The crowd gasps.
I blink, and blink again. Kassandra’s Illusion is so powerful it seems real. It seems…material. Maybe it is—but that would be an impossible feat.
No one seems to breathe.
Then the king holds up the knife. “A diamond dagger!” he announces, and the room erupts into enthusiastic applause.
Kassandra tips backward, a shimmer around her as energy returns to the plane. Jeremee catches her, naked and shaking, eyes rolling into the back of her head. The nobles around us surge closer to the dais for a better look, whispering:
“—have you ever seen—”
“But a female?”
Briar throws a cloak over the fae as I reach her side. Her head lolls back.
“That was…” Jeremee glances down at her limp body. “I didn’t know they could do that.”
“I don’t think Illusion can,” I say.
Briar shakes her head. “I’ll grab some water.”
Locating the smelling salts, I pull them out of my pocket. They were in case the water foal trick fatigued her, but that wasn’t the grand Illusion for which she stored the plane on her skin. She had come up with her own grand plan. A public display of female power. Respect blooms inside me.
I hold the salt under her nose. My mistress gasps. Her face is pale, sweaty. Eyes bloodshot. In a moment, Briar is back with agoblet of water, tipping the liquid into Kassandra’s mouth. Jeremee props her on her feet.
“On the horse,” I say.
He lifts her shuddering frame up onto the mare’s back, sidesaddle. She leans against the horse’s neck, wrapping an arm around the creature, clutching the cloak to her figure. Jeremee wraps the reins around her wrist.
“Did we do it?” she groans. “Are they dazzled?”
I glance up at the dais as the males of the inner circle examine the diamond dagger. I turn back to Kassandra.
“You did,” I say, smiling.
My mistress smiles back.
It doesn’t last long.
Not as her brother strides forward, slicking his hair back. His beady black eyes find us. He wanted a performance. She gave him one.
“A powerful trick.” The king beams, dropping onto his throne. “Maybe even more powerful than you, Dom.”
The High Fae chortle, some sneaking glances at Lord Dominik.
The air rushes around us with the icy feel of an Illusion. Dread sinks into my stomach as the sound of Dominik’s voice hisses in our ears, low and biting.What the fuck have you done?
Kassandra flinches.
“High Fae of the realm,” Dominik calls to the room, face flushed. After they quiet, he bows to the king. “For your patience during my sister’s Illusion performance and as a gesture of goodwill between our two Houses, I would like to grant you one last gift.”
“Two gifts from Illusion!” Maxian says. “I truly am lucky, aren’t I?”
The High Fae laugh uneasily. Dominik stalks off the dais, unbridled rage glinting in his eye. Jeremee tenses beside me, and Kassandra struggles to sit up.
Dominik’s going to hurt her,I think with sudden clarity. Right here, in front of everyone, he will hurt her.
“You,” Dominik snarls. Kassandra stifles a sob.
