It was risky as hell, but we needed that crystal now more than ever.
Mara seemed to chew on the idea for a moment, staring at the bright blue kitchen cupboards in her home. “I think I could manage an illusion that would work for about an hour.”
I nodded. “That should do.”
Elle and I raided Mara’s closet, producing two ball gowns. Mine was all black sequins with a lace-up corset back that managed to fit decently. Elle slipped into a red number and Mara magicked our ears shorter.
Elle was finishing her makeup as I watched Mara make an illusion spell at the table. She was weaving thread after thread of purple magic into a ball. It was incredible to watch.
“What kind of Fae are you?” I couldn’t help but wonder. She was so powerful; I’d never heard of a Fae who had as much magic as she did.
She looked at the open bathroom door where Elle was doing her makeup. “A powerful one.” She winked and rolled the magical ball in her hands.
Okay, she didn’t want to tell me. That was fine. My mom said Mara was a woman with a complicated past she wasn’t proud of. I didn’t want to pry.
“Alright, kiddo, your first big mission.” Mara smoothed the hem of my dress. “Just remember: nothing is more important than your life. Get out of there if things go sideways.”
I frowned, wondering if she knew the queen was still alive and needed the crystals to awaken again.
“Some things are,” I said. “Sometimes the sacrifice of one, for the good of many, is needed.”
A frown pulled at her lips. “Your mom thought the same thing and look where that got her.”
Dread crept into my stomach. What was Mara saying? Don’t get the crystal at all costs? I was so confused.
“Just be safe,” Mara urged, walking me to the doorway, where Elle was waiting. “Your mother would want me to look out for you.”
Maybe that’s why she was saying that stuff. Elle and I gave her both our backs and she laid the illusion spell over our shoulder blades. A warm tingle ran the length of my back and I looked over my shoulders to see my wings were gone.
Cool.
We bade her goodbye and opened the door to our Oregon apartment. We had blue doors in every state and in every country, Mara had said. It was a complicated network of Fae portals that I was just beginning to understand, and only Mara was powerful enough to work it all.
Elle and I jumped onto my bike, which was parked in the seedy parking lot of the grim complex, and I chastised myself for not thinking of getting a car or something. We were going to look all disheveled when we arrived. Luckily, the rain had let up.
“So you heal the guy, kiss him, and the next morning he bails and leaves a note?” Elle whispered from behind me where she sat on the bike.
“I don’t want to talk about him,” I snapped, harsher than I meant to.
She shrugged. “I’m just preparing you. He’s a seeker too, you know. Clearly you guys are after the same thing.”
She was right. There was a very real possibility Liam would be here tonight too. With that in mind, I pulled my ball gown up and settled over the bike.
Now that my mother was gone, I wanted more than anything to have family. The queen was my aunt and my only family left. I wasn’t going to let her or the people of Faerie down.
* * *
“Good evening, ladies.”The gentlemen at the door bowed to us. After stashing the bike in the woods down the road, we’d grabbed a taxi and fixed our hair inside of it. Now, with Mara’s wing illusion spell wearing off in about forty minutes, we were led inside of the massive mansion without male dates or an invitation. The dresses alone were enough it seemed.
We passed dozens of Dark Fae. Sons of Darkness was just another name for what they truly were. Cruel horns twisted from their heads. One of them had hooved feet, another displayed the same black Fae wings like Liam. So many of them were here that I started to panic about our plan.
“Hello there,” a deep voice called out beside me and I froze. Turning halfway, I came face to face with a guy in his twenties. His eyes were deep orange, but they glowed like tiny flames danced inside of them. He was exceedingly handsome, with a full beard and tall stature, but something about him raised the hairs on my neck. “Care to dance?”
I gave him a big fat, hopefully genuine grin, “Sure thing. I just gotta use the ladies’ room, then I’ll find you?”
He reached out and trailed a finger along my arm. “I’ll be at the bar.” His voice was gruff and made my stomach churn. I nodded and bee-lined it to the back of the room with Elle hot on my tail.
Just as I was about to start sending out my feelers and looking for the crystal, everyone started clapping.
