Read Online City in the Sky by Glynn Stewart - Free Book Online

you mean by kep to sept Tarverro?” Erik asked softly.
    “It's not my place to tell you,” Ikeras replied with a shrug. “Like I said, Arien deserves to see you first, and she's the one to explain all that.”
    “Arien?” Erik asked.
    “Your grandmother.”
     
     
     
    When Erik spotted the building at the end of the cul-de-sac, he had figured that that massive, brooding edifice of crystal and stone was their destination. However, shortly before they reached the mansion, Ikeras stopped and turned onto a side path, leading to a small stone house set well back in the trees.
    “Who lives in the mansion?” Erik had to ask.
    “No one,” Ikeras replied. “Well, that's not true. There's a small maintenance staff that keeps the place up, but no one really lives there anymore. It's the Tarverro family seat, but your grandmother's refused to live there since your grandfather died – said it was too empty without him.”
    Taking a glance back at the building – his family's seat? – Erik could understand that sentiment. Living alone in that house would have been a recipe for insanity. A fast recipe.
    His preoccupation with the mansion distracted Erik until he was at the doorstep of the house Ikeras had brought him to. Ikeras using the heavy doorknocker on the door brought his attention back to this house. An odd symbol decorated the doorknocker – three crystals splaying downwards, forming a triangle. The symbol was familiar, but Erik couldn't place it.
    “This was the guest house, “Ikeras told him quietly, “until Arien moved out of the main house. Now this is her place.”
    Erik swallowed hard as the door opened, and a young Skywoman, dressed in green and black appeared. “Yes?” she said calmly, and then caught sight of Ikeras. “Harmon!” she exclaimed. “Come in, come in. When did you get back?”
    “About two hours ago, Shel,” the older Aeraid told the girl. “Is Her Ladyship in?”
    The girl – Shel – nodded. “She doesn't go out much these days. She says there's no reason.”
    “Can you tell her I'm here to see her?” he asked.
    “Of course!” Shel replied, looking at Erik with an odd expression on her face. “Do I know you?” she asked.
    Erik inclined his head slightly. “I'm afraid not, miss.”
    “I'll explain later, Shel,” Ikeras told the girl. “But do me a favor, and don't mention him to Her Ladyship, hmm?”
    “Certainly,” the girl replied with an impish grin. “Head through to the waiting room, I'll go find Lady Arien.”
    Ikeras led Erik through to a plushly decorated room with neatly arranged furniture in deep green cloth and dark wood. He then seated Erik with a courtier's grace, adding to Erik's suspicions that Ikeras had a higher place in this odd little community than he'd stated.
    The sound of footsteps caused Erik's gaze to turn to the entrance towards the rest of the house, which meant he received his first look at Lady Arien septol Tarverro. His first impression of her was her height and elegance – even for an Aeradi, she was short, three inches or more under five feet. Her silver hair swept halfway down the back of her dark green dress, bound back by simple silver bands. She seemed the perfectly poised aristocrat, and Erik could not even begin to conceive that this woman was his grandmother.
    Then she located Ikeras in the room, and Erik began to believe. The tiny woman almost seemed to fly across the room to drag the bigger man into her arms. “Harmon! When did you get back, you silly sailor?”
    “About two hours ago,” Ikeras told her dryly, carefully setting her back on her feet.
    Arien tilted her head. “Why did you come here so quickly?” she asked.
    The older Aeraid took her shoulders in his hands and turned her to face Erik. “My Lady Arien septol Tarverro,” he said formally, “meet Erik Tarverro.” He paused, allowing his words to sink in. “Karn's son,” he finished, gently.
    Erik met his grandmother's gaze as the old woman froze. For a