"...and so it seems she has been to such a meeting several times now. Meres brought her to an older woman her knew of, one whose skills in navigating among spirits gone are quite renowned."
        My lips curl in that slightest of smiles which I so often wear, an expression of patronizing amusement. "Does she speak only to those who have ended a physical life, then? That is hardly indication of particular skill."
        Carey laughs, and takes another sip of his liquor. "Ah, but Luce, dear, you know as well as I how little they see of the immaterial which surrounds them."
        "There are those who see more."
        He raises an eyebrow at the calm confidence in my tone. "Do you know of any, then? In this city, at present?"
        "Cerise is one."
        "Oh! but I--- Luce you beast, do let me alone," he laughs, shaking his head at his own obvious misstep. "I meant, any other, who might aid in training her. It does sound as though she has a good deal of potential, and I am certain there are uses we could make of her."
        "I do hear she has grown particularly fond of Adir."
        He bristles, his jaw tensing. Oh. what petty things certain of us have become! So easily moved to jealousy, to frustration, to all those most limited and limiting attitudes. Carey, darling, do you not see your most obvious failings? Really, you have little more decorum than an uneducated housewife these days!
        He takes a slow breath to calm himself before he speaks. "Luce really, did you have to bring him in to this?"
        My only answer is a broad, wicked smile. He sighs tiredly and sinks back into his chair, returning his attentions to his glass.

        We sit thus in silence for a time, each conversing with his own thoughts. From the weary tension which emanates dully from my companion, I know that Carey thinks on whatever quarrels it is he lately has with Adir. I do not bother to keep up with the details, for there is always some dispute between them, they are so easily provoked. Their bickering bored me a century ago, though I yet find it amusing to add fuel to the flames from time to time.
        The relationship between Meres and Veri, on the other hand, I find much more interesting. At times it seems centered around a physicality, and that is certainly not unheard of among us. We all (with the apparent exception of Mephisto this last half century or so!) grow at times tired of the constant failings of mortals, and turn toward those of higher creation for our company.
        Yet there is clearly something beyond that between them, for such a liaison would have run its course long ago. There is a close companionship that I do not entirely understand... Veri has long needed devoted attentions, but there is really no reason some mortal - or group of them - could not perform such menial tasks as he requires. He seemed quite taken with my Sabine, and though she is quite skilled in her work she is scarcely more than a servant.
        Meres for his part seems to have some special... I could almost say affection, for Veri, as strange as it is to associate that word with such as us. One would expect -and indeed to a degree share - some amount of self-inflating pity, for he truly is a pitiable creature at times. I will admit his physical form seems to have grown weaker at a much quicker pace than anyone's... and yet I suspect it is from his own nurturing of such a condition as much as anything else. All men tend to become that which they pretend to be, and there are those of us who are no longer so very far from those limited little creatures.
        I am brought from my reverie by a sudden increase in warm light - a servant has entered the room, to put a fresh log of the fire, which I had not noticed was dying so low. But that is why one goes to the trouble of maintaining a staff about one's residences, so that one need not notice such slight discomforts before they are remedied. I want a low, soothing fire to be kept at all times in the drawing room, for it is a dim and dusky room (by design), and a fire is pleasant here. One never knows the hours one - or one's guests - might keep, and so consistency in household upkeep is an absolute necessity. I ensure my guests are always given the most perfect of accommodations, it would hardly do to be a poor host.
        "Carey, darling, do not be cross with me. Shall I have your glass refilled?"

        Late that evening, when Carey has long since gone his own way, and I have spent some hours in leisurely diversions around the house, I find myself desiring something new. The weather is not disagreeable, and so into the city streets I go, to see what I might find. It has been several days since I have done so, for I have been busy with one thing or another. There is to be quite a large gathering in several days, culminating with the first viewing of Claude's latest painting. I think it a lovely indication of things to come, that he and Mark should choose such a setting for its revealing. Oh, of course there will be a public "first" showing, but we are given the advance. I am sure the painting is lovely - Meres has raved about it nearly as much as Claude! - but really it is the personalities bound to it that capture my attention so.
        Oh but it is a lovely night, now that I turn my attention to it. The last shades of twilight are falling away into true darkness, the warmth of false light granting the only places of vision. There are few people outdoors, leaving the streets far more picturesque. There are several older boys, in a loosely-bound group, calling too-loudly to each other, delighting in the rudeness of their voices and volume and manner. There is a young couple, entirely encased within the slight space between their enraptured eyes. There is - why, there is Cerise, the dear child! What a wonderful chance. I contrive my approach to be a casual one, which proves a brief entertainment in itself, for she moves with purposeful directness, and at a fair pace besides. But I am capable of far more swiftness and secrecy than she could hope to detect.
        I meet her at an intersection, full of casual pleasure at the sight of her. She for her part is startled at the calling of her name, and relaxes only slightly when she sees it is I. There is an unusual anxiety about the girl tonight, a breathless anticipation, an edginess of nerves.
        "Darling, you really ought not walk alone at such an hour! May I have the pleasure of accompanying you?"
        She laughs quietly, and the anxiety in her rings clearly through the sound. "Oh, I must admit, I would be very glad of the company. For though - you must know this - I am rather intimidated by you, at least you are a... oh certainly not a known thing! But a..."
        "A familiar variety of disconcerting," I supply with a smile, offering her my arm.
        She smiles gratefully, taking my arm. "You truly are a dear, thank you."
        "Not at all, sweet child. I was out in search of diversion, and you are among the most pleasant I could hope to find." I am aware that Adir has been offering her profuse praises, and I am curious as to what I might do in a similar vein. If we lead her to believe she is important to us, I think we shall find her skills entirely at our disposal. Or, if perchance she finds my flattery of a more amenable sort than Adir's - well, there are all sorts of lovely devices I might employ. Really, he is far too easy to upset, he ought to learn some sense of perspective.
        Her step falters, she stumbles and I steady her, holding her arm solidly. "Are you all right, darling?"
        She pauses just a moment to recollect herself. "...yes. Yes, thank you, I'm fine. I was simply too distracted by my thoughts, and I neglected my surroundings." She laughs shyly, shaking her head. "I must learn not to do so, it is terribly inelegant of me."
        "You shall learn, dear, learn with scarcely a thought toward it. A body of such grace as yours possesses could not be kept forcibly from elegance of motion."
        She blushes charmingly. As we resume walking, I inquire as to her destination.
        "I... Luce, do you promise to keep this night our secret?"
        Oh what deliciously enticing words! And said with such earnestness! I have not been asked that in such a way for decades. "Darling, of course I shall, if you so wish it."
        "I do. I go tonight to a rather secret meeting - oh, but I might tell you after all!" She seems relieved to the point of elation by the sudden realization. "You see, Sarah--- oh but I will not bore you with the irrelevancies, it was Meres who introduced me to a few, who in turn introduced me to others, and all has come full circle now for one of them told me he knew you, and you knew him once, so all is well."
        Fortunately, her beauty is sufficient distraction from such babbling. "And this gentleman's name..?"
        "Oh! Oh Luce, I am sorry, I have forgotten it! But you shall meet him tonight - oh you must come with me! I should feel so much the better if you did, for I scarcely know these people and---"
        I cut her off with the loudness of my laughter. "Child, child! You still have not yet told me where it is that you go!"
        She flushes crimson, and her voice is suddenly sober. "I really must organize my thoughts better, I do that sort of thing far too often. Do forgive me, Luce. But I suppose I avoid the subject purposely, for it makes me as uneasy as it does excited."
        I remain silent, leaving her to speak in her own time - and also not wishing to unintentionally divert her attention yet again.
        "I have been learning to make use of my... gift, as I am sure you know. It is quite exhilarating, to finally embrace something I have had to hide for so long, to finally speak and be really, truly understood. But I have been exploring, and there are so many paths laid before me, I don't think I've seen the half of them yet. But I have been looking, and testing, and trying to learn where my heart leads me with this strange sight it has. So, tonight, I am going to another secret meeting, in some secluded apartment, with others like me... or perhaps not like me, I do not yet know, but at least people with talents similar to mine, there are far more of them than I would have expected!"
        "It is not something one readily admits to strangers met on the street, or to those with whom you attend dinner parties - though of course you know this."
        "Mmm... But Luce, I must admit, I am worried about tonight. Oh of course everyone I have met - and I have met several of those who will be there tonight, at least fleetingly - has been so wonderfully kind, and quite protective really, given my age and newness to everything and all. But tonight is a different sort of work than I have yet tried, which always makes me nervous, but---"
        "Dear, you do tend to ramble when you grow anxious. Stop fearing the things you will say to me - I have heard far stranger, and far more dangerous, and I have survived them all."
        "Luce... Luce I think they're going to summon something tonight. I mean, summon something stronger than the ghost of someone's dead husband. Something that's not - and never was - human."
        I raise an eyebrow, but do not let any more of my excitement show than that. Even I hadn't known there were those who specialized in such still in this city! Perhaps it is only one visiting, but still, I really ought to have heard. Apparently it is one whom I have met before, but I have heard no recent news of such a one...
        "I... Luce, I must admit, I am frightened."
        I smile tenderly at her, and place a hand warmly over hers. "Darling... if it will comfort you, I shall go with you. I have... dealt with such things before, I promise you shall be kept quite safe. I will not say it will not be frightening - it is entirely possible that it will be. But you do owe it to yourself to investigate all possible channels, as you have been doing. You well know, I am sure, the pain of a missed opportunity."
        "Oh! Oh Luce, thank you!" she cries out joyfully, and - the impetuous darling! - throws her arms around me, kissing my cheek happily. "Oh I feel so much better I can hardly believe it, thank you so very much..."
        I smile warmly, thinking of just how annoyed Adir will be when he hears of this evening.

        We ascend two flights of stairs in a nondescript tenant house. The stairwell is narrow and poorly lit, the wallpaper quite faded. I cannot help but wrinkle my nose a bit in distaste - there really is no excuse for even the poor to live in squalor, soap is certainly no great expense.
        Fortunately, the apartment into which we are admitted is kept in far better repair. It is decorated simply, filled with the cast-off furnishings that slowly accumulate in any rented place, simple things with scarcely any of the tapestry of memories and meanings which nearly always grow around someone's possessions. There is a barren feeling to the room, and I am quite disappointed.
        That is, until we pass into the next room, where the meeting is apparently to take place. The walls are hung with dark fabrics, as an Arab harem cast into shadow. Strange runes are painted here and there, some on lighter clothes which are hung over the dark ones, some painted directly onto the cloth covering the walls. ...but no, they are not all strange to me, there are some I recognize. Runes of protection, mostly, intricate symbols which grant one inside their bounds additional dominion over spirits... though interestingly enough, I see none of those which man has devised to ward off the supposed evil spirits. I take this as a sign of the openness of this user's explorations, which is a particularly rare and good thing.
        Cerise has been making introductions all this time, and I am responding as expected, while my thoughts are focused elsewhere. All of that is mere rote, I need not pay it any mind. But these symbols... the manner in which they are drawn tugs at some forgotten memory. Cerise is talking more confidentially with an older woman now; the rest are mingling idly, apparently awaiting the arrival of a few more persons. I take the opportunity to move closer to the wall, and investigate more thoroughly some of the drawings.
        Pentagrams and seals, crosses and intricate interlacings of line and form, which have no name which a common man should recognize. Their meanings, individual and as a whole, are as I had thought from my initial glances. But there is a book left open on a table near the wall, and glancing at it, I see symbols with different meanings entirely... again, some I recognize, some I do not, but this is of no concern, for this is not an area of study I have paid much mind in a century or so. Man is always forgetting and reinventing his ideas and expressions of them, and as verbal languages shift in time and over distance, so too do the languages of written symbols, where one writer's flourish is taken as a necessary stroke by a solitary student.
        But there is one here that draws my attenion, and I cannot help but study. It has the general form of an inverted triangle, with lines drawn from the interior sides to intersect above the downward point. The descending lines of the main triangle continue past their intersection, and curl into endings, with a "v" drawn in between them, crossing over them to form a small diamond below the main triangle... and as my eyes finish tracing the pattern, my back suddenly flares, and I remember where I have seen this sign before.
        It is burned into my back, the very pattern of it to be found in the scars I have born for millenia, the scars of - oh, the scars from my wings, which shall never heal, the scars which I have so long tried to forget, oh how they burn!
        There is a low chuckle behind me, and I whirl about, ready to tear the throat out of whoever might so mock me in my momentary distress---
        I know this man. Oh and I will not tear out his throat, though I should very much like to. "Oh Judas, dearest of friends," I murmur through clenched teeth. "However have you come to be here?"
        He laughs low in his throat. "Now, now, Lux my friend, none but you have ever called me by such a name. It is Philip, do you not remember?"
        "Of course I remember... I remember too much of you for my own comfort, I think. Ah, but Cerise is right to come to you, for you are quite masterful of your arts."
        He smiles, a little too smugly. "But of course. Meres would not have started her on the path toward me if I were not."
        "And Meres, of course, never errs?"
        I am answered with laughter, and he claps a heavy hand on my shoulder. I do not know how a conjurer acquired the hands of a farmer, but so they have always been, and they have only grown worse with his age. "Ahh, I have not seen Meres in many years, how does he fare?"
        "No differently than when last you saw him, I should think."
        "Mmm, you were always too secretive. Now! Do come into the room and pay proper attention, for you shall see wondrous things tonight, if I do not miss my guess."