In Search of High Society

by Katie Holmburg

  * . * . *

  Aletta was relieved that she hadn’t reinjured her leg, though she didn’t know what was bothering Lirim. He’d been as anxious as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs since Jones had informed them of their assignment. She’d like to say that it was the threat to the Glade that was making him antsy, but she had a feeling that it was something else. She knew that she shouldn’t pry. After all, heaven knows he’d allowed her to work through all of her issues with their last case. But she couldn’t just let it slide. Still, if she straight out asked him, he’d clam up. Thinking back, she realized that he’d been in a strange mood for several days now, even before finding out about the Glade. So, what was bugging him?

  Reaching their compartment, Aletta called dibs on one bench so she could stretch out her leg and be comfortable. Lirim shook his head as if he found her antics childish to which she maturely responded by sticking her tongue out at him. He sank down onto the other bench, but before he could busy himself with something, Aletta asked him, “So what did Awena have to say about our trip?”

  He tensed at the question and Aletta wondered what was bothering him. After a moment of silence, he answered, “She was unhappy with the rush, but understood why. However, she’ll be joining us at the Glade as soon as she can.”

  Aletta studied her nails, absently noting that one of them was broken, before asking, “Is there a problem with her returning to the Glade?”

  He sighed, frustration lacing the sound. “I’m probably being overprotective, but I don’t know if she’s ready. She hasn’t been to the Glade since before the incident. But on the other hand, I wonder if it would’ve been better if she’d returned to the Glade more often, if she wouldn’t have had it occur. What is she’s not ready though? I’m torn, I just can’t decide.”

  Aletta offered him a crooked grin. “Yeah, you’re being overprotective.” He drew back as if stung, but she continued. “Awena is an adult and been doing it for a lot longer than you or I have. However, it’s not necessarily a bad thing. You’re a protector, Lirim. There is nothing wrong with watching out for those you care for, trying to anticipate what may or may not happen. Just don’t let it eat you alive.”

  He huffed but offered her a small smile in return.

  Rummaging through her pack, she said, “So, a two-day train ride. What are the odds that you’ll want to strangle me before it’s over?”

  He snarked, “High.” She just chuckled, letting out a little cheer when she finally located the book she’d been looking for. Looking at all of the books she had packed, he asked, “Why’d you bring so many books?”

  “I’m easily bored.” Ignoring his muttered ‘that’s for sure’, she continued. “Plus, the newest Starfire is out, so I will read it then reread the series. I love how each book highlights something new, makes some connection that I didn’t see before.”

  He asked, “Isn’t that the series that you and Ian are always talking about?”

  She shrugged, “What can I say, we’re nerds. You can borrow the first book if you want.”

  He shrugged, looking slightly queasy. “Sorry, I can’t read in moving vehicles. I get a terrible migraine if I try.”

  She offered, “I can read it aloud if you want?”

  “Don’t you want to read the latest one?”

  She laughed, “This will help me remember all of the small details, so it’s good either way. Ultimately up to you though.”

  Settling himself more comfortably, he said, “Sure, why not?”

  Smiling, she opened the first book and started reading.

  * . * . *

  They’d read for the rest of the day, only stopping for lunch. Against his will, Lirim found himself drawn into the plot, although he scoffed at the idea of dragons. Aletta had argued that many people had thought that the fae were mythical too, so why were dragons so hard to believe in? They’d had a spirited debate before finally agreeing to disagree. They’d finished the first book right before dinner and decided not to start the second book until the next day as Aletta was starting to grow hoarse from all of the reading.

  Walking to the dining car for dinner, Lirim felt inexplicably lighter, as if a burden he was unaware of had eased. He tried to remember how long it had been since he’d just spent time relaxing and discovered that he couldn’t. Making a mental note to take a vacation when this was over, he let it go. Stressing over it now would do no good and who knows how much rest they’d actually get once they reached the Glade.

  He knew that Aletta was only supposed to be there in an advisory capacity and that the healer training would probably take up a good chunk of her time, but things had a way of never going to plan when she was involved. Not for the worse, necessarily, but it really made planning a pain. He knew that this would occur less as she was trained, but truthfully it would probably never go fully away.

  He quickly tugged his attention to the present before Aletta noticed his absentmindedness. She could be scarily intuitive sometimes and he didn’t need her picking up on his frazzled state. She needed to have confidence that he could protect her. Of course, she seemed blissfully unaware of his chaotic moods lately, so maybe he was overthinking things. He sighed. He definitely needed a vacation.

  They were quickly seated because of her leg and he was glad. His temper seemed to be on the surface lately and the littlest things seemed to set it off. For example, there was a man two tables over that stared at Aletta a little too long for his liking and Lirim scowled menacingly at him. The man paled and quickly turned his gaze elsewhere. Lirim smirked and turned his attention back to their table, only to have the smile drop when he realized that Aletta was watching him with a brow raised.

  However, to his surprise, she simply shook her head and let it go. He let out the breath that he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. Her acceptance of the incident left him feeling uneasy. She was usually quite direct, so why was she being so circumspect? He couldn’t shake the feeling that she was going to ambush him with it at the moment when he least expected it. Maybe he was being paranoid? However, there was a gleam in her eyes that said that that was not the case. He’d just have to wait and see.

  Chapter Three

  It was after lunch and Aletta was taking a break from reading, her voice still tired from all the reading she’d done the day before. Still, she decided that it was the perfect time to question Lirim about the Glade while he couldn’t avoid her. She had to chuckle, he was growing increasingly antsy the longer they were on the train and the closer they grew to the Glade. And don’t think that she hadn’t noticed the territorial Fae nonsense he was displaying. Every meal had him glaring at men that he thought stared at her longer than was acceptable. He’d always look so smug until he returned his attention to their table and realize that she was watching him. She knew that it unnerved him that she hadn’t said anything about it, but it was fun to watch him squirm. Plus, his instincts were in overdrive from the threats against her. She’d let it go for now but he had another think coming if he continued to behave like this at the Glade.

  He’d been looking out the window but focused on her when she spoke. “So, what exactly are chimas?”

  He thought it over carefully before answering. “Like Capt. Jones said, originally we thought that they were like chimeras, but they aren’t. You know what Inari’s are?”

  She searched her memory. “Aren’t they a foxlike magical creature? Smart, mischievous, but overall harmless. They are a predator, but tend to leave people alone, only preying on things that their normal fox cousins would prey on.”

  “That’s them. Anyway, we believe that chimas were once Inari’s but they were corrupted by dark magic until they became what they are today. Chimas are mindless creatures, vicious and voracious. They usually appear for about a month and then disappear. Almost like lemmings, they have a cycle. While they are a nuisance and people have occasionally been poisoned by them, for the most part with careful patrols and training, they are easily taken care of.”r />
  She wrinkled her nose. “I take it that’s not the case this time? And they’re poisonous?”

  He frowned, recalling the troubling news that he’d read. “No. They’re attacking every three days and then disappearing. No tracker has been able to successfully follow them. They almost seem to be searching for something. And yes, they’re poisonous, but it really depends.”

  Her curiosity piqued, she asked, “Depends on what?”

  “If a male or female bites you. The female’s saliva acts as a paralytic, so they can bring back food for the pups. The male’s saliva is excruciatingly painful and used as a defense to keep anything away from their mate and pups. Only a handful of people have been bitten. Of that, about half survived. To my knowledge, there is no antidote, but I could be mistaken about that.”

  She shuddered. “And these rabid, poisonous fox-lemming things are searching for something? They’re not intelligent, are they?”

  “No. They are cunning like their non-magical cousins, but it’s a brutish cunning, not a thinking cunning.”

  “So how is someone controlling them?”

  Lirim looked thoughtful. “That’s a good question. It is theorized that when they swarm, it’s almost like they have a hive mind. Maybe that’s how someone could control them.”

  Aletta said, “Maybe that’s why they only show up for a brief time every three days. The person controlling them probably has to expend an enormous amount of energy to keep them on track. It probably takes that long for his reserves to replenish.” At his surprised look, she pouted. “I did pay some attention in class, it’s just the finer details that escape me.”

  He held his hands up placatingly. “I just hadn’t thought that far yet. It gives me a good avenue to start investigating. There probably aren’t many people that could repeatedly control a hive mind every few days without there being some signs of it. It’ll be a good starting point.”

  Deciding to change the subject, she asked, “So, where will we be staying?”

  He looked puzzled. “At my parent’s. Didn’t I tell you?”

  Aletta sat up straight from where she’d been lounging. “Why didn’t you tell me that we’d be staying with your parents? I would’ve brought some nicer outfits.”

  He made the mistake of asking, “It’s just my parents, why would it matter what you brought to wear?”

  She scowled angrily at him. “I want to make a good impression! I don’t want your parents to think that you’ve been partnered with some slovenly human. What are they going to think when I show up looking like this?” She gestured at her comfortable jeans and navy t-shirt that showed a swimmer standing on a high-dive but instead of a pool, there was a book. It read: Dive into a good book. Her hair was pulled up into a comfortable ponytail, but several curls had already escaped and hung loose. Her left leg was encased in a cast all the way past her knee but her jeans were loose enough to cover it, it was only visible from the ankle down, her bare toes peeping out the front, although the deep purple polish was a nice touch. She had a comfortable (ratty) sneaker on her other foot.

  He didn’t see anything wrong with what she wore, but knew that she wouldn’t be happy if he said that. He offered a different truth instead. “Leta, you healed Aunt Awena. You could show up in a sackcloth dress and no one would even think twice about it. My family won’t mind putting us up and I think that you’re going to like them as well. Please, don’t stress about this.”

  She muttered and sank back into her seat, grumbling about males who just didn’t get it. However, her grumbling was cut short as he said, “I do have a question.”

  She muttered ungraciously, “What?”

  “Why did you give Druery that plant?”

  She cocked her head and examined him for a minute. He waited patiently for her answer. “What makes you think there was any special reason?”

  He shrugged, “You rarely do anything without a good reason.”

  Feeling her irritation fade slightly, she said, “Rarely?”

  “I still wonder at the wisdom of ordering a double mocha chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream cone after eating Thai food.”

  She laughed, the last of her ill humor fading away. “You’re just a snob. You need to live a little. Any way. I gave Druery the bonsai for several reasons. I wasn’t lying when I heard that fae don’t do well locked away from nature. I couldn’t give you a tree where you’re a nature mage, but Druery has been thoroughly tested and has no compatible magic, so it won’t hurt for him to have it.”

  He said quietly, “It is hard on fae to be locked away from nature, but don’t forget that most of them deserve it.”

  She sighed, “Don’t you find it sad that I’m one of the few people that has ever treated him well? And I didn’t even treat him that well. I was angry at the way he treated the dryads.”

  “You treated him like a person, you gave him the basic dignity and respect that you offer to everyone. That can be quite rare for a person in Druery’s position. It’s sad, but it’s the ugly truth. However, I’m sure that you offered him it for more than just because you felt sorry for him.”

  She grinned mischievously. “Well, Ian and I have been testing out a listening device.”

  He raised an eyebrow. “You bugged a tree.”

  She fudged, “Not exactly.”

  “Are you going to tell me or do we have to play twenty questions?”

  She caved and admitted, “It’s the pot. It’s a listening device. It’s totally passive. We tested it in the office for weeks and nobody ever caught on. Of course, the captain knew, but even he never picked anything up.”

  “It’s completely inert?” His voice was a mix of surprise and disbelief. How many times had he seen that pot sitting there innocuously on Aletta’s desk?

  Aletta shrugged, “Seems to be. I don’t know how it works, it’s Ian’s baby, I just helped him test it. But I figured that Druery’s been locked up for months with minimal contact. He may talk to the plant unthinkingly as he tends it.”

  He stared at her. “That’s brilliant.”

  She sighed, “I feel about two inches tall after Druery told me that I was honorable.”

  Lirim cut her off, “Druery knows that he’s under constant surveillance. He knows that anything he says or does will be recorded. The tree technically doesn’t change anything and might even brighten up his life slightly.”

  Aletta nodded slowly, “I didn’t think about that. Thanks, Lir.” Tired of how heavy the discussion had gotten, she changed the subject. “When will we arrive?”

  “Eleven this evening. You should try and catch a quick nap.”

  Feeling slightly weary, a side effect from the slow healing, she nodded her agreement. Snagging a pillow, she didn’t bother pulling out the bed but stretched out on the bench. She yawned, then mumbled, “Wake me for dinner.”

  Allowing the rocking of the train to lull her, she quickly slipped into a pleasant slumber.

  * . * . *

  Lirim woke her in time for dinner as she’d asked. He’d spent the better part of the afternoon just watching her sleep and allowing his mind to drift. She was a quiet sleeper. She’d mumbled a few times, but she’d only mumbled a few words before going quiet again. She didn’t toss and turn either. If it wasn’t for the silent fall and rise of her breathing, he wouldn’t have known that she was alive.

  Waiting outside the compartment while she freshened up, he leaned against the wall and thought. The past couple of days had been nice, relaxed and low key. He’d needed that more than he thought. But he still hadn’t shared with Aletta his reservations about returning to the Glade. When he’d returned after the war, the peacefulness had him so on edge he couldn’t function. Would that still be the case? Aletta deserved to know the truth and the possible outcomes. Hopefully he would be able to deal with the matter quickly.

  Then again, returning to Isenton wasn’t necessarily a good thing either. Too many people interested in his partner for his peace of mind. Also, who wanted her a
nd for what purpose? Sheridans were a highly valued commodity, but Omnes like Aletta were very rare. Which type of Sheridan did they want? Or had they somehow figured out that she was an Omnes? He shook his head. Too many questions, not enough answers.

  Aletta emerged and he straightened. He was pleased to see that her limp was less noticeable. Two days of being able to stretch it out seemed to have to helped out immensely. Extending his arm, he was pleased when she took it without hesitation. He asked, “How much longer do you have to wear the cast?”

  She sighed and glanced ruefully at it. “Three and a half weeks and then a few weeks of physical therapy before I’m cleared for street duty. I hate waiting.”

  He chuckled at her disgruntled expression. “It could be worse. Elizabetta was completely mad, she could’ve shot you.”

  She whined, “But I didn’t even get to hit her. After she broke my leg, I think it would’ve been only fair to punch her square on the nose.”

  He said quietly, “But you kept your sanity, she did not.”

  Aletta admitted reluctantly, “There is that. Still, enough of this, it’ll heal when it heals. Did you get any rest or did you just watch me like a creeper all afternoon?”

  “What makes you think that I’d be interested in watching you sleep?”

  Aletta tapped her chin thoughtfully, “Because you can’t read on a train and are in overprotective fae mode? Oh, and just so you know, that’s not going to fly in the Glade. I’m a big girl and can take care of myself.” He glanced deliberately at her leg. “Except for against the occasional psycho killer divas. Anyway, I’ll be fine, you’ll see. Besides, you’ll probably be the one in danger dealing with rabid fox-lemming thingies.”

  He corrected absently, humor lacing his words, “Chimas.”