Strange though it was, Caed answered Cromwell’s summons. It was rare that the lich asked for him, usually preserving his time for Veleria instead.
Touch this letter. Tell me who wrote it.
On the table in front of him, Cromwell tapped an armored finger beside a piece of parchment. Wrinkled, it had been handled multiple times, by different sets of hands. He and Istvar would have to jump between multiple handlers just to arrive at the conclusion the lich was seeking.
“Sure,” said Caed warily. He approached the desk, removed a glove, and gently placed four of his fingers on the open letter.
The first person he saw was Melissa, not Cromwell. In fact, he never saw their benefactor, as if not once did he touch the letter. This made little sense, though Caed did not dwell on this minor fact. He and Istvar continued to delve into an avian familiar, then into Adrian. After him, a man he did not recognize but immediately tagged the tattoo as part of the Giarmund flock. They accompanied one last courier until yet another familiar carried the letter.
This last one brought them to their final destination. The author was sitting at a vanity as they wrote, allowing Caed to see their face through the mirror.
It appeared to be a woman though Istvar swiftly corrected him. They were neither. Long, well-washed white hair threw him off, as did the more feminine features of their face. Their chest was solidly flat beneath their black leathers and, while they were slender, their build was rather masculine.
Normally they did not have their face exposed, so it took Caed a moment to recognize them.
“Corvus,” said Caed upon removing his hand from the letter. “One of Alk’Hath’s sorcerers.”
I see. What can you tell me of them?
“Wide range of sorceries on this one. Not to mention they used to work for Reaver, then Adrian for a bit, so Corvus has a fair handle on alchemy. They make a damn fine source.” Caed crossed his arms over his chest. “Think they’re tryna grab our guy? What the hell for?”
Veleria, perhaps…I do not understand why. The information she harbors is already well known to me.
Cromwell tapped his fingers together. The sound reverberated throughout the room, threatening Caed with a budding headache. He left without further conversation.
There were a few things that the sorcerer had kept to himself. Mainly, what he and Raker had discussed prior to their spat. Cromwell was over thinking the situation. It was far more simple than he could ever know.
He stood before Veleria’s door. Following a knock, she answered, and allowed Caed entrance with few words exchanged. They kissed, deeply, longingly, until Veleria was below him. He did not go any further despite him palming her breasts.
“This may sound strange, but I want a further look into your relationship with the sorceress.” He told her while his free hand brushed a few strands of black hair from her lips. “It might help shed some light on recent events.”
“Are you sure?” Veleria asked through a whisper. With a nod, Caed kissed her neck and lied down beside her. “If you think it will help.”
He took her hand in his and allowed Istvar to dive.
* * *
With a simple flick of her wrist, the wall before Alk’Hath slid into the one beside it. Sunlight flooded the corridor much to her surprise, with Veleria nearly catching her breath in her throat upon seeing the landscape before her. Luscious grasses swayed steadily in the wind. Hints of reds, purples, and other vibrant colors scattered throughout, flowers of various seed that Alk’Hath appeared to enjoy.
As they walked out, the sorceress smelled some of the plants along their way, pausing to show Veleria bundles of lavender that were currently occupied by multiple bees mid-pollination.
“Did you plant all of this?” Veleria asked.
“Most of it, yes, although I have had assistance from others in the past.”
She continued to lead the way, weaving herself and Veleria throughout a maze of color. Moments later they found a shaded nook enclosed by hedges. There was a padded dual swing with numerous books stacked beside it in a woven container. The sorceress took the seat on the left, and gestured for Veleria to join her on the right cushion. She did so, averting her gaze from Alk’Hath until the woman set a gentle hand down on her leg.
“Please my dear, you needn’t look away. You are no servant of mine.” The sorceress offered her a red-lipped smile, then glanced out towards the floral scene, taking her hand from Veleria’s thigh to place it on her own. “You are the first person to see all this in such a long time.”
Veleria finally looked at the sorceress.
“Why?”
Alk’Hath set the swing in motion. They began to rock back and forth while the lady laid her head back against the cushions and closed her eyes.
“When she was young, the girl without a name begged Phosryn the Arbiter for a friend unlike herself. I wonder if he finally saw fit to grant her wish.”
* * *
Caed stared at Veleria while she slept beside him. He thought back to his conversation with the shifter, recalling how Raker had referred to the woman beside him as a doll. A pet. It was short, what he had seen, but Caed knew better than to trust the judgment of a lunatic.
Things had changed around the demesne when Veleria was hired. Growing less harsh day by day, anyone could see that Alk’Hath was more content. That was, until Veleria was slain.
Rumors were rife in her circle. Mostly that she had been bred, specifically consummated in an effort to produce a sorcerer or sorceress of incredible power, a deal made with the Arbiter unlike any before.
The girl without a name.
Was it possible that Alk’Hath had been born without receiving judgment? It would certainly alienate her from others of her ilk, and if her parents had pushed her towards becoming what she was now, then a friend without magical prowess such as Veleria might be exactly what she would have wanted.
Someone who might be able to see her as a person rather than an object of fear.