Mathieu (White Flame Trilogy)

by Paula Flumerfelt

  Laughing, Avian parked the carriage. “Narrie hates going to gatherings. She can’t help from being her normal…charming self.” Getting out, she waited for him before going into the building.

  It was dark inside with random knickknacks pressed tightly together: on shelves, on the floor, on counters, everywhere. It was an interesting sight, everything from obscure weaponry to soft clothing and cuddly objects. Some things squeaked with life while others lay there, waiting to be lifted and given purpose.

  “I used to come here as a kid whenever I was healthy enough. The owner is a nice older man with a son he never hears from. We all just call him Grandpa.” She edged around a rack of weird, slimy looking things.

  Mathieu lightly touched a ball of bright purple light that sat on a shelf as he passed. It made an ‘eep’ sound before skittering away, floating a few yard back. Staring at it, he waiting, keeping his hand where it was.

  Slowly, it cautiously floated forward until it had passed his hand and was a hairsbreadth from his face. It looked fluffy, yet also seemed to be made out of some sort of swirling, ethereal mist. He knew this was a façade for he had touched it a mere moment ago and it had been very solid.

  “How odd.” Mathieu smiled as it brushed against his cheek warmly in an affectionate gesture, making a soft ‘murr’ sound.

  “Well, little fella, you finally got your glow back.” A wizen old man came out from behind a shelf and smiled. He held himself up with a cane and really did seem like the grandfather type. One of his eyes was blank with blindness.

  Avian squeaked with delight. “Hi, Grandpa! How are you today?” She hugged the man around the shoulders.

  “Good, good. Haven’t seen the likes of you around here lately. Not in a good while, that’s for sure. But who’s this? And where is that lovely Narrie?” Grandpa said with a wiggle of his eyebrows.

  “Narrie stayed at the house. This is Mathieu. He’s my friend.”

  The man gave Mathieu a once over before nodding in approval. “The shop seems to like him. Tesla has been out of glow for a while now, but perked right up when your friend entered. As did Nikola.” Pointing with his free hand, a red ball of light that looked identical to the other floated around a nearby corner. “They’re a set you know. Shadowriders.”

  “Huh?” Mathieu said lamely. He would swear this man was speaking in one of the languages the Professor had been talking about earlier.

  Smiling, the man allowed the red ball to rest in his palm. “These creatures have many forms. This is their most useless. All they do is float around and sleep. They have a bigger form, like a cat, yet not; more skeletal but kind of fluffy. Shadowriders have two other forms, a medium form about the size of a large dog and finally, an armored beast body that stands taller than you or I. They’re pretty amazing. They can even communicate telepathically with those gifted enough to hear them. I personally can’t, but I’ve heard of times when their species have saved those that were listening.”

  “Shadowriders, huh…” His eyes were full of wonder at the small creature now resting in the crook of his elbow.

  Releasing the one that he held, Grandpa patted him on the back. “Tell you what, for bringing Avian to see me again, I’ll let you have them. They don’t do me any good anyway.”

  He left out that we can teleport, too. The purple ball seemed to be pulsing as the deep voice filled his head.

  Of course he did. He doesn’t know our secrets. This voice was softer, feminine.

  The first voice snorted. It’s not our fault that they are so ignorant. Useless, I swear.

  “That was rude.” Mathieu said aloud.

  Avian gave him a quizzical look. “Uh?”

  “Can’t you hear it? It said we’re ignorant.”

  Grandpa laughed. “That’s wonderful. You can hear them, can’t you?”

  “Hear who?” Avian asked, feeling left out.

  The man rolled his eyes and smacked her in the shin with his cane. “You don’t listen, do you? He can hear them, the Shadowriders.”

  Mathieu laughed, severely doubting the man’s words. “I really don’t think that I’m capable of doing that.”

  Wow, said the feminine voice, he sure has long hair. The red ball nuzzled against his hair.

  “Quit that.” He swatted at the light.

  It made a squeaking sound before hiding behind a nearby shelf.

  Not a moment later, a catlike thing stepped out from behind the unit. It made a ‘murr’ and wound around his ankles. Hello, mister. I’m Nikola. That’s Tesla. Is it true that you can hear us?

  Mathieu pondered the cat. Pushing out painfully with his mind, he felt slight warmth wrap around his consciousness, pulling him in. Hello? His voice echoed in his head oddly, reverberating into another space.

  Hello. The feminine voice replied. So you can hear us. This is

  progress.

  Hush, Nikola. We don’t talk to humans.

  Well I don’t talk to you. With a ‘humph’ Mathieu knocked the ball of light off his shoulder.

  The purple ball changed halfway through the fall, landing beside the other catlike thing. It was a bit taller and slightly bulkier, a jet black in opposition to the other’s dark reddish color. Rude.

  “Bite me.” A sharp pain shot up his leg from where the black cat bit him on the ankle. “Ow!” Growling, he picked the thing up by the scruff of its neck, staring into its eyes. “Don’t do that again.” He dropped the cat back to the floor.

  Avian was watching him intently, one hand covering her mouth to contain her giggles. “You’re just so nice, Mathieu.”

  “Yeah, yeah.” He said, mimicking her.

  Grandpa wound past the pair of them and deeper into the shop, going into the back room, “You two coming?”

  Following Avian, Mathieu peeked into the room, the cats hot on his heels. The room was cramped like the rest of the store and had a warm feeling of a home. An old wooden table sat in the center of the room, covered with old fashioned books and scraps of paper. Some of the books where thick and leather bound like the ones back at the orphanage, clearly holding many secrets.

  Mathieu picked one up, flicking through it. A faint scent of candles filtered into his nose, the pages were crisp beneath his fingers.

  Grandpa made tea while Avian cleared the table, humming as she worked. “So tell me, Avian, what brings you here? You never come without a request.” The wizen man said.

  Mathieu somewhat tuned them out, looking around. The closer he looked the more he saw. The floor and the walls had symbols carved into them, twining their way around the room; the ceiling held small cages that sat perfectly still, but Mathieu could tell things lived in them; the counter was stained with dark spots he didn’t wish to examine too closely.

  Grinning, Avian sat at the now cleared table. “You’re right. I want to know about the Western District of Korinth.”

  “The Western District?” He paused as he poured the drinks, adding mint. “Why would you possibly want to know about that? And why would you assume I know?”

  “Simple. You came from Korinth. And I want to know who runs the joint.” She said, elbows resting on the table.

  He passed out the tea before sitting. “Hm…” Grandpa blew the steam off the top of his cup. “The Western District…when I was a child, my parents and I lived in the Eastern District as farmers. No one went to the neighboring area for at the time it was a lawless area. No one controlled or ran it.”

  “But now?” Avian encouraged.

  They sat in silence while he stared into his cup.

  “Grandpa…”

  He sighed and fixed her with a look. “You don’t go telling people what I’m about to tell you, okay?” She nodded. “Good. The people of Korinth are saying that they have a god on their side. If the rumors are true, they’d have put it in the Western District. Do you know what the Spire of the Dead is?”

  “No.”

  “Yes.” Mathieu sat petting Nikola, who was curled up in his lap. “The Stairway to
the Clouds, the Sky Pillar, the Everlasting Tower. It’s said that a long time ago when Unith was still one with Korinth, the western sea boarder was a desolate area, non-cultivatable.” Nikola shifted in his lap. “But then a few years before the split, a great tower of ice started to form, climbing to the sky. It reaches above the clouds and is said to be nearly a full mile around. The area around it also changed. Mountains and ice spread out from it and the land down the rest of the coast became habitable.”

  Avian’s mouth was slightly agape. “Wow, Mathieu. Where did you learn that? I doubt that even Professor knows that.”

  He just shrugged, not wanting to talk about it.

  Grandpa nodded. “Yes, yes. So if I were going to hide away a god and protect it, that would be where I’d put it: a tower of impenetrable ice surrounded by mountains and water. Pretty good defensive positive, don’t you think? That‘s who would be running the Western District.” Tapping his cane on the floor, he looked away and at a bookcase. “Why did you want to know, anyway?”

  She smiled around her cup. “My teachers can’t answer every question, despite what my father thinks. I appreciate your time.”

  “Stay a while.” Grandpa ordered.

  ~*~

  A few hours passed before they returned to the castle, just in time for dinner. Mathieu made his way to the servants’ kitchen and was early enough to help set up and dish out the food, unlike the night before. He found the rest of the staff pleasant to be around, if a little distant. But he couldn’t blame them; he was just as hesitant with the mass of them.

  He smiled at Narrie as she entered the room and he waved to her, a plate still in his hand.

  “Hey, kid. I heard you took Avian to go see the old man. Did she coax you into going to that stupid party, as well?” Narrie helped the other girls dish up the food as they talked.

  Mathieu handed the plates to her. “She asked, but I don’t think I’m going to go. I have no idea how to act around distinguished people or anything. I come from bum-hell in the middle of nowhere.”

  Narrie swiped her finger through the mashed potatoes. “Well damn, if manners are all that you need, I can teach you those.” She popped her finger into her mouth with a delighted, yet sadistic look.

  Chapter

  Five

  “Set it.” Narrie crossed her arms and watched him closely. She perceived everything, watching Mathieu’s every movement.

  Mathieu began to set the table, doing his best to remember where everything went. He got the napkin in the right place, along with the plates, the cups and even the glasses, however, he confused the knives with the spoons and reversed the forks.

  Sighing, the brunette fixed them and asked him to name the utensils.

  After a third failed attempt, at both setting and naming, Mathieu picked up a spoon and chucked it. “This is stupid! I’ll never get this by tomorrow!” He dropped into the chair and let his forehead fall onto the table top. Tomorrow night was the gathering and Mathieu still couldn’t do a proper waltz, or tie his tie.

  Narrie laid a hand on his shoulder. “You’ll get it, I promise. You’re almost there. Just a few more tries.”

  “Forget it. I can’t do it. You’re gonna have to go.” Mathieu said in a defeated tone.

  She laughed. “You’re crazy. You really think that I’m going? You already agreed and have a suit. Suck it up.”

  Mathieu… Nikola wound around his ankle, let me go with you. I know how to set a table. I’ll tell you what to use… Her voice was a pout, nuzzling his leg. I can be a ball of light. That’s inconspicuous. Please? She whined.

  “No, Nikola, you can’t come. I’m sorry. This is an invite only party.” Leaning down, he scratched behind her ears, fingers digging into the fur.

  She nibbled his fingers affectionately. I know how to waltz. She added enticingly.

  He laughed. Her antics never failed to amuse him. “You’re too cute. We can ask Avian, but it’s up to her.”

  Nikola’s excited squeak concluded his lesson.

  Mathieu thanked Narrie for her time, giving her a quick hug, before scooping Nikola up and carried her in the crook of his elbow towards Avian’s room. He’d learned the castle by now, along with all of his charge’s favorite places to hide. Everything in the palace had a distinct rhythm to it, one that he had become accustomed to dancing within. Smiling down at Nikola, he rubbed her belly; she purred lovingly.

  A scream broke the stillness of the hallway, coming from Avian’s room. Tightening his hold on Nikola, he dashed into action. Mathieu slammed the door open with his energy, skidding into the room with almost wild eyes.

  Instead of the accosting intruder he’d expected to find, he found Avian attempting to put on her dress for the party. It was a pretty green gown that wrapped around her sensually. Except at the moment, it was half on the floor, the clasp broken in her hand. “M-Matt, it b-broke!” She was nearly in tears as she held the broken piece out. “Fix it….”Despite the catch in her throat, her tone was still demanding.

  Rolling his eyes, he took the clasp from her, as well as the dress, ignoring her partial nudity. Looking at it, he turned the two pieces this way and that. “It looks like you popped a stitch. Not a problem; I’ll ask Narrie to fix it.” Mathieu smiled encouragingly at her.

  “Thank you!” Avian wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug, kissing his cheek sweetly.

  Ask her now… Nikola brushed against him, not at all offended that he had been dropped on the floor in favor in Avian’s dress.

  If Mathieu’s mind eye could have rolled, it would have. Fine, gimme a second. “Avian…could I ask a favor?”

  “Eh?” She looked up from pulling on her pants.

  Mathieu set the gown aside. “…Could Nikola come with us? To the gathering, I mean. She really would like to go…”

  The young woman tilted her head and considered. “Ehhh, why not? We’re already going to stand out and Nikola will give us a mysterious air.”

  Then I’m coming, too. Tesla sat up from his position on Avian’s pillow, stretching languidly.

  “Oh, no you’re not. Avian said Nikola, not you.”

  Avian grinned and jumped onto the bed, cuddling and squishing Tesla in a playful manner. “Of course Tesla can come; he’s my friend.” She nuzzled him and laughed as he gave a half-hearted hiss. “Good kitty! Now.” She sat up, holding the Shadowrider captive against her chest., “Let’s go over the plan. We’ll go down to the Grand Hall at 7:30, just late enough to be fashionable, socialize until eight or so when dinner is called, dine with everyone, dance after dinner, then conclude with cocktails and more socializing. I’m hoping to meet Elise…” She kissed Tesla’s head and let him go, watching as he curled back up.

  “I really don’t want to do this.” Mathieu said as he sat beside Avian and lay back, closing his eyes. “This isn’t my thing. Grr.”

  “Too bad, you already agreed.” She lay back too and turned her face to his, grinning. “You’ll enjoy it, getting to peacock around and look cute. I’ll even let you talk to people. Maybe.” Giggling, she snuggled against him, laying her head on his shoulder. “Hey Matt…”

  “Hm?”

  “You know you’re my best friend right…?”

  He cracked an eye open and smiled at her. “You’re my best friend too, Avian.” Mathieu pressed his forehead to hers. Curled up together, Avian fell asleep.

  He didn’t know how or when, but Avian had become his best friend. They had tried to keep a wall of professionalism between them, but with their personalities, it hadn’t lasted. In fact, the first time he’d gotten up early and found her changing, it’d gone away. Mainly because she started throwing anything within reach, including undergarments. The whole thing had ended when he threw them back and she slipped on a bra that had already hit the ground. He’d caught her and they landed in a pile of panties. They laughed until neither could breathe and a companionable bond had started between them. And now, after the better part of a month together, they had become relatively
inseparable even in their down time.

  Smiling, Mathieu pet the young lady’s hair and slid out from under her, going to the window where a book she’d been reading the previous night laid discarded. He flipped it closed before setting it aside. Looking out the window, he realized how late it’d become during his little ponderings.

  The garden below him was aglow that night. Tiger lilies and bearded irises were freckled with dew, reflecting the moonlight into the air in graceful arcs. Small lights were set intermittently along the paths that wove through the garden.

  Mathieu returned to Avian and covered her with a blanket, set her glasses aside, and returned to his room once she was tucked in. The book that he’d taken from the orphanage was laying on the bedside table, open to one of the many blank pages. Night after night he’d stared at the blank pages, flipping through them. Forward, back. Back, forward. Nothing about the book ever changed except that sometimes it felt like it weighed a million pounds, especially when his mind started to wander.