In Search of High Society

by Katie Holmburg

  Clearing her throat, Aletta smiled apologetically when they looked her way. Before she could apologize however, the woman was out of her seat and by her side. She hugged Aletta fiercely before pulling back and grinning at her, “You must be Aletta! We’ve heard so much about you! Please join us, we’re dying to get to know you better.”

  Her energy was so enthusiastic that Aletta couldn’t help but smile back and allow herself to be herded over to the table. Getting her settled at the table, the woman ordered, “Alan, fetch her a plate.”

  He finally rose and did as ordered, an amused smile tugging at the corner of his lips. “Of course, dear. However, you might want to let the poor girl breath before you smother her.”

  The woman sighed but did as he said and flounced slightly back to her chair. Aletta lifted a hand to her mouth, trying to smother a giggle. His parents were nothing like she had expected. The woman saw it and fake pouted at Aletta, her eyes twinkling.

  “I’m sorry for pouncing on you, but we’ve been dying to meet you for ages. Isn’t that right?”

  He returned to the table and gently set a plate in front of Aletta. Quiet amusement lurking in his eyes, he replied, “Yes dear. But you might want to introduce yourself before you overwhelm the poor girl. What would our son say if he saw you pouncing on her like that?”

  Both the woman and Aletta rolled their eyes, then smiled at each other. The woman chuckled and said, “Oh, I’m going to like you, I can tell. I’m Rose and this is my husband Alan. I’m so glad that you’re here. I’ve been dying to meet you.”

  Aletta inclined her head. “A pleasure to meet you. I’m sorry that it couldn’t be under better circumstances, but thank you for welcoming me into your home.”

  Rose sobered for a moment before she visibly pushed it aside. “Of course, things are less than ideal right now, but that doesn’t matter. You will always be welcome in our home. Isn’t that right, Alan?”

  Resuming his place, he nodded. Although his face was calm and composed, there was genuine warmth in his eyes. “A Sheridan is always welcome at our table. But after what you did for my sister and our son, we are in your debt.”

  Aletta felt her eyes widen slightly at his words and she searched for a way to phrase her confusion politely. “I can understand why you feel that way about Awena, although that was completely unintentional on my part and I’m still not entirely sure what I did.” Her thoughts scattered, but she quickly regathered them and continued. “However, I’m not really sure what you think that I’ve done for Lirim. He has watched over and protected me since we were partnered, but I’ve contributed little besides my powers.”

  She watched as they shared a speaking glance, but was unable to interpret it. Rose sighed but seemed to agree to put aside the subject for a moment. Giving her husband a wry smile, she turned back to Aletta.

  “I hope that your trip was uneventful. The train ride can be quite long and exhausting at times.”

  Aletta nodded her agreement. “It was a long trip, but it was nice to get some rest. I get busy with day to day things, so sometimes it’s nice to have downtime, even if it is forced. Plus, Lirim helped the time to pass quickly.”

  “How is Lirim? We haven’t been able to speak with him for several weeks.”

  Aletta winced guiltily, they’d been busy cleaning up her mess which was why he’d been out of touch. However, before she could reply, the male in question entered the room.

  Although there were no obvious signs, Aletta could tell that he was fatigued and frowned slightly. She’d had a wonderful night’s rest, so what had kept him awake and made him so tired? Hopefully it wasn’t concerning her.

  Lirim quickly crossed the room and kissed him mother on the cheek then nodded at his father. “Good morning, Mama. Dad.” He looked over at Aletta and smiled, although it seemed forced to her. “Good morning, Aletta. Did you sleep well?”

  Aletta smiled brightly and was pleased to see him relax slightly. “I slept like a log. I’m afraid I’m going to have to steal the bed and take it back with me when we leave. It was so comfortable.”

  Rose giggled and broke in, “If you still want it when you leave, we’ll mail it to you. Son, you need to eat something. You look tired and much too thin.”

  Carefully rolling his eyes so that only Aletta could see, Lirim did as he was bid, heading over to the sideboard and carefully perusing what was available.

  While he did that, Aletta applied herself to her own breakfast, the food veritably melting in her mouth. A slight hum of appreciation slipped out, but instead of blushing she offered them a grin. Lirim shook his head as he sat down next to her. She said thoughtlessly, “What? It’s good. No wonder you don’t come home often, you’d be a butterball if you ate like this every day.”

  “Nope, I’ll burn it off in a couple of hours and be good to go.”

  She muttered quietly, “Stupid fae metabolism.” However, when the other three chuckled, she knew that she hadn’t muttered quietly enough and a blush bloomed on her cheeks. “All right, I’m just going to shut up and eat now.”

  Lirim raised a brow like he was inquiring if she was even capable of being quiet and she scowled at him. Rose interrupted their standoff. “I know that you just got here, but what are your plans for today?”

  Lirim asked calmly, “May I inquire why, Mother?”

  Rose merely raised an eyebrow and Lirim capitulated, offering her a half smile. “If Aletta has recovered from the trip, then I thought that I would show her the museum and maybe even head to the Hall of Healers.”

  Rose nodded, “That’s good, but you must have her back here by two. The seamstresses will arrive at a half after two and that will give her time to have prepared.”

  Feeling a thread of uncertainty, Aletta carefully set her fork beside her now empty plate. Turning to Lirim, she asked, “Seamstresses? I thought that you said that my clothes were suitable.”

  Lirim turned to Rose, his demeanor calm but his tone stern. “Yes, Mother. Please explain.”

  Alan said warningly, “Lirim” but subsided when Rose straightened and glanced at him. She turned her attention back to Aletta and Lirim, her playful attitude gone and that of a dangerous fae in its place. “Do you think that we’re fools, Lirim? There’s no way that you’ve returned here voluntarily. You are here because of the situation with the chimas. Something is going on here at the Glade, there’s a rot and it goes deep. If there was a simple reason behind their altered behavior, we would’ve already found it. But there has been nothing, which tells me whoever, individual or group, is behind this, they are powerful. And what does power mean?”

  His shoulders tensing slightly, Lirim answered, “High society. And the season is just starting.”

  Rose nodded sharply, her expression approving. “Word of your coming and arrival has already spread far and wide. I’m sure that there’s already speculation as to why you are here. By introducing your partner into society, as a new healer and as someone who healed Awena, we hope to confuse the trail a little bit, give you some room to maneuver. Thankfully, the healing gift can arrive at any time of life, just the same as the Sheridan, so maybe that will muddy the waters on that issue as well.”

  He asked quietly, “What have you heard?”

  “Officially? Nothing. Unofficially? There are rumors circulating like mad, whispers behind curtains. No one is saying anything overt, but someone had definitely kicked the hive and it is buzzing.”

  Lirim nodded and set his utensils aside as well. “In that case, thank you, Mother. I will definitely have her back by two. Is my presence required as well?” On a tendril of their bond, he murmured silently to Aletta, “I’ll explain later when we’re in a more secure location.” Aletta didn’t reply but he felt her acquiescence.

  “Your father will be taking you to his tailor during that time. In the meantime, you two enjoy your trip to the museum. I trust that you’ve warded her sufficiently?”

  Lirim suddenly scowled, several things clicking into place. Her f
atigue and edginess, his own ill temper and restlessness. He couldn’t believe that he’d forgotten that essential necessity. However, he was distracted from his anger by Aletta asking, “Warded? Against what?”

  Alan smiled at her gently. “Here in the Glade, we have an artifact from the Great War. We have safeguarded it for centuries, but it does have a negative effect on those who are not sufficiently guarded against its influence. It is the practice of any fae bringing in a human or magic user to help ward them against it by either helping them create a barrier or maintaining it for them if they do not have the capability to do it for themselves.”

  Ignoring his father’s explanation, Lirim closed his eyes and reached for the thread that allowed him to see others magic. Drawing in a deep breath, he opened his eyes. What he saw both surprised and entranced him. She had constructed a very subtle barrier, barely visible. But he could see the golden tone to her skin, the hidden depth of amber in her eyes. Even the blue undertones in her blue-black hair shimmered. He stared for a minute before remembering his manners and letting his magic lapse.

  Returning his attention to the others, he found them staring at him inquisitively. He stilled the urge to fidget. “She’s good, she already has a barrier up.”

  Aletta looked surprised. “I do?”

  “Yes. It’s subtle but strong. You didn’t realize?”

  She looked thoughtful, like she was turning things over in her mind. After a moment she answered. “No, but it makes sense. It must be my healing magic. If there is something ‘wrong’ here, then it makes sense that my magic would treat it like an illness and seek to either cure it or if that’s not possible, protect me from it. Thoughts?”

  He nodded, “Makes sense, although I’ll check with Aunt Awena.”

  Aletta smiled at him, “Let’s not bother her until she arrives. My shield is apparently working fine, so it shouldn’t be a problem. Are you done with breakfast? I’m curious to see this artifact now.”

  His stomach chose that moment to rumble and he sighed. “Give me five minutes and then we can go.”

  He was good to his word and less than ten minutes later they were out the door and off to the museum. They walked in silence, Aletta was drinking in the newness of it all and Lirim was mentally checking and reinforcing his shields.

  He’d been here for less than 24 hours and already he wanted to leave. He just prayed that the solution to the chimas problem was easy and they could get out of here. On the other hand, this was supposed to help Aletta lay low until suspicion was off her, so it wouldn’t do to return too soon. He groaned internally. There was no easy path to choose, it seemed.

  * . * . *

  Lirim seemed edgy this morning, so Aletta decided to let him be until he wanted to talk. Instead she drew a deep breath and enjoyed the scenery. She liked living in the city, but even though the Glade was a city in and of itself, it smelled like a slice of untarnished countryside. The air was fresh with the smell of earth and growing things. The streets were comprised of cobblestones, giving a different feel from asphalt but surprisingly smooth nonetheless. She could hear the splash and trickle of fountains, but had been unable to spot any and surmised that they were tucked away in alcoves and courtyards of the homes they were passing. The sheer untamed riot of growing things dazzled her eyes, as flowers of all colors and types spilled over every available surface, scenting the air sweetly instead of cloyingly like you’d expect when seeing the explosion of blooms.

  However, despite the beauty, there was an underlying thread of something. She frowned slightly, tinkering with her passive field to see if she could suss out what was bothering her. Although she was getting better at working with her passive field, she had no baseline for the Glade. She was getting back a lot of magical signatures, although most of them seemed to be benign. But there was something off, like an off-key instrument in an orchestra. It might not be readily apparent, but it threw off the harmony of the whole.

  Centering, she stretched her field out wider while making sure that she kept her core, her sense of self shielded. That was one of the first and hardest lessons that Awena had taught her. Awena said that if she taught her nothing else, Aletta needed to know how to guard her center, so she wouldn’t be open for anyone or anything to capture or influence. Some of the examples of someone’s center being captured had given Aletta nightmares.

  There! She found it, the thread that was out of tune with the rest of the Glade. Although calling it a thread was inaccurate. It was really more like a diffuse mist. She probed it carefully and recoiled. While the mist was not actively attacking, when she touched it, she was overwhelmed with the sensation of rot and decay. It was a shock to the senses. It was like walking along a beautiful sunlight path and then taking a step across some sort of invisible boundary right into a gray, despondent rotting bog.

  She stumbled and stopped. Lirim walked ahead for a few steps before noticing that she was not beside him and turning back with a frown. Shivering involuntarily, Aletta wrapped her arms around herself, trying to still her shaking. His frown transforming into concern, Lirim strode back to her and asked, his tone rough with alarm, “What is it?”

  It took her a minute to pull her thoughts together enough to answer. “There’s… Something.”

  His hand dropped to the dagger at his waist and scanned their surroundings, but couldn’t see anything alarming. “What did you see?”

  She extended her left hand helplessly, before clenching it into a fist. “I didn’t see anything. But there’s something wrong here. There’s a… There’s a...” She growled in frustration, picking and discarding several words before finding the right one. “Rot. There’s a rot here. But it’s not a natural one, not the kind that is part of the cycle, necessary for new beginnings. No, this is an unnatural creeping thing that takes a malicious delight in strangling life and beauty from the world.”

  He relaxed, letting his hand fall away from the dagger and Aletta stared at him, puzzled. “Ah, I should’ve realized that your touch of empathy would’ve picked it up.”

  “Picked what up?”

  He tucked her left arm through his right and gently tugged her forward. “The artifact. I’ll explain more after you’ve actually seen it.”

  Feeling suddenly reluctant, Aletta strengthened her shields and allowed him to pull her forward. After walking for a few minutes, they made their way up the marble steps of a stately building. Above the entrance, the word ‘Museum’ was carved in breathtakingly beautiful script. The double doors were huge and intricately carved. When she would’ve paused to study them, he drew her onward into the museum proper.

  They passed through several large exhibits before stopping at the entrance of another enormous room. Lirim said, “This is the room that is dedicated to the Time of Terror and the Great Withdrawal. The fae bring our children here so that we can never forget the terrible cost of that time and so that we are never tempted to have such a thing happen again.”

  Digging swiftly through her mind to remember what she knew about the Time of Terror, she said absently, “But isn’t that what happened with the Outlander War?” She could’ve kicked herself for her careless comment when she saw the strain on Lirim’s face. It was in the slight tightening around his eyes and the brief flicker of his cheek muscle when he clenched his jaw before relaxing it. Trying to send him some soothing energy, she murmured, “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t’ve.”

  He cut her off gently, “No, you’re right. In many ways, the Outlander War had the same traits as the Time of Terror. But the Time of Terror was so terrible beyond recall that in comparison, the Outlander War pales.”

  She could hear the capitals when he said Time of Terror and wondered how much humans had forgotten or softened about that time. But it was the faint bitterness when he spoke of the Outlander War that worried her. He was not dealing with it in a healthy way, but she didn’t know how to bring up such a deeply personal subject with him. While they were work partners and she’d even go as far as to say that
they were friends, she had no call to probe into the deeper aspects of his life. But he also appeared to be shutting off his family, closing away the horrors he had seen, rather than dealing with the scars and wounds of that time.

  She choked back the words that she wanted to say and said instead, “So the artifact is from that time?”

  “Yes. How much do you know about the Battle of Norwick?”

  Aletta thought deeply while Lirim remained silent to allow her the time she needed. Finally, she said, “It’s been a while since I studied or thought about it and I fear that humans have forgotten much of what truly occurred there. I know that the Battle of Norwick was the final battle of the war between light and dark that had raged for a hundred years. Both had fielded all of their forces and by the end of the battle, things would be decided one way or the other permanently. I know that the Brotherhood of the Light was losing and that things looked bleak. But when things looked direst, two men sacrificed themselves to contain the darkness. With the darkness contained, the Brotherhood was able to rally and the dark forces were defeated and scattered to the four winds. Shortly after this battle, the fae retreated from the world into several strongholds around the world, one of which is the Glade. Time passed and gradually the fae passed into history and then into legend, much to our shame and dishonor.”

  He offered her a half smile, “That is a debate for another day. However, do you happen to know the names of the two men who gave their lives?”