A Disguise
Siralaine
Iopen my mouth, ready to take it all from him, to leave him hollow. My breath mingles with his. I can almost hear his soul singing to me.
Then, a dagger slices through the air, nicking my cheek. A sharp sting jolts me to reality as I jerk back, and I gasp, spotting the dagger buried in the throat of the fae I was about to end.
He chokes, his eyes rolling back, and then collapses in a heap at my feet.
I stumble back as the hunger recoils, withdrawing my teeth as I force them to smooth into harmless human shapes. The taste of venom lingers on my tongue as I wipe the blood from my cheek.
The other fae is dead, too, a dagger lodged in his throat.
The air shifts, thick with a presence I know too well now. I sense him before I see him. Kai. He stands a few metres away, eyes blazing, his chest heaving as he surveys the body on the ground and then fixes his sharp, merciless gaze on me.
For a beat too long, I can’t move. Did he see? Does he know what I am? His eyes narrow.
I force myself to straighten, to swallow the trembling hunger still curling in my veins.
“You took your time,” I say, willing my voice not to shake.
Kai steps closer, his eyes on the cut on my cheek, and for a moment, I think he’s about to check it, but instead, his gaze flicks to my mouth. It lingers there suspiciously. As if searching for something, and it’s all I can do not to let the terror show on my face.
“Funny thing,” he murmurs, eyes narrowing further. “It almost looked like you were feeding.”
My heart pounds. If he knew… if he even guessed what I truly am, I’m dead.
I bite back the panic, forcing a small smirk to hide behind. “You must have hit me harder than I realised,” I murmur, gesturing to the thin cut on my face. “I flinched. That’s all.”
He studies me for a moment too long, unease flitting through me, but I don’t look away, hoping he doesn’t see through me. I can’t read what he’s thinking, but there’s something ominous about his posture, and the glint in those golden eyes warns me to be careful.
Please tell me he hasn’t seen through me… please. It’s all I can pray for.
“And this is the very reason I told you to come with me,” he says quietly.
“Yeah, sorry…”
He clenches his jaw, but says nothing for a moment.
“Well, I’ve found us lodging. It’s with a family. They think you’re my wife, so we need to keep up the facade, and I got you a glamour spell to hide your hair and eyes.
“Oh, excellent.” I feel relief rush through me as I reach out for the sack he’s holding. He doesn’t let go, his eyes now on it. For a moment, he simply stares. “But you’re wearing a glamour already, right?”
I stare up at him, that little sack so close yet so far, in his iron grip.
“It was a cheap one that only hid my ears,” I lie.
He nods slowly, letting go, and I take it, opening it and examining the bottle. This glamour spell will hide the hue of my skin, too! And this kind will last for nearly two weeks.
He’s watching me as I open it.
“If they ask, you’re a dryad and I’m an earth fae. There are clothes in there. Put them on while I dispose of these bodies.”
I nod as I walk towards the nearest tree. I can feel his eyes on me. He didn’t see anything, did he? The way he was looking at me… maybe he didn’t, but he’s definitely getting suspicious.
I pull out the dress and examine it. It’s a blush pink cotton with a little white flower print over it, with off-shoulder sleeves.
I then put on a brown leather corset, one that accentuates my breasts.
It is pretty. Finally, I pull on a pair of brown boots before I drink the glamour potion, watching as my hair becomes completely black.
My skin darkens slightly, and I smile as it loses the faint hue that was appearing.
I reach up and smooth my hair before I finish tying up my corset and tug on the dress skirt to take out the creases. It reaches below my knees. I shove the empty potion bottle and dirty clothes into the bag and step out from behind the tree, waiting for him to return.
When I hear the sound of his wings and a shadow blocks out the sunlight, I look up to see him just before he lands. He looks magnificent and deadly.
The few small wisps of that soul have given me a little boost, for now.
“Don’t I look pretty?” I ask, wanting him to forget what happened before and act like everything is normal. “I’m surprised you chose pink.”
He looks up, his eyes roaming over me. “I didn’t choose; the woman selling them did,” he says curtly.
“Well, thank you, I’ve never worn a dress like this before.” I twirl the skirt, freezing when I realise what I said. I smile at him. “As a water fae, and due to my family’s rank, we tend to wear silks and chiffon,” I explain.
“Hm,” Kai says simply. “Come on, the family we’re staying with offered dinner if we arrived there by sunset.”
“How long will we stay there?”
“Until I finalise our plan,” he responds.
“And how did they agree to let you stay?” I ask suspiciously. “You don’t look like someone I’d let into my home.”
He scoffs, cocking a brow. “Really, darling? Because I think you’d do more than let me into your home.”
I pout in displeasure and toss my hair. “Don’t get so cocky. Really, how did they agree? Did you threaten them?”
“No. I told them my wife is pregnant.”
I stop and stare at him. “What?”
“Yeah, so don’t prance around like you’re completely fine.”
It’s my turn to snort. “Pregnant women can ‘prance’ all they want.”
“Yeah, but you’re in your first trimester and you get nauseous. So don’t eat like a pig either.”
My mouth drops open. Did he just insult me twice in the span of minutes?!
“Kai!” He stops and looks back at me, something in his eyes changing.
I hurry up to him, smirking as his gaze dips to my breasts, and I lean in teasingly, allowing my breasts to graze against him.
“You shouldn’t leave your pregnant wife behind, or that couple might not believe that we’re a real couple. ”
“Once they see you, and if they believe I’d ever get you pregnant, then that’s proof enough that they’re dumb enough to believe anything,” he replies before turning and walking off.
I scoff, glaring at his back.
But maybe I was imagining it, maybe he isn’t suspicious. I’m going to have to be careful. I wanted to escape, but would I really get far?
I’m about to reply when another thought comes to mind. I smile slyly as I catch up to him once more.
Oh, Kai, you’re going to regret ever teasing me. I’m sure I can put being his ‘pregnant wife’ to use.
We reach the house, which is at the edge of town but on the opposite side from where we were. Kai said he had met the man at the marketplace. When the small house comes into view, we slow down a little, and I plaster a polite smile on my face.
Steam flows from the chimney, and as we reach the door, I can smell fish cooking. My stomach churns. If there’s one food I can’t stomach, it’s fish. Sea sirens can eat fish. It’s just how humans would eat animals breathing the same air as them, but I couldn’t. I hope they have something else.
“Is there water nearby?” I ask, wondering where the fish came from.
“There’s a small river, which runs past the outskirts of this village.”
I nod. “What village are we in?”
He looks at me as if debating whether to answer.
“Ridvern.”
Ridvern, I was right. We are far from Elmeria. How far had my father sent his allies to find me? Is this how angry he is at me? There is something bigger going on. There has to be, right? Or is he really that angry that I broke the law and walked on land?
“Alright, smile and be polite.”
I look up at his grim expression. “I smile? And you won’t?”
“No, that’s your job,” he counters.
I roll my eyes. “Ok, fine, I’ll be the sweet pregnant wife.
” I bat my eyelashes and wrap my arm around his, resting my head on his shoulder.
He stiffens, but I simply look ahead, very aware of the way his muscled arm feels against my breasts.
I’ll enjoy this until the day he realises the truth, and I have to run.
The thought makes my stomach twist, but I push it away.
We reach the front door, and when it’s opened by a dryad man who looks to be in his late 40s, Kai smiles slightly. I never knew he could smile. He’s a good actor. I’ll give him that.
“You found our home, Kai. I was worried you might get lost!”
“Not at all. Your instructions were clear. Alfren, my wife, Sira. Sira, this is Alfren.”
Sira… I don’t think he’s ever called me by my name before – even if he did cut it down the middle. I wonder how it would sound on his lips, Siralaine – Fuck.
My stomach sinks as I realise I have given him the greatest weapon possible. My name. All he needs to do is catch wind of King Morcant’s wanted daughter, Siralaine, and it’s over for me.
“Sira, hello there, dear, come on in, come on in. Your husband mentioned you were attacked on your way by unruly bandits. This is my wife Dorene…”
I can barely listen, the fear gnawing at my stomach as the dryad man leads us inside. He was smart to choose a dryad family; they aren’t good with picking up on glamours, not having much magic themselves, but I’m under the watchful eye of a sky siren, so nothing else matters.
I push away the panic regarding my name and thank the couple. “I appreciate you letting us stay,” I say politely.
“Not at all, come on in. We have everything set up. We can have dinner, and then you should retreat for the night,” Dorene says kindly, taking my hand as she leads me to a stool. Kai shouldn’t have said I was pregnant. I feel guilty for Dorene thinking she needs to take care of me.
“Mama! Mama, Alfrea is hitting me!” I look up as two young girls come running inside, making Kai step back so they don’t knock into him.
“Alfrea, Sarena, we have guests. Say hello to Kai and Sira,” Alfren says, his eyes crinkling as he smiles at them. “These kids are very hyper; I’m sorry about them.” He chuckles, combing his fingers through his beard.