Lady Churchill's Rosebud Wristlet No. 26 by Gavin J Grant

Author:Gavin J Grant [Grant, Gavin J. & Link, Kelly]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: LCRW, science fiction, zine, fantasy, historical, Short Fiction
Publisher: Small Beer Press
Published: 2010-11-16T05:00:00+00:00

There was no sound or flash. There were simply more people. The guards appeared with knives drawn and fanned through the room, sniffing for iron. When they were satisfied one of them nodded and spoke a few syllables. The rest of Reva’s court appeared in order of precedence. Aldram fell to his knees as he read the rank insignia on their sashes; they represented some of the oldest houses in the Other Realms.

Lord Reva was the last to appear. He had one hand pressed to a mask that covered his mouth and nose. Reva was wearing a coat of spotless white, covered in delicate golden tracery.

Aldram’s gaze dropped to the floor. He was conscious of his stained human overalls and the hair clinging to his face. He had spent so much time preparing the corpses that he hadn’t been able to change into proper fairy clothing.

Footsteps approached, and he had to strain to hear Reva’s muffled voice. “These ones seem different,” Reva said.

“Oh, but they are very young,” Aldram said. “Good for many more years than the normal lot. I spared no effort in finding you the very best vessels.”

“You handled them yourself?” Reva said, his voice rising in pitch.

“No, no. My assistant, a human, he prepared them for you. I don’t soil myself with …”

“I would expect one of your kind to associate with humans.”

This was going all wrong. “But there have always been indentured humans,” Aldram said. “For as long as I’ve been here. Hundreds and hundreds of years. We need them to do work fairies can’t do.”

“You are a fairy only in name, changeling.”

Aldram had been born in the mortal realm. But he came out wizened and old, withdrawn and given to violent fits. His bewildered parents had tried to drown the fae out of him. Instead the fae came for him. To rescue him, he’d thought.

Reva turned back to the corpses. “The coloring of these vessels is peculiar.”

“I got you only the youngest, the freshest, the best. No one can select a host better than me,” Aldram babbled. In his frantic gesturing, Aldram’s fingertips grazed against Lord Reva’s sash.

He had enough time to hope that no one had noticed before gasps erupted from the court. Reva reared back, his mouth hanging open. He gestured at a guard, who struck Aldram in the stomach.

Aldram collapsed to the floor. He gasped, trying to pull breath from his constricted chest, and scrambled to prostrate himself before the other guards could join in.

The next blow never came. Lord Reva said, “How much human trash has passed through those fingers? If you ever lay hand upon me again, you will not survive the gesture.” One of the courtiers was gingerly removing Reva’s sash. The courtier let it drop and muttered a syllable. It ignited before hitting the floor.

Reva continued, “I would give you to the flames as well. But we need you to handle the filth.”

Reva paced back and forth along the row of corpses. Aldram kept his head pressed to the floor.

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