Copper Ravens

by Jennifer Allis Provost

  “My Sara,” he greeted, taking my hands. “By far, you are the loveliest vision that has ever graced my eyes.” He twirled me around, and as his arm stretched, I saw the copper cuff on his wrist.

  “You’re wearing it,” I murmured, touching the token that proclaimed Micah as mine. “I worried I shouldn’t have another metal on me.” Micah’s brow quirked, then he moved my token aside and pressed a kiss to my cleavage. My breath caught, and I flushed from the roots of my hair to my toes, only to flush further at the sound of a throat clearing.

  “Real classy,” Max smirked. I’d been so intent on Micah, I hadn’t even noticed that Max and Mom were also in the room.

  “Leave them be,” Mom said, stepping forward to arrange the tendrils that always seemed to escape my hair, no matter how many clips and pins I used. “Can’t you see that he loves her?”

  At that, Micah’s cheeks darkened, but he didn’t miss a beat. “It’s true, Max,” he murmured, reclaiming me from Mom’s hairdressing attempts. “I’ve lost my heart to your enchanting sister. I only hope she’ll give me hers in return.”

  He was grave at the end, and I wondered what he really meant. Wasn’t it obvious that I loved him? I mean, I was here in the Otherworld with him, living in his house, traipsing to all these ridiculous events with him. Then his hand brushed my belly, and I understood his meaning all too well. Before I could think of anything not too horrible to say, Sadie piped up.

  “That’s great that you two are all sloppy over each other, but can we go now?” she asked. “I’d like to get this over with.”

  If Micah was offended by my lack of response, he made no mention of it. After saying our goodbyes to

  Mom and Max and extracting a solemn oath from my brother to not leave the manor until we returned, along with another oath from Mom to keep the silverkin in one piece, we were on our way.

  Earlier, Sadie had agreed to travel to the Golden Court along the metal pathways as Micah and I normally did, which was a relief. While I’d done all I could to make my copper shoes comfortable, high-heeled metal footwear was not meant for extensive walking. Besides, shouldn’t the Inheritor of Metal make use of one of her basic abilities? In my opinion, that was a firm yes.

  The metal pathway carried the three of us along, swift as a river bursting from the spring thaw, and in a short time we arrived at the Golden Court amidst other Elemental dignitaries. The entrance to the court was packed with Elementals, metal and otherwise. The first person I recognized was Ayla, the Inheritor of Fire. She was tall and slender, her lithe form swathed in rich crimson and orange silks that paled in comparison to her red, red hair. Close behind her was Old Stoney, who had granite plates affixed to his clothing like some kind of Paleolithic armor. He didn’t notice our arrival, being that he was leering at Ayla with barely-concealed lust.

  “Why are the metals all pure elements, but earth isn’t?” I asked Micah. Something—let’s be honest, many things—bothered me about Old Stoney, and I thought I’d just figured one of them out. “I mean,

  granite is made up of feldspar and quartz, but I don’t hear about any brass or pewter elementals.”

  “At times, I think you look for strife where none exists,” Micah murmured. Normally I would have been offended by the obvious brush-off, but the combination of Micah’s amused smile and his hand firmly pressed against the small of my back placated me. That, and I couldn’t risk an argument with one of the only two allies I knew I had in the Golden Court. Gods willing, a few others would step forward, and soon.

  We gained entry, and once again I marveled at the beauty of the Golden Court. If anything, it glowed even more brightly than it had during my previous visit, the golden walls and floor so shiny it seemed like we were standing inside the sun. I looked upward and saw that the roof had been retracted, filling the hall with even more golden light. I squinted at the clouds and hoped it wouldn’t rain.

  “The queen can’t afford a roof?” Sadie quipped. “Can’t she just hock a couple gold lampshades or forks to get a few bundles of shingles?”

  I laughed despite Micah’s quelling glare, and the three of us entered the main hall. It was enormous, far larger than the room Oriana had received Micah and me in for our lunch date. The walls and floor were gold, as I’d expected, but that was where the queen’s metal ended. Chandeliers of cut crystal hung from the arched ceiling, with matching sconces on the walls. Between the sconces hung solid crimson panels of fabric edged in swags of pearls and sparkling gems, and a matching carpet led up a set of steps to what I assumed would be Oriana’s throne. I, who had become accustomed to the opulence of the Silverstrand manor, gasped at the wealth before me.

  Before I could truly appreciate my surroundings, the other lords and ladies of silver arrived and nearly swarmed Micah in their adoration of him. I hadn’t realized how many others of silver there really were, having only seen a few in the Whispering Dell. But here they were, at least fifty of them, each and every one of them nobility in their own right, and Micah’s loyal subjects.

  They clustered around him, and I automatically stepped aside. Micah wasn’t about to let me hide, not this time anyway, and grabbed my hand.

  “For those of you who were not yet aware that I have taken a consort,” Micah said, drawing me beside him, “I present to you my beloved, Sara Corbeau.”

  Those of silver turned as one, and dozens of silver eyes gave me the same quizzical, sweeping gaze that I got from all the rest. They took in my copper hair, and that my belly was flat. A few females sniffed indignantly, murmuring to each other that they’d have birthed an heir or two by now; others commented upon the Lord of Silver taking up with a Raven. However, since I was just a consort, most of the crowd resumed fawning over the Lord of Silver, ignoring me in the process.

  I didn’t mind, really. At these sorts of events I preferred to remain in the background and observe, and the perfect time to do so was while Micah interacted with his subjects. Those of silver seemed truly devoted to him, so much so that they were constantly looking out for his interests.

  But where were others of copper? The ones who had sent me gifts, the ones who saw Max and Sadie and me as leaders? Micah had assured me that Oriana hadn’t ordered those of copper to keep their distance from us, but that didn’t explain the lack of a copper presence here at the Golden Court; Micah had said that all of metal were to pledge themselves to Oriana. So, why would all those of copper ignore a directive from their queen? If I was a betting woman (and I wasn’t, thanks to all the times Max had gotten beaten up), I would bet that they had been ordered not to appear.

  If I was completely honest with myself, I’d been hoping to see at least a few copper Elementals here, thus proving my suspicions against the queen wrong. That, and right now I could really use a few friends. Their absence made me feel both wrong about the queen, and wrong about having any allies.

  Somehow, someday, I am going to get something right.

  “Who is that?” I heard someone ask, indicating Sadie. “Our lord has two consorts?”

  “No,” was the reply amidst knowing laughter, “she is the consort’s sister, the Inheritor of Metal.”

  “Why doesn’t Lord Silverstrand take the Inheritor as his consort, then?” asked the first. “It would be a wise move, what with Greymalkin again making his presence known.”

  “Yes, that certainly would be shrewd,” the second stated. “Shrewd, indeed.”

  There was a small chorus of agreement, and it was all I could do not to run screaming from the hall. Remembering Oriana’s advice, I mustered what little grace I had, turned on my heel, and walked toward the nearest door, which led me to a small, enclosed courtyard, the high walls creating a gloom that matched my mood. I sank down onto one of the benches, fully intending to hide for the rest of the evening.

  I’d just gotten settled when I heard the door open and softly close, then Micah’s arms were around me. I leaned my head on his shoulder, waiting for him to ask why I was out here all alone, but he didn�
�t. After a time I sighed and told him anyway.

  “They don’t like me,” I whispered.

  “Who doesn’t?”

  “Your people. Those of silver.” I fingered the edge of his silver coat. “They think you’re wasting your time with me.”

  “I don’t care what they think,” Micah said.

  “They think you’d be better off with Sadie, since she’s the Inheritor and I’m a nobody.”

  “I don’t care what they think,” Micah repeated. He moved to look into my eyes, holding my chin so I couldn’t evade him. “Do you hear me? I do not care. I love you, my Sara, and that is all that matters.”

  “But, your people—”

  “I love them too, but I have only ever bestowed a token on one person,” he murmured, tracing the silver chain about my throat. “Only you.”

  “You never had a consort before me?” I asked, a bit bewildered.

  “It is not a situation that one enters into lightly,” he replied.

  “I thought that was what royalty did, take consorts and…such.”

  Micah’s brow furrowed. “You thought this was a temporary arrangement?”

  “Um, yes.”

  Micah sighed, then buried his face in his hands. His shoulders trembled, I thought with anger at his useless, stupid consort. Then he raised his head, laughter creasing his features, and reached inside his fancy silk shirt. He withdrew a few items, small and dull, like little pebbles. “Do you remember these?”

  I squinted in the dark, my breath catching as I recognized the three pennies I’d given him that day before the Lovers’ Pine. “You kept them?”

  “Of course. They were the first things you’d ever given me, freely and without expectation.” He dropped them into my palm, then tightly closed my hand around them. “At the time, I hoped they were given with love.”

  “They were,” I murmured. Though I hadn’t realized it at the time, I’d fallen fast and hard for my silver elf. “I thought they weren’t good enough for you. That’s why I made you the cuff.”

  “They were—they are—perfect. But the cuff is nice too.” We laughed at that, then Micah reclaimed the pennies and slipped them once more against his heart. “You see, my love, I have never considered us to be anything but permanent. As soon as you are with child, you will be my wife. My only wife,” he added, pressing a kiss to my temple.

  I so did not want to have the baby talk here, so I opted for a drastic subject change. “Your people, they were also talking about Old Stoney hanging around again. What’s that all about?”

  Micah’s face clouded. “He was Ferra’s lover.”

  Those two? Oh, ick. “Does that mean he helped the iron bitch capture Oriana?”

  “Yes. He is now embroiled in the arduous task of begging for her forgiveness.” Micah smoothed back my hair. “Do you understand?”

  “About Stoney?”

  “About us.”

  I sighed; that was all the subject change I was going to get out of him. I took his hand onto my lap, pushing up his sleeve and tracing the copper cuff he wore. It was my first real experiment with the metalwork that was my birthright, not to mention my first real defiance of the Peacekeepers. Oh, sure, I’d done little things, like rig up my Picture Vision to watch prewar movies and cut the government tracker out of my arm, but those were different. They had been nothing but petty acts of defiance, a child thumbing her nose at her elders. The magic I’d used to make the cuff was real defiance, defiance that could have gotten me killed, or worse. And I’d done it all for him. What’s more, I’d do it all again, that and more.

  “I understand that I love you, and I will rip to pieces anyone who stands between us,” I said softly. “More than anything, Micah, I am yours.”

  He kissed me then, with far more passion than I imagined was normally seen in the Gold Queen’s courtyard. After a few more moments of calm happiness, I said the other terrible thing that was on my mind.

  “Micah, there’s no one of copper here.”

  His arms tensed around me. “I know.”

  We didn’t discuss it further, being that if Oriana, or someone close to her, really was ordering others of copper to stay clear of the Corbeaus, her courtyard during a gala event wasn’t really the ideal place to examine her motivations. Micah kissed me once more, then we returned to the hall stuffed full of non-copper Elementals. Instantly my eyes landed on Old Stoney, who was hitting on my sister.

  “Sadie!” I exclaimed, having crossed the floor in record time. Maybe copper shoes are made for speed. “I’ve been looking for you!” I plastered a giant grin across my face, alternately staring at her and Stoney.

  “Have you?” Sadie countered, her irritation at being abandoned plain. “Grey here has been nice enough to keep me company while you two were wandering off.”

  “Grey? Oh, yes. He knew Ferra, you know.” Old Stoney’s face went stone cold, pardon the pun. I found that I liked irritating him, so I babbled on, “Yes, they were great friends. Allies, even. Do you know our father, Grey? A copper man by the name of Baudoin Corbeau?”

  Old Stoney responded by trying to eviscerate me with his eyes. When that failed, he offered Sadie a shallow bow. “Good evening,” he muttered, then he stalked off to other rocky sorts.

  “Do you think he knows what happened to Dad?” Sadie whispered.

  “Very little about him would surprise me,” Micah replied, joining the two of us. “He is a devious man, loyal to no one. Ah,” he said, nodding toward the dais, “our queen has arrived.”

  I followed Micah’s gaze, and indeed Oriana was ascending the dais to her throne, looking like nothing so much as a fairy-tale queen. I remembered that cold morning three months past when she was hauled out of the oubliette; she’d been shrouded in darkness for so long she had been practically blind and had snapped and clawed at her rescuers like a feral beast. Since the gold had been stripped from her body after her capture, restoring her element was crucial to her recovery, physically as well as mentally. To my horror, the newly-free Oriana had been immediately bound immobile with golden chains and a cairn of gold built above her.

  At first, I’d thought such actions foolish. How could a heap of metal cure one’s crazed state, and wouldn’t she suffocate? Well, cure her it had, as was well evidenced by the graceful being before me. Oriana’s golden hair was loose, cascading down her back in heavy waves, her blue eyes reflecting the same sun-colored hue. Her arms and shoulders were bare, showcasing her mark from her golden fingers to the spiraling tendrils that glinted on her shoulders. Of course, Oriana wore her element in her clothing, her choice being a golden breastplate over a deep crimson skirt.

  “She’s so beautiful,” Sadie murmured. “I used to think Mom was of gold, what with her hair.”

  “Me too.” I squeezed Sadie’s hand, and Micah escorted the two of us as we navigated amongst the other Elementals. It was quite the daunting task, since everyone wanted to make the Metal Inheritor’s acquaintance, toast her good health, and offer her their assistance in whatever tasks she might need. Imagine their surprise when all she asked for was donations to her nascent library.

  Those who weren’t immediately enamored with Sadie desired a few moments of Micah’s time, inquiring about matters of silver politics that I hadn’t even been aware of. Apparently, the Whispering Dell was one of the richest communities in the Otherworld, due in no small part to Micah’s management of the land and its resources. I’d known that Micah was wealthy, but I’d never appreciated just how wealthy, or that Micah was what we in the Mundane world would call a shrewd businessman. While Micah talked shop, and Sadie talked books, I stood there with a smile on my face and tried to stay out of the way.

  After an endless barrage of politics and well-wishers, and my cheeks aching from holding on to my false smile, an excited murmur rolled across the hall. Naturally, all eyes turned toward the queen. Upon the dais, Oriana rose from her throne, her golden breastplate melting away. With a flick of her wrists, her golden nails elongated and b
ecame ten wickedly sharp blades. Another flick, and she slashed herself above her heart. Sadie gasped and grabbed my hand while I tried to retain enough composure for both of us.

  “What’s going on?” I asked Micah.

  “It is time to pledge ourselves to our queen,” he replied, loosening his shirt to expose his chest. I watched those closest to Oriana and discerned what sort of a pledge this was. Each supplicant approached the queen, also with a bared breast, and those golden nails slashed above the supplicant’s heart. Oriana touched her own breast, then her subject’s, thereby creating a blood bond with her people. As far as Otherworldly ceremonies went, this was a piece of cake.

  “I can’t do it,” Sadie said.

  “It’ll only be a minute,” I soothed. “No one’s going to see you.”

  “It’s not that,” she said, taking a step backward. “The blood…all that blood.”

  “Sadie.” She looked at me, her brown eyes full of irrational fear. “You must. You’re the Inheritor.”

  “I won’t,” she whispered, though it was still loud enough for all those nearby to hear.

  “What’s the matter?” growled Old Stoney. He had fully opened his robe, showing off his gigantic stone member as it knocked against his thigh. “Afraid we won’t keep our hands to ourselves?”

  “Speak to my consort, or her sister, in such a way again,” Micah said, putting himself between the moronic boulder and us, “and I shall take issue.” While Old Stoney was still too incensed to reply, Micah turned to Sadie and me.

  “Sadie, stand between Sara and me,” he instructed. “We shall pledge our queen as one.”

  Sadie insisted that she couldn’t do it, but Micah was unrelenting and practically dragged her through the throng of Elementals. The crowd parted for the three of us, murmuring of the implications of the Silver Lord and Metal Inheritor approaching the queen together. We were doing well, walking with our heads held high and not noticeably dragging Sadie, until we stood at the foot of the dais. At the sight of Oriana’s naked blood-smeared breasts, Sadie squeezed her eyes shut and pressed her face against Micah’s shoulder. Only his arm about her waist kept her from running. Micah and I shared a look, then we locked hands behind Sadie’s back and hauled her up the steps.