Page 71 of Owned By the Fae
I look down at myself.
'It didn’t work. I can still see my body,’ I practically whine.
‘That’s how it works,’ he explains. ‘I can still see myself as well, but no one else can see me. I can’t see you.'
He shuffles around so I can look in the mirror on the wall, and as he predicted, neither of us can see our reflections.
‘I'm getting more powerful again.' He sounds a bit confused by that, but I don't tell him that I've been feeling the same. The beast is much stronger than it was when we first came back.
'Let's go,’ I say instead. ‘We don't have any time to waste.'
We walk through the village as ourselves in full view of everyone. One or two greet me, but most ignore us completely. After we returned, I wasn’t overly surprised to learn that we weren't really missed over the seven years that we were gone. Kaland I were friends with each other, but we were just some Dregs with little power. No one bothered with us much, not even the others of our ages and skill levels. Dane was the one who was with Fiana and spent time with the elites back then. Kal and I, not so much.
When we get close to the keep, Kal’s gait slows. ‘Put your hand on my shoulder.’
I do as he says. 'What now?'
'We go inside.’
‘What happens if we're seen?’ I ask a bit nervously.
My loyalty to Varrik might be waning, but I’d be a fool if he didn’t still scare me. His elites are his ears, and his conjures around the keep are his eyes.
‘I'm sure we’ll find a way out of it,’ Kal says flippantly, and I roll my eyes in his direction even though he can’t see me.
His blithe nature is going to get us killed one of these days.
‘Besides, they won’t even notice us once we’re past the wards, even if we’re seen. There are too many of them since the Harbinger was brought back. They don’t question anyone walking the halls.’
‘Why not?’
‘Because the wards are meant to keep the lower Skilled out unless they have reason to be here ... and because the elites are cunts who are just as likely to punish a guard who waylaid them as they are to ignore one. No Dreg wants to be on an elite’s bad side.’
We cross the bridge over the moat, and I tense as we approach the raised portcullis.
‘Be quiet and tread lightly,' Kal mutters. 'They'll be able to hear your footsteps and your breathing if it’s too loud. Be stealthy.'
‘Yes,' I say quietly through clenched teeth, wondering how we're going to explain this away if we’re found out.
As we get to the main entrance, I can feel the wards slowing my movements, and I grimace, my hands tightening on Kal. As we go through, I can feel them pulling at me slightly as if they know I'm not supposed to be coming through them, but Kal was right. They haven't been changed.
A smile splits my face. Soon, I'll see my female. My mate. The beast inside me, having decided I've done something right, rumbles his approval for once. Kal leads me through the hallways quickly, clearly knowing exactly where he is and where he’s going. Hehasbeen busy.
We go up a wide staircase to the next floor.
'Where's the Harbinger's room?' I ask, glancing around to try to get my bearings.
'Not far from here.' Is all he says, and my eyes narrow at where I know him to be at the end of my arm.
We get to a wide corridor, not really seeing anyone on the way.
'I thought there would be more guards,' I say aloud to Kal.
He replies in a low voice. ‘They mostly stay down where the Harbinger is. We’re here.’
He opens a nondescript door so slowly that the movement could be explained away as simply a draft blowing through the corridor, and we walk into a largeish and deserted room with wall-to-wall shelves and an archway at one end that leads into another room of books. We both reappear in the middle of the carpet in the center, and I glance around. It’s an impressive collection, but after the splendors of the multi-room and multi-level library in Arcana, to say I’m underwhelmed is anunderstatement.
I give Kal a look. ‘Where would he keep his charts and map books?’
