Fallen One (Book three of Alfireán age)

- Preparations -

Strands of golden energy danced in the air as the last of Harold's hair solidified and Olivia lowered her hands with a deep sigh of relief.

The surgery had been long, laborious, and wrought with peril, but her mentor and dearest friend should live despite the massive brain damage he had suffered.

She glanced at Alf, who was uttering a silent prayer as he watched the sleeping Harold. Then she looked up at the four unicorns and nodded. With a flutter of their eyes, the unicorns lowered their long equine necks, and the cozy dressing room lit up.

A white light washed over Olivia while the scent of flowers tickled her nostrils. And just like that, the four mystical creatures vanished as the light faded, leaving behind four youthful-looking women in their place.

"Harold, it's going to be okay," the woman, Olivia vaguely remembered seeing in the Imperial city several times, whispered. Kneeling down beside the medical bed, she took his rough hand into hers, and her aqua-colored eyes glowed as she stared at him affectionately while he slept in peace.

Olivia frowned and turned away. Gazing at the beige room full of lockers and empty dressing stalls, she tried to figure out the riddle of the mysterious blonde-haired woman. The lady had quietly demanded to be part of the operation upon their arrival, despite the heated telepathic argument between her and Silver.

Olivia's eyes returned to where Harold slept. Originally, she had thought the mysterious lady had been an old friend of the butler's, but... Now she got the sense the newcomer had a much deeper connection with her mentor. The way the stranger looked at Harold with so much love in her eyes seemed to speak of tales of forgotten love and heartache. Frankly, her sappy expressions left Olivia feeling slightly odd and unnerving.

Harold had been like a father figure to Olivia, and never once had he dated in all the time she'd known him, or even talked about another woman besides Elena. Regardless, there was definitely something here, and all Olivia could do was wonder if it was one-sided or not.

The soft patter of feet sounded on the earthen floor as Scarlet strode forward and placed her hand on the mysterious woman's shoulder. At last, the glowing light in the lady's eyes ebbed away and she placed her slender hand over Scarlett's. She turned back to look at the maid, her expression that of a child looking up at her mother... but that couldn't be, could it? Olivia frowned once more as she realized the striking resemblance between the two.

Maybe the maids were older than they let on, she thought to herself.

For several moments, they seemed to have an unspoken conversation until Silver finally spoke up. "Our work is done. Only time and sleep can do the rest," she said, breaking the spell of silence over the room.

Alf stirred, awoken from his prayerful state by the maid's words, and nodded. Then he glanced over at Olivia. "Should we tell the others?" he asked, his voice husky from the long period of silence and his blue eyes free at last from the worry that had been raging there since he'd heard of Harold's state.

She glanced one last time at her sleeping mentor and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "Sure," she answered, shelving her questions about the mysterious woman for later. Alf motioned for her to lead the way and together they strolled past the lockers to the heavy-wood door and opened it. Fresh air washed over Olivia's face, and the cool dampness of the earthen corridor greeted her, feeling like a familiar blanket as she walked into the arena's underbelly.

Out in the long, curved hallway, the others now quietly waited, having completed their tasks long ago. Rex leaned against the wall nearby while Mr. Havanger, Drake, and several other men discussed something at length a bit farther down the hallway. Zaphaniea floated on her invisible spheres while Rinnia crossed her arms and glared up at her. And lastly, waiting on the floor next to the wooden door, sat little Danarc.