Page 59 of Veil of Shadows

Holding my breath, I opened my eyes.

Nothing stared back at me in the mirror.

I gave an excited yelp, then turned left and right just to be sure. But my illusion had worked. I wasentirelyinvisible.

The spell would hold for at least a few hours, which meant I had most of the evening to enjoy myself and my newfound freedom.

Nearly skipping in excitement, I left the suite. In the hall, the doors clicked shut, locking as they did so. I ran my fingers along the curved door handle. I didn’t have a key to reopen it, nor Jax’s fingerprint to trigger the magical lock, but I did know several trusted unlocking spells.

Sure enough, when I whispered one to test it, the lock unclicked immediately. A smug feeling swept through me that my childhood lessons were coming in handier than I’d ever thought possible.

Giddiness seeped through my veins, and this time I did skip down the hall toward the circular stairs. I hurried down them until I reached street level.

I had to wait until the inn staff opened the door for a siltenite entering from outside, but at the first opportunity, I slipped past them. Once free of the inn’s elegant entryway, I was truly on my own in the capital.

I inhaled deeply when the fragrant evening air hit me.

The smell of roasted meats filtered out from several food stands down on the street corner. Scents of casting magic from the inn’s mechanics that kept the building cool even in the heat of summer tickled my nose. And laughter from a small child who passed by as she held her mother’s hand rang through my ears.

The sounds of the city hummed around me, and I didn’t think I’d ever heard anything so blissfully poignant.

My grin grew as worries about Jax and the others slipped away.

I wandered down the street, completely uninhibited. Since nobody could see me, I was entirely free. Nobody asked me who I was. Nobody asked where I was going. Nobody even so much as glanced in my direction, and for the first timeeverwhen in public, Guardian Alleron’s guards didn’t accompany me.

I was truly alone among the masses.

I spent the next hour dipping in and out of shops and weaving my way through the crowds. I wasn’t able to buy anything, but just looking and browsing was enough. Everything was so new to me, but I wasn’t worried about getting lost, since I kept a close eye on each turn and street that I followed. I’dalways had a good sense of direction, so I knew I would find my way back.

I finally stopped at the Venapearl Fountains near the city’s center. I’d visited them once before with Guardian Alleron when he’d taken me into the capital to perform a calling for one of the rich businessfae who preferred living among the city bustle versus the sprawling countryside.

But the fountains were even more beautiful in the evening light. Glittering streams of water shot into the air, and music came from magically projected devices sitting at its base. The fountains were huge, encompassing an entire city block, and the water changed color with each spurt from its jets.

Pink, yellow, green, and glittering blue water streamed and wove together. The show was not only pleasing to watch but hypnotic. The music made me want to dance and sway, reminding me of the last time I had the opportunity to be so uninhibited. Memories of dancing back in Fosterton when Jax had been the Dark Raider flitted across my thoughts.

My insides immediately clenched, and I wondered again what Jax was doing at this very moment. Even worse, I wondered if he was still safe.

Knowing those thoughts would lead nowhere good, I forced myself to sit on a nearby bench and enjoy the dazzling fountain as stars begin to twinkle in the growing twilight.

I’d just settled back, deciding to stay until the sun truly descended, when the sound of clanking metal sounded behind me.

Shifting metallic armor, spelled with protection enchantments, clinked quietly as two kingsfae strolled around the corner on their nightly patrol. Fae parted in the streets to give them way. Many dipped their heads respectfully, but just as many scurried out of sight.

I stiffened when they drew near, which was silly. I was not only invisible, but I still wore my collar. I was still indentured to a guardian, but it didn’t stop the shiver of unease that slithered through me. The supernatural courts had deemed me unsafe to the general public, and here I was, in public unattended, with a loosened collar that gave me immensely stronger magic than I’d ever been awarded previously.

Folding my hands in my lap, I sat quietly and reminded myself they couldn’t see me.

The kingsfae drifted closer, then stopped only a stone’s throw to my side. My heartbeat ticked steadily upward, and it took actual concentration not to alert them to my presence.

Instead, I focused on my breathing as the sun continued its downward journey, the moons glowing brighter. I fixated on that calming sight. Anything to keep my nerves steady and my aura from spiking.

The two kingsfae dipped their heads together, talking quietly. A few words drifted my way.

“He’ll end up in the supernatural prison.” One of them chuckled. “Deserves nothing less.”

The second laughed too. “He’ll probably get sentenced to the maximum-security section on the Nolus continent. He’ll be lucky if he’s ever released. I hope he enjoys those shifting walls.” He shuffled his feet, making his armor clink again. “Did you hear about the female caught in Ironcrest last week? She was smuggling babydracoonsto the Lochen. Got fined a thousand rulibs and sentenced to a full season in Ironcrest’s refinement ward.” He snorted. “Sounds like too light of a sentence to me. She should have gotten at least five full seasons in prison for that crime.”

“I heard she heralds from one of Ironcrest’s ten Houses, and that’s why she got off easy.”

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