87. Aareth
EIGHTY-SEVEN
AARETH
Sloan had left without him. What did he really expect? Sloan had a job to do. He could respect that. But that didn’t mean it was going to stop him. He would search for his wife on his own. Even now, the thought of her haunted him. It was her, without a doubt in his mind.
Along with the images of her face came pain for whatever they had done to her. Something very deep, very dark had touched her, erased all memory of him from her mind.
The pain Aareth endured from the night before was nonexistent. No bruising from the many strikes of The Order showed on his face or his ribs. If anything, Aareth felt better than before. Mentally, he was struggling to hold on to his sanity; physically, he was in peak condition.
Aareth took the Queen’s advice, allowing himself a few hours of sleep and whatever food he could shove into his mouth before he left the palace once again.
A soldier had tried to follow him under the pretense of being his designated “escort.” Aareth had lost the man somewhere in the city streets. He had no time to be bothered, and even less patience.
When Elwood approached him out of the teeming mass of New Hope citizens, Aareth almost walked right over him.
The gnome was wearing a blue shirt and red pants. He pulled on Aareth’s pant leg urgently. High-pitched gibberish followed this motion.
“I don’t know what you’re saying.” Aareth shook his pant leg in hopes of freeing himself from the gnome. “Let me go, little man. You’re causing a scene.”
Elwood gripped tighter, his knuckles turning white under the pressure.
People were, in fact, beginning to take notice. Gnomes weren’t that out of the ordinary in New Hope; they were, however, a minority and usually stayed in their own section of the city.
“I’m busy.” Aareth glared at the gnome. “If you don’t let go of my leg, I’m going to punt you down this block.”
Elwood chattered again. This time, he reached behind his back with his free hand. When it came forward, it held a letter.
Aareth accepted the folded piece of paper. It was thick, white parchment with a red wax seal. Stamped into the wax was a symbol of a bird: a phoenix.
Without delay, Aareth ripped open the letter.
My friend Aareth,
If you’re reading this letter, it means Elwood has found you. Furthermore, it means that you have no idea what he is trying to tell you and hopefully you didn’t punt him down the city block.
Aside from that, I have news for you concerning your condition. We need to meet, post-haste, away from the palace. If the Queen knows what I know about you now, you may not be permitted to leave.
Meet me at the Dogwood corner café. I’ll be sipping an espresso outside on the patio. Elwood can show you the way if you haven’t squished him yet. Come quickly, Aareth, the news I have for you is terrifying.
Your best friend in the world,
Edison Reeves the Younger
It wasn’t finding his wife, but if Edison finally had answers to what had happened to him in Burrow Den, Aareth couldn’t pass the opportunity by.
“Okay, lead the way, little man.” Aareth squatted down to look the gnome in the face. “Sorry about being so aggressive with you. It’s been a hard few days for me.”
Elwood reached up and gently patted Aareth’s stubbly face. More gibberish escaped his lips, but his tone was comforting.
Elwood turned his back, motioning Aareth to follow. The gnome and inspector traveled toward the cafe, staying on the sidewalk to avoid the bulk of the day’s traffic.
Horses pulled carriages, vendors shouted their wares, which ranged anywhere from fruit to shoes, and still Aareth’s thoughts wandered back to Brenda. Even in the face of finding answers as to what he was becoming, the image of his wife couldn’t be shaken.
Luckily for Aareth, The Dogwood Café was only a few blocks from their current location. Elwood directed him to a brightly painted outside patio. A handful of tables and chairs made up the outside section of the café.
Aareth searched the faces of the patrons seated at the tables, without finding the familiar face of his friend.
Before he could ask Elwood, the gnome directed him to a table at the far end in the corner. Shade from the building’s roof draped the area in shadow.
Aareth found himself sitting across from a woman in a light pink dress and a huge bonnet that covered her face. Two empty espresso cups sat on the table in front of her.
“Don’t make a scene.” Edison’s voice came from somewhere deep within the bonnet. “We’re just two girls out for a morning espresso, or three.”
“Edison, is that you?” Aareth leaned in to try to get a glimpse inside the bonnet. What he saw was horrifying.
Edison Reeves had shaved his face and applied thick layers of makeup. Powder accented his cheekbones, bright red lipstick framed his mouth, and blue eye shadow rounded out his new look. A scarf was wrapped around his Adam’s apple.
“Yeah, great disguise, right?” Edison leaned down to Elwood. “Good job, Elwood. Mirror, if you please.”
A moment later, Elwood conjured a mirror from behind his back.
Edison accepted it, checking his image from all sides.
“We’re being watched. Two meatheads by the alley across the street.” Edison handed the mirror back to Elwood. “Don’t look now. We’ll deal with them when we leave.”
“Answers, Edison.” Aareth felt frustration build inside like a dam about to break. “You said you have answers.”
“I do. How to say this gently…” Edison winced.
“You’re screwed. Your biology is changing.
The bite from the wolf has transformed you into something inhuman.
The changes are already in effect; hence, your accelerated healing and the anger you feel.
For some reason, the full change is still being held at bay, like it’s waiting for some trigger or signal to fully consume you. ”
Aareth sat, stunned. In all honesty, he had expected to be told something along these exact lines. It was just different now that he knew.
Elwood shook his head in Edison’s direction.
“What? I thought that was pretty gentle.” Edison shrugged. “He needs to know the truth.”
“What about a cure?” Aareth asked.
“Not that I can see, but this is all new to me. It’s not entirely out of the question.”
“You said it was waiting inside me for something like a signal to be released?”
“That’s right.” Edison breathed a heavy sigh.
“I know that’s not helpful at all, since I can’t tell you what the trigger will be.
I do know that whatever this bite changed you into is more animal than man.
Until we figure this out, I think you should avoid the palace.
The Queen has ears everywhere. I trust her, but if she knew what you were, she’d want to hold you for observation. ”
“Thank you, Edison.” Aareth pulled himself back from being lost in his own thoughts. “I owe you one.”
“That’s what friends are for.” Edison glanced at the two men watching them from the alley. “Elwood and I will distract our friends. I know things are rough, but on the bright side, the weather’s great, and it’s even supposed to be a full moon tonight.”