Behind the Lace and the Lies

7 - Thinly Veiled Lies: Alyssa

Ezra. Orchard. Paper lanterns.

People. Manipulate.

Eyeliner.

Light shining off an expanse of marble.

Echoes.

An empty room. Ransacked.

Her father. Frowning.

A woman. A human.

A boy. Holding a shining sword. Her father.

Smiling. Woman brushing makeup on her.

Emptiness.

Was Luna the right choice? She certainly couldn't have hurt – Wyatt, her husband, was a wealthy lord. All three of them were childhood friends. But still, Alyssa couldn't quite trust her, her neutral face, the layers of fog in her eyes, the gentle shimmering of her pale hair. Luna was known for that – her hair, with the exception of the Goldskis, it was the palest Spyte gifted hair Alyssa had ever seen.

It was beautiful and helped to confirm who Luna was really – a pretty noble girl who had married well. She was quiet, but possessed a certain bit of elegance that drew people to her.

Alyssa slipped her glove back on and stood up. Luna had been helpful, especially with removing Ezra. Alyssa could feel a frown working its way back onto her face, but she pushed it down. Smile. But Luna could do a bit more for her.

"Would you like to return to the party with me?" Alyssa asked. Luna hesitated, and so she continued, "I'm certain that Wyatt has felt your absence."

Luna flashed a quick smiled and nodded. "Of course. You're right, I'll return." She put on her glove and stood up. Alyssa couldn't help but to notice how she ignored the hem of her dress dragging in the dirt, the faint stains on the front of the dress. It was ruined, but Alyssa had no doubt that it would be replaced.

They returned to the party, Alyssa in lead. For a moment, the sound of their heels clicking fell in sync, but it vanished just as fast. Alyssa could feel the eyes on them as they returned to the light – Luna, the wife of Wyatt, and Alyssa – whose father ran off with a human. Alyssa bathed in the attention. Every bit of social presence, social standing, restored both her family name and aided in her fight against her half-brother.

Across the party, Brandon glanced at Alyssa, the light shone on his face as he paused his conversation with Mauve. Alyssa could feel Ezra simmering at the attention she was getting, about how her status improved with every second beside Luna.

Luna leaned closer to Alyssa. "It was a delight seeing you, but I must find Wyatt now. Farewell."

"Farewell," Alyssa replied, and with a respectful dip of her head, Luna left.

The moment Luna left, there were many others to fill the space. Marie stepped forward, lazily fanning herself. "Alyssa!" she said, "it's been too long. Tell me, how are things? Surely they've decided to give you your father's estate."

Alyssa followed along, pouting her lips and furrowing her eyebrows. "Oh, Marie, you've grown so such."

Her eyes caught a glimpse of gold. Not golden, as in the orange-yellow lights, nor golden, as the pale sandiness of Luna's hair. It was as golden as dragon gold. Mrs. Goldski.

"Oh, thank you. But you should see Lucas, now he has really grown."

Gritt stepped forward. "Alyssa, Marie, how are things?"

But it wasn't Mrs. Goldski, for she was sitting on the platform as she had been doing at night. And Mr. Goldski's hair wasn't golden, even if he decided to show his face after hiding away from the rumors of his affair – although that only made them worse. It was one of the last parties of season, the Goldskis hosting like they did every year, Alyssa knew it would be unwise to allow the season to conclude in such way. But it didn't matter for her.

And the gold was hidden away in some dark corners, barely visible behind layers of foliage and berry covered bushes.

Alyssa turned back to the conversation. "And so she said her husband said that the council said that some of their representatives in Tieran had noticed-"

The gold. It was still there, moving, flowing. What was it? Alyssa looked away, then back at it.

Alyssa smoothed out the waist of her dress, where it tended to crinkle in an unflattering way. "It was great talking with the both of you, but I must go, farewell."

They echoed her farewell, but Alyssa could feel their confusion seeping out, they had expected a longer conversation that would end in them connecting. I hate myself; everything was finally going well, and of course I put a stop to it. But I need to find out what the gold is.

Alyssa ducked her head, and shrunk herself inwards, truly hoping for the first time that night to not be noticed. Her hair hung in loose strands in front of her face, the clicking of her heeled boots was softer. She didn't turn to face people, or bat her eyelashes. She brushed her way through the people.

As she walked away from the crowd, her shadow fell before her, darkness edged in yellow light. Bouncing with every step she took. Walking alongside her.

She walked into the bushes, trees covering much of the light of the party. Only a single moon was still visible, the light was dim with a strange foggy quality to it.

A child kneeled on the ground. Her hair was rivers of dragon gold melting out from the cracks in its horde. It was the shine of the summer sun on every speck of dust hovering expectantly in the air.

Her pastel blue dress seemed colorless between the lack of light and the hints of orange seeping through the bushes. Her dress was muddied, her hair half undone. A yexris tail feather fan lay discarded in the dirt beside silk gloves. The fan was ruined, the iridescent white stained, never to recover. It would cost a fortune to replace.

It was the Goldskis' daughter, Alyssa had no doubt about that. The only person who rival the glow of her hair was Mrs. Goldski. Alyssa stood over the child. "What are you doing?"

The child looked up, her eyes wide with surprise. "I'm playing with my friend," she replied. In her bare hands she clutched a qarant. Its fur stood on end. Its little feet ran in the air. Its antenna twitched; their normal fluffiness gone. It trembled.

Alyssa frowned. The qarant stared at her with its dark eyes. If it could speak, it would be begging for help. "Let it go," she demanded.

The child looked at her, then the qarant. "Why?"

"You're hurting it." Alyssa could see the way the fur bulged around the child's hands. The qarant wheezed out a desperate squeak.

"I'm not, we're just playing," the child casually replied.

"You're squeezing it to death."

"Don't worry, you can squeeze things really tight without hurting them. I saw my dad do it."

"I don't care what your dad did, let it go."

"No!"

"Let. It. Go" Alyssa reached over and grabbed the child's hands. She dug her fingers under the child's, feeling their nails digging into her gloved hands. The child kicked her, but the moment she pulled the child's hands of the qarant, it blinked away.

Alyssa sat back, brushed a strand of now-loose hair out of her eyes. The child kicked her shin again. "Stop it," Alyssa demanded, "you're not allowed to hurt animals."

The child narrowed her eyes and poked Alyssa's exposed cheek.