Secrets.crt

Chapter 18: Brillian sel Illidrit

Aston had the letter from Katrine in one coat pocket and the mobile for Zara in the other. He didn't know what to do first. Ben glanced at his own mobile and had headed back for the gate.

"You're the Seelie with computers; I saw a report about you," said one of the astonished humans. "I didn't know that computers could do that."

"They can't, not unless you're faerie," Aston said. "Your town is in no danger of humans learning spells."

"That's good," the other man said. "Where did you send them? All the way to Ophielis?"

"No, a spot about halfway," Aston replied. "I marked it on my journey up here so I could use it as a relay if we had trouble."

"That was smart," the human said. "Anyway, we're going back inside; do you think you could come back, tell us more about this magical tech? Is that was you and that Half blood are setting up? Do you communicate with Roanoke as well? Could we..."

"I'll come back," Aston interrupted. "I'll be back tomorrow; here, give me your number and I'll text you."

He handed the eager human his mobile and the man tapped in his contact information. He didn't know if this relationship would get him into trouble, but since he wouldn't be living in Artragon for long, it hardly mattered. Once he retrieved his mobile, he typed a new destination for himself and made his way to this mysterious Seelie Court of Illidrit.

He made wide parameters to make sure that he didn't appear anywhere near another Seelie, and so walked through the village without note, once he put his computer back into his bag. The bag was lined with iron fibers, making it mostly safe from faeries and their magic.

Aston hadn't been to a Seelie Court since Rentret, but this court was much different. The people smiled in the fields of maize that he passed and wagons of cloth and other goods passed him on the stone path. He should have gone back to Artragon for more faerie clothes, he thought. But Aston didn't really own any Seelie clothes. He was stopped a gate across a creek; he could see a large building beyond the fence. It wasn't a castle, more like an enormous house, something that he would have expected to find in Roanoke, not out here. The roof was a beautiful curved red tile.

"State your name and business," the guard said gruffly.

"I am Aston sel Cabadrey and I have a letter for..." Aston glanced at the letter. "Brillian sel Illidrit. I've come a long way."

"I've not heard of any Cabadrey," the guard said.

"It's on the east coast, near Aendain and Rentret," Aston explained. "I am my lord father's youngest son."

If they hadn't heard of Cabadrey, they hadn't heard of its demise. Being a noble might be his best option. The guard performed some sort of security spell, but then allowed Aston to enter, albeit companied by two of the guards. They flanked him as he walked up the path to the manor where Aston was met by a Seelie noble who blinked down at Aston with curiosity. He had thick blonde hair that seemed to point upward with more consistency than down. He wasn't as tall as Kester or Dravian, but was significantly taller than Aston. Then again, everyone was taller than Aston.

"Did you walk all the way here?" the Seelie said.

"I rode part of the way," Aston said. "Left my horse; I wasn't certain what I was heading into."

There was no way to explain the circumstances of his arrival. The man stared down at him with slight crease in his forehead as if he could be worried about Aston.

"I am Aston sel Cabadrey," Aston said in the awkward silence.

"Brillian sel Illidrit," the man replied.