On cue, Lora’s stomach rumbled again. “Right. Once we’re done, I’ll be just another insignificant human.” She swallowed her anger as she focused on the food in front of her. What did he have to gain by poisoning her? Not much. Not until he knew her secret. Besides, her unfortunate fae side would most likely hinder any poisoning attempts.
Reluctantly, Lora picked up her spoon and took a small bite. The taste was intense, not bad, but a bit overwhelming.
Before she knew it, she had eaten more than half of it. She looked up to find Eyden watching her, a small smile playing on his lips. She wasn’t entirely sure if that was a good thing.
“What are you smiling at?” she asked, taking a break from eating.
“I’m glad I’m getting no more arguments.” He took a big bite and seemed to savour the taste.
“Oh, I’m only taking a dinner break. Don’t get used to it.”
Eyden’s smile increased a smidge. “I wouldn’t expect anything else.”
Lora couldn’t help herself as the corners of her mouth tipped up. A quiet moment of short-lived peace. Then it was gone as they both dug back into their food, ignoring each other.
When both of them were done, Eyden stood up and opened his bag further. “I got you some options to wear for tonight. Well, two. Dresses aren’t cheap.”
Lora looked up at the mention of money. “That reminds me, should I pay Ilario with my jewellery?”
“I’ll take care of it. Give me the jewellery and I’ll eventually trade it and get back the silver I’m spending on you.” He met her eyes, steel gaze blazing. “And more once our deal is done.”
She ignored that last part and was about to ask how much silver he would get for the jewellery when Eyden pulled out a shiny emerald dress. She immediately noticed that there wasn’t much fabric to it. It was tiny, strapless, and had multiple cut-outs on the sides. Lora rarely even wore dresses or skirts and if she did, they weren’t considered bold. This dress was a whole other level. She would never have chosen it for herself.
Eyden hung it over the chair next to him and took out the second dress. This one was steel grey and would probably flow to her knees. It had long sleeves that were cuffed at the wrists and made of a more sheer material. The piece of clothing sparkled in the light and Lora noticed that this dress would also expose some skin, but it was modest compared to the first option.
She pointed at the dress. “This one.”
He laid the dress across the back of another chair. “A safe choice.”
Lora eyed the green dress. “The other one is barely even a dress. A towel covers more.”
Eyden shrugged. “It’s fashion, so I’m told.”
“I don’t care about fashion as long as I’m blending in. What kind of theme does this event have anyway?”
“No idea.”
How were they supposed to blend in when he didn’t know the specifics? Irritated, she asked, “What have you been doing, then?”
He flashed her another steely look. “I had business to do. Someone has to provide the silver, right?”
She hated feeling dependent, needing his help at every turn. He must have known she wouldn’t have a good argument for this, so Lora decided not to give him the satisfaction of answering. She picked up the dress and her backpack and locked herself in the bathroom.
* * *
After applying a new layer of dark eyeshadow and eyeliner and styling her hair in a similar fashion to this morning, Lora stared at herself in the bathroom mirror. A thin braid was half-hidden in her shoulder-length, dark blonde hair that was a bit wavy from leaving it to air dry. The dark makeup accentuated her vibrant eyes. Her lips looked fuller with the dark red lipstick she had chosen from the small makeup collection she had taken with her. Lora was grateful she’d remembered to bring it. Blending in was essential, even though she hated pretending to be fae. Half of her might technically be fae, but she’d done a fine job of ignoring that part of her for most of her life, keeping it hidden so deep within her, she could almost forget it was real.
The dress fit her pretty well. Her naturally tan skin peeked out on her sides, the cut-outs placed in a flattering matter.
She felt pretty yet somehow distant from herself. The eyes staring back at her looked fae for the first time in her life, as if she could physically see the power burning behind her eyes, threatening to take over her human side. Lora grasped her heart-shaped pendant, closing her eyes as she focused on the memory of home. The cold chain settled her racing mind, grounding her.
A knock pulled her out of her search for inner peace. She wouldn’t find it anyway.
“We have to go, special one,” Eyden’s voice was muffled by the door separating them.
“Just a minute.” Lora met her own eyes again, taking a calming breath as she reminded herself that she was still the same human who left Bournchester yesterday.
She hastily pulled the vial from her jacket which was lying on the edge of the bathtub and glanced around the small room, looking for a hiding spot. The space was pretty sparse and she couldn’t find a good place to hide the vial safely.
