Page 64 of The Iron Dagger
Sarai straightened the small hat she wore and puffed, “Thank you. The gowns this season are so bulky. One requires a cart to haul all the fabric.”
“Is this for the Falk ball?” asked Hara.
“Of course. It’s the event of the season, and I will take any excuse to come here. This shop is home to my favorite designer,” said Sarai.
Hara smiled. “I’m glad to see you taking some time away from working.”
“I’m celebrating, actually. A miner discovered a deposit of some rare substance, and he gave me a sample. He said it’s used by the fae, but there’s no market for it, so he sold it to me cheaply.”
“Does Melietta know what it is?”
“She said it’s a kind of scrying material, but she doesn't know how to use it. Wait!” said Sarai, her eyes lighting up. “Didn’t you say you’re a Seer? Could you come to my laboratory and take a look at it?”
“Of course,” said Hara, curiosity getting the better of her. She tried to wrack her mind for memories of her mother using some sort of material for Seeing, but she could think of nothing. “I would be happy to help.”
“Thank you so much,” said Sarai, beaming. Then her eyes flicked over Hara’s shoulder and her smile became fixed. “Good afternoon, Eleanora.”
“Sarai, how marvelous you look today,” said Eleanora, coming to stand beside Hara. “I see you are preparing for my little party?”
Sarai patted her large box. “I hope it does not clash with the decor. I have a habit of choosing the wrong colors.”
“No matter what you wear, you are always the center of attention,” said Eleanora in a saccharine voice. It did not sound like a compliment. “If you’ll excuse us. Hara dear, they will deliver your things to the palace. In the meantime, we need to find you some jewelry.”
Hara didn’t feel it was the right moment to point out that witches could not wear most jewelry, even if she were the exception. Eleanora obviously wanted to make a grand exit. She took Hara by the arm and all but steered her out the door. Hara quickly managed to wave at Sarai as they left the elegant coziness of the dressmaker shop and made their way down the paved avenue.
Sunshine glinted off of the puddles on the pavement, a brief respite from the spring rains. The sounds of the city echoed between the towering, shining spires.
Ahead, a man on the street was selling what looked like floating stuffed sea serpents. A child gave a little shriek of excitement as he clung to one, floating gently above his parents’ heads. His mother fretted and tugged at his ankle, while the balloon seller shouted, “Longest-lasting Levitating Leviathans!”
They passed an apothecary that advertised an ointment that instantly healed shallow cuts and burns, and something called “Plague Purger.” Hara made a note to herself to come back and browse the healing products that were offered.
An autocar glided past them and stopped in a paved courtyard ahead. There were several other mobiles lined up there, and a worker poured buckets of what looked like water into spouts in their sides. It appeared to be a refueling station of some kind. Much more convenient than shoveling grain and mucking stables for horses, Hara thought.
They entered a jeweler’s shop and Hara’s eyes were dazzled with the exquisite gems on display. Eleanora asked the shopkeeper to pull a few pieces to try, and while he gathered them, she asked Hara, “You did not happen to see the color of the gown Sarai chose, did you?”
Hara decided to feign ignorance. “No, why?”
“Well, it is not a coincidence that she clashes at events,” said Eleanora with a smug little grin. “I make sure that she gets no help from me when it comes to finding a suitor.”
Hara was surprised and a little repulsed at the woman’s pettiness. “Forgive me for prying, but what happened between you and Sarai?”
“Nothing at all. And that is the problem,” said Eleanora airily. “That girl has every advantage: rich, beautiful, brilliant, and ever-so-charitable. She thinks she is better than everyone, when in reality, she is the biggest bore. Once you spend some time with her, you will see it.”
Hara kept her opinion to herself that Eleanora’s explanation reeked of bias. She had been nothing but kind to her today, covering all of Hara’s expenses and taking time from her schedule.
“There, these diamonds will match your gown perfectly,” said Eleanora with a warm smile. “Now, do you favor silver or gold?”
The next evening, Hara entered the canteen. She and Sarai planned to meet there, but the only person occupying the long table was Melietta. Her wooden spoon hovered over her half eaten bowl of soup as she perused the sheaf of papers at her elbow.
“Oh, hello,” said Hara. “I’m sorry to interrupt. Sarai was supposed to meet me here.”
Melietta gave Hara a blank glance as her only form of acknowledgement and turned once more to her papers. Her hands were as gnarled and burned as ever, and Hara felt pity well up in her chest. Even though Melietta had an affinity to metals, it seemed she was not immune to their touch as Hara was.
She took a seat at the table a long enough distance away that Melietta could continue her meal in peace. The quiet rustle of papers and the soft scrape of wooden cutlery were the only sounds, and Hara’s sense of awkwardness grew by the minute.
Other than the first day they’d met, Hara hadn’t spoken much to Melietta, though she was burning with curiosity. Her earth magic was the closest thing to Hara’s own power that she had ever encountered. Hara’s childhood tutor Alcmene had earth magic as well, but she was an earth mover with no affinity to metals whatsoever.
Simply for something to do, Hara rose to get a cup of tea.
