In Search of High Society Read online

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  High Society

  Book Three of The Seeker Files

  By

  Katie Holmburg

  Copyright © Katie Holmburg

  November 2019

  All rights reserved. This Book or eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the author except for the use of brief quotations in a book review

  To all those who Seek

  This is for you

  Never stop dreaming

  Prologue

  Later it would come to be known as the Time of Terror. A period in history so bleak that it was thought that it would be the end of humanity. Although fae and humans had lived side by side for centuries, some of the fae had slowly become bitter and arrogant. After all, they were longer lived and stronger than the humans. They had more knowledge and magical gifts. This led to the belief that they were indeed superior to humans. It was a slow creep in the beginning, a slight here, a small injustice there. But the darkness was not satisfied with these petty torments and it grew, quietly at first.

  By the time both fae and human started to realize the reach of the insidious shadow, it had already sunk its poisonous roots in deeply. More and more fae were enslaving those that they had once worked side by side with, their only thoughts of how to increase their wealth and power. The suffering of humanity did not bother them, after all, humans were beneath them, little better than vermin.

  Despite many of the fae turning to darkness, giving free rein to their greed and cruelty, many more were horrified by events. Together with their human comrades, they formed the Brotherhood of the Light. This was an organization dedicated to preserving the world in its natural state of balance, with humans and fae as equals.

  Their opposition to the greed and insanity of the power hungry fae started what would later be called the hundred-year war. It was a grueling time, each side littered with hardship and strife. Many humans in their greed and shortsightedness sided with the evil fae. Others joined out of self-preservation or desperation to protect their families.

  Both sides sustained heavy losses from grievous battles that were fought to eliminate the opposition. It finally came to a head at the Battle of Norwick. Both armies had fielded their entire force. This would be the final battle. Either light or darkness would win, there would be no other outcome, no other battles.

  The Brotherhood of the Light was losing, overwhelmed by the vicious callousness of those belonging to the dark. However just when all hope was thought to be lost and the darkness appeared to have won, two men, a human and a fae, rallied together the remnants of the light’s army. Allowing the army to shield them, they managed to cast a spell that trapped the darkness in a crystal, allowing their side to finally vanquish the enemy. This spell came not without great cost. The price of its casting the lives of both valiant men. Having laid down their lives so that others could live, they were hailed by all as heroes.

  When the dust finally settled and the wounded were tended, a council was called. Although they had managed to prevail, there were concerns that the fae would simply start enslaving humans again. It had happened so easily before, what was to stop it from happening again? After a week long debate, it was finally decided that the fae would withdraw from the world until three generations had passed, to make sufficient atonement for what had happened. This would also allow them the time needed to heal their people, to heal the hate that had crippled the fae so badly. It took less than a year to put all of the measures into place and on the summer solstice, the fae disappeared from the world.

  A thousand years passed and gradually humanity forgot about the supernaturals who had once walked so freely amongst them. They had faded into legend and myth, although if you went through the ancient archives and monasteries, you could find ample evidence of their existence. But human lives are so fleeting and except for those descended from the Brotherhood of the Light, the world forgot about the fae.

  It caused widespread panic and fear when the fae suddenly reappeared on a summer solstice just beyond a thousand years from when they had disappeared. Most of humanity panicked, the realization that they were not the only intelligent life on Earth sending them into both euphoria and horror. However, the Brotherhood of the Light were there to welcome their long-lost brothers with open arms. Gradually, fae were able to emerge from their hidden cities and reintegrate into human society, although they still maintained their safe havens that had been their homes for so many years. Their reemergence later would be known at the Dawn of Enlightenment.

  Two hundred years passed slowly, the tentative peace slowly maturing into true peace where both fae and humans lived side by side as it was meant to be. Fifty years after the fae’s reappearance, HSI was formed to watch over the world so that another Time of Terror would never happen. It grew in strength as men and women of both races dedicated their loyalty and honor to its cause. It was still standing strong one hundred and fifty years after its creation when a fae jaded by war and a human bearing a unique gift that could also be a terrible burden entered the department, neither anticipating their partnership that just might save them both in the end.

  Chapter One

  Aletta twirled the pencil absently in her fingers, trying to decide whether or not she would go as insane as Elizabetta had. Desk duty was not her strong suit. Add in hovering coworkers, an overprotective partner and a Lycan, and a slowly healing leg and she figured that her chances increased exponentially for insanity. She contemplated briefly the benefits of insanity. For example, she wouldn’t have to fill out paperwork. Sighing, she shook her head and dismissed it. As tempting as no paperwork sounded right now, it just wasn’t worth it in the end. After all, she absolutely loathed green Jell-O.

  She groaned as she stretched her leg out, trying to find a position that would ease the insistent ache. While she was grateful that the healers had been able to fix her injuries from the seizures, the fact that her leg was having to mend on its own because of her extensive magical healing was driving her up the wall. Still, it made her realize how much she took magic for granted, the quick healing and return to duty. She’d always known that there would be a price to pay for it, she’d just always envisioned the price coming due in a hazy someday. Instead, she had four more weeks in this cast and probably that long again with physical therapy until she would be cleared for street duty.

  Shifting her leg carefully so that it was still stretched out but not where anyone could trip on it, she twirled the pencil again. At this point, she’d even welcome paperwork or testifying at court. She had managed to complete all of the paperwork necessary for her cases, something that she thought would never happen. And the justice system turned as slowly as ever, so any cases that she needed to testify at were still months away. She couldn’t even torment Lirim as he was at court testifying, a case from before their partnership. She’d begged to go along, but it was apparently a closed courtroom, only the absolutely necessary people were allowed in. This had sparked her curiosity, but she knew better than to ask. He wouldn’t be able to tell her and she’d only frustrate both herself and Lirim. So, she’d let it go and wished him a speedy hearing.

  She’d asked if she could look over some cold cases, anything to keep herself occupied. Cara had smiled and said that she’d ask the captain, but that was hours ago. Aletta couldn’t quite work up the nerve to ask Capt. Jones directly. Since the Canticum case had wrapped up a few weeks earlier, Capt. Jones had been especially serious and Aletta couldn’t help but believe that she was the cause. The problem was, she wasn’t sure exactly what it was that she had done. The C
anticum case had been a grueling ordeal for her and there had been several incidents involving her and also a few involving her magic. She knew that she was on desk duty for medical reasons, but she didn’t want to do anything to risk her clearance back to street duty. Thus, Aletta was keeping her head low and hoping that whatever was troubling the captain would blow over and be forgotten.

  Lirim entered and Aletta perked up and was about to call out to him when she paused and frowned. Although he looked normal, there was something off about him. He had his face schooled into careful neutrality, but his eyes gave him away. They were filled with grief, anger, and exhaustion. She swallowed hard. Whatever had happened in court had obviously taken a toll on him. He didn’t even glance her way, simply trudged over to his desk, set his case carefully on the desk, then yanked out his chair and dropped into it. He started up his computer, but just sat there and stared vacantly at the screen.

  Her heart twisted as she watched him. Aletta knew that he wouldn’t want her questions, but she didn’t want to leave him alone. Even if he didn’t say anything, sometimes knowing that someone was there made a difference. Mind made up, she stood and walked towards the coffee pot, a slight hitch in her gait from her stiff leg.

  * . * . *

  Lirim made his way from the garage, his mind churning. He knew that the case he had to testify at was horrific, but for some reason he wasn’t prepared to relive the investigation. He wasn’t a stranger to violent death, but that a whole family had been annihilated, even the children. It was the children that had hit him the hardest. Everyone always said that cases involving children were hard, but it had made him determined to get justice for them. He had worked the case in a cold fury, detached from the horror and grief that one would normally feel at a case like this. But today, all of the details that had been distant from him were like salt in fresh wounds. It occurred to him that maybe being partnered with Aletta had softened him, but he pushed it aside. It wasn’t fair to blame her, even if it might be the partial truth.

  He entered the main office, not bothering to look around. If Aletta was there, she’d come over. But he needed a few minutes to corral his emotions first. He didn’t want the ugliness that he had been forced to relive to spill over onto her, he was the protector in the partnership and it would hurt him to cause her unnecessary pain. He sat and powered up the computer, hoping that Aletta wouldn’t come over right away. He thought that he had seen her sitting at her desk, but he hoped that she would give him a minute before pouncing on him.

  After a minute of quiet, he worked at shoving the images that had haunted him all morning back behind a carefully constructed barrier. The trial was over with the defendant found guilty on all charges. There would be no reason to revisit the case. He tested the barriers and grimaced at the weakness he found. He would have to meditate that evening and rebuild them. He’d checked them daily and even hourly at times since the war, but since he’d been partnered with Aletta, he found himself forgetting for stretches of time to do it. In fact, thinking back, he hadn’t done it since Elizabetta had revealed herself and Aletta had ended up in the hospital again. He’d taken the time while he was waiting for her to wake up to reinforce them, which meant that it had been a few weeks since he’d last attended them. He grimaced, it was definitely showing.

  Hearing a chair creak as it was pushed back, he drew himself from his thoughts and prepared to face Aletta. She didn’t deserve to be exposed to the ugliness that lurked within him. But the steps didn’t come towards his desk but away from where he sat. He frowned at their uneven gait. Was her leg worsening? Shaking himself free of his increasingly black mood, he stood and scanned the office for Aletta. He found her over by the coffee pot and he headed that way. If her leg was strained, she needed to stay off of it. He could bring her coffee if she needed it.

  When he joined her, he was surprised when she held out the cup to him, a warm smile on her face. She offered teasingly, “Black, like your soul.”

  He almost winced, that was truer than she knew, but he took the cup and smiled back at her. “It’s almost lunch, why would I need coffee?”

  She shrugged, “You look tired. Rough case or were you up too late trying to figure out how to entertain a bored partner for the umpteenth day in a row?” She offered him a crooked grin and he couldn’t quite hold back a chuckle, his mood inexplicably lightening.

  He took a sip of the coffee and sighed, strong and bitter, just what he needed. He asked quietly, “Why are you limping?”

  She mock scowled, “Because I’m on desk duty. I haven’t been able to move that much and it’s cramping. Thank goodness that the cast is lightweight yet tough enough to act as a boot. I’d be insane if I wasn’t able to put in weight on it. I mean, can you imagine me with crutches? Cy would duct tape me to the ceiling, not just threaten to do it, but really do it, you know?”

  He glanced over to where Cy was sitting and the Lycan grumbled quietly in his throat. Lirim detected no true malice, it was more along the lines of a pack member warning an unruly pup when they were pushing the boundaries too far. Still, he made a mental note to keep the two apart until Aletta’s antsiness had eased.

  He turned back to where Aletta was leaning lightly on the coffee station. Taking another sip, he asked, “So what have you been up to this morning. Paperwork?”

  She groaned, “I wish. I’m all caught up with my paperwork and then some. I requested permission to look at cold cases but have not heard back for the captain yet. So, I have been trying the office pastime.”

  He smirked and looked around. “Pencils in the ceiling?”

  She nodded, “I’ve only managed three. Cara has eyes like a hawk. And a spooky mischief radar. Every time I’m about to try, she looks over at me.”

  “Then how did you manage three?”

  She said succinctly, “Bathroom breaks.”

  He couldn’t hold back his laughter. “Seriously?”

  “Yeah, she’s hypervigilant. She doesn’t even seem to blink while typing. Those are the valiant results of two bathroom breaks and a conference with the captain. I’m still debating whose desk to try for next, although Agent Stark informed me that if I even thought about targeting his desk, he would have Cass install a Hello Kitty song on my computer on a ten-hour loop.”

  Lirim shuddered and Aletta chuckled. “It made it a tempting target, I must admit. But in the end sanity won and I’ve crossed it off the list. Out of curiosity, do you happen to know what the record is?”

  “Cy holds the top spot at eleven. There are rumors that the captain holds the record at thirteen, but I believe that’s just an urban myth.”

  A throat cleared delicately behind them causing Aletta to jump and Lirim to hide a grin. He had heard Cara’s near silent approach but had ignored it wondering if Aletta would pick it up with her passive field. She scowled at him briefly before turning and smiling at Cara.

  Aletta asked, “Are we blocking the coffee? Sorry.”

  Cara smiled back gently and Lirim found himself straightening fractionally. Something was up, Cara was always cordial but he highly doubted that she had missed Aletta’s pencil antics and her bearing was missing its normal hint of disapproval of such office shenanigans. His instincts proved correct when she shook her head.

  “No, I merely wanted to let you know that the captain wanted to see you.” Aletta looked like she was about to make a break for her desk when Cara continued. “Both of you.”

  Aletta sighed and Lirim had to bite back a chuckle despite his foreboding. Nodding to Cara, he offered Aletta his arm. “Come on, let’s see what he wants.”

  * . * . *

  Aletta leaned on Lirim more than she usually would, racking her brains for anything that might’ve led to her being called before the captain. She didn’t think that this was about her request for the cold cases, Lirim wouldn’t need to be present for that. And it couldn’t be about the pencils in the ceiling. After all, that was a recognized office pastime and if the captain had a problem with it h
e would’ve banned it before then. The only thing she could think of was that she had somehow messed up on their last case and she and Lirim were to be separated.

  She scowled at the thought and Lirim jostled her arm. He murmured, “Don’t make such a face. Didn’t your mother tell you that your face would freeze like that if you kept making such faces?”

  Aletta scowled fiercely at him before sighing and letting it go. She thought about telling him her fears but when she opened her mouth, something entirely different came out. “How badly did I mess up on our last case?”

  He paused, startled. “What? Why are you bringing this up now? And you did fine, just so you won’t start worrying over nothing.”

  Her mouth seemed to be running away without her consent as she blurted, “I won’t accept another partner. I’d rather quit first.”

  She saw Lirim glance around and realized that the rest of the office was glancing their way curiously. She flushed as she realized the scene she was making. Lirim started walking again, tugging her into motion. He murmured quietly, “I don’t know where this is coming from but we can talk about it after we see the captain. It’s no good speculating.”

  She just nodded, keeping her mouth firmly shut so she wouldn’t blurt out anything else. Lirim knocked and they heard Capt. Jones bid for them to enter. They entered and Lirim shut the door behind them before assisting Aletta to a chair and taking one himself.

  Clasping her hands tightly together to keep from fidgeting, Aletta said, “You wanted to see us, sir?”

  Setting aside the paper he was reading, Capt. Jones nodded and flicked a barrier around the room. Aletta felt dread lodge itself firmly in her chest. However, his first words confused her as he addressed Lirim. “How did your case go today?”