Adelaide arrived in the Professor’s office in response to his summon. It was a spacious, high ceiling room that he used sparingly, preferring to work in a small cubicle that felt to him as if he were enfolded in a safe space. “I understand you’re having some rather noisy blowback from The Knight’s Parchment paper you published.”
“Yes, sir, some of it gets… well, ugly. Some critics aren’t satisfied with commenting on the work itself, they get personal about it.”
“A common tactic of the incompetent or those who find they’ve run out of intelligent things to say. How’re you doing with it?”
“Frankly, sir, I’ve been wondering if we didn’t make a mistake publishing that. I’ve wished that we hadn’t done it, honestly.”
“Hmmm… I’d noticed some replies to your detractors sounded as though you might be losing confidence in your scholarship. That’s why I sent for you to come in just now. There’s someone I want you to meet.”
The Professor gestured to where, in a corner and unnoticed by Adelaide, a woman was sitting in one of the large, comfortable chairs. Slender, tall, with pale skin and black hair, she looked as though she might also be a vampire.
“Adelaide, this is Lady Ember. Lady Ember, Adelaide, one of my valued and talented protégés.” Lady Ember stood as her name was mentioned.
“Lady Ember is, in fact, the ‘dragoness’ of the Parchment.”
“But… that would mean she’s…”
With a sound like a great inhalation, Lady Ember suddenly grew taller until she touched the high ceiling. Bone-white, curling horns sprouted from her raven hair. Colored markings and things that glittered like gems appeared on her face and hands. Great, folded black wings briefly snapped into view and disappeared again. As if to demolish any lingering doubts, tendrils of smoke wafted from her nostrils as she gave Adelaide a crooked smile. “There’s insufficient space here for me to revert fully, Im sorry to say.”
“We were right! It was truth that he wrote!”
Lady Ember moved to settle herself into the chair again, simultaneously growing smaller and more human again to suit it. As she did she said, “The parchment’s author was the first human who didn’t seek to kill me. For him, I acquired this form… and other facets. We became very close and together we accomplished some worthy deeds, not the least of which were alliances with humans and the assurance of my species’ survival.”
“Lady Ember’s human allies brought your research paper to her attention. My name attached to it put us in touch again. I asked her if she could see you. To restore your confidence. She hasn’t much time or I’d have fetched all of you in.”
“Your Professor is one of the distant descendants of my Knight.”
“Lady Ember is the real reason that I was able to find this estate. I fibbed a little when I implied I did it myself.”
“So… she sent you to us?”
Lady Ember glanced at the Professor with reproach. “Your Professor and I are not nearly so close as my beloved Knight and some others. When I couldn’t persuade him otherwise, I did assist him in finding help to achieve his desired end.”
“And so she delivered me to my new life, instead.”
“Professor! She has to meet Bea and Gwen!!”
Lady Ember interrupted. “Not this time, child. I have a heavy duty to perform and I’m already likely to be late. Another of my close humans has passed and I must go there. But it was important to me that you to know your report was accurate. And…thank you for taking my Knight at his word. He was, among other things, an honest and straight talking human.”
“So, Adelaide, I suspect I shall see a new resolve in your replies to the critics, yes?”
“Absolutely! Lady Ember, I wish you could stay with us…”
“Perhaps another time. I do wish to meet the ladies who retrieved my friend from the brink of self-destruction. But if you will, grant us some time now to make our goodbyes. I must hurry.”
“Yes, Ma’am and thank you! And thank you, Professor!!”
Adelaide stood only a moment outside the door to catch her breath. Then, “Holy Shit!” and she ran to find Beatrice and Gwendolyn in a most unladylike haste.
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