Beauty in the Bones: Season 1

Episode 26: The Guardians Abide

What a typical reaction from my brother. He lacked the subtlety to appreciate anything deviant. I, on the other hand, craved the eccentric--those things shunned by the acceptable bastions of society.

When the time arrived, I met Mother on the front terrace. My athame rested at my belt, and I tucked the box containing Duke's skull beneath my arm. A black woolen overcoat hung to mid-calf, my collar starched white over a muted red vest. I chose a bowler with a matching band to accent.

Mother's black chiffon gown flowed loose to her hips, then fell straight from a decorative belt of silver links and tiny skulls. The hem opened at the front, revealing her stockings and layers of tiered silk underneath. Her dark brown waves rippled beneath an onyx-gemmed bandeau, a spidery fascinator bobbing alongside.

"You look marvelous, darling," she said.

I kissed her cheek, and assisted her into the sedan.

Crawford drove us to the Chandara estate owned by Lord Interpreter Abraxos. Its columns and turrets were bleak against the wan horizon. Once we got out of the car, the household robots escorted us along the colonnade, and through the brass-framed doors.

We entered the foyer, and Mrs. Forsyth and Imogen greeted us.

"Good evening, My Lady," Mother said, dipping to one knee. Her skirts billowed in an elegant array.

I knelt next to Mother. It was the first time I'd seen Imogen since our haphazard kiss in the tomb. I sensed her anxious stare, yet refrained from meeting it.

"How exciting this is," Mrs. Forsyth said. "You may rise."

She presented her skull ring, and Mother and I kissed it.

Imogen had grown taller, more graceful, wearing a pretty gown of layered black and crimson silk. She smiled, but I merely nodded to her.

"We've readied a suite for you," Mrs. Forsyth said. "You may refresh yourselves as necessary." She flicked a hand in dismissal.

The robots led us through several lavish rooms and hallways, to a spacious parlor on the western wing. Paneled walls bedecked with condescending portraits and and palatial windows awaited us. The polished wood block floor gleamed russet in reflection of the fireplace. I hung my hat and coat on an ebony rack carved in the semblance of bones. Then Mother and I sat beside the crackling hearth, in a pair of wing-backed chairs.

She traced a lazy finger across the armrest, contemplating the flames. "Lady Selketh will try to trick you tonight. Beware."

"In what way?" I leaned closer.

"There are things you won't know, as you never completed your initiation. When confronted with these, there's one way to avoid her trap. Simply state--'the Guardians abide'. She'll have no defense. It was the original response used in the Old Ways, before Lady Blevasnya changed the Rite of Passage."

"Were the Old Ways really so different?"

She gave a sidelong glance. "They were simple, and Knoseidtru was an isolated event. The elixir is a sacrament meant for seers and healers alone. Now it 's a novelty to lure followers. But Asulma is just one of the tools we use." She reached into her travel bag, and removed an item wrapped in leather. "I have a gift for you. Something Grandfather Kraelis would have given you."

She unwrapped the layers of animal skin and fur, revealing a savage object within--a wolf skull mask, with a splay of beaded fringe and upright plumes. Sharp teeth glinted in the firelight. Along the jaw and brow, runes ambled in intricate carvings. Weathered starkness indicated this was no ordinary adornment.