Prelude (The Rhapsody Quartet)

by A. M. Hodgson

  Marin’s eyes went wide at this statement. “Are you kidding me? You were awesome!”

  I shook my head. “I felt completely buffaloed. I said what I wanted in the beginning, and they didn’t let me get a single word in edgewise after.”

  “Exactly,” she said, clutching at my hands. She stared deep into my eyes, “After you told them what you wanted. You asserted yourself at the beginning by reminding them of all their deals.” She laughed, “That was really gutsy, by the way.”

  I smiled softly, feeling some relief. “I wasn’t even sure it was true.”

  “Well, the reputation sirens had must’ve been accurate, because the tone of that meeting went from hostile to helpful almost immediately. After that, they were asking what you wanted. They were negotiating with you. The Lady of Flowers was even treating you like an equal.”

  “Who?” I asked, confused.

  Marin grinned, “I forget you don’t know anything. The Lady of Flowers is the Queen of the Elves. Her name is Amaranthe, but she’s always surrounded by flowers. Even in the Broken, where we were meeting, she managed to bring some with her. Serious mojo.”

  I shook my head, not really registering most of that statement. “I was hardly being treated like an equal. Were you even at the same meeting? Why did they just ignore whatever I said?”

  She snorted, “You’re dealing with a bunch of people who are all used to getting their own way all day long and not being challenged. Their nature makes it so they don’t play well with others. By reminding them that you had some power, they were all shaken up. You probably bruised a few egos in there, not that it matters, but they were trying to regain some control over the situation.”

  I frowned. “I can’t believe that I’m getting a new foster family.”

  She giggled, “I wouldn’t worry about that too much! It takes the council forever to actually accomplish anything. Chances are, you’ll be an adult well before they even decide an assignment for you.”

  I wondered again if Marin and I had attended the same meeting. I’d had no control over any of it. Still, it was nice to hear the confidence in her voice. Though it reminded me… “Ugh, where is my bodyguard now?”

  “Waiting outside the door. I told him we’d need girl time.”

  I rolled my eyes, but said, “Thanks. I don’t know how I feel about being babysat by an elf.”

  She tilted her head to one side, giving me a scandalous grin, “Well, he could be my babysitter any day! Yum!” She let out a little growling purr to finish the statement.

  I pushed at her lightly, giggling. Then, filled with gratitude, I looked into my friend’s eyes. In the past 24 hours I’d grown attached to Marin. I couldn’t imagine doing any of this without her. “Thank you. You’ve gone above and beyond here.”

  She shrugged, “Whatever. You’re not so bad yourself, not really. Though I may regret saying that once you have your bearings. You’ll be staying here for a while, at least. Your foster parents are obviously not in any condition to host you anymore, and any other human family would be just as susceptible.”

  My face prickled, though she was right. It would be inviting disaster for me to be around people. “So what? I just hide out here until the council figures out where to shove me next?”

  She pursed her lips, but only to hide a smile. “Honestly, hiding out here isn’t going to do you much good… no, you’ll be going to school.”

  “Yeah, with this Aldan person,” I finished.

  “No, I mean— yeah, that too— but you’ll be going to high school, same as always.”

  I stared at her. That was the dumbest thing I’d heard today. How was I supposed to be around so many people? I felt my stomach tumble as I thought of the constant attention.

  “Don’t look at me like that,” she said. She grabbed the water bottle next to me and thrust it into my face, “Keep drinking.” Obligingly, I began to gulp the water down. I tried to keep the scowl on my face, but I had somehow forgotten how thirsty I was with all this new information to distract me. Drinking was a good idea.

  “The truth is,” she continued, “We all have to deal with humanity at some point or another. Well, unless you decide to completely block yourself out, and run to the Realm… but that would be a tremendous shame for one of the amalgam races.”

  “Amalgam races?” I felt my eyebrows raise. She gave me a motherly look, pointing at the bottle of water. “Sorry,” I said, continuing to sip it.

  “Amalgam races are the ones who can blend with humanity. The ones that have more power, typically.”

  “So, what? Mermaids, obviously.”

  “Mermaids. Elves. Sirens, obviously,” she mimicked my tone with a laugh. “Vampires, at least to an extent. Werewolves. Witches. Dwarves don’t like to, but they can. Dragons. Djinn. Some fey, but not all. Gorgons. Angels and demons both, from what I’ve heard.” She shrugged, “Then there are the others who can’t blend in. Centaurs, most faeries, sphinxes, trolls… that list is a lot bigger, honestly.”

  “So I’m just supposed to go to school and possibly ruin everyone’s lives. Great,” I said with a sigh.

  “That won’t happen! The whole point is to get used to it. You’re at a big disadvantage because of your ignorance, but sirens were always around humanity before. You should be able to camouflage yourself with a little effort. It’s just going to have to be… trial and error.”

  “What about Glenn?”

  “What about him?” Marin asked, looking genuinely confused.

  “You said elves are amalgam, but… let’s just say if I saw him walking down the hall, I’d notice he wasn’t exactly human.”

  She laughed, “of course you would! You’re thinking of things the wrong way, though. Your eyes are open to it now. What people usually see with an amalgam is illusion. What they want to see. The way that no one seems to notice how different you look now, or that your eyes change color? They’ll see a human because they want to see a human. The same will be true for Glenn or any other elf.”

  “Really?” I asked dubiously, “This all hinges on what someone wants to believe?”

  “Well…” A smile began to creep onto her features, “And some general magic. If we weren’t amalgam, it would be more… extensive… to trick humans.” She glanced at the door, “Are you ready to speak with your new defense?”

  I sighed, falling back into the chair, “Ugh. No, not really.” I gave myself a couple seconds to pout, then leaned forward. There wasn’t exactly any getting around it. “But I will.”

  I set the drained bottle back on the table, grabbing the second one. Marin opened the door. Sure enough, Glenn stood stoically next to it.

  He nodded at me when I stepped onto the landing, but didn’t say a word. I felt awkward. Unsure of how to respond, I ignored him and made my way down the stairs. Marin chattered absently about how exciting everything was.

  We headed to my room. I was still tired from the magical travel, and I hadn’t gotten much sleep before the council meeting.

  “Marin, tomorrow is…?” I paused, trying to even remember what day it was.

  “It’s Sunday tomorrow,” she supplied helpfully.

  My shoulders relaxed at this news. It was a relief that I had another day before school. “Good. Well, I’m exhausted. We can talk in the morning, if you’re okay with that.”

  “Of course. Besides,” she added, tossing her hair, “I have a date tonight.”

  My eyebrows raised, but I wasn’t sure why I was surprised. Stacie had a reputation of dating a lot of guys. “Oh. Well… have fun, then,” I said awkwardly. She grinned, whirling around. She was probably heading to her room to get ready.

  I moved through the entryway of my room. The box of clothes from this morning still sat on the floor, mostly unexplored. I perched on the bed. It’d been freshly made in the interim, and I tugged the box towards me. I began to pull out the outfits, one by one, grateful that everything was sorted into sets. The clothing ranged from tees and jeans to semi-formal attire l
ike slacks and blouses and skirts. There were two dresses included in the package as well, one a little black mini that was more simple and the other a royal purple halter with a long skirt.

  At the bottom was another long box with underwear and bras. I set my new unmentionables into the wardrobe closet and began to fish through the outfits. I was looking for something specific, and I was happy that the outfits were clearly visible within the transparent plastic.

  After a couple minutes, I found what I was after. Packaged together was a soft white bathrobe with a teddy bear over the left breast. Below that was a pair of pajamas: simple pastel blue cotton pants and a tank top. I sighed in relief and tore the package open, tossing the contents onto my bed.

  I’d started to unlace the corset on my top when I heard Glenn clearing his throat. I’d forgotten he was there. I turned to the doorway, where he stood. I sighed. I gestured towards myself, “Well, come in, then.”

  He took a couple strides so he was firmly inside, then sidestepped so he was positioned near the door, but no longer obstructing it.

  I pursed my lips, deciding I deserved a bath. I gripped the pajamas, making my way to the bathroom. Setting the clothes on top of the counter, I searched the drawers until I found a jar of lemony bath salts. I dumped a scoop under the running water. The tub would take a while to fill, it was so enormous, so I walked back out to address my new babysitter.

  “Look,” I started awkwardly, “I don’t really want a bodyguard. You already knew that, of course,” I added, “I’m sure it was obvious at the council meeting.”

  He didn’t say anything, or even move, but I could’ve sworn I saw the corners of his mouth twitch.

  I ignored the amusement, plowing on, “But if you have to be here, we should probably have some ground rules.”

  At this, Glenn smiled openly. “What did you have in mind?” his voice was softer than I was expecting. Lady Amaranthe’s voice had been hard and formal. Glenn’s was light, breezy, and had the smallest touch of an accent. It wasn’t anything I’d heard before, but was reminiscent of a Welsh sound.

  “Well,” I said slowly, “For one thing, I don’t like you just staring at me. It’s unnerving.”

  “Ah,” he said. It was obvious that he was trying not to laugh. “What would you suggest, then?”

  “I…” I didn’t have an answer for him. I fumbled for the right words, “Could you maybe just… I don’t know, sit down? Or… relax a little?”

  He took this in, nodding. “Understandable, but I’m supposed to be at the ready to protect you.”

  “But, if you’re going to be around me… shouldn’t we be comfortable with each other?” I asked him. “This is just awkward.”

  “Is it?” he asked, amused.

  I glared at him, “It is for me.”

  “Fair enough,” he walked to the reading nook and sat, pulling his bow and quiver from his shoulders. He set the weapons against the chair. Sitting with a wide stance, he reminded me of the teenage boys at school, suddenly. I wasn’t sure if that made me feel more or less awkward. Likely the former. “Is this better?” he asked with wide, innocent eyes.

  I pursed my lips. I honestly didn’t know the answer to that, but I nodded quickly. “And— and we should get to know each other. At least a little. Part of this creepiness is that you’re just a stranger, watching me.”

  He cocked his head to the side, “So is it creepy now? Seems like quite a downgrade from ‘awkward’.”

  I blushed, “You know what I mean.”

  “Do I?” he asked. A broad grin spread across his features. “I grew up in elvish culture, you see, much different than yours.”

  I didn’t know how to respond to this. I couldn’t decide if he was teasing me. Panicking, I shrugged my shoulders and made a beeline for the bathroom. To my intense relief, the tub was full. It smelled lemony and soothing. I slammed the door, making sure to click the lock into place before pulling off my clothes. I sank into the warm water.

  I lay back and closed my eyes, inhaling the fragrance. My brief interaction with my new bodyguard left me feeling confused. I’d never been good at reading people, but he was especially baffling. I was hoping that I hadn’t stumbled over a cultural taboo. But Glenn had seemed more amused than anything. I wondered how old he was. He looked about seventeen, but he was an extra— and appearances were potentially deceiving.

  I tried my best to relax, and after a while I think I succeeded. When the water was starting to feel a little cooler, I stood up and wrapped myself in a fluffy towel. I pulled on my new pjs and the robe, cracking the door open and peering discreetly at my new bodyguard.

  Glenn was still in the nook, reading one of my leather bound books. I peeked closer. It was my new Andersen Fairy Tales. He looked engrossed.

  “Enjoying the read?” I asked.

  He closed the book, but slipped one slender finger inside to mark his place. “It’s fascinating to read what human beings think of magic. So much is wrong, but that’s not what’s surprising.”

  “What is surprising?”

  “How much is right,” he said simply. “We’ve tried to be careful for such a long time.” He paused. “Truth is, there are more of them than of us. Sure, some of us have substantial powers, but if it came down to a real scrap, they’d probably win. Strength in numbers, yeah? So we keep ourselves secret.”

  I sat on the ottoman next to him. “But why would people fight extras?” I asked.

  He shrugged, “That tends to be the knee-jerk reaction when they find one of us. Kill us. There’s been exceptions, of course.” He looked thoughtful for a moment, his mind drifting to who knows what. He turned to me again. “It just seems easier to hide ourselves. We’ve been doing it this way for so long…” He paused again, “What was it like to grow up thinking you were human?”

  I shook my head, “I honestly don’t know how to answer that. I mean… it felt pretty normal to me. It was a shock when I became a siren.”

  “Hmm,” he hummed thoughtfully.

  “I’m really tired,” I said, feeling awkward. “I’m going to bed.”

  He nodded, “of course.”

  I hesitated as I pulled the covers down, “Are you just going to… sit there… in the dark?”

  He laughed, “I was planning on it. If it’d make you feel more comfortable, I can head to the hall and give you some privacy, if you want. But if you don’t mind,” he held the book up, “I’ll give this a read while you’re sleeping.”

  “Don’t you have to sleep?” I asked.

  He smiled, “I’ll get some meditation in before dawn. Don’t worry about it.” He replaced his bow and arrows over his shoulder, leaving the room. He hesitated at the door, “’Night.”

  “Oh… good night.”

  The door clicked shut, and I called the lights off. Sleep was quick to come.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  The next morning I slept late, only awakening when the afternoon sunlight peeked in through the blinds. As I opened my eyes, I caught movement in the corner.

  Glenn. He had an intense look of interest on his face. He was engrossed in my copy of The Lord of the Rings, the pages turning quickly, but silently, so he wouldn’t disturb me. I lay still, not giving myself away, staring at his face, which was a collage of expressions. The majority of the novel seemed to amuse him greatly, his lips upturned, his eyes sparkling as they quickly devoured every syllable. One page seemed to fill him completely with mirth, so much so that he set the book down and closed his eyes, inhaling and exhaling slowly. When they opened they rested on me.

  “Good morning,” he greeted, formally.

  I nodded towards him, “Lord of the Rings?” I asked. “It was always one of my favorites growing up.” I sat up in bed, the blankets a wadded mass at my legs. I pulled them up, under cover, so that my knees were practically at my chin. It felt good to be small again.

  He smiled, “It’s amusing.”

  “I imagine you’d find it trivial,” I said, annoyed. I hadn’t be
en exaggerating. It was one of my favorites.

  He shook his head, “Not trivial,” he tapped at the front of the cover. “This guy at least determined that elves weren’t tiny people who played tricks or made toys. The representation is fine enough.”

  “Then why is it so amusing?” I asked.

  “The details. Most of it is actually accurate. Even going so far as to get common surnames correct.” He smiled a bit as he said it. “Culturally, there is some misrepresentation, but the author can hardly be faulted. Yet this manner of speaking, of separating the magical world from the human world, creating this ‘Middle Earth’.” He shook his head, “It’s silly. This world is already filled with magic if you know to look for it. It’s entwined so completely that separating the magic from the Overworld— this world— is the same as trying to separate heart and soul.” He smiled, “Also, the relationship between the dwarf character and the elf character. But I suspect the author meant for it to be amusing.”

  I laughed out loud, “I suspect you’re right.”

  There was a soft knocking at the door. Glenn stood up, turned the knob, and Marin bounded in. “I’ve been waiting practically forever for you to wake up,” she giggled.

  “Why?”

  “Today I get to introduce you to Aldan. It’s going to be fun… for me.”

  “Actually,” Glenn interrupted, “I’m supposed to introduce her to him.” Marin shot a deadly look his way. He continued apologetically, “Part of my duties as her current guardian requires it. I beg your pardon, princess.”

  Marin stuck her lip out, pouting, “Unfortunately, you have a guardian who is going to do everything by the books.” She thrust a small envelope towards me, “This has your introduction in it. Just give it to him when you meet him.”

  “It’s Sunday,” I stated. I wasn’t expecting to have any obligations.

  Marin cocked her head and raised her brows sympathetically. “This type of schooling is every day of the week. He’s expecting you.”

  I groaned, not even pretending to be happy. I pulled the covers from the bed and asked, “When do I need to be there?”