Page 24 of Dead Wrong

“We’re aware,” Bastien replied, rolling up his sleeves past the elbow. “That’s why I have to build a Veil around the two of us before we enter.”

I stared after him in disbelief. Bastien was powerful enough to create a Veil for both of us at the same time? The magic required to obscure someone’s identity was no small sum. The Adored aren’t even able to perform such illusory magics, and the most powerful of the Hallowed struggled to uphold a convincing glamour longer than a few minutes. Just how powerful was Bastien’s magic? And how did he keep it concealed from me the entire time we were together?

“You’re staring,” said Bastien, folding his hands together in the shape of a seal. The air around us began to prickle with the electric sensation of magic.

“I am.” I didn’t shy away when he glanced over at me.

“Why?”

“Because I’m trying to understand how I didn’t see your magic before. There must have been so many signs I missed. Or maybe I wanted to overlook them. Either way, I’m sorry.”

Bastien shifted his hands, forming another seal as motes of light burst into existence, hovering over my body like fireflies. “I’ve concealed my magic my entire life, Tobias. A Reviled like me can’t just flaunt their power. We have to be cautious. We have to be certain of who we can trust.”

“Which means you didn’t trust me.”

It wasn’t a condemnation but more of an acceptance on my part. Whatever happened between me and Bastien, I was almost certain it was my fault.

Had I been unfaithful? Did my work for Mother interfere with the relationship? Was there something more insidious lurking beneath the pile of jumbled memories rolling around in my head? It was maddening, going through the endless what-ifs and scenarios. I needed Bastien to fill in the gaps for me.

But what did it matter? I was dead. Or at least, I would be dead again soon. There was no use in spending what little time I had sifting through the shambles of a life already passed. I should focus on the task at hand—finding Lynette.

Bastien and I were over. I needed to accept that.

“For what it’s worth,” muttered Bastien, his voice low. “I would have told you about me. Eventually. But it seems like fate had other plans for us.”

A flare of heat swelled in my chest under the sparkling gem.

Bastien continued his work, stitching together the Veil through a series of seals. By the time the car came to a stop, sweat beaded on his forehead. His hands, which had been twisted into unnatural angles during the spell weaving, relaxed, and he let out a deep sigh. The air around us shimmered for a moment longer, then stilled, and Bastien’s visage blurred at the edges, morphing his appearance into one of a man that I didn’t recognize. Deep wrinkles set into his usually smooth face, his eyes lightening to a pale blue, and a scraggly grey beard protruded down from his chin.

“How do I look?” he asked, voice unrecognizable. He dabbed the sweat from his brow with a handkerchief from his pocket.

“Like a history tutor Lynette and I used to torture as children.”

Bastien’s new face grinned, more creases spreading across the weathered skin. “Just wait until you see what I’ve cooked up for you.”

With a bit of effort, I finally managed to sit upright, straining to catch a glimpse of myself in the rearview mirror. My skin was still pale, but the smooth complexion of my face was now riddled with pockmarks. The bend of my nose was crooked, and my hair hung into my eyes in greasy brown clumps.

I was someone else entirely. Running a finger over the bumpy flesh of my cheek, I marveled at the sensation. It felt real.

Lorelei eyed the two of us from the front seat. “Good work, Bastien. Once again, proving yourself to be even more useful than I imagined.”

“I live to serve,” said the disguised Bastien in a dry, mocking tone.

“What exactly is the plan here?” I asked, avoiding my reflection in the tinted windows. “Are we just going to waltz in and demand to speak with the Cardinal’s acolyte?”

“Yes, actually.” Lorelei flipped down the visor overhead using the small mirror to apply a fresh coat of blood-red lipstick. “I’m officially acting on behalf of Adoranda Greene, so there’s little they’ll do to stop me. All I have to do is drop your mother’s name, and they’ll bend over backward to make way.”

The logic was actually fairly sound. Mother’s name carried significant weight. It was a power that I frequently flaunted during my first life.

“You two stick close to me,” Lorelei continued, snapping the lipstick closed before opening the door and climbing out of the car. Her head appeared again through the opening to bark, “Get a move on!”

Bastien and I put our new forms in motion, clamoring out of the back seat and onto the sidewalk in front of the intimidating building. The Cradle Cathedral rose high above us. Dark stone spires jutted up into the sky, windows crafted from stunning stained glass adorning the front façade, and an arched entrance of grey stone that feigned humility.

Figures dressed in a familiar pale blue moved along the sidewalk, some in flowing robes while others wore more modern adaptations of vests and suit jackets emblazoned with the symbol of the Hallowed.

Lorelei was already on the move, heading up the stone steps to the main entrance of the Cradle. Bastien and I hurried after her, catching up by the time she hit the landing of the stone steps and pressed forward.

The doors swung up as we approached, beckoning us inside. As we entered, I couldn’t shake the feeling of being a fly fluttering directly into the maw of a carnivorous plant.

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