The Tattered Lands

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The Tattered Lands Page 9

by Barbara Ann Wright


  Fieta and Pietyr exchanged a glance, but they were smart enough not to say anything. When she knelt beside her pack, they followed, leaning close.

  “I thought I detected syndrium in the forest, but I must have been reading the seelie somehow.” Vandra clenched a fist. “I should have taken more readings last night!”

  Fieta’s hand rested on her spear. “What do we do?”

  “How do we defend against an invisible person?” Pietyr asked.

  “Let me think.” Vandra chewed her lip. Maybe the seelie female had heard her plea and was trying to determine if or how to help. Vandra recalled the sight of her and fought the urge to sigh as a tingle spread through her body. “If they meant us harm, they’d have attacked while we slept. All we can do is keep going.”

  The twins nodded, but they seemed stiffer as they walked. All three of them tugged at one another whenever one tried to glance over their shoulders. Vandra kept her detector out. As she came closer to the pylon, its signal held the needle longer, but there was still that little tug to the west. The hypothetical seelie was still with them.

  Toward the end of the afternoon, they reached the pylon, and Vandra felt its hum from a distance. She sighed, so relieved she nearly forgot the seelie. Shaped like the first, this pylon gleamed in the sun, the silvery-blue glow strong enough to wash them in indigo. Vandra dug out her notebook and scribbled a few hurried notes.

  Would the seelie follow them to Parbeh? Vandra picked up her detector, but the needle didn’t swing away from such a mass of syndrium for long. Indeed, the readings became sporadic, pointing behind her and even out into the tattered lands. She gave the field a quick scan and had the twins climb up to look for patches of disturbed earth. When they reported nothing, she noted the readings as anomalous and possibly tainted by her proximity to the pylon.

  The readings behind her, though… She walked a few steps back. If the seelie was going to reveal something about the pylons, she should do so now, before Vandra and the twins started home. Vandra waited, counting the seconds.

  * * *

  Lilani lay flat in the grass and tried to breathe shallowly. She’d held her shroud for miles, and every muscle cramped on and off. Now she had to hide in the grass in case her shroud failed. She’d already cursed herself several times. She should have listened to Faelyn. The forest was far in the distance, too far to run if she needed. What would Faelyn do when he found her gone? Track her with the Guard? What would they do to Vandra, Fieta, and Pietyr?

  “Idiot,” she whispered. But at least she could report that this pylon lived. She’d felt the magic emanating from it for quite some time. She should have turned around when she’d first felt it, but stupidly, she’d kept on these humans’ heels, enjoying watching them though the sight of the tattered lands made her skin crawl.

  She’d seen the device Vandra used before, but if it detected her now, the humans didn’t seem to know what to do with that knowledge. Such unknowns should have sent Lilani scuttling back home, but she kept hearing Vandra’s plea for help, for knowledge. Vandra and her siblings had traveled to the pylons in search of a way to save their lives, to save all humans, and Lilani couldn’t ignore their plight.

  How could she help, though? They seemed as if they were getting ready to travel again. Vandra was staring toward the forest as if willing help to appear. Lilani couldn’t follow them all the way home. Even if she wanted to see Parbeh—which she did—she didn’t have supplies for a long journey through unknown territory. And as much as she suspected Vandra wouldn’t hurt her, she couldn’t say the same for other humans. She wasn’t as naïve as Faelyn thought, but she still had to do something.

  Vandra seemed disappointed as she took up her pack again. The three turned south, just as Lilani feared. Vandra’s cry for help rang in her ears.

  Now or never.

  Lilani stood, still holding her shroud. What should she say? Her heart pounded, and with each beat, the humans walked away. Lilani’s mouth worked, but no sound came out. What would Faelyn say? Nothing. He’d tackle her and put his hand over her mouth, but there was a time for caution and one for action. With a thousand thoughts whirling in her head, she cried, “Hello!”

  It was a proper response to Vandra’s initial words, just a half day too late. Embarrassment flooded Lilani in waves, but she swallowed it.

  Fieta barked, “Who’s there?” She whipped her spear off her back. Her brother moved to Vandra’s other side and drew his sword.

  Even from a distance, Lilani could see Vandra breathing hard, eyes searching. “Who is it?”

  Right. The shroud. Now that Lilani wanted it to go, it resisted. She took several deep breaths and made the magic settle, but it felt like slipping out from under a blanket on a cold day. The shock of it made her gasp.

  Vandra stepped closer, eyes wide. Her gentle face lit up in a wondrous smile. “You’re the seelie who saved me.”

  “Shit!” Fieta said. “She’s real.”

  Vandra muttered something to her while Pietyr said, “You owe me a beer.”

  Lilani chuckled as Vandra had a sharp word with him. She cleared her throat. Excitement after holding her shroud for so long was making her lightheaded. “Yes, that was me.”

  “Thank you.” Vandra’s head cocked as if doing so better accessed her memory. “Your voice is different from any I’ve ever heard, sort of echoing.” Her eyes widened, and she looked down as if that wasn’t what she’d meant to say. “It’s nice to meet you. I’m Vandra Singh.” She gestured to the others. “Fieta and Pietyr.” She waved at them to put their weapons away, and they seemed to do so only grudgingly. Lilani tried not to hold it against them, happy Vandra was protected.

  “Lilani.” She gestured to herself. Vandra’s smile took her from lovely to beautiful, shining with hope. A kind heart showed in that smile. Lilani cleared her throat. Now was not the time to be focusing on anyone’s beauty. “I heard you in the forest, and…” And what? Admit her curiosity, her attraction? Her ears burned at the thought. What had Vandra asked for? “I’ve come to speak with you about the pylons.”

  * * *

  “Wonderful!” Vandra couldn’t help beaming, and it thrilled her to see her smile returned.

  Lilani was as beautiful as Vandra remembered. Tall as the twins, the seelie had a trim, athletic figure. Her hair was midnight blue, a shade darker than in Vandra’s memory, and her eyes were deep violet. The lyrical, slightly echoing quality of her voice only enhanced her otherworldly image. And like her soft clothing, her hair ruffled slightly, though there was no breeze. Another peculiarity of the seelie, perhaps, like their ability to disappear.

  Vandra only wished she had her journal in hand, though she didn’t know how easily she could have torn her eyes away to make notes.

  “Van?” Fieta whispered. “What do we do?”

  “Just be ready for anything,” Pietyr said.

  Fieta swatted at him. “No shit.”

  “Stay calm,” Vandra said. “And watch your language.” She called to Lilani, “What about the pylons? Do you know about the one closest to your border? It’s lost power.”

  Lilani nodded, and Vandra was glad to see their two peoples had gestures in common. And they either shared the same language, or Lilani had learned the human tongue. The idea that she might have learned it hundreds of years ago flitted through Vandra’s mind, and she felt even more flustered.

  So, she should focus on the alchemy. “We’re trying to figure out what happened.” Vandra fumbled in the pocket of her jacket and took out her journal. “Anything you can tell us would be appreciated.”

  Lilani glanced behind her. She probably feared being out in the open, so far from her forest, and that feeling was justified. The village of Shanston wasn’t far south; it had turned into a rough place since the tide of humanity had swept into Citran. Who knew how they’d react to a seelie? And Lilani might not have to go that far to encounter a party of brigands. A trading road ran north of the village, and all manner of criminals migh
t be lurking nearby. Vandra shuddered just thinking about it.

  “It’s all right,” Vandra said, daring a step forward. The twins didn’t follow, but Vandra could feel their tension. Fieta didn’t like unknowns, even if this particular unknown was unarmed, and Pietyr didn’t trust anyone out of hand. “There shouldn’t be any other humans around. You’re safe here.” She bit her lip. “Well, I can’t promise that. You’re safe from us.”

  Fieta snorted. Vandra wanted to give her a dirty look, but she didn’t take her eyes off Lilani, trusting Pietyr to keep Fieta from doing anything rash.

  “And we’ll protect you.” Vandra swallowed hard, feeling the blush in her cheeks. “The twins will protect you. I’ll…” She wished she could think of something dashing and romantic, but all she came up with was, “Help you run away.” It sounded even stupider outside her head.

  Fieta snorted a little louder.

  Lilani smiled. “If I must run away, it’ll be nice to have a friend.” She winced as if fearing she sounded stupid, too.

  Vandra grinned, thoroughly charmed. “If you like, we can walk toward your forest and talk on the way.” It seemed a better plan than turning south if it meant she’d get more information about the pylons.

  And she’d get to spend more time with Lilani.

  No, she had to keep her mind on the task at hand. She started walking toward the forest, gesturing for the twins to stay a few steps behind. Lilani fell in beside her but not so close that Vandra could have easily touched her.

  “So.” Vandra paused. She was usually so good at saying what she wanted, but now the words kept getting tangled. She wished she could sidle closer to Lilani, see if she could feel that invisible breeze, but she didn’t dare do anything that might scare Lilani away.

  “My people are looking for me.” Lilani glanced over her shoulder at the twins. “If we meet them, please, do nothing. I’ll convince them that I’m in no danger.”

  Her tone was reassuring, but her hands fluttered, and while that might mean something different to a seelie, to a human, it meant she was nervous.

  “We won’t antagonize anyone,” Pietyr said.

  “But we will defend ourselves,” Fieta added.

  Vandra waved for them to be quiet. “If we meet your people, I’ll stay with Fieta and Pietyr while you greet them.”

  Lilani smiled again as if that was exactly what she wanted to hear. Vandra knew she should be asking about the pylons, but the idea of meeting more seelie triggered her curiosity. She thought of a hundred questions but couldn’t bring herself to ask them. Every one of them seemed…rude.

  By all the gods, the quest for knowledge was never rude! Why was this situation so weird? Politics? She much preferred gaining knowledge to practicing flowery words, but then she imagined Lilani’s beautiful, foxlike features turning disdainful or furiously offended. Something inside Vandra would die if that happened.

  That began to sound a lot like poetry, a bunch of nonsense. If Vandra passed up this opportunity to learn about the seelie, she’d be kicking herself forever. “Um…”

  Lilani glanced at her. “We knew one of the pylons had gone out, but I’m afraid we don’t know why.”

  “Ah, right. Good. I mean, not good, but…” She nearly groaned. “Look, I don’t want to offend you.” That seemed a good place to start.

  Lilani blinked. “Good. I…don’t want to offend you either.”

  Vandra breathed a laugh. “But I’m dying to ask some questions.”

  “About the seelie?” Her smile faded, but it wasn’t a frown, not yet.

  Still, Vandra’s stomach sank. “Nothing personal, I swear! If I ask something personal, but I don’t realize it’s personal, tell me, and I won’t ask again.” Her ears were on fire.

  And Fieta had the nerve to snort again.

  “It’s all right.” Lilani’s touch grazed Vandra’s shoulder, and Vandra didn’t know whether to lean in or jump away from the small gust of air that accompanied the touch. “You’re the first humans I’ve met, too, though I’ve read about your people.”

  Vandra’s thoughts exploded with images of seelie tomes and texts. With so much time on their hands, the possible number of books was staggering. “Your libraries must be amazing!”

  “Do you like to read?” When Vandra nodded, Lilani’s smile brightened so much it almost pained Vandra to look. “Me, too! What are human libraries like?”

  Pietyr muttered, “Great,” while Fieta said, “Wonderful,” both of their voices heavy with sarcasm.

  Vandra didn’t care. For what seemed like only a few moments, they spoke rapturously about the books they’d read. Lilani seemed to favor stories over alchemical or engineering texts, but everything she said was fascinating. Vandra forgot why they were there or even where they were.

  “Van,” Pietyr said. “Keep it down.”

  Vandra glanced over her shoulder to see his frown and Fieta’s leer. The pylon they’d just visited was far in the distance. How long had they been talking about books?

  “Sorry,” Lilani said. “I get a little carried away when it comes to reading.”

  Vandra shook her head. “It was my fault, really.”

  “You can share the blame,” Fieta said.

  Pietyr sighed. “Just share it a little quieter, all right?”

  Lilani’s smile and the twinkle in her eye said that the caution amused more than insulted her.

  “Maybe we can visit each other’s libraries,” Vandra said. She pictured the two of them among the shelves. In the back. Snuggled together under a blanket. Her cheeks burned again, and she ducked her head. “For diplomacy.”

  “Diplomacy’s nice.” By her sly glance, Lilani might be thinking about secluded corners and blankets, too.

  Vandra’s insides lurched. Could it be? An immortal creature of beauty and…her? “Are your people really immortal?” When Lilani frowned, Vandra shook her head. “You don’t have to answer that. I shouldn’t have asked.”

  “To humans, we must seem so, but when seelie reach a certain age, they stop living, yet they’re still alive.” She waved a hand. “It’s hard to explain without seeing it.”

  Vandra nodded, bookmarking that bit of information for another time, some other seelie. She told herself to turn the conversation back to the reason she was standing there now. “Do you know anything about the pylons’ construction?”

  “Not much. When my people helped build them—”

  Vandra stumbled and stared, all the questions she’d lined up blowing away to be replaced with a hundred new ones. “You helped build them?”

  “I know human memories are short, but surely someone wrote that down?”

  Vandra went through everything she’d read but came up empty. She shook her head even as her mind raced. Was that why the pylons seemed so different from regular syndrium?

  “If Vandra hasn’t read it, it’s not written down,” Fieta said.

  Vandra started walking again slowly. “I…” She shook her head. “Forget what I might or might not know. Please, start at the beginning.”

  “A seelie named Awith, who knew many humans before the tattered lands pushed them south, helped with the pylons’ construction.” She waved as if making room for her story. “Well, Awith knew them and loved them.” She glanced away as if the idea embarrassed her.

  Vandra’s heart sank. Maybe Lilani considered humans beneath the seelie? Then what about their animated conversation or the shy looks they’d shared? After a deep breath, Vandra wrapped her academic curiosity around her like a shield. She couldn’t afford embarrassment with lives on the line. “Please, go on.”

  “Awith gave her life helping activate the pylons.” Lilani clasped her hands together and released them as if unsure what to say. Perhaps there were seelie secrets at work.

  Vandra thought through the tales of the pylons’ construction. Details were vague. At the time, no one had the opportunity to write anything down, and many had been killed. Vandra had always assumed that people had forgo
tten much of what happened by the time they put pen to paper, but maybe they hadn’t wanted to mention a seelie woman who gave her life for the humans she loved.

  “It was such a hurried time for humanity,” Vandra said, ashamed of her people if they’d left out the seelie because of anger or jealousy or some other emotion that had no place in alchemy or engineering. “Some things just didn’t get written down. And as you said, human memory is short.”

  Lilani nodded. “I didn’t know of Awith until recently. Of course, I wasn’t alive when the pylons were created.”

  “That makes two of us,” Vandra said.

  “Four of us,” Fieta added.

  Lilani gave them all a smile. So, she was at least under fifty.

  Vandra didn’t know what her people would think upon hearing that a seelie had contributed to the pylons. Some might not believe it. She didn’t know if she believed it exactly. Any proof would have to come from the seelie, and some would never believe that.

  Unless…

  “Would anyone who was alive at the time be willing to speak with me?” Vandra asked. “Or do you think I could read Awith’s tale?”

  Lilani stared at nothing. “I can ask, but…” She sighed. “I don’t want the pylons to fail. I don’t want your people to die.”

  Vandra smiled. “So, you’ll be our Awith?” She blushed again. “I mean…” She wasn’t sure if she’d just propositioned Lilani or suggested that humanity would be the death of her. “I’m sorry.”

  Lilani laughed, a musical sound that echoed even more than her voice. “I understand. And yes, I will help you if I can.”

  Vandra forced herself to stop staring and think about those words, but her professional distance always ran away when she wanted it the most. “If you can? Your people don’t agree?”

  “Like everything else in the world, it’s very complicated. Seelie memories are long.”

  And the history between their peoples wasn’t always a happy one, though the books Vandra read slanted toward humanity being the injured party. She imagined it had been hard to grow old and infirm alongside people who stayed beautiful forever.

 

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