by Leesa Birch
The meeting hall was busy. Selkie and Lake Dweller alike, deep in conversation. Glory was at the far end of the great room organising a group of council guards. I told Sylvia to go first as my problem wasn’t exactly an emergency. I stood as close to the wall hangings as possible, trying to stay out of the way.
Quite a while had passed before I was ushered over to where Glory was standing.
“Hello, Ivy, please have a seat.” Glory was sorting through some paperwork. “Sylvia said you had a personal problem you needed help with.”
I could feel myself going red as I played nervously with my hands. I wasn’t quite sure how to say what I needed her to do out loud.
“There’s no need to feel embarrassed, Ivy. These things happen. Give me your hands.” I felt like a six year old who had just thrown up on her best rug.
Glory’s eyes changed slowly as she reached for my hands. I offered them to her willingly. A slow-spreading feeling of warmth surged through my body, easing any aches and pains. It always felt different whenever other Elders healed me. Glory’s healing was more of a soothing sensation than the onslaught of power I’d experienced with others. Even her eyes changed gently rather than a flash of darkness. When she was done, I shifted in my seat painlessly.
“Thank you, Elder Glory. I didn’t know who to ask about this. It won’t happen again.” She picked up the papers she was sorting through before and sat down in front of me.
“That would be a shame, Ivy. I’ve seen the Lake Dweller you have chosen to bond with. He’s definitely an indulgence worthy of a little discomfort. Here, read this for me.” Her voice was now all business-like. She explained as I read.
“After what happened at the lake last night I made a few calls. It seems that there have been similar incidences at other lakes - the water temperature dropping, some Lake Dwellers being held whilst others rejected. Mostly the ones being held were the newly-discovered Water Weavers. After what Sylvia told me about the surrounding plant life, I have great concern about the lake’s life force. There is definitely a problem. We’re in the process of making sure it’s not the selkie’s presence that’s affecting the lakes.”
The page I held had nothing to do with what she was telling me. It was a client request, something about a charity ball with an auction.
“Are you sure I’m the right person for this, Elder Glory? I’m not the most ladylike healer you have.” Straightening her dress as she rose out of her seat, she placed her hand on my shoulder.
“I chose you as you have had some auction experience.” She wasn’t wrong there. “Besides, we’re a little short-handed at the moment. Kaya was supposed to be going but she’s seemed to have disappeared from us. You’ll be fine, Ivy. Try to keep out of trouble.
I’ll send someone to tell Grogan you won’t make it today as you have council business.” I knew the moment she said it, it would all go wrong.
I shook the feeling away and took the client request with me. I mouthed a ‘thank you’ as I passed Sylvia. She was trying to explain about the lakeside plant life to some interested selkie. At least she was making an effort with them.
The client sheet explained that I was to accompany a man named Spencer to a charity ball and auction. I was to have dinner, watch the auction and seek out the elusive Mr. Lewis. Apparently, Mr. Lewis was a large financier for the council but was difficult at best to get hold of. We’d have to wait and hope he put in an appearance then get him alone to heal him.
It was formal attire, a dress was to follow shortly. I had only seen Kaya from a distance. I hoped the dress would fit. Then I had to try and explain to Kane that I was going to be arm candy for some rich guy for the evening. I wasn’t looking forward to that.
The wait at the meeting lodge took more time than I had thought. The cabin was empty when I walked in. I didn’t like it, it felt strange. There was a note stuck to the fridge. ‘Have some business to take care of. I’ll be back in a while. Love, Kane’ I looked around the empty room and decided a tidy-up was necessary.
It was hard to get anything done while he was around, so I took full advantage. Besides, it was better than sitting twiddling my thumbs. I washed and dried dishes, scrubbed the bathroom and I even managed the laundry before Kane got back.
The door to the cabin swung open. Kane was soaked. I wasn’t sure what he was covered in but it didn’t smell too good.
“What happened to you? Are you alright?” I asked. He left his boots outside and headed for the bathroom. Damn it – I’d just cleaned in there.
“It wasn’t pretty, Ivy, but that’s what you get for working with animals.” Oh, that’s what the smell was. I took the soiled clothes as he stripped and put them straight in to wash.
I sat on the laundry box, watching him shower, as he told me about his day.
“Would you pass the other soap, Ivy?” I looked to see where he was pointing. I grabbed the extra-fragranced soap and held it at arm’s length into the shower. Kane took it but never let go of my hand.
“You never set any rules about welcome home kisses, did you?” Turning my hand over, he started kissing the sensitive part of my wrist. I closed my eyes as they shifted, failing to keep control.
“You know that really isn’t fair, Kane,” I breathed. Opening my eyes I could see the steam starting to form shapes in front of me. The pipes under the sink began to vibrate. “You need to stop doing that,” I whispered. I couldn’t control my voice, neither could I pull my wrist away from him. The pipes went from vibrating to shaking uncontrollably.
A loud knock at the door broke the building tension. The hot water tap broke as the steam exploded. Water covered the bathroom. Kane let go of my wrist and threw a towel over the spewing hot water.
“You know that only happens when you hold back, Ivy.” I looked at the partially water-logged bathroom then went to see who was at the door.
I opened the door to find Gary standing there with a box. “Was I interrupting something?” he nodded to my face. Oh no, my eyes, I thought - I must remember to check my eyes before answering the door! I averted my dark gaze from Gary to the box he was holding. “Oh, it’s your dress for the ball. Here, I’ll turn your water off.” He shoved the box into my hands and walked away.
I closed the door and put the box down. I was worried about opening it. It’s not like it would explode, at least I hoped not. Kane was towel-drying his hair as he moseyed in to the lounge.
It was the only towel he had with him. I looked away, trying to think about something else. Sliding himself into some jeans, he joined me on the couch.
I smoothed some of his wet hair back as he touched my face. “I think I prefer your eyes this colour, Ivy.” I frowned, punching him in the arm playfully.
“It’s not funny. That was Gary at the door. You can thank him for turning off the water. Again.” I turned to face the box then took a deep breath before opening the lid.
“What is it?” he asked. I hadn’t got round to telling him about the ball yet.
“It’s a dress,” I said, pulling it out of the box by its straps. “A very slinky, red, beaded dress.” The beads made it quite heavy. It was floor length and had a very long slit up one side. There wasn’t much of a back to it either. I was kind of hoping there was a big cardigan to go over it, but there wasn’t.
“I was trying to tell you, before you…” I pointed towards the bathroom. “I have council business later.” I lay the dress back in its box.
“What kind of council business involves a dress like that?” he asked. I shifted in my seat to face him. It didn’t matter how I worded it in my head, it sounded bad every time.
“I’m supposed to meet a client at a charity ball, hence the dress. I didn’t pick it. Kaya was supposed to go but no one knows where she is. This is her dress. We’re supposed to find some old guy high up in the council’s financial system and heal him.”
That one sounded better out loud. Or so I thought.
“So, you’re spending the evening hanging off some rich
guy’s arm? In that?!” I didn’t know what to say. He seemed ever so slightly irate.
“It’s not a date, Kane - just business.” That made it sound worse. He stood and walked over to the sink. I could see the tension in his shoulder muscles. “I’m sure it won’t look that bad when I put it on.” I offered.
I looked at the clock. It was now or never. While Kane made himself coffee, I struggled to pull the tight dress over my hips. The beaded hem made a chink sound as it hit the floor. Sliding on the shoes, I stood up straight, smoothing the dress into place.
“Well, how bad is it?” I knew it was tight. If it had had a back, I probably wouldn’t have been able to breathe.
Kane stared at me for the longest moment. Then he put his mug down hard and headed out of the door.
“Kane?” I called after him.
“I need to talk to my brother about something. Have fun at your party!” Frustrated, he walked off into the night.
I stood in front of my full-length mirror. I couldn’t wear this. It was barely legal. Gary knocked on the open door.
“Ready, Ivy?” he asked. I wasn’t, but a job was a job.
Gary and Barrett had rented a very nice car to take me to my ball. I looked around for any sight of Kane before getting in. Nothing.
About an hour later, we pulled up in front of a large manor house. A lot of expensive cars were pulling up and driving off.
“Don’t worry, Ivy, we’ll be in the back of the room this time. Proper bodyguards today.” I looked at Barrett. He pulled out some dark glasses to cover his eyes. “Ready?” he said.
Barrett opened my door and escorted me up the marble steps. Gary went to park the car. The chandeliers dazzled me as I entered the foyer. I gave my invitation to the man in the white gloves. My stomach turned slightly, this was all too familiar and creepy. I was, however, glad to be at this side of an auction.
“We’ll be close by, Ivy,” Barrett whispered - a little too closely, my ear tingled due to his close proximity.
A tall man in a well fitted suit made his way over to me.
“Ivy, I presume? I’m Spencer.” I nodded slightly as he kissed my hand. He held out his arm for me to take. “You’re much more attractive than Kaya.” The remark made me feel a little uncomfortable, more so than my dress was doing.
We entered a large ballroom full of expensive, well, everything - dresses, suits, chandeliers. The aroma of money in there was stifling. The room was crowded and full of people waltzing.
There wasn’t enough dress to stop people brushing past and touching my skin. It was nauseating. I wanted this whole thing to be over. I looked around the room to see a row of stern-looking men, all in black suits donning ear pieces. Barrett stood out above the other security guards, a good foot taller and a long silvery ponytail to boot. He nodded to let me know that he was watching.
Spencer, placing his hand on my bare back, brought the sound of shuffling feet and the clinking of glasses back to me. He didn’t have any health issues as such, I just didn’t like him touching me. I turned myself away from his hand.
“When do you think Mr. Lewis will turn up?” He knocked back half a glass of champagne.
“What a delightful accent you have.” He drank the other half. I hoped that I wouldn’t have to sober him up at any point. He was drinking too quickly for this to go smoothly. “Mr. Lewis will possibly show part way through the auction. Don’t worry.” He slapped my behind. I frowned at him. This was not part of the client request.
Spencer and I worked our way around the dancing couples and spoke to a few that had caught his eye. Those people may have had money, but boy, were they dull. About an hour of completely meaningless conversation later, a gong sounded. The auction was about to start in the main room. I’d actually assumed this was the main room; this place was bigger than I’d first thought. Becoming more intoxicated as the evening wore on, Spencer put his arm around my waist and pulled me towards the auction room.
I didn’t like being man-handled. I just needed to hold out a little while longer. I checked the room to make sure Gary and Barrett had followed. They had. I’m sure Gary wasn’t supposed to be eating the canapés. I was about to give him a look when Spencer pulled at me.
A cheer sounded as the first rich person was sold to another rich person. Spencer handed me a flute of champagne and toasted the auction. I sipped it slowly. Lake Dwellers really shouldn’t drink. I didn’t know what the fuss was with champagne - I thought it tasted pretty awful. But for the sake of the job I smiled and pretended to be having a good time.
My feet were aching in these shoes. I couldn’t wait to take them off. My chest grew heavy as my thoughts wandered to Kane giving me a foot rub. I hoped he’d calmed down a bit. My eyes started to feel heavy too as I finished my drink. This really did taste bad.
“I’ve spotted him. He’s over there.” Spencer pulled on my waist as we circled the room. Once this was over we would be having a talk about the touching and grabbing.
“Mr. Lewis, how nice of you to grace us with your presence. This is Ivy, your health consultant. Could we go somewhere a little more private?” Spencer let go of me and herded the old man out of the room. I followed the two men from the room and down a long corridor. I didn’t feel right. Everything seemed a little sluggish. We turned down a few corners until we reached a large office.
The large doors, not unlike the ones at the law firm, closed behind us. Spencer sat Mr. Lewis on the chesterfield. He didn’t seem to know what was happening. The room was full of trophies and smelt of old leather; very much a gentleman’s study.
“Ivy, if you would.” Spencer guided me to Mr. Lewis then backed away. Nowhere on the client sheet did it say whether to cover my eyes or not. I held Mr. Lewis’s hands in mine and felt my eyes change. Searching his body, he felt healthy enough, apart from his brain.
Alzheimers, or some form of dementia. The council probably healed him every few years when he began to lose his faculties. I felt bad for him having to lose his mind over and over again. I did what I could, repairing the brain wasn’t easy. After a few minutes, I opened my eyes and let go of him.
“Where am I?” the old man looked around the room. He relaxed slightly once he had seen Spencer.
“Nice to have you back with us, Mr. Lewis,” Spencer said politely. I stood when Mr. Lewis did and went to follow him out of the room.
Spencer held his arm across the door just as I reached it. “Just a minute, Ivy, I need to discuss something with you.” He closed the door behind Mr. Lewis and locked it.
I cautiously stepped away from him. My heartbeat quickened in my chest. I couldn’t breathe properly.
“How are you feeling, Ivy, okay?” I took another step back. I leant against a dresser as my legs felt heavy. What was happening to me?
“You have the most beautiful green eyes. Pupils are slightly dilated, but that would be the drugs I slipped into your champagne earlier.” Drugs? Where were Gary and Barrett?
Spencer stepped forward, holding my face in his hand. His other hand was on my thigh.
“Stay away from me. I’m warning you” His hand moved up my leg further. My eyes shifted in sheer panic. He didn’t care. The hand on my face moved down to my neck. He pulled me up in front of him.
“You don’t scare me, little girl.” He took his hand from under the slit in my dress and hit me, knocking me onto the couch. I slid onto the floor in a heap, holding my cheek. I was losing the fight to stay conscious.
“No sleeping now, Ivy. The party is just starting.” He came at me, almost salivating. I panicked and threw up my arms.
He stopped dead in mid-lunge, making a grunting sound. He struggled to speak.
“What are you doing?” I didn’t know. I just held him there. I was breathing too fast. The drugs were really kicking in. I dropped my arms and he fell to the floor.
“What are you, you freak?” he screamed, whilst trying to pull himself off the floor. He settled for grabbing my ankles instead. I kicked out, to
no avail - I was too weak. He dragged me across the floor towards him. He loomed over me as the doors burst open.
Spencer looked shocked. “Those doors are solid oak!”
Barrett, with his selkie strength, straightened his suit and turned his attention to me on the floor. Spencer made a run for it. Gary ran after him, leaving Barrett alone with me.
“Gary, wait, I can’t pick her up!” Barrett knelt down beside me and attempted to cover my underwear with the scant material of my dress. “Ivy, can you hear me?” His voice was soft and gentle. My eyes were wavering. “Ivy, I can’t leave you here on the floor. I’m going to have to carry you. This might sting a little. I’ll do my best not to touch your skin, okay?” His arm slid beneath me and he lifted me with ease.
We exited the room into the corridor. The wall lights seemed to go by in a blur as he walked quickly. My back started to get hot under his touch. I couldn’t keep my eyes open any more - neither could I wriggle out of his arms.