Keeper(82)

“Yes. It’s a show of power,” Serena said. “I guess you could say the Master has a flair for the dramatic. If you’re going to terrorize people, you might as well do it in top hat and tails, or in our case, at a masquerade ball.”

The whole thing sounded grotesque and utterly terrifying. I thought of our plan, and my nerves responded by clenching into a ball that sank like a rock in the pit of my stomach. I shivered, her words like ice down my back.

“It’s okay to be afraid, you know,” she said, reading the expression on my face. “I’d be worried if you weren’t.”

I sighed. “I know, but . . . if we fail . . . if something happens to you or Maggie or—”

“We’ve gone into this of our own volition, Lainey. You can’t shoulder the responsibility if something goes wrong.”

“How could I not? We’re in this mess because of me.”

Serena gave me a hug, squeezing me tightly. “You’re so much like your mother. She was always worried about everyone but herself.” She gave me a warm smile. “You have her spirit.”

I swallowed, the lump in my throat growing bigger. I couldn’t think about my mother right now; I had to focus. I cleared my throat and gently pulled away from Serena. “Let’s just hope I don’t get anyone killed tonight.”

“Lainey—”

“You ready?” I plastered a smile on my face and checked my hair one last time. “I think it’s time.”

Serena’s expression was guarded. I could tell there was more that she wanted to say, but she nodded, linking her arm through mine. Arm in arm, we walked into the adjoining room.

Ty was standing next to the window in a black suit, but instead of a white shirt, he had opted for a black one, with a black silk tie to match. There was the tiniest bit of gel taming his hair, and he was smiling at me.

I blinked several times, all words having escaped me.

He smiled as he moved beside me. “You look beautiful,” he said. His husky voice in my ear made me shiver.

“And what about me?” Maggie called from the open bathroom door. She waltzed toward us and did a little spin. Her dress was identical to the one I wore.

“You look so pretty, Maggie.” I was being sincere, but the sight of Maggie in the same dress brought the logistics of our plan back to the forefront of my mind. We knew what we needed to do—find the Hetaeria and steal the Grimoire—but the Scavenger had my scent, and if he caught wind of it, our whole mission might be over even before it had a chance to begin. So we’d come up with a plan. Maggie called it “Operation Mystique”—fitting since the inspiration came from the blue-skinned shape-shifter from the X-men comics—and it involved confusing my scent with someone else’s. A decoy. A fake Lainey.

Maggie had been more than eager to volunteer for the job, despite my objections. Options were limited, and I knew that. But knowingly putting my best friend in danger while I searched for the Hetaeria made my stomach pitch and roll.

“Stop it, Styles,” Maggie said, noticing my frown. “I volunteered, remember.”

“I know, but I don’t like it.” I looked to Serena. “Are we sure there’s not another option?”

“Unfortunately not,” Serena said, her face mirroring the worry I knew was written across mine. “The Scavenger will be present tonight. If we’re to stay hidden as long as possible, we need to confuse his sense of smell. It will be harder to track two of you.”

“I just can’t stomach the idea of using my best friend as a decoy.” I turned to Maggie. “You could get hurt.”

Maggie rolled her eyes and placed her hands on her hips. “Batman and Robin, remember?”

“It only has to work long enough for us to find the Hetaeria,” Ty said, reaching over to still my trembling hands.

With his reminder and Maggie’s determined face, I knew there was no way I would win that argument. “Fine,” I grumbled. “Let’s just get this over with.”

Serena nodded. “Join hands, please.”

Maggie grinned excitedly and grabbed my hands.

“Gareth would’ve been better at this,” Serena said, pulling a small vial from her purse, “but the Sage I bought this from promised me it was genuine, and Sages are usually trustworthy.”

“Usually?”

She grimaced at me. “Usually.”

Sprinkling the contents into her hands, she walked around us murmuring under her breath. I did not understand what she was saying but recognized that she must be speaking in some sort of Fae tongue. As she walked faster, she raised her hands, and Maggie’s countenance began to shimmer. Her features began to distort and change: her thick curls began to grow and straighten, and her lovely, rich brown skin lightened, turning fair beige. Her tall frame shrank a few inches. It was really strange to watch, so eventually I closed my eyes, still feeling uneasy about the whole thing.

I felt the hum of magic around us, felt it vibrate within me. When it faded, I heard a murmur of approval from Ty. “It’s done,” Serena said.

When I opened my eyes, my own face was staring back at me.

“Well?” The face might have been my own, but the voice still belonged to Maggie.

“The glamour worked.” Serena passed her a handheld mirror. “It won’t last for more than a few hours, but it should buy us the time we need.”