Chapter Fourteen
The following night, Elara drifted like a wraith through the shadows of Castor.
She hadn’t dared conjure her own. Every time she felt tempted to, she either remembered the corpses floating in bloodied water around her or the ones in Eli’s dreams that had turned on her and bound her to the earth.
She’d slept uneasily the night before, so terrified to dream, to be visited once more by the nightmares she’d encountered, that she’d asked Merissa to stay with her again and leave all the lanterns lit.
Eli walked beside her, a tall stranger in his hooded cloak, hiding the finery of his suit.
Merissa and Leo fell in behind them, feigning the look of a couple.
She’d recounted the events of the previous night to Leo that very morning, and though there was still a coldness between him and Merissa, and a reluctance at the task ahead, he’d promised Elara that he would protect her with his life.
Eli took a drag on his cigarette, the tip of it lighting up the heavy night. ‘Left,’ he mumbled, ‘then right.’
Elara followed as they twisted and turned through a neighbourhood called the Remains. The city was just coming alive as the bell tolled midnight, punters drinking outside taverns, music and laughter raucous as the debauchery began.
A more seductive string of notes drifted over to her as they turned on to a street with a dead end.
‘We’re close now,’ Eli said. ‘Time to transform.’
Merissa nodded, and without hesitation shrugged off her cloak.
Elara gave a whistle as she removed her own cloak. ‘Looking good, Mer.’
‘Likewise.’ Merissa smoothed down her barely-there skirt, sheer fabric hinting at what might lie beneath.
A matching brassiere grazed her top half, intricate emeralds stitched around the border of the garment, with peridots and more emeralds strewn throughout her hair to mimic the outfits of the other dancers within the club.
Elara flicked her attention to Leo, whose eyes were dark, jaw clenched.
Eli must have noticed it too, because he chuckled, muttering, ‘Oh, unrequited mortal love,’ under his breath as he paced.
Elara had a near-identical costume on, though her colours were darker greens, almost black.
‘Ariete isn’t here yet,’ Eli said.
A hot stabbing fury erupted inside Elara at the mere mention of his name. Soon she would be in the same room as the god who had stolen everything from her.
Eli looked at his watch. ‘Time to glamour,’ he said.
Merissa nodded.
‘How am I to make her look?’ she asked Eli.
‘Castorian. The skin can stay, but bluer eyes, lighter hair. She needs to look like the other girls that go in there.’
‘What about Leo? Will I need to use my magick on him?’
Eli shook his head. ‘Leo will likely just be one Helion soldier among many to Ariete. A visitor to the club and nothing more.’ Leo was dressed in a three-piece black suit, a long overcoat atop it, the collar of his shirt high, as seemed the custom of the gentlemen in the finer areas of the kingdom.
‘Save that magick for yourself and Elara.’
Merissa nodded, her jaw set. She closed her eyes, hands raised elegantly as her glamour magick began to spread over Elara.
She felt her hair shorten, saw it lighten in the strands that blew around her.
She felt a small prickle behind her eyes as they changed colour, the stretching of skin as her hips and chest filled out.
‘What do you think?’ Merissa murmured to Eli. He came closer, inspecting Elara with narrowed eyes, tilting her head this way and that with a finger under her chin.
‘Make her eyes a little darker blue, and then I think it’s perfect.’
Merissa nodded, waving her hand. ‘Better?’
‘Much. She’s unrecognizable.’
Merissa turned her magick on herself, the scent of strawberries and cream strong in the air.
Her hair transformed into a deep red that matched the stripes in Ariete’s hair, the curls piled high on her head.
She’d also adjusted her face, just a tweak here and there to subtly change her appearance and colouring.
‘Ready?’ she said.
Elara nodded, worrying at her lip. She was unusually quiet, nauseous as the realization became more visceral that she would be facing the god who had nearly killed Enzo.
That if she didn’t succeed, Enzo would die.
So much rested on her shoulders, and Merissa and Leo seemed to sense it.
Leo placed his hand on her arm, the warmth of it easing her.
Merissa clutched her hand and squeezed it tightly.
‘You are brave and strong and capable,’ Leo said quietly. ‘A queen. Who will succeed in anything she sets out to do.’ The comforting brown of his eyes calmed her.
Merissa leaned in and whispered, ‘And you are a fucking dragun.’ A small smile crept up her face.
Elara laughed, the fond memory of Enzo as they had fallen off the cliff together helping to calm her as she linked arms with Merissa.
‘Time for you to go ahead, Leonardo,’ Eli said.
Leo sighed at Eli, nodding as he squeezed Elara’s shoulder before letting go. ‘See you on the other side, Bellereve.’
‘Don’t worry. Ariete’s dreams will never keep me from annoying you.’
He laughed. ‘I’ll have a peach waiting for you when you wake.’ He turned to Merissa, the smile sliding off his face. ‘Be safe, Mer,’ he said. ‘Don’t listen to a thing the Star says. And if you need me, you call for me. I will always, always come.’
Merissa nodded, brushing his arm gently. Leo stayed a moment, as though drinking her in, before turning, nodding once to Eli, and setting off towards the music.
‘To your left,’ Eli murmured, slinging an arm around Elara’s shoulder as they moved closer to the Emerald.
She shrugged off his breath on her ear, feeling nauseous again.
It should have been Enzo’s hands wrapped around her, his breath caressing her neck as it had when they had chased the Helion lightset in front of them.
‘Elara, if you show so much disgust every time I touch you, they’re never going to think you’re an Emerald dancer.’
‘Eli, has it ever occurred to you that maybe you’re not all that attractive, and that perhaps some mere mortals don’t want to fall to their knees and worship you?’
Merissa made an amused sound.
Eli smirked. ‘No, never.’
As they turned, the music now loud, a deep green flickered from lampposts outside a nondescript building on a quiet cobbled street.
Higher-class restaurants seemed to surround it, folk milling around, dressed to the nines, gentlemen in the Castorian high fashion of top hats and tails sauntering into the place.
‘Here,’ Eli whispered. ‘Showtime.’
He released her and turned.
‘Elara,’ he said quietly, taking her arm with surprising gentleness.
‘I want to hear you say that you’re prepared.
That you feel strong enough to do this. Because when we go in there…
it is not just Enzo’s life that hangs in the balance.
The moment we cross that threshold, it is yours, mine, and your friends’.
If anything goes wrong, and Ariete discovers I helped you, he will try to kill me, and most of the other Stars will too. ’
‘Has anyone ever told you that you’re a natural at motivational speeches?’ Elara replied, a smirk on her face. It didn’t fool Eli.
‘Be careful. And be aware. You’re intelligent. You have the snakestone. But be sure to keep your wits about you. Do not be fooled by any trick that Ariete’s dreams may play on you.’
Elara forced her shoulders down and made herself hold Eli’s black stare. ‘I’m prepared,’ she said, making sure her tone carried a velvet threat within it. He searched her eyes for a moment before setting his jaw and nodding.
‘Then I suppose we had better introduce the Emerald to its newest dancers.’
It was fascinating to Elara to watch how Eli transformed from the clever, contemplating god she had got to know over the last few days into the immoral Star who swaggered to the door before them.
His lips were raised in a curl as he rapped on it twice with his knuckles.
She could feel Merissa next to her trembling from the chill.
‘Last chance, Mer. You really don’t have to do this.’
‘Don’t be so stupid,’ Merissa said, tutting. ‘We started this together. It will end with us together.’
Elara’s knees nearly buckled with relief. She had spent so long alone, without anyone to lean on, that it had become second nature to assume her friend might want an out. Merissa didn’t know how much her unwavering support meant to Elara.
The door swung open, and Elara took her chance to whisper to Merissa, ‘If we all play our parts, this should be over before we know it.’
Merissa nodded just as Eli beckoned to them. ‘Let the show begin.’
‘These two came to me from Dove Street, would you believe?’ Eli called over to the doorman as he ushered the women into the narrow entrance hall. ‘And you know what they say about Dove Street…’
Elara tried to stop a sneer at the doorman’s chuckle as he ran his eyes appraisingly over the pair of them. She forced herself to keep her hands by her sides and not cover her exposed flesh, and had a feeling Merissa was doing the same.
‘Dove Street, eh?’ He whistled. ‘Now, this one’s a beauty.’ He trapped Merissa’s hands in his own. ‘I think I’ll have her first Emerald dance.’ He grinned.
Elara’s eyes focused on the gesture, hands twitching.
Eli noticed it, his own eyes darkening in alarm.
‘Unfortunately, it’s not your call,’ he crooned as his gaze darted back to Elara’s frozen fingers. ‘You’re too cheap, Markus, and this place needs to make money.’
‘Ah well.’ The doorman shrugged, releasing her. Elara relaxed ever so slightly. ‘That’s a shame. Look at that arse.’ He slapped Merissa’s backside as the demi-Star clenched her jaw, stumbling forwards.
Elara didn’t care that she wasn’t supposed to be drawing any attention to herself. With a snarl, she reached for the dagger hidden in an illusion on her thigh.
Then her mind froze.
She blinked.
Blinked again.