on her right cheek. Lei guessed that the woman was returning from a fight in one of the pits. Menthis Towers was the hub of Sharn’s entertainment industry, from the brothels and battle pits of the lower ward to the theaters and museums of the highest towers. Staring down the inner tower, Lei seemed to be looking into a well filled with stars—hundreds of eternal torches glittering on the levels below as revelers traveled from one amusement to another.
Lei had used a simple cosmetic charm to prepare Pierce and herself to mingle with the elite citizens of Sharn. While she was still wearing her armor, the green leather was smooth and polished, and the golden rivets on her jerkin gleamed like jewels. Pierce was buffed to a mirror finish. For all that he was a simple soldier, he looked fit to serve in a king’s honor guard.
“We should return to High Walls, my lady,” Pierce said. “We could continue the search for Hugal … or Jode.”
“We already covered the entire district with Greykell,” Lei replied. “If there was anything to find, we’d have seen it already. Besides, it’s getting dark. After what happened last night, I can’t say I want to wander around the streets of High Walls on our own. If Daine can follow his hunches,