A Faerie's Curse

Chapter 19

Nineteen

Elizabeth clearly doesn’t trust me to stay in my bedroom all night, so she conjures up a magical, glowing string, ties our wrists together, and falls asleep beside me. When I wake in the morning, she’s gone.

I spend the first part of the day with Gaius looking through the costume closet and choosing outfits for everyone. He and Ana will be posing as the baron and his daughter Brynn. If all goes according to plan, they’re the only two who will be seen tonight. Lumethon and Elizabeth will be beneath the palace floors, searching for Chase and keeping out of sight. But if someone does happen to see any of them, they need to be dressed appropriately so they can pretend to be nosey partygoers who wanted to explore the palace and ended up getting lost. Kobe and Darius, who will also be searching for Chase, will be dressed as palace guards. They can pretend to usher the tipsy ladies back upstairs if need be. Gaius and I alter two Guild uniforms—I don’t ask where he got them from—by changing the color to midnight blue and adding the Seelie Queen’s insignia to the top of each arm, using my projection of the guard I saw the other night as a reference.

I’m the only one who doesn’t have to wear party clothes. I’ll be hiding outside the ballroom, staying in constant contact with the team, manipulating illusions, and essentially playing the puppet-master. My clothing will be as dark and inconspicuous as the shadows I intend to hide in.

We lay out all the formal wear and masks on the meeting room table as the rest of the team begins to arrive. Lumethon, whom I cannot imagine in a dress, picks the least frivolous garment, lengthens it with a simple clothes casting spell, and passes Darius and Kobe their guard uniforms. Gaius, already dressed, makes adjustments to his mask.

“If that’s what royals have to wear,” Darius says, eying Gaius’s outfit, “then I’m happy to be one of the common folk.”

“Ha!” Ana says as she walks in. “You’d be common even if you were royal.”

“It’s traditional faerie formal wear,” Gaius explains to Darius. “Haven’t I ever sent you to a formal event for one of our missions?”

“Nope. You always make Kobe go to those things.”

“I don’t mind,” Kobe says with a shrug.

“No way,” Ana exclaims as Lumethon hands her a purple gown. “You want me to wear this?”

“Now who’s the common one?” Darius whispers loudly into her ear before leaving the room with his uniform.

“Do I have to wear this ridiculous thing?” Ana moans. She turns to me. “Can’t I wear something normal and then you just imagine this puffy dress on me?”

“I think we should leave her here,” Elizabeth says. I glance over my shoulder and find her leaning against the wall fixing Ana with a less-than-impressed stare. Her glittering red dress is her own. Nothing out of the costume closet for her.

“I’m not going to spend the entire evening picturing your dress for you,” I tell Ana. “You and Gaius are close enough in appearance to the baron and his daughter. Once you’re inside and have your masks on, I’m not wasting any more energy disguising you.”

“This is for Chase, remember?” Lumethon says quietly, patting Ana’s arm as she walks past with her own dress.

With a sigh, Ana gathers up her dress and walks out to find another room to get changed in.

I look around at Gaius and Elizabeth. “Well, if you need me, I’ll be upstairs getting ready.”

“Don’t forget a wig,” Elizabeth adds. “You won’t stay hidden for long with that gold hair flashing around.”

“Is there an easy alternative?” I ask. “A hair dye spell or something? Those wigs are uncomfortable. I don’t want to be thinking about my itchy head when I should be picturing an illusion.”

Elizabeth looks at Gaius. “Do you have obsidian thorn?”

“The bush with the black berries? Yes, I believe I do.”

With a sigh, Elizabeth pushes away from the wall. “Great. I’ll go crush some berries while you get dressed, Calla.”

I return to my room and change my clothes. My attire is pretty much exactly what I would wear if I were a guardian on an assignment: black from head to toe, close-fitting and easy to move in. My boots are black too, except for the blue laces, and my everyday jacket is, of course, also black.

While waiting for Elizabeth, I dilute some of the tonic she made into a bottle of water small enough to fit into an inner pocket of my jacket. I make it a little stronger than she suggested, knowing I’ll almost certainly need a boost at some point tonight. I screw the lid on tightly, slip it into the pocket, and zip my jacket up. The bottle isn’t the only thing hidden within my clothing. I wrestled with a few clothes casting spells earlier until I was able to add several straps and extra pockets inside the jacket for a mirror, some throwing stars, and other useful items.

I’m about to turn away from the bed when I notice Filigree sitting in cat form between my pillows. He pads forward, stops at the edge of the bed, and stares up at me with wide, mournful eyes. “No,” I say sternly. “This is one outing you can’t come along for. I’m serious, Filigree. No sneaking into my pockets.” He lies down, lowers his head onto his paws, and continues watching me with sad eyes.

Elizabeth knocks and walks in carrying a bowl of black liquid. “Ready?” she asks.

“Yes. Thank you. Sorry to make you do that. I hope you didn’t get any juice on your dress.”

“Oh, I didn’t do the actual berry crushing. That’s what magic is for.”

“Right. That’s true. So … do I need to lean over the pool?”

“Yes.” She walks past me into the bathing room. “Well, you don’t have to, but it might be cleaner that way.”

I kneel down on the enchanted grass beside the pool and pull my mass of golden hair over the water. “Do I need to wet my hair?”

“It doesn’t matter. Magic’s involved, so you don’t really need to do anything.”

I feel cold liquid pouring onto my head, but I can see Elizabeth leaning against the wall, which means she’s controlling everything from a distance. Her hand flicks to the side every now and then, moving my hair or the dye, but mostly she remains relaxed against the wall. A stream of water arcs up and rinses my hair without wetting the rest of me, and when I sit back, hot air blows through my hair and dries it within minutes. “You’re actually quite good at this,” I admit when she tells me to stand.

“I know,” she says. “Remember when you and I first met? I told you I was Chase’s hair stylist, and you didn’t believe me.”

“Of course I didn’t.”

“Well, now you know who helps him out with his two-toned faerie hair disguise so he doesn’t look like a halfling.”

I nod slowly as I walk to the mirror. My eyes widen at the sight of such dark hair atop my own head. “It looks pretty cool, actually. How long will it last?”

“Only until you wash your hair. I assumed you didn’t want a permanent change, which is why I went for the berry juice option.”

“Cool.” I pull my hair back into a high ponytail, secure it tightly, and say, “Okay, let’s go.”

“Makeup?” Elizabeth asks.

I pause. “What about it?”

“Are you going to put any on? Your face is as pale as a moon in a starless sky against all that black. You’ll hardly blend into the shadows that way.”

Well, as poetic as that sounded, it was hardly a compliment. I cross my arms. “What do you want me to do? Paint my whole face black?”

“Not your whole face, but we could put a ton of black makeup around your eyes, at the very least.”

I raise an eyebrow. “A ton?”

By the time Elizabeth’s done, it looks like some kind of ink-streaked black swan is painted across the top half of my face. It actually doesn’t look too bad. Elizabeth nods approvingly. “Pretty badass. Definitely not my style, but badass nonetheless.”

Badass. I like the sound of that. We head to the door, but I pause after opening it and look back at her. “I don’t want to dwell on this, but it’s possible I might actually … die tonight.”

“Oh, don’t be so dramatic,” she says, stepping past me.

“I’m being realistic, Elizabeth.” And I’m trying not to let the fear of death consume me. “This curse isn’t a joke. If your tonic stops working and I use my Griffin Ability too much—which is highly likely, given everything we’ve planned—then tonight could be the night I become too weak to keep going. So if I don’t get to see Chase again, will you—”

“Honestly, Calla, you need to stop worrying about this,” she says, continuing along the passage, making me hurry to catch up to her. “Concentrate on not messing up tonight, and we can deal with the curse afterwards. If you were going to die any time soon, Luna wouldn’t have Seen you in Chase’s future.”

My steps come to a halt. A shiver raises the hairs on my arms. “What?”

A few paces ahead of me, Elizabeth freezes. She doesn’t look around at me, but I hear her curse beneath her breath. “I forgot he never mentioned that bit to you,” she mutters.

I close the distance between us and take hold of her arm. “What are you talking about? What did Luna See?”

“I … I’m not completely sure. You’ll have to ask Chase.”

“You’re lying. If you and Chase really do tell each other everything, then he would have told you about this.”

“Look, Calla,” she says, removing my hand from her arm. “It isn’t my place to say anything, and I honestly don’t remember any details beyond the words ‘woman in gold.’ The vision was about you and Chase, and if he decided not to tell you, he must have had a good reason. I should have kept my mouth shut, and I’m sorry.” She walks away.

“So that’s it?” I call after her. “I have to go into this mission now and completely forget about what you’ve just said?”

“That’s exactly it.”

With a great deal of effort, I force my questions to the back of my mind, telling myself that if all goes well tonight, it won’t be long before I can ask Chase exactly what Luna Saw. I’ll probably be so happy to have him back, though, that questions like this will hardly matter. I smile at the thought, my insides filling with warmth as I imagine finally being able to touch and see and hear him again. I give myself one last silent lecture as I follow Elizabeth: I’m not going to die, it doesn’t matter what Luna Saw, and every thought needs to be pointed toward our mission now.

Downstairs, I find the rest of the team assembled in the entrance hall. “Everyone ready?” Gaius asks, at which I feel a twinge of nervousness. Everyone nods, so I nod too. I am ready, I tell myself. It’s just the curse I’m a little concerned about. “Shall we do the communication spell then?” Gaius adds.

“Will it last long enough?” Lumethon asks.

“It generally lasts about half a day, I think. We won’t have another chance to do it, though, so it has to be now.” Gaius passes a scrap of paper around to remind us of the words. We each pull out a stylus and write on some part of our skin. Then, the tedious part: we each have to mark everyone else’s skin so that we’re all in contact with each other.

“There has to be an easier way than this,” Darius mutters. “This is magic, right? Isn’t magic supposed to make our lives easier?”

“Trust me,” Elizabeth says. “This is easier than those little devices humans have to put in their ears.”

“Right,” Gaius says when we’re done. “Calla, do you want to test out the illusion you’ll be using most of the way there?”

I nod and step away from the group so I can visualize the scene properly. Gaius and Ana will be Baron Westhold and his daughter, and the rest of us won’t be there. I close my eyes and picture it. The baron, Brynn, no one else.

“Wow, this is weird,” Darius comments. “Looking down and not seeing myself.”

I let go of the picture and pull the wall back up around my mind.

“Wonderful,” Gaius says. “Let’s go.”

I pour my full concentration into the illusion from the moment we step out of the faerie paths and onto the bank beside the clear river. I’m aware that there are other fae dressed in gowns and masks standing in what could roughly pass for a line, and that more than one white boat is floating along the river, but I try not to pay attention to anything except my illusion.

Gaius and Ana join the back of the line, and the rest of us stand to the side, holding hands. It seems silly, but we can’t see each other, so this way we at least know where everyone else is. Quiet chatter fills the area, but neither Gaius nor Ana joins in. Before we left the mountain, I instructed everyone to keep their mouths shut. “If I need the baron or his daughter to say something, I’ll imagine it happening.”

At the front of the queue, before climbing into a boat, each guest is required to present their invitation to the Seelie Court guard standing on the bank. When it’s Gaius’s turn to hand over his champagne-colored rosebud, the guard skims through the list of guests on his amber tablet and frowns. “Your reply indicated that you wouldn’t be attending.”

“Oh? I’m terribly sorry,” I imagine Baron Westhold saying. “I thought I had contacted the palace to change that.”

“I’m afraid you did not.”

“Well, we’re here now,” the baron says, with a chuckle that sounds as nervous as I feel. “Can we get into the boat?”

“Hold on.” The guard lowers his amber tablet, and the image of a face rises above it. “Please remove your mask, Baron Westhold.” I hold my breath and concentrate more fiercely as Gaius pulls his mask off. The guard looks back and forth between Gaius and the image of the baron’s face. Satisfied, he nods. Then he turns to Ana and repeats the process, bringing up an image of the baron’s daughter. He nods again and returns the rosebud invitation to Gaius. He holds his hand out toward the boat and says, “Thank you for your patience. Have a pleasant journey.”

Gaius and Ana climb into the boat, and the rest of us hurry to do the same, causing a little too much sloshing. With five additional people that no one can see, our boat sits far lower in the water than any of the others. The guard is busy with the next invitation, though, and no one else seems to notice.

I breathe more easily once we’re moving, but I don’t dare let go of the illusion. I’m aware of a growing weariness at the edges of my mind, and it scares me to know how quickly the curse’s effects are working now. Definitely faster than before. I pat the front of my jacket and feel the comforting edge of the bottle tucked into the inner pocket.

When the boat journey comes to an end, we climb out and find a row of carriages each pulled by pegasi. The guard who greets Gaius and Ana checks their invitation, but there’s no confusion this time about whether they’re supposed to be here or not. The message must have been passed on somehow. Gaius and Ana climb into the carriage, but when the guard moves as if to climb in after them, I imagine the baron turning around and holding his hand up. “I like my privacy. My daughter and I will sit alone.”

The guard opens his mouth but hesitates, as if he wasn’t prepared for this situation.

“Surely you have a seat at the front of the carriage?” Baron Westhold asks.

“Uh, yes, sir. I do. But the pegasi direct themselves, so … But it’s fine, sir. I’ll sit at the front. Have a pleasant journey.” He bows and strides around to the front of the carriage.

As the rest of us climb inside, I realize what a tight fit it will be. I hadn’t considered this part. Will the guard notice the extra effort it takes for the pegasi to get us off the ground? I bite my lip as the carriage jerks into motion, continuing to chew on it as we speed up. Fortunately, these pegasi seem to be far stronger than I gave them credit for. With little more than a heaving creak, we’re in the air.

Finally, I let go of the illusion. I figure we’re safe for the next few hours. Gaius and Lumethon whisper to each other, and Kobe watches the sunset through the carriage window. Ana and Darius fight over limited space, elbowing each other repeatedly until Lumethon asks them to stop. Elizabeth tilts her head back and closes her eyes. From the way she remains perfectly still, I can tell she isn’t sleeping. I look toward the window and pretend Chase can still hear my thoughts. We’re coming, I whisper silently. We’re almost there.

Hours later, I’m roused from my half-asleep state when someone touches my knee. “We’re descending,” Gaius says. He holds up the pouch I stole from Olive. “Hopefully this will get us safely through the entrance.” He passes it around the carriage, and we take turns sprinkling some of the powdery contents over our heads.

“I really hope this works,” Ana mutters.

“It will work,” Gaius says.

Moments later, the carriage wheels touch the ground. I remember the roof disappearing at around about this point last time, so I quickly picture the people who are supposed to be inside this carriage: the baron, Brynn, no one else. Seconds later, the carriage roof vanishes. Without looking too closely, I take in our surroundings. The trees that line either side of the avenue are strung with tiny lights, and the delicate scent of the blossoms drifting to the ground fills the air.

Up ahead, another carriage rumbles toward the archway. It reaches the waterfall, drives through, and disappears from sight as the water draws back over the space like a curtain. I tense as our carriage approaches the archway. My hands clasp tightly around one another and I prepare to be thrown backward by a wall of solid water. We’re so close now. Almost there, almost there—

And then we’re through. My sigh of relief isn’t the only one. I strengthen my illusion once again as we enter a courtyard filled with the same pink- and orange-blossomed trees that lined the avenue. We circle around the edge before the pegasi come to a stop. Looking up and around, I see white pillars and towers, spiraling stairways and elegant balconies

No, stop, concentrate.

I can’t afford to be distracted, no matter how beautiful my surroundings. Gaius and Ana—the baron and his daughter—climb out of the carriage. The rest of us follow just behind, reaching for each other’s hands again once we’re out of the carriage. The guard leads them to a second archway, where their invitation is checked for a third time and floating images of their faces are once again compared. “Walk around the fountain toward the wide open doorway on the other side of the courtyard,” the guard says, pointing through the archway. “That’s the ballroom. You can’t miss it.” Gaius and Ana walk below the archway, and ever so carefully, the rest of us slip through after them.

We’ve made it. We’re inside the Seelie Palace.