Chapter 12
The next day…
It took the rest of the prior evening to stop using the illusion magic that changed my features.
Morning and noon had come and gone. I’d barely eaten anything, but I had slept a good bit and I felt somewhat better.
I scratched my arm since my skin still tingled, but Olivia hadn’t seemed to notice anything off about me.
Maybe that’s because she was nervous.
Or she was just like me and pretending everything was fine.
“I really don’t think dinner with the Incubus King is a good idea,” I said for the five hundredth time, still working on getting the grogginess of sleep out of my voice.
Olivia rummaged through my closet searching for something that wasn’t too skimpy to wear. I’d been sticking mostly to halter tops and jeans, but Kaito had warned me that wasn’t going to fly at a fancy dinner.
Olivia pulled out a dress made of sequins and tiny straps. She grimaced at it before putting it back. “You can call him dad, you know.”
I scoffed as I opened up one of the bottles of makeup on the unused vanity. Sniffing the contents made me regret my life choices and I replaced the glass top. “I’m sure a lot of girls call him ‘daddy.’ I’m so not going there with him.”
Olivia snorted as her hands fell to her sides. She twisted her ring, then whispered a spell.
She tilted her head as if she heard something, then disappeared into the closet, only to emerge with another dress. “Look. Trevor can be a smooth-talker and he went through a lot of trouble to set this up.”
I frowned. “What did he say exactly that convinced the Incubus King to talk to me?” After our prior little chat, he’d been completely unreachable. It seemed good ‘ol dad was only willing to talk to me when it benefited him.
She made a point to avoid eye contact. “Don’t know. Like I said, he’s a smooth-talker.”
I pursed my lips. She wasn’t telling me everything, but now wasn’t the time to press her about it.
Sighing, I sat my chin into my hands and stared at my reflection in the mirror. Olivia was over here whispering spells to help me find the perfect dress, her boyfriend was off negotiating with the Incubus King to set up this dinner, and what was I doing?
Just trying to survive.
A part of me wanted to see that other face again. The one I had created that embodied a soul who didn’t share my problems. A regular girl in a regular world.
While the magic hummed underneath my skin, it didn’t seem like it wanted to listen to me again.
Even though I could feel the tug of magic within me, it seemed almost disconnected. It was like having an extra limb that you’re not quite sure how to use yet.
No matter how hard I tried, my features remained the same.
The dark sphere that Kaito had created from the Death Lotus remnant was still inside me. Perhaps I’d used up whatever power it had given me, or perhaps it was just a placebo effect that played against my angelic powers of belief.
Either way, it had given me a false sense of control by allowing me to alter my appearance.
I wasn’t that normal girl in a normal world.
And it was time I faced it.
I sighed and grabbed another makeup brush and popped open a new container, this one a creamy foundation that matched my pale skin.
I stared at it until Olivia laughed. “Here, let me show you how to use that.”
I’d never worn makeup in my life. My complexion had always been perfect, but I had asked Olivia for help after a week of walking around looking like a corpse.
She dabbed the brush into the cream, then began brushing it underneath my eyes. I marveled as the dark circles began to slowly disappear.
“Are you still feeling the drain from the other realms?” she asked.
The strain in her voice suggested that she was trying not to broach the topic, but either her worry or her curiosity was winning.
I shrugged as she spread the concealer over some blotchy spots down my cheeks. “I only notice it if I focus on it.”
Her lips pressed into a thin line. None of us wanted to voice the real question.
Could I sustain long enough for Balthazar to return?
Where the hell had he gone?
Kaito didn’t know, and the Incubus King had been totally MIA.
The only reason that Trevor had gotten in touch with him was because he pulled some divine strings with Poseidon that involved Miami and some sirens.
I wasn’t even sure what that meant, but I didn’t ask.
I was just glad that I’d get a chance to find out what Balthazar was up to.
“There,” Olivia said when she was done with the initial foundation. She stepped back and admired her work. “You look like a new person!”
I flinched, because she had no idea that’s exactly what my heart yearned for right now.
Ignoring the pang in my chest, I grabbed a brush and a box of pink powder that she had pulled out from the rest. “What should I do with this?”
Olivia laughed and pointed. “That goes right here on the apples of your cheeks. Just make sure it’s not too dark. You don’t want to overdo it.”
I followed her instructions as best I could, adding some light pink color to my face until I was satisfied I wasn’t a pale, lifeless doll.
Olivia leaned in and studied me before nodding in approval. “Hmm, yes. The look is right, but lift your chin. It’s all about confidence.”
When had I lost that, too? Was my confidence grounded in my magical abilities?
Sighing, I tried not to think too hard about the answer to that question. “Thanks, Liv,” I said, truly grateful.
She squeezed my shoulder in response. “Now, ready for the dress?”
I grimaced at the scrap of fabric on the bed. I hadn’t gotten a good look at it when Olivia picked it out, so I lifted it up for examination.
It was made of a silky material that shined like liquid satin and shimmered under the light. The halter neckline was intricately beaded with small crystals that sparkled like stars.
“This was just shoved in there with the other things?” I asked.
It seemed revealing, but also genuinely expensive.
She nodded. “Yes, it was way in the back, but my spell said it would suit you best.” She tilted her head at it.
“The whole point of this dinner is to get information, right? Your dad still thinks you’re a child.
It’s time to show him you’re a grown woman with your own mind and your own kingdom.
You’re a princess.” She tilted her head as if listening to that secret voice again, then ran to the dresser and began rummaging through the drawers.
“Go ahead and get that on. There’s something else in here, apparently. ”
I rolled my eyes. Olivia was way too free with her magic, but perhaps that’s why being a Dark Mage suited her. No limitations. No worries.
Slipping out of my pajamas, I stepped into the gown and secured the halter around my neck.
The silky fabric hugged my curves as if it had been custom made, which was definitely unusual. I’d retained my height, curvy hips, thin waist, and prominent bust that made most one-pieces a struggle.
Olivia made a sound of victory, but she skipped behind me before I could see what she’d found.
“Over here!” she said cheerfully as she directed me to a full-length mirror. She pulled up the zipper, further securing the sleek material around my waist without even causing a single ripple.
She slipped a necklace around my neck and clasped it.
My gaze fell to the ruby surrounded by diamonds. While I didn’t have access to a Bloodstone, it was a reminder of my origins.
The diamonds were also a nice touch, making me find the symbolism of a Bloodstone surrounded by Angelstone shards quite appropriate.
Olivia added dangling earrings, then swiveled around me to apply deep red lipstick that matched the dress and made my lips pop.
“There,” she said, happy with herself as she turned with me to look at the mirror. “Gorgeous.” She handed me a small purse. “If you smudge anything, this is your emergency kit.”
Sighing, I took it and caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror and stared.
I hardly recognized myself and I wasn’t even using illusion magic. I had enough strength to slightly lift my wings, spreading out the contrast of black feathers and a dark demon’s wing to the image.
Rolling back my shoulders, I decided to fake it.
I only had to make it through a dinner, right?
What could go wrong.