“This was difficult to acquire,” I said in a low voice.
“Something from Earth?”
“From the Thornroot Court there, yes.”
She took a step closer, squinting at the bag.
Sweat dripped down the back of my neck with an irritating tickle. She couldn’t know I held dream dust, but no matterhow many times I told myself that, it didn’t calm my nerves. I wanted this over with, but I couldn’t rush. I counted my frantic heartbeats, letting the moment draw out.
“Would you like to see it?” I whispered.
She blinked her long-lashed eyes flirtatiously. “Dazzle me.”
Slowly and purposefully, I tugged on the drawstring, my fingers hypersensitive to its fibers. Regula leaned closer for a better look as I carefully pulled it open. The sweat had migrated to my hands now, and I couldn’t afford to slip even a fraction of an inch.
Three, two, one… I inhaled sharply—
—and flung the contents into her face.
She jerked back with a yelp as the silvery dust hit her eyes, nose, mouth—everywhere, really. Then she gaped at me, sputtering in shock and outrage.
Oh, shit. It hadn’t worked. Had Valen set me up? Was the dream dust defective? I needed to run. I needed—
Regula collapsed to the floor in a heap of feathers.
I stood frozen for a moment, feeling lightheaded.The edges of my vision blurred, the balcony seeming to shimmer. Peering down at Regula, I jabbed my foot into her ribs.
She didn’t move. Fast asleep, then.
“Thank God and Goddess,” I breathed. Then I bent down and rolled Regula onto her stomach.
The rigid metal necklace clung tightly to her neck, not large enough to yank over her head. That was probably a security feature, though a determined—and brutal—thief could just cut off her head. Luckily, I didn’t need to get that messy. I pulled out the beautiful lock pick set Valen had given me and got to work on the clasp.
I hadn’t considered how dark the balcony would be. More light would help, but I would have to rely on touch. I’d practiced so many times that the lock felt like an old friend. Each delicatemovement scraped faintly in the near silence, punctuated only by the chirping of crickets in the garden below. A prickle of anxiety ran down my spine, offset by the thrill of the challenge and the satisfyingclickas the clasp finally yielded.
I seized the necklace, but the moment my fingers brushed the jewel, magic bombarded me. It felt like a buzz beneath my skin, so strong it made my jaw clench. I fell backwards onto my ass, suddenly tangled up in an overlarge ballgown.
What the hell? I stared down at myself, small breasts visible because the gown’s bodice didn’t fit my original body. I summoned my magic to return to the fey man’s form.
Nothing happened.
I couldn’t shapeshift.
Chapter 33
Valen
Ilost the thread of the conversation and nodded distractedly. The elegant chaos of the ballroom, once a vibrant spectacle, now felt like a suffocating pressure. Music and chatter besieged my ears, everyone dancing and mingling in their elaborate outfits that sometimes shifted color or included small celestial bodies orbiting their heads. No sign of Emmeline. How much longer should I wait before going after her?
My palms grew damp, slick against the flute of sparkling wine I unconsciously clutched tighter. Truly, not an enormous amount of time had passed. Emmeline wouldn’t rush her performance. She would wait until she’d lured Regula right up to the bag of dream dust before flinging it. I hadn’t chosen Emmeline just because of her shapeshifting abilities. She wasresourceful and kept calm under pressure. I needed to trust her now.
Trust. Humorless laughter nearly bubbled up my throat. Trust was the problem. No,Iwas the problem. Seeing Aurea had brought all of it back, the memories crystal clear.
Over a year ago now, I had paced around a white gazebo in a small public garden near Aurea’s family home. It had been night, the city as close to sleeping as it ever came. A cold sweat had slicked my skin as a wave of anxiety washed over me. What if she didn’t come? What if someone else told her first?
“Valen?”
Aurea hurried up the steps, wearing a cloak against the night’s chill. I rushed up to her.
