“We don’t need to go to your office. I need you to take a friend of mine shopping. Keep her busy for a little bit, but make sure she has plenty of clothes. And maybe you could do something to hide her wings.”
“Are you fucking kidding me? The rumors are true? You deliberately disobeyed Seraphina’s orders to kill the half-fairy?”
“She’s not half. She’s a full-blooded fairy with both light and dark bloodlines.”
That stopped Ast. She put her hands on her hips and very slowly said, “Is she strong enough to fill the void?”
I shrugged. “I can’t tell. Maybe. It looks more and more like it every day, but what I know is that I fed on her only once, and she brought me from the beginning of mists to this.”
Ast crossed the room and stared into my eyes, seeing the light blue. “Only once?” she asked as she stepped backward, shaking her head.
I nodded. “It was her first time, but yes, only once.”
“I’ll take her to Elora’s. Won’t be much shopping, but I’ll get her some clothes. Don’t let Damian know, though. That fucking vampire talks too much.”
“Show me where she is. Please don’t tell me you left the poor girl out in the alley.”
“I can’t shadow walk into the building. I made sure of that when you bought the place.”
She huffed and said, “Fine. Introduce us and get on with your business you unchivalrous ass.” I chuckled and led her to where Rose was waiting for us in the alley.
“What in the hell are you wearing, child?” Ast said as she reached for Rose’s hand. Rose pulled back immediately.
“Rose, this is Astriel. She’s the friend I was talking about. She needs to touch you to create the illusion.”
Rose glanced from me to Ast and sighed as she put her hand out. Ast touched her and closed her eyes for a few seconds. Then the wings seemed to disappear. Every once in a while, they would flutter, and I’d catch a glimpse of a shimmering light. If you knew what to look for, you’d see them, but otherwise, they were as good as invisible.
Then the rest of her began to shimmer slightly, and the tunic transformed into a simple black dress. Her feet became covered by shoes that weren’t there. Her hair transformed from the tangled mess into a long straight braid that ran down to the middle of her back.
None of it was real. That was the thing about succubi. Everything was illusions with them. Unlike my abilities, Ast’s were unable to interact with the world.
She let go of Rose’s hand and said, “Rose, I’m going to take you to get some clothes. Then we’ll get you all cleaned up. And I’ll brush your hair for you.”
Rose glanced at her with a frown and took a deep breath. “Okay. I think I can manage to brush my hair though. I may not be a million years old like you two, but I’m not a toddler. I just need a shower.”
I had to bite my tongue to keep from laughing at the way that Ast’s motherly tendencies were shattered. “She’s a sassy little fairy, isn’t she?” she said.
“Alright. You can shower and brush your own hair. But I will be getting your clothes for the Immortal Realm. This is an embarrassment.”
Rose nodded, and I said, “I have to run an errand, but I’ll catch up in a bit. You’re safe with Astriel, Rose. Listen to her. Please?”
Rose gave me a half-smile and said, “Fine. But only if we can have some breakfast. I’m starving. You do eat normal food too, right? Not just humans?”
Ast raised her eyebrows. “Come on little fairy, there’s a cafe down the street that’s got the best late-night breakfasts I’ve found this side of London.”
Chapter 13
Sebastian
The immortal side of London was hidden deep in the city, set in shops with marks on windows and doors to let the other immortals know that they dealt in magic. There was no law against immortals living in this Realm. Except that they were required to keep it hidden from humans.
It had been the law since the very beginning when the realms had split. We had left the Mortal Realm when the humans had begun picking up iron and steel and turning it into weapons. We were far more powerful, but they were so numerous that our numbers dwindled quickly in the wars that followed.
Most types of Fae have only a handful of children over the course of millennia. Fairies were no exception, and as the ruling class, they decided early on that our casualties were far too numerous to stay here. They requested that everyone travel through the portals that were set up and hidden. Requested, not required.
Many refused due to their prey being on this side. Others because they liked living with humans. And then there were the ones that simply disliked fairies. Like vampires.
Like Damian. I stood in front of his shop, glancing up at the symbol. Jewelry. No mark of which Court he associated with, so he must be plying his trade with both sides these days. Glittering gold and silver filled jewelry cases just inside the shop’s windows. I glanced to either side to make sure that no one was on this particular cobblestone street, and I tried to shift through the doorway.
Pain shot through my body as a hidden sheet of steel stopped me. I cursed and tried the door. The handle turned, and I walked into the shop just as any human would have.
A thin man walked down the stairs dressed in a suit minus the coat, tie neatly clipped to his vest with a burgundy silk shirt underneath.
His steps were silent. One of the perks of being a vampire was complete control over the physical body. They were one of the deadliest
