In Search of High Society

by Katie Holmburg

  Laughing, Aletta mimed locking her lips and throwing the key over her shoulder. “My lips are sealed.” Swallowing another yawn, she slipped her hand from his and stood. “I’m going to sleep. All of those numbers are looking like gibberish.”

  “All right. I’m going to try a go through at least a few more before I turn in. Sleep well.” He gave her another smile and turned his attention back to papers scattered over the table.

  Making her way out of the room, she paused and looked back at him. He was absorbed completely again and she couldn’t help the soft smile that crept across her face. She’d been so relieved when he hadn’t hated her for seeing his memories. Their interactions had returned to normal and they had even seemed to grow closer.

  She sighed quietly and forced herself to turn away, firmly reminding herself that he was not for her. Still, she couldn’t help wishing that she could be the woman lucky enough to stand by his side. She sighed again as she climbed the stairs. If only time could stand still.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Midsummer’s Day dawned bright and fair. Aletta was up with the dawn, too keyed up to sleep anymore. As she watched the grounds slowly lighten, she thought over what might happen during today. If nothing else, she was glad that she had gotten to visit the Glade and meet Lirim’s family. Rose and Alan had welcomed her as graciously and warmly as if she were one of their own children. Kane behaved like an older brother, something that she had never had but found that she quite enjoyed being treated like a little sister. And Meara. Aletta grinned just thinking of the girl. She knew that she would be writing her as frequently as she could. She’d always wanted a little sister, someone that she could coddle and dress up and commiserate with when she had boy woes.

  When the sun had risen enough that she knew the rest of the house would be stirring, she walked over to the wardrobe and pulled out the dress that she’d been saving. It was gorgeous crimson dress, it had a sweetheart neckline and two straps, leaving her arms bare. The top was fitted but the fabric flared out at the waist down to her ankles. Slipping it on, she couldn’t resist twirling and giggled when the skirt flared out around her. Something about twirly skirts made her feel like a little girl again.

  The lightest brush of eyeshadow and lip gloss and she deemed herself ready then paused. If things got a little crazy, she’d probably want her hair out of her eyes. Grabbing a hair stick, she twisted her hair up into a loose bun and secured it. Examining her reflection, she nodded approvingly and left the room.

  Making her way to the breakfast room, she was surprised to find that everyone was already gathered there. She always ate lightly before situations that could be dicey, so she helped herself to coffee and a single croissant. Crossing over to the table, she sat between Rose and Awena. Both of them looked radiant, Rose in deep green and Awena in sapphire blue. She’d barely sat when she felt someone tug her stick from her hair, letting it fall down.

  Turning swiftly, she was surprised to see Meara standing behind her with an excited expression. “Meara, what are you doing?”

  The girl giggled, “Close your eyes, it’s a surprise!”

  Unwilling to kill the mood, Aletta smiled and did as she was asked. She felt something light settle on her head and Meara deftly securing it with hairpins. Her touch disappeared and then she was back and shoving something cool into Aletta’s hands. “You can open your eyes now.”

  Aletta opened her eyes to find herself holding a silver mirror. Knowing what Meara wanted, she raised it enough so she could see what Meara had done. A wreath of tiny pale pink polyanthas roses was nestled fetchingly in her hair. She reached up and touched it delicately.

  Meara asked, her eyes alight with joy, “Do you like it?”

  Aletta grinned at her, “It’s beautiful, thank you.”

  Meara smiled mischievously, “It’s tradition for the women of the family to wear a wreath on Midsummer’s Day. It’s supposed to bring luck in love.”

  Blushing, Aletta darted a glance at Lirim before quickly looking away. She chastised, “Meara!”

  Widening her eyes in mock innocence, Meara replied, “What? You’re as good as family already. After all, not many people will put up with Lirim.”

  Noting that the other women were indeed wearing flower crowns, she couldn’t help laughing at the sprite of girl’s attempt at matchmaking. “Well, I still appreciate the gesture. It’s lovely. Did you make one for Meredith?”

  The girl grinned cheekily at her, “Kane’s already taken it over to her. Are you going to dance today? There will be dancing all day.”

  “No, still not up for dancing. You’re going to have to dance for both of us I’m afraid.”

  Meara’s face fell briefly when she remembered that Aletta was still in a cast, but her spirits couldn’t be suppressed for long and within moments she was chatting eagerly about everything she was going to do that day.

  Aletta slowly ate her croissant, making agreeing noises every so often which is all Meara seemed to need to keep going. The moment that she set her empty cup and saucer aside, Lirim was there offering her his hand to rise. Smiling, she excused herself to the others. “We’re just going to go on ahead. I need a head start where this cast slows me down. Enjoy breakfast.”

  The women smiled and waved them off, smiling. Aletta kept the smile on her face until they were down the street and safely away from the manor. Letting it slide off, she said, “Thank you for rescuing me. You were right, she never stops.”

  Lirim laughed, “She’s just excited today. It’s a big day for most fae and it’s a chance for her to meet her friends and maybe indulge in a little harmless flirtation.”

  Aletta looked at him surprised. “I’m surprised that you’re not frothing at the mouth at the idea of someone flirting with your baby sister.”

  His grin was smug, “It’s harmless because everyone knows that if there is even a hint of impropriety, I will thrash them within an inch of their lives.”

  Aletta couldn’t help but laugh. “And there is the reaction that I was expecting. You males are so territorial.”

  Leaning in, he whispered in her ear, “The same goes for you, Miss Sheridan. If anyone tries to flirt with you, I’ll have to take drastic measures. Also, that crown looks lovely on you.”

  She felt her face flush, her heart beat erratically and was unable to think of anything to say. Pulling back with a satisfied grin, he looped her arm through his and kept walking as if nothing had happened.

  She searched for a suitable reply but ended up letting it go. Who knew what ridiculous nonsense he would start spouting if she replied to him? Hearing music, she sped up and he matched her pace. Deciding that the day was too beautiful to waste trying to puzzle out what he was up to now, Aletta asked, “So, what is the plan for today?”

  His grin faded slightly at the reminder of how serious today was but didn’t disappear completely. “All of the festivities are in and around the museum today, celebrating our heritage. We’ll circulate and keep an eye out for anything suspicious. I’ve got people that I trust in strategic locations, but it’s best if we’re as mobile as possible.”

  Aletta couldn’t help glancing down. “I’m sorry that I can’t be of more help.”

  Lirim just chuckled and Aletta glared at him. He hastily composed himself but his eyes still sparkled. “I think that someone who can hold off a horde of chimas with a stick and some salt will do just fine, bad leg or not.”

  Aletta felt her blush that was just starting to fade return and stared at him. What in the world had gotten into Lirim? Shoving it from her mind, she spread her passive field and marched towards where she could hear some music. The sooner they sorted out this attempt, the sooner she could get to the bottom of what in the world was going on with him.

  * . * . *

  They strolled casually through the festival, keeping a cautious eye on things. Pretending to examine a game, Aletta murmured, “There’s a sense of anticipation rising. I think whatever is going to happen is going to happen s
oon. It feels like things are moving into position.”

  Glancing at the sky before gently nudging her to keep moving, he murmured back, “Noon, do you think?”

  “I’m not sure. Whoever is in on this, they’re shielding themselves so tightly that I cannot detect them. It’s very frustrating.”

  He smiled at her, “Easy, if we get worked up, they win. We’ll walk a little more and then we’ll head into the museum itself.”

  They paused and he bought her a cherry snow cone. She accepted it with a shy smile and they continued walking. “What about your family?”

  His eyes scanning the crowd, he said, “I talked with Kane and father last night. Anything happens, anything at all, they’ll take everyone and get them to safety.”

  Aletta admitted, “That’s a relief. I would hate for anything to happen to them. I know I haven’t known them for that long, but I already care for them deeply.”

  She saw him look at the crown but thankfully he didn’t say anything about it. “They are rather fond of you as well. Kane wasn’t too happy with the thought of me taking you into danger. It looks like you’ve acquired another protector.”

  She rolled her eyes, “Just great. Cy is bad enough, I can’t imagine adding in yet another overprotective male to the mix. However, I can’t see him leaving Meredith, so maybe I’ll only have to deal with long-distance hovering.”

  “Perhaps, perhaps not. We’ll just have to wait and see.”

  Right then the clock chimed half past eleven and Aletta was startled to realize that the morning was almost gone. Discarding what remained of her snow cone in a conveniently placed bin, she looped her arm through his. “I suppose it would be tacky to be late to the scene of someone’s dastardly heist.”

  Slipping into what she privately called his warrior mode, he nodded, “Unforgivably rude. We mustn’t keep them waiting.”

  Making their way inside, Aletta was relieved to see that the crowds were thinner in here, most people seeming to prefer enjoying the beautiful summer day outside. Making their way towards the orb room, Aletta picked up increasing tension and darkness. Batting her eyes flirtatiously, she leaned up and whispered, “Noon for sure. They’re going to try for the orb.”

  Playing with one of her curls, he murmured, “Can you tell how many?”

  Faking a pout, she pulled back. “Too many. They have the museum surrounded. They’re just waiting for a signal.”

  Checking his watch, Lirim saw that there was five minutes left until noon. He pulled her into an alcove by the entrance of the orb room where they could see everything but would be out of sight. “You ready for this?”

  Drawing her magic up until it rested just under her skin, she touched the dagger that Lirim had loaned her through the discreet slit in her skirt. Smiling at him, she said quietly, “As ready as I’ll ever be. You?”

  He seemed to fight himself for a minute before coming to a decision. Leaning down, he pressed his lips firmly to hers. Before she could respond, he pulled back and said, “Be careful.”

  Aletta stared at him in shock. Before she could even begin to formulate a reply, the clocks struck twelve.

  * . * . *

  Although they knew that it was going to happen, it was still a shock to see the group of armed men advance on the orb room. They were all wearing leather trench coats that seemed to hide several bulges. Aletta wondered crazily how she could’ve missed them. Their attire practically screamed evil henchmen. However, anything humorous was quickly killed by how they advanced in eerie silence. They surrounded the orb about five feet from the pedestal and stopped, just waiting.

  The quad of fae guarding the orb pulled their weapons. The leader stepped forward. “You gentlemen need to keep moving.”

  The fae surrounding them didn’t reply but simply stepped aside, clearing a path for the mysterious leader. As they moved, Aletta was finally able to see the person that had been causing them such grief and her jaw dropped in disbelief. Lirim’s shell-shocked whisper of “Uncle” confirmed that she wasn’t seeing things.

  Fergus stopped in front of the guards and studied them dispassionately. “Stand down and hand over the orb.”

  The guard shook his head. “No. Now why don’t you enjoy the rest of the day and we’ll forget this ever happened.”

  Fergus sniffed. “Pity.” Stepping back, he ordered flatly, “Shoot them.”

  The warriors under him pushed open their coats to reveal that they were carrying submachine guns and Aletta gasped in horror. Before any of them could raise their guns, Lirim sprang into action. “Uncle, stop!”

  Aletta jammed her hand over her mouth, stifling her instinctive cry. It was no use letting Fergus know that she was there and handing him a hostage.

  Lirim pushed through the fae uncaring of the danger and demanded, “What are you doing, Uncle?”

  Lirim’s sudden appearance disturbed Fergus’s icy mask but before she could blink, it was back in place. “This doesn’t concern you, Lirim.”

  Inserting himself in between his uncle and the guards, Lirim crossed his arms. “What do you mean it doesn’t concern me. You’re trying to steal the orb. Just tell me why you’re doing this?”

  Fergus face twisted into hatred and it was so strong that it battered against Aletta where she remained hidden. “I’m doing what we should have done years ago. Why were the fae blamed for the war and locked away, doomed to be forgotten for crimes that we did not commit? We fought for them and they forgot us, relegated us to fairy tales. Glittering tales for children, little more than footnotes in history.”

  “What are you talking about, we’ve been existing side by side for centuries now.”

  Fergus hissed, “We shouldn’t be existing side by side, they should fear us! We are stronger, faster, more powerful than worthless humans. Why should we hide from them, or exist side by side with them?”

  Lirim stared at him and said emotionlessly, “You’re mad.”

  “No, madness is asking lions to coexist with their prey or sharks not to hunt. Madness is putting shackles on those who are more to drag them down to the same level as the weakest. I’m going to use the orb to return things to the way they were meant to be. You can either stand with me or die with those who stand in my way.”

  Lirim stared him down, his expression resolute. He said quietly, “You turn your back on everything that our ancestors fought and died for. I will never allow you to take the orb.”

  Composing himself, Fergus said, “That makes us enemies. You have made your choice. We could’ve done great things together.” Moving back a step, he said, “Shoot them.”

  Aletta darted from the alcove and screamed, “No!”

  But it was too late, the clatter of machine guns firing echoing off the walls. Gathering her magic, she teleported to where Lirim was slowly collapsing, a look of shock on his face. Sobbing, she tried to stanch the blood, chanting, “No, no, no, no, no. Don’t do this. Don’t die.”

  Lirim reached up and touched her check, offering her a faint smile. “I’m sorry. It’s up to you, don’t let him get the orb. Promise me.”

  “Lirim…”

  He refused to look away, “Promise me.”

  Sobbing, she breathed, “I promise.”

  Easing him onto the floor, she lurched to her feet. Fergus was staring at her like he’d never seen her before. “You’re a Sheridan.”

  Glaring at Fergus, she yelled, “Go to hell!”

  Turning, she grabbed the orb intending to smash it on the floor. When she touched the orb, she felt a sensation like lightning sear through her and she screamed in agony. She could feel her magic streaming out of her and remembered too late what happened when healers touched the orb. Crying, she opened herself fully, allowing her magic to stream into the orb. She thought, ‘Take it, take it all but just take me too. Don’t make me stay here in a world without Lirim.’

  Her vision was fading at the edges when she felt a foreign entity brush her consciousness. Its voice was quiet and she had to strain to h
ear it. ‘Why do you cry?’

  Feeling an agony that had nothing to do with the orb rip through her, she said, ‘They killed him. They killed Lirim.’

  Another voice, this one lower, ‘Why?’

  ‘They want to use the orb to hurt people and he stood against them.’

  The voices seemed to converse amongst themselves and she wondered if she was hallucinating the whole thing. Finally, the first voice spoke again, their voice cool ‘Why did he care? Why do you care if this person uses the orb for evil or not?’

  Realizing that she was losing feeling in her arms and legs, she forced out, ‘Because, whether a person is human or fae, it doesn’t matter. Everyone deserves the chance to live to the best of their ability. Every life is precious.’

  The second voice asked, ‘Would you be willing to trade your life for theirs? For people that you’ve never met who will never know your name or what you sacrificed for them? Who probably won’t even care if they did know?’

  Aletta smiled, even as she felt tears sliding down her face. ‘Yes. Doesn’t matter if they know or even care. The choice is mine and I willingly give myself to save them.’

  Suddenly she could feel her body again as a gentle warmth enfolded her and she felt a kiss on her forehead. The first one spoke, but his voice was warm and gentle. ‘Your love and willing sacrifice have removed the curse from the orb. There is no more darkness for anyone to try and manipulate.’

  It suddenly clicked, ‘You’re Richard and Chase, aren’t you? You’ve been trapped in the orb all of this time? Are you free to leave now?’

  The second voice spoke and Aletta guessed that it was Chase. ‘We have grown rather fond of this place; I think that we shall stay as guardians. But it’s time for you to go. And for your sacrifice, for choosing to love instead of hate, your love shall be returned in kind. Go in peace.’