by B B Reed
The denizens of the mansion retreating to their rooms and readying for bed made the boards above Halena creak softly. Slouched by the weight of fatigue, she grabbed a flowing white night gown from the drawer and held the garment up before herself. It was tossed aside on the bed, and the witch peeled her grimy traveling clothes off until a pile formed on the rug. The bindings around her chest were the last to be tossed aside, and she inhaled a breath of relief, rubbing at the tender reddened skin under her breasts where the cloth clung. She slipped the nighty over her head. Halena looked down at herself, rubbing the soft light fabric between her fingers and held her arms up to see how the sheet hung so loosely on her thin willowy frame. She snorted, shaking her head at the strange garb and slipped into the cool sheets of her bed. The pillow was firm, unlike the flattened excuses from the inns, and the mattress lacked pitfalls or lumps. The noble comforts provided by Lady Ravenwood soon took Halena away into deep slumber.
IX
Concessions
Creaking, shifting, the sighs of the old mansion talking back to the residents gently nudged Halena awake. Splayed on the mattress facedown, head buried against the pillow, and the sheets in disarray, she stirred. Rising from her sleepy burrow, the witch stretched and rubbed grains of sand from her eyes before getting to her feet. She felt around in the dimness of the room, finding the curtains to draw them open. Her face scrunched together in anticipation of the bright morning rays, only to find the calm overcast from the day before persisting.
Retrieving her traveling bag, Halena tended to her morning ministrations with her hairbrush while the haze of sleep lifted from her body. Seated at the desk and idly watching the manicured lawn outside, the crows provided her a good show, swooping down into the grass to pluck at bugs and worms from the dirt. Her eyes searched the small flock for the blue-eyed raven, questions still pulling at her thoughts. Why did the raven seem so familiar, why the spirit was wary of witches, and what battle is Jeanne fighting? She quietly toiled away with her thoughts until her hair was neatly braided behind her head, tied off at the end with her violet ribbon. The witch got up to search for her messy pile of clothing. Halena blinked, her blouse, trousers, and everything else was gone. She searched the room, finding her weathered boots still where she had left them, and circled around in multiple laps.
“They were right here…” She muttered in quiet panic, “Someone took my clothes…”
The doorknob jittered and slowly it creaked open, Halena poking her head out to scan up and down the hallways for signs of life. A maidservant rounded the corner, feather duster under her arm, and paused in her steps, “Oh, you’re awake! Lady Ravenwood was wondering if you’d join her for breakfast.”
Halena shrank back from the door frame, “Yes… Uhm, I would, but… I think someone stole my clothing.”
The maidservant tucked a strand of brunette hair behind her ear, puzzled by Halena’s words, “Stole your—Oh!” She smiled, giggling, “Hehe, I believe Miss Serl took them to be added to the laundry. Once they’re dry, your things will be returned to your room.”
The urgency of the situation lifted from Halena’s shoulders, but the panic was quickly replaced by a flood of embarrassment, “Then I’ll be having breakfast in my room, thank you.”
“Are you certain? Lady Ravenwood does not have a preference for attire, and I must tidy your room.” The maid insisted, pointing the feather duster at her.
The witch disappeared from the doorway, retreating into her room to grab her traveling bag. She swung the door back open, making the maid jump, “It’s all yours.”
“Why are you taking that? Miss, you need not bring your bag to the dining room!” She protested, panic in her voice.
Halena narrowed her eyes, tightening her grip on her bag strap, “My clothes are one thing, but I’m not risking more of my belongings walking away from me.”
The maid shook her head, pleading to Halena, “You misunderstand, miss! If word ever reached Lady Ravenwood that her staff was caught stealing, there would be swift and harsh punishment! We’d never soil our good lady’s name with something so petty. Please, you can leave it on the desk, all I must do is clean your room.”
Halena’s eyebrows lofted when the maid bowed at her in the same manner they would in Lady Jeanne’s presence. She watched the maid remain rigid and low, waiting for her response. Her grip slowly loosened from the leather strap, and she nodded awkwardly at the maidservant, “Fair enough… You don’t have to bow.”
The maid relaxed, rising back up as Halena moved past her to return the bag, “Thank you, miss. My apologies for offending you.”
The witch looked back at the maid, giving her a piercing glare, “I will know if something is missing.”
Color drained from the maidservant’s face as Halena left. A knot coiled in Halena’s gut and a heated wash of embarrassment trailed down her back as she made her way down the hall. The pale night gown left her feeling naked and she indignantly folded her arms over her chest to give herself some decency as she slipped into the dining room. She was the only one inside, the seats around the long table vacant. With a huff, she found a chair and sunk into it.
“Not a morning person, are you?” A familiar voice quipped. Halena looked up to see Lady Ravenwood saunter into the dining hall with a cool grin, “Do you have any objections to a plate of eggs and some bacon?”
The witch froze in the noblewoman’s presence, keeping her arms over her chest. She answered with a curt nod, “That sounds fine, yes.”
Lady Ravenwood looked to a kitchen assistant on standby, inclining her head to the lad. He nodded and disappeared into the bustling kitchen to put in the order. The noblewoman took her usual seat at the head of the table, “Did you rest well? Life on the road has to be tiresome.”
Halena nodded again, “Yes, I apologize for being late to breakfast.”
A snort came out of Lady Jeanne’s nose, “A restful sleep should be the last thing you apologize for, dear. I take it as a compliment to my housing staff for making comfortable arrangements.”
Hot tea was served to the noble by another servant, fixing it with precisely measured sugar cubes, cream, and even stirred before being offered to Lady Ravenwood. Halena remained quiet, mesmerized by the attention to service of Jeanne’s needs by the staff. Her meal was served before she could be caught staring, the witch pulling her shoulders back to appear proper, “Thank you.”
As Halena cut into the hot eggs with her fork, Jeanne enjoyed a warm sip of tea to wet her lips before speaking, “If you desire more, don’t be afraid to ask. We have important work ahead of us and I can’t allow growling stomachs to break our focus.”
Halena swallowed her mouthful of creamy eggs, tilting her head at her new boss, “What will we be doing besides chasing college rejects?”
Lady Ravenwood set her tea down, “Tying up loose ends.” She folded her good arm in her lap, resting into the tall back of her chair, “If you haven’t gathered already, I like to keep a tight ship at home. The less mess there is, the easier my life becomes. The news you brought me yesterday confirmed that there is still cleaning to be done.”
“You mean with Simon? I thought that matter was put to rest.” Halena asked, setting her fork down.
“Indeed, both him and Vae Victa Doctus are out of the picture now, but I never said it was all said and done. There are still questions left unanswered from my investigation into her madness, but the court acted swiftly in response to my findings. The ministry has made it difficult for me to assess whether something like this would happen again.” Jeanne elaborated, her lips tightening into a thin line, “I seldom credit the threads of fate, but perhaps it may hold truth this one time. Having someone with your skills to help with this couldn’t be timelier.”
A twinge of mixed feelings mingled in Halena’s chest, chilled by the account of Lady Doctus’ execution given by the professor. She scooped up another forkful of eggs to force down her emotions and digest the noble’s plan. The witch dabbed her lip
s with her napkin, “Why was she really executed? I heard she was branded a heretic for reading tales of magick and studying them.”
Lady Ravenwood’s expression wrinkled with disgust, “In a broad stroke, witchcraft. The public can comprehend that well enough, but it does a great disservice to the truth. Vae Victa Doctus was charged with unlawful imprisonment and magickal experimentation upon unwilling subjects; her own staff.”
The noblewoman shook her head, lifting her tea to her lips for a solemn drink, “The magick she was tampering with was dangerous and it showed in her appearance and temperament. To most, it would have been shrugged off as a change in diet, new trends in fashion, but I had a feeling she was hiding something. Her eyes turned wicked and cruel, even her skin turned gray, sickly.”
She set the tea down, her cold glower fading, “She began rubbing elbows and getting close with the college, demanding more and more resources for the ‘private research’ she conducted. Many people Vae Victa had contact with claimed ignorance at her trial and voted support for her execution, but I still have my reservations about how much they knew.”
Jeanne leaned forward in her seat, resting her good elbow on the table and pointing at Halena, “With a witch’s help, someone who dabbles in magickal arts as their craft, I can settle those suspicions and save more lives. I need to find all of her collaborators, understand?”
“I understand.”
A smile spread across Jeanne’s dusky lips, satisfied with the answer, “Wonderful. That’s all I had for you, dear. I believe arrangements have been made to give you the grand tour of the grounds. The house rules are fairly simple, knock before stepping into my private study or bedroom and speak up if you need anything. I’m never too busy to see to the needs of my staff and retainers.”
Another nod from Halena, “What about the investigation? I can get to work right away on anything you need.”
Jeanne chuckled, rising to her feet and leaning on her cane, “Dear, your current assignment is settling into your new home. I will let you know when I have need of you for my investigation.”
She paused, giving her new retainer a once-over, her eyes settling on and studying the witch’s face. “Since I see you’re so eager for work…” Jeanne points the tip of her cane to the open door leading to the main living room, “You can help keep my collection of books cataloged until I call you in for a briefing. Fair enough?”
“Of course.” Halena answers. The noblewoman shot her a teasing look, quirking her eyebrow, expecting something more of the response.
“M-My lady.” She appended to her statement.
“Heh, you’ll get used to it. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have lofty responsibilities to attend to. You should have a few bells to get ready before the tour.” Jeanne quipped as she limped her way out of the dining room, her cane setting the rhythmic tandem of her steps.
Left alone with what remained of her breakfast, Halena chewed down the last crispy ribbon of bacon on her plate. The tension wrapped about her chest when Jeanne first appeared had lifted itself from her body and she was able to taste the fatty edge of the bacon for the first time since sitting down. She looked up from her plate after realizing the taste and looked to the doorway for Jeanne. The comforting feeling left behind by the older woman was alien. For a brief instant, Halena dared to reach out with her senses to feel for the vapors of magickal power.
No magick needed for these tricks of the mind.
His voice in her ears made Halena let go of her concentration, pushing her suspicions away. Seeing Jeanne’s dishes left behind at the table, Halena pushed back from the dining table to leave. She stopped by the doorway and looked over her shoulder. Staff had already sprang into action to clean the table of scraps, silverware, drinks, and plates. Her arms folded over her chest once more and she quit the dining room, making for the hallway to her room. While maps may not have been necessary, the faint vibrations of the soul stone in her bag was easy enough to follow. She paused by her door, looking around for signs of the bothersome maid, and turned the knob to open.
The memory of the moment followed her like a ghost, just as she had seen it last night, the room had been restored to its former pristine state of identical sterility. Only the witch’s bag sitting on the desktop seemed out of place from the meticulous arrangement. A quick survey around the room, no clothes sitting on top of the crisp bedsheets, no clothes folded on the chair, and even a quick check in the armoire was fruitless. Halena sighed, “So, I’m forced to play the waiting game.”
Her ears burned at the thought of continuing to parade about the house in a nighty and she locked the door shut.
“Maybe I can catch up on notes with some alone time.” The witch concluded, approaching the desk with her bag. She unbuckled it and dug out the black leather-bound tome, then the musty rag wrapped around her prize. Halena sunk into the chair, noticing the soul stone’s faint glow bleeding through the cloth. She rolled the cold rock in her hands, the effect it had in the resting grounds lingering on her mind. The witch busied herself by updating her notes in the yellowing pages, examining the prismatic faces of the stone for changes, “What made you draw upon the essence of those spirits?”
Her toil at the desk provided the proper distraction from her minute worries, shoulders easing down the more she worked. A rough drawing of her observations from the crystal primed her thoughts, then she filled the empty space next to the sketch with notes, theories, and recounts of what she witnessed. By the time the afternoon sun had made its apex, a knock came to her door and Inka’s voice rang through, “Halena? Your laundry is finished.”
The witch sat up from her books and quickly stuffed the stone into her bag. She hurried to answer the door, trying her damnedest to hide her body behind it. Inka stood with a neatly folded bundle of Halena’s clothes, to which she took them with a strained smile, “Thank you, Inka. You didn’t have to put yourself through the trouble.”
She slowly disappeared behind the door, but Inka tried to peer around the door’s edge, “It’s fine, but I did hear about this morning. You seemed upset.”
Halena blinked at her, the length of her back washing with hot embarrassment again, trying harder to ease the door closed without shutting it in Inka’s face, “You heard? It was nothing, Inka. Honest.”
“I apologize for the scare. It was with good intentions.” She smiled, though her brow furrowed with worry as Halena’s face shriveled into a shy sliver between the door frame and the door itself.
The door clicked shut and Halena called through the wooden barrier, “All is forgiven! I was just surprised! I’ll see you in a few!”
Inka frowned and rested her hands on her hips, lingering to listen for activity behind the door. A tap of her foot and she heads off down the hallway in a peeved stride.
Halena sat pressed against the heavy door, listening for the fading of Inka’s footsteps down the hall. A heavy breath of relief heaved from her chest and she set her clothes on the foot of the bed. A hollow chortle skipped between her ears, making her nostrils flare at the mocking noise. The flowing nightgown was lifted up and tossed aside, then she picked up the simple cloth wrap acting as her brassier. Sparkling clean now, the linens were brighter and she lowered them from view to inspect the rest of her clothes. The dark maroon of her sash, her evergreen blouse and brown trousers were lively, if faded, and lacked their usual muddy haze. Halena slipped the wrap over her head, tugging on the cloth and shimmying her chest to settle her endowments. Against her bare skin, the truth of Jeanne and Inka’s luxury was evident in the newfound softness hugging around her. She scolded herself in a quiet voice, “Why must you always be so overdramatic…”
The rest of her dark effects followed, trousers, dress, and sash all coming together with newfound comfort. She rubbed the dingy cloth between her fingers and grinned, feeling complete once more. Her braided tail was pulled over her shoulder and she took a seat to slip her boots on. As she laced them up for a comfortable fit, knocks rattled at her door again
.
“Just a moment!” She called back, a rejuvenated chirp ringing in her voice, and she tightened the laces on her boots. Halena smoothed out the front of her dress and quickly rolled her sleeves up her arms, ready to greet her escort.
The door is pulled open, “Sorry, Ink—ahh…”
Her heart quivered with shock, the jovial ring in her voice evaporating in an instant, as she is greeted by the intimidating wall of man that was Lady Jeanne’s butler. The corner of his mouth creased up into an entertained smirk down at the witch, “Miss Serl has other duties. Lady Ravenwood requested that you be given the grand tour of the family estate. If you are ready, we can begin at once.”
Halena cleared her throat and folded her hands in front of her waist, “Of course. I had just finished, uhm… sorting my laundry.”
Dorian grunted, a rumbling sound in his throat that could frighten bears, and stepped back from the doorway to start his touring march with Halena in step behind him. His hands folded behind his back and he cast a glance back, “Don’t trouble yourself over those small things, Miss Maris. The staff has been meticulously hand-picked for their service to House Ravenwood and I have personally vetted them all to ensure they provide the best service. Should anything be amiss, do tell me.”
The witch nodded and their path following around the corner into the main hall. The fireplace sat cold, the ashes of last night’s fire swept up, only leaving the sooty markings behind ready for more embers to be stoked.
“I’m sure you’re familiar with this part of the estate by now. I’ve always found treading familiar ground to be the best way to ease into new surroundings.” Dorian commented and raised a gloved hand to gesture to the immense shelves of books, “Here we keep the Ravenwood family’s collection of books that has been amassed over the years. These walls contain anything from scholarly journals and philosophy to the great epics of poets and other masters of fictional literature. Personally, I find the works of Renaud to be the most compelling.” He tipped his head at Halena, “Do you know of his books?”