The Tattered Lands

by Barbara Ann Wright

  Or did they? Lilani’s words about living while not living hinted that the seelie had their own problems, but maybe a human couldn’t comprehend them.

  Vandra didn’t intend to let that stop her from trying. “Do you think I could visit your people? Or they could visit Parbeh, the city where I live.”

  “Van,” Pietyr said, a warning in his tone. She knew what he meant. She wasn’t an ambassador; she shouldn’t be setting up meetings with other species.

  Vandra glanced at him, noting his warning glare. Even Fieta seemed concerned now. “This isn’t politics. It’s alchemy.”

  Fieta barked a laugh while Pietyr sighed, but they both quieted.

  Vandra looked ahead again, seeing not only the dead pylon but time slipping away. “I found this piece of metal—”

  Lilani held up a hand, keeping Vandra from taking off her pack. “I can feel it.”

  Interesting. Vandra let her pack swing back behind her and wondered how long Lilani had been watching. And since Lilani had broached the subject… “Can you feel syndrium, too? My detector seems to know when you’re around.”

  Lilani’s face scrunched up as if she feared what she might say. Vandra felt a spike of annoyance. Not wanting to talk about personal issues was one thing, but she didn’t have time to tread lightly around anyone’s sensibilities where the pylons were concerned, even very attractive people whom she desperately wanted to know better.

  That thought kept her from barking out any demands. “Please.”

  Lilani sighed. “It’s probably the magical field that surrounds all seelie, that allows us to shroud.” She gestured to her hair moving on its own around her shoulders. Before Vandra could ask, Lilani said, “I need to speak with my mother, the seelie empress, before I say more.”

  That put Vandra back on her heels. She hadn’t realized she was talking to royalty.

  “Wait,” Fieta said. “Did she just say her mother is the empress? Of the seelie?”

  “Who else would she be the empress of, dummy?” Pietyr asked.

  Before Fieta could fire back, Vandra glared at them both. “I’m regretting bringing you two along!”

  “I’m surprised you remembered us at all when you have books to talk about,” Fieta said, returning her glare.

  Pietyr cleared his throat and nodded toward Lilani. She was staring at nothing, and Vandra wondered if she realized what a risk she’d taken by telling them who her mother was, how valuable a hostage she’d make in the wrong hands. Vandra would never do such a thing, but if the fate of humanity grew darker, and the seelie held the keys to keeping the pylons intact…

  Vandra stepped close. “Don’t mention that your mother is the empress to anyone else.” Lilani looked at her curiously, but Vandra shook her head. “Trust me.”

  Lilani nodded slowly. She seemed about to speak again, then stopped and held up a hand, her eyes wide with fear. “Don’t move, Vandra, Fieta, Pietyr. They’ve come.”

  Chapter Eight

  The grass rippled, the movement too uniform to be the wind. Lilani swallowed her fear for Vandra and took a few steps forward. She couldn’t spot a shimmer no matter how hard she searched. Only the Guard could shroud so definitively.

  Cobbled from soldiers of all the seelie enclaves, the Guard had at least a millennium’s worth of experience between them. Lilani didn’t know any of them well, though she’d spoken to all at one time or another. And none was exactly easygoing.

  “I’m unharmed,” Lilani said in the seelie tongue, repeating it in human speech. She gestured to Vandra and her siblings who’d wisely halted, weapons sheathed. “They were escorting me home.”

  Fieta muttered something. Vandra shushed her. All three stared intently into the grass, but they had less chance of seeing the Guard than Lilani did. Still, along with fear, Vandra also had an intense curiosity in her gaze that reminded Lilani of herself.

  The grass ceased moving, but no seelie appeared. Lilani stood between the two groups, her hand out to keep Vandra from following.

  “I’ll speak to my mother on your behalf,” Lilani said with a last smile for Vandra. “You will hear from me again.”

  Vandra seemed torn. “We can’t wait here. We have to get back to Parbeh.” She gestured to the distance. “It’s the large city to the southeast.”

  Lilani thought for a moment. Her mother would never approve of her inviting humans to the Court. And with the shrouding magic inside the bones of the Highpeak, she didn’t know if they would make it, anyway. But she needed to say something. She tried to think like her mother. Even if the humans fixed the dead pylon, more would come to make sure nothing happened to the others. Humanity wasn’t going to go away. Change was upon the seelie whether they liked it or not.

  “We’ll come to Parbeh.” Now that Lilani had said it, her mother would have to agree. “A delegation.”

  Vandra’s shoulders relaxed as if she’d anticipated a far worse answer. Her smile faded as she glanced beyond Lilani at an invisible Guard that could kill her without showing themselves. “We’ll watch for you.” She chuckled a little at the joke, but Lilani’s mother might very well send a group of shrouded seelie before an actual delegation. “And I’ll have a word with…” Vandra’s mouth worked as if she didn’t know how to finish that sentence. “Someone important.”

  Lilani had to smile. Human politics were probably a lot like seelie politics, except debates couldn’t rage for centuries with the same participants. “As will I.”

  Then the only thing to do was say good-bye. Lilani didn’t want the Guard to become nervous, but being close to Vandra had been so much more fulfilling than seeing her from afar. Strands of her thick, dark hair had come undone from its tidy braid, and Lilani had to stop herself from stepping forward and tucking it back where it belonged. She’d be so beautiful with her hair free as she ran, as she and Lilani tumbled to the forest floor together…

  Heat rose in Lilani’s cheeks. She gathered her magic, shrouding. Vandra’s eyes widened, but Lilani didn’t stay to watch her gawk. She hurried toward the Seelie Forest, hearing faint shuffling as the Guard gathered around her.

  Inside the trees, Lilani let the magic fall, happy that Vandra wouldn’t witness her embarrassment as she leaned on her knees and breathed hard. She’d shrouded too much lately, and cramps clutched at her from feet to crown. Six members of the Guard appeared, including Captain Lucian. He stood head and shoulders above her and arched a thin blond eyebrow in her direction. His intricately carved leather armor could be mistaken for a dress piece until one looked closely and saw the scratches and worn edges along the dark brown surface; it had seen nearly as many battles as the seelie who wore it.

  His pale face remained mostly inscrutable as he looked at her, his mild green eyes without reproach or commendation. That was a bad sign. He usually had a friendly word; that raised eyebrow was probably a question about her state of health.

  “I’m all right,” she said.

  He nodded. When she was a child, he’d knelt before her, cautioning her gently about climbing certain walls or trees. She’d often woken up to find him in her house, though a few years passed before she realized that meant he’d spent the night with her mother. One night, in the midst of some crisis or another, he’d read to her from her favorite book as her mother rushed around.

  Now he nodded toward the forest, and Faelyn stepped out from behind a clump of trees. When their eyes met, he opened his mouth, but before the lecture could come, she spoke over him.

  “I need to speak with my mother.”

  Faelyn’s mouth shut with a snap, and he drew himself straighter. “Exactly what I was going to suggest.” He fell into step with her as she strode past. Lucian followed with the other guards fanning around them.

  “Your new friends came very close to death today,” Faelyn said.

  “I know.” Lilani eyed Lucian’s weapons, all black-flecked steel imbued with syndrium. It was said that even the sight of such a weapon caused a human to quake. “It was worth th
e risk to meet Vandra and her siblings. They’re only trying to help their people.”

  The Guard stayed silent, but they were no doubt paying attention. Lilani spoke briefly of what Vandra had said, stressing that she hadn’t known the seelie were involved in the construction of the pylons. Faelyn’s expression went grim, and by the way he eyed her, he wasn’t certain she should have told the humans about Awith. She didn’t want to argue; she’d get all the disagreement she needed from her mother.

  Daylight was failing by the time they reached the Court, but the Guard didn’t disperse until they came within sight of Lilani’s door. That didn’t bode well; her mother must have given them very specific instructions. Maybe they’d linger outside to make sure she didn’t leave again.

  Faelyn waited at the door as she went inside. Another bad sign. He’d seen her receive more than a few lectures. She must be in for something truly embarrassing this time. Lilani closed the door gently, listening. No sound came from the stairway to the second level, but she heard the sound of pacing from the solarium to the right. She tiptoed that way, peeking into the glass-ceilinged room crowded with plants and comfortable divans. It was a perfect reading room, completely relaxing, but after tonight, Lilani doubted she’d see it that way for a long time.

  Her mother paced, wringing her hands, her hair a whirlwind around her shoulders. Lilani wanted to run away but made herself step in and clear her throat. Her mother whirled around, eyes wide. Lilani steeled herself, but her mother ran toward her and pulled her into an embrace.

  Lilani paused before returning the hug. Her mother had never been cold, but physical shows of affection had become rare as the years went by. Before Lilani could sigh in relief, her mother stepped back.

  “What were you thinking?”

  Lilani almost asked, “About what?” but now was not the time to try her mother’s patience. She launched into her tale, not giving her mother time to ask questions or censure her. She emphasized how the tattered lands made her feel, how they couldn’t live with such corruption surrounding them. She said the pylons should be repaired, adding that Faelyn agreed with her. Silently, she hoped he would forgive her for using him.

  Her mother stared when the tale was done, seemingly stunned. At last, she sat on one of the divans, her hair only fluttering now. She rested her hands on her knees and leaned far forward, staring at the floor.

  “You told them we would come to them, help them.” She breathed deep and stared at Lilani with eyes like bottomless wells.

  “I had no choice! The tattered lands—”

  “Do not lecture me about the tattered lands!” Her mother stood and paced again, so much magic swirling around her that it fluttered the drapes and turned the plants into a roomful of whispers. “I know how it feels to walk among the corruption. I fled south with my enclave before my father’s death, then I returned to rescue the injured from other enclaves. I carried them on my back through miles of despair!” She shouted, and Lilani could nearly feel the chill winds of the tattered lands gusting around her. “I remember the eyes of those who could not shroud and were twisted into nightmares, their own magic used against them!” She turned furious eyes in Lilani’s direction.

  Lilani fought the urge to look away. She swallowed hard, letting the pain of a dry throat center her. “I know what you sacrificed, Mother. And you know what’s at stake far better than me. You know that living next to the tattered lands, trying to keep them out after they have consumed everything, will be a far worse fate than living next to humanity.”

  Her mother spread her arms as if taking in the whole world. “So, she has met some humans and is now an expert, so much more knowledgeable than those of us with centuries behind us. She knows more than the maimed, than the relatives of those who have been murdered.”

  Patience, Lilani tried to tell herself, but her own magic was edging up. She hated it when her mother spoke as if she wasn’t in the room. She thought they’d left that particular tactic behind years ago. She arched an eyebrow. “Yes, I know more about these humans than anyone.”

  Her mother’s mouth slipped open. She blinked as if she hadn’t heard correctly.

  Lilani held up a hand. “How long has it been since anyone else has spoken to a human? Were there any after Awith? Because every human she knew is likely dead. So yes, I’m the current expert because my humans are alive. They are nothing like any human who came before them because—as you have often told me—humans are always changing. And this current crop has asked very politely for our help.” She lowered her tone, stepped close, and took her mother’s hand. “I’m not suggesting we open our borders. I will remember the stories. I’ll keep my eyes open and my heart closed.” She swallowed, seeing a flash of Vandra and not knowing if she could keep that promise. “I will remember what Awith and those who criticized her said. The point is, we have to work with the humans if we’re going to keep the tattered lands from surrounding us.” She swallowed and launched ahead with something her mother might more easily embrace. “Maybe after we help them, we can expand our borders, make more cautious forays into the human lands. Maybe we’ll grow again.”

  Her mother frowned but didn’t take back her hand. She had to be thinking of the book of births and deaths, how the numbers rarely moved. “I should never have shown you Awith’s journal. You’re far too young and impressionable. You wouldn’t see what I wanted you to see.”

  Lilani chuckled. “I thought that was why you gave it to me.”

  Her mother only shook her head. “And I suppose you want to be part of this delegation?”

  More than anything, but she tried to keep her face neutral. “Like it or not, my feet are already on this path. I need to see it to the end, Mother.”

  “I will not have humans here.” Her finger stabbed at the floor. “No matter how amiable they may be. If they see what we have, they will want it. Oceans of them will beg for us to shroud them, and we cannot possibly host them all.” Her eyes went distant again. “They try to take what we won’t give. They can’t understand that without us, there is no magic.”

  Lilani squeezed her mother’s hand, unwilling to let this conversation become lost in the past again. “I made it clear we’d come to them.”

  “By the elders.” Her mother put a hand to her forehead. “A group of my people in human hands.” She stared hard at Lilani. “My only child.”

  Lilani tried to hide her excitement, moved by her mother’s worry and wanting to acknowledge it but also wanting her mother to hurry up and agree. “I already know three of them. How hard can it be to win the others over?”

  “Is this the time for jokes?”

  Probably not, but Lilani had never felt so close to getting something she desperately wanted, something important. “Slaughtering the delegation won’t help them at all. Surely they’ll see that.”

  Her mother sighed. “That won’t stop them from imprisoning you and trying to force you to teach them how to shroud, and they won’t believe you when you tell them they cannot. Or they’ll use you as a hostage against me.”

  Lilani thought of Vandra’s chilling words about revealing her identity. She wouldn’t tell anyone else and hoped Vandra didn’t either. “They won’t need to threaten us if we’re already helping them.” She sighed, hoping her chances to be part of the delegation hadn’t entirely slipped away. “These are not the humans of old. Even if they’re no better, they’re generations removed from old grudges. All they have are stories, and we can combat those with new tales of helpfulness and camaraderie.”

  “And a host of guards carrying enough weaponry that even the stupidest human will keep their distance.”

  That sounded reasonable, though Lilani didn’t think it would be wise to march with an army’s worth of seelie. She needed enough guards to make their party a respectable, intimidating size, but she said nothing, seeing the way before her brighten.

  “And Faelyn will go to keep you in check.”

  Lilani nodded at that, too. She could get around h
im when she needed, and he was sympathetic to her cause. The Guard would be harder to manage. They wouldn’t be moved by pleas or good humor. She supposed that was for the best. She didn’t know her way around this city of Parbeh. She would need protection, and the human leaders might not be as accommodating as Vandra. A show of force would be required to show that the seelie meant business.

  With a smile, Lilani put her arms around her mother again and resisted the urge to squirm when minutes slipped past, and her mother’s embrace didn’t loosen.

  * * *

  Never had traveling felt so grating to Vandra. Her wish to remain gone from Parbeh for an extended period seemed years in the past. Now, she wished there was some formula that would let her return home in an instant. There was so much to do. She had to speak to Ariadne, study the tattered metal, research whether or not someone could have replaced the pylon without anyone knowing, and find a way to either reignite the dead pylon or build a new one. And she’d authorized a seelie visit to Parbeh! She’d didn’t have that authority. Ariadne didn’t even have that authority, but the seelie were still coming.

  As they made camp that night, worry twisted Vandra’s stomach. By the gods, there were so many stupid ways a human might react to a seelie visit. The seelie were coming to help, so it didn’t make sense to treat them badly, but in Vandra’s experience, people who worked outside of the university rarely made sense.

  Even the ones inside spoke nonsense now and again.

  “How many invisible warriors do you think there were?” Fieta asked.

  Vandra blinked at her, at the camp. She’d nearly forgotten the physical world existed. They’d hurried away from the Seelie Forest, stopping in a secluded copse before nightfall. It reeked of whatever animal had used it before them, but Vandra supposed it was easier on the twins’ nerves than being inside a forest surrounded by invisible opponents.

  Staring into the fire, Pietyr shrugged. “More than one. I could see the grass moving, but it was hard to tell. I smelled leather oil.”