The Mystery Package
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“What’s with you?” said the woman. “I mean, I’ve been here before and it doesn’t do that.”
Alfred didn’t answer at first; he was too busy trying to get his breathing under control. He’d never been so close to a naked human female as this one—not even when they were wrapped up in their wedding night.
She was beautiful enough to make him want to take her right there on the floor of her shop without protection, but Alfred had learned long ago that wasn’t wise when dealing with the fae. He just hoped she hadn’t noticed any other strange changes since meeting him before.
He glanced around quickly and saw no signs of anyone else coming through the door. The woman must have picked up on his anxiety because she closed the box in her hands with a snap and stepped forward again. “You’re not from around here,” she said.
Her voice was low and husky, and she sounded like an experienced seductress. If anything could distract him from his lustful thoughts, it would be this one. A wave of calmness washed over him as soon as her voice entered his head. Not that he needed help with that particular problem, though.
“No,” he said. “I’m not.”
She smiled slightly at that. “Good. I’ll give you my card then.” She held out the package for him to see and he realized that it was actually a small leather-bound book. He reached out quickly to take it and she snatched it back with a slight frown.
“Wait—” she said. But by then Alfred had already put his hand on the latch and pulled open the lid. His eyes widened as the box came free in his arms. It was big enough to hold a sword or several throwing knives, but instead contained nothing more than another piece of paper and a wooden stick of some sort. He looked up at her questioningly.
“It’s a divination deck,” she explained. “Made in the old style. You can use it for fortune telling.”
He looked down at the cards and felt a deep sense of satisfaction. They were beautiful, like something straight out of Arabian Nights, although the illustrations weren’t quite as elaborate as what he’d seen on the painted scrolls. Instead of being detailed, they seemed to consist mostly of flowing lines and curving shapes.
“That’s wonderful,” said Alfred. “Thank you very much.”
“Now, why don’t we go somewhere else where we won’t disturb your customers?” she asked. Alfred nodded, feeling uncomfortable standing there holding the box while she watched him from behind her counter.
They walked into the dark recesses of the alleyway between the two buildings. There were only a few dumpsters and the occasional graffiti artist lurking about, all of whom made way for the woman and her mysterious customer.
Once they were alone, Alfred sat down on the ground next to the wall and slid the box onto his lap. He examined it carefully, looking for any sign of damage or tampering. There was none; the box was exactly as she described it.
“Is this really what you think it is?” she asked. She was still watching him closely with those intense green eyes of hers.
Alfred sighed and turned his attention back to the box. “Yes, it is.”
“And are you going to tell me how you got it?” she asked. That was exactly what he’d expected the question to be.
“I don’t know,” he said honestly. “My master sent me to find something that matched the description. Something magical. This is…it’s definitely magic.”
He opened the box and took out the second piece of paper. “This looks like a spell,” he said. “But I couldn’t read it.”
The woman leaned closer to inspect the lettering, tracing it with her finger. “Like I said, it’s an old style of writing. Maybe the words have changed.”
Alfred shook his head. “No, I’d recognize it anywhere. We’ve used similar systems in our own language. For example, ‘e’ means ‘eye’—and if I were to write ‘i’ like this”—he drew a line downward from the top left corner—”then it would say ‘eye’.”
The woman squinted at him. “You’re serious? Eyes are written like that?”
He nodded. “Of course. That’s how we learned to read and write in the first place. But how can you expect me to figure out what this says without knowing the original language?”
“I suppose,” she said slowly. “Do you happen to know someone who might be able to translate it?”
“Not yet,” he admitted. “But I’m sure once I return home I’ll be able to find someone.”
“Well, if you do…” she began. But then she stopped herself and frowned. “What did you call yourself?”
Alfred blinked and looked up at her. “Did I?”
“You called me ‘my lady’,” she said. “Is that correct?”
“Yes,” he replied. “I meant no offense.”
“None was taken,” she assured him. “I guess it’s just so strange hearing that here.”
“Here?” He cocked his head to one side, suddenly realizing where he was. “You mean in New York City? Isn’t it odd everywhere?”
Her mouth curved into a smile. “In a way, yes. But back in my homeland, it’s considered rude to talk to a stranger without using titles of respect. And also, people tend to assume that a foreigner will only understand their tongue if they speak it loudly.”
She shrugged. “Anyway, I thought perhaps you didn’t realize you’d called me ‘my lady’. Or maybe you don’t even use such terms in your own culture.”
“Oh, I do,” he insisted. “It’s not that unusual. Although I doubt calling someone ‘my lady’ would get you into trouble in the States.”
“If you say so,” she mused. “But I hope you’re right. Otherwise, you may find yourself in a spot of bother when you return home.”
He laughed. “I’ll take care of it.”
She smiled. “Good. Now, why don’t you leave that there?” She gestured toward the box. “I haven’t opened it yet and if it is what you claim, I’d rather wait until you’re gone before I do.”
“All right,” he agreed. “For now, anyway. I’m sorry I can’t help you more.”
“Don’t worry about it,” she replied. “Just be careful returning home. You never know what could happen.”
After a moment of silence, Alfred stood up and brushed himself off. “You have a good night,” he said. “And thank you again.”
When he had moved away, the woman bent down and took back the other half of the key that had been sitting behind the first piece of paper. After sliding it back inside the box, she locked it and placed the whole thing back on Alfred’s lap. Then she reached into her cloak and pulled out a small bag.
“I have to admit, I wasn’t expecting any payment,” she said. “But since you gave me this, I’ll give you this.” With that, she tossed the purse over to him.
Alfred caught it and tipped his hat. “Thank you very much,” he said. “I appreciate it.”
Then he waited for her to turn around and walk away, but instead, she turned and faced him. “Now, what’s your name, young man?”
Alfred raised his eyebrows at her. “Why does everyone ask me that?”
“Because you look like you’re from somewhere else,” she explained. “And because you sound like you’re from somewhere different. It’s easier to remember names if you tell someone about yourself.”
“That makes sense,” he told her. “I’m Alfred. And you are?”
“Lila,” she replied. “But you can call me Lila-something or Lila-not-that.”
“Sounds lovely,” he teased. “But I think I’ll stick with Alfred.”
“You’re welcome to,” she said. “Although it’s not as polite as saying ‘my lady’.”
“No?” He grinned. “I’ve always liked being rude.”
Lila sighed and shook her head. “We’re wasting time. If you want to go back to your friends, I suggest you hurry.”
“Right,” he agreed. “So…you must live nearby?”
“I do,” she confirmed. “Let’s go back to your room for now.”
Together, they started walking away. “The others are waiting?”
“They’ve all gathered in the common room,” she answered. “You can come along with us if you like, or go back to your friends. Either way, you’ll have to move quickly. The guards will be coming soon.”
“Who are the guards?” he asked.
“Orders came by messenger just before you showed up,” she explained. “There’s supposed to be a lot of trouble in the city tonight and they’re going to keep an eye on things. Not that it means anything; I’ve lived here long enough to know that nothing ever goes as planned.”
“Well, we’ll see,” he said. “But thank you for taking the time to show me these things. I’m glad I happened upon you.”
“Likewise,” she replied. “Now, let’s go.”
As they walked, she glanced at him. “Are you sure you aren’t from around here?”
“Definitely not,” he said. “What about you?”
“Born and bred, although I did travel a bit when I was younger.” She paused. “I’ve also spent a fair amount of time in the States.”
“Really? Why?”
“Not particularly interesting reasons. Just business. But I still hear their accents occasionally.”
“Ah…”
“Anyway,” she continued, “let’s go.”
They reached the door to his room, which stood open and inviting. Standing just outside the entrance, Lila looked directly at him as she spoke. “Remember what I said: you should hurry.”
The End