CHAPTER THIRTEEN

 

TUGGING AT THE end of my wig, I tried to force it into a more comfortable position on my head. It didn’t feel like it was sitting right, plus it was itching me due to the cut. It was slightly shorter than the one I’d used years earlier and instead of ending over my shoulders, it sat awkwardly against the nape of my neck.

For so long, Clay and I had simply hidden away from society, living on the fringes, rather than trying to blend in. Now that I had to disguise myself again, it was an odd feeling. In Sweden, there had been no need for such deceptions because it had been cold enough that knit caps and scarves never seemed out of place. Even before my reunion with Clay, I didn’t try to pass for an ordinary person. Instead, I simply tried to remain as invisible as I could among the masses.

I brushed the hair behind my ears to see if that was more comfortable. When it wasn’t, I tugged at it again to force it into position.

“Stop fiddling with it or you’ll give us away,” Clay hissed. The stress of the impending rescue, and the fact that I had insisted on joining him, was pushing him a tad too far.

“Sorry,” I muttered back, forcing my hands to my side. “I’m not used to it, and the length is so different from my old one.” I brushed my hands across the nape of my neck to move the hair away.

“You’re lucky this is only a dry run,” he said. “If we were anywhere near the Rain, even from a distance, someone would’ve suspected that you were hiding something by now.”

After our discussion with Fiona the night before, Clay had called Ethan to let him know that we were back in America—although he hadn’t mentioned our return was by less than conventional travel methods. Clay wanted to tell Ethan what we’d discovered about their parentage, even though no one could know how Ethan would take the news.

Clay had insisted he come to New York to visit with us as soon as possible, because the news he needed to impart wasn’t the sort of thing you told someone over the phone.

When Ethan had said he was in Boston and could be in New York early the following morning, I decided it would be a good chance to test out my new camouflage. The disguise was by far more elaborate than anything I’d ever attempted before.

Fiona wasn’t lying when she said that she’d assist in making me unrecognizable. Instead of only a wig, contacts, and lipstick, I had been completely made-over. Two pink fairies had spent over an hour working on my look and teaching me the techniques they were using so that I could do it myself when the time came. I’d asked about glamoring, but the process wasn’t temporary, and neither Clay nor I wanted to risk changing who I was permanently, especially when there was no guarantee it would work on me anyway.

The outfit that had been given to me was an orange top of the softest cashmere I’d ever touched. The color made my tanned skin glow as if lit from within. The material was so light and airy that it felt weightless whenever I moved and yet instantly warmed me when I pulled it on. It was what I imagined it would feel like to wear cotton candy.

The top paired nicely with the pair of tan moleskin pants I wore, which conformed perfectly to my body and hugged my legs tight. The outfit was, quite simply, magic. Over the top, I had an off-white trench coat that fell to just below my knees that matched the boots on my feet.

Besides the clothing and the short, layered blonde wig they’d found for me, I had some blue contacts in and the fae had covered my entire face in makeup. Smokey makeup covered my eyes and an almost orange shade of lipstick to match my top slicked my lips. Finally, a multitude of slightly different colored blushes shaped the contours of my cheeks, hiding my usual features and giving the illusion of higher, more defined cheekbones. I was certain that my new appearance was so different that even the facial recognition software used by the Rain wouldn't be able to identify me.

If my camouflage proved good enough to fool his brother, it was likely I could hide in plain sight among the Rain. Even though I was certain we’d both considered it, neither Clay nor I had voiced the concern that Louise was probably the one person who would be able to see straight through any charade I tried. For my part, I was willing to shove her as far from my mind as I could until I learned more about her whereabouts. As far as we knew, she was still convinced that I was dead. We were both happy to keep it that way for as long as we could.

Deliberately late, we headed toward the Starbucks on the corner of 96th and Madison where we were to meet with Ethan. When we turned onto 96th, we lengthened the distance between us, trying to appear as though we weren’t together. By the time we reached the Starbucks, I was a good three minutes ahead of Clay. It was odd forcing the distance between us on the busy street after spending so many months together with no one else around. It was almost enough to send me rushing back to his side. If this hadn’t been the test that decided whether or not I would join him on the mission, I probably would have.

Entering the coffee shop first, I tried to make myself as noticeable as possible as I attempted to casually saunter past an already waiting Ethan. When I approached him, I noticed that the aura circling him was a darker blue and far less pronounced even than Clay’s had been before consuming the enchantments.

For a tiny moment, I even attempted eye contact with Ethan on the way to the counter, if only to give him a sporting chance. I heard something that sounded like an appreciative hum from him, but he didn’t try to engage me in conversation or otherwise attempt to get my attention, so I ignored it. Once I’d passed him without incident, I walked straight up to the cashier and ordered the first thing my eyes landed on; it didn’t matter what because my stomach was so full of enchanted food and drink that there was no way I would be able to force down anything else. Once I’d ordered, I slid along the counter to wait for my drink and watched silently as Ethan greeted Clay when he walked in a few seconds later.

“It’s so good to see you, bro,” Ethan said as he gave Clay a one-armed hug. As he stepped back, he glanced at the empty space around Clay. “But aren’t you missing something?”

I fought the smile that touched my lips at his words; Clay had been so certain that his brother would pick me out immediately. I’d reminded him that I had a little bit of experience blending in—especially in short bursts. That fact, combined with the knowledge that Ethan and I had spent less than a day together in total, was what had given me my confidence and made me decide to wager my attendance at the rescue on Ethan’s recognition.

Clay didn’t think that would matter though. “He never forgets a face,” he’d insisted.

“She’s here,” Clay said, shifting his gaze to me momentarily.

“No fair,” I mouthed, glaring pointedly at him. If he continued to watch me so closely, it was going to be all too evident to Ethan exactly who I was. It was supposed to be up to Ethan to pick me out of the crowd—not for Clay to hand me over on a silver platter. A small, devious smile curled up the corner of Clay’s mouth before his gaze moved away from me.

I tried to set my face into a vacant expression as I waited for the barista to call out the fake name I’d given when I’d ordered my coffee.

“What do you mean?” Ethan asked.

“She’s here, just incognito.”

The barista called out my alias so I grabbed my drink, trying desperately to ignore the itch the at the back of my neck as I did.

Maybe Clay’s right. I clenched my fists as the itch spread along the back of my neck. The small irritation growing by the second as it drew my whole focus. Can I really do this for hours at a time?

After grabbing my drink from the counter, I walked by Ethan and Clay, pretending to have little more than a passing interest in the pair. They were, after all, a pair of rugged, attractive men who stood out like sore thumbs among the throng of well-dressed New Yorkers.

I found a seat at a table by a window where I could watch their subtle reflections in the glass. While I sat nursing my coffee cup, ostensibly watching the world pass by outside, I had one ear trained on the conversation between Clay and Ethan.

“What’s going on?” Ethan asked.

“It’s hard to explain here, but can you please just trust me and run with it for the moment?”

“Okay,” Ethan said, his tone dripping with confusion as he dragged out the syllables. “Hey, is there something different about you?” He appeared to study Clay’s face for a moment.

“No,” Clay said indignantly before looking away. “Now tell me, can you spot Evie?”

I lifted my cup to my lips and pretended to take another sip in order to hide my smile. Being a few minutes walk from the fae stronghold and knowing that Clay was watching over me, I felt safe despite being around so many people. Without the usual danger that I often experienced while out in public, I was actually enjoying this game of subterfuge.

Even as the thought crossed my mind, my worry grew. I chastised myself for being so blasé. Years on the run had trained me to maintain a constant vigilance because, regardless of how safe I might have believed myself to be, danger could be lurking anywhere. Especially when we’d spotted the shadow in Sweden and couldn't be certain whether he would follow us back to New York. The last eight-ish months alone with Clay in our safe little bubble had clearly blunted my natural survival instinct, regardless of how many times we’d run drills.

How could you let yourself slip so easily? Playing games with your safety? What would Dad think of you now?

My frustration over letting my guard down so readily manifested itself in a hundred ways, most of which I couldn’t control. My lips turned down into a frown. My right foot, previously crossed casually over my left leg, now began to bounce. The fingers on my left hand drummed anxiously against the table. My body heat rose in line with my stress level, only adding to my agitation. I placed the coffee cup down onto the table to ensure that I didn’t burn the paper holder or melt the plastic lid.

Now you’re just asking for attention, I chastised myself. You’re going to get yourself caught, and then Clay will have his reason for not taking you with him. You promised him you wouldn’t go if Ethan spotted you. You can’t help him if you’re not there.

Taking a few deep breaths to calm my racing heart and reduce the heat that emanated from me, I wrapped the fingers of both of my hands around the cup. I shifted my legs, crossing left over right instead.

“Hi, Evie,” Ethan said, and my heart leaped into my throat even as it pounded faster.

My pulse raced as I considered Ethan might have picked me out so fast. I didn’t want Clay to go to find Mackenzie without me. If he left me behind, I’d have nothing to do but wait anxiously at the court for any information. I wouldn’t even have any way to find out if he was safe or not. If he was captured and subjected to retraining, I could lose him. I wouldn’t let that happen.

An instant later, I saw Eth was talking to a woman seated at a table near the window perpendicular to my table. I twisted slightly to watch the exchange in my periphery.

After seeing her confused expression, he apologized. “I thought you were someone else.”

He swung around, and I caught his gaze. Instead of turning away, I tried to keep my eyes leveled on him but ensured there was no sign of recognition on my face. I watched him with the same casual disinterest of everyone around me. Pretending he was nothing more than a passing amusement, someone making a fool of himself in the busy coffee shop. After a second, his gaze slipped away from me. Only after I knew he wasn’t watching me anymore, did I shift back toward the window.

Over the rest of the babble in the store, I heard Clay’s raucous laughter as Ethan approached again.

“Not even close,” Clay laughed. “You know I’ll never hear the end of this though don’t you? I thought you’d pick her out in a heartbeat, and insisted as much. She said you wouldn’t have a clue.”

“In my defense, I haven’t really spent that much time with her,” Ethan said. “Not as much as you or . . .” He trailed off, and I knew the name he was going to give—Louise.

“Does she know Evie survived?” Clay’s voice was little more than a whisper. It was only that I was listening so intently for it that I could hear what he’d said.

I tried to watch their conversation in the window, but the sun outside was too bright to give me a decent reflection, so all I could see was their outlines. Ethan shook his head and it made me want to join them. I needed to be more involved in the conversation if they were going to be discussing me.

“I’ll tell you about it later,” Ethan hissed in response.

“There’s a lot that needs to be said. Maybe it’s time we should go, especially considering Evie’s disguise is obviously good enough for our purposes. Unless . . . are Dad or Lou here?”

“No, I left them in Boston.”

Even though Clay had suggested Ethan avoiding his family was more dangerous than being at their side, the fact that Ethan had been with the rest of Clay’s family when we’d called concerned me. Had he let slip some of our secrets? Had he told them he was meeting us? As my heat started to rise and my heart started to race, I reminded myself of the promise I’d made to Clay. I would trust him, and he trusted Ethan.

Taking that as my cue to join them, I stood and walked over to the pair of them. Ethan’s eyes burned me with every step. His jaw fell open.

“Hi, Ethan,” I murmured, uncertain about how he would react. Thinking of Louise and of the last time I’d seen her with Ethan left me feeling a little sick. It had been easy to forget all the terrible deeds done less than a year earlier, especially when I’d been so happy since then.

During all of our planning, it had slipped my mind that despite the things Ethan had done for us, in helping us get to Europe, the sight of him might still make my heart pound a little too fast. It was enough to take me back to the chase in Charlotte and to him holding a gun to my head as we stood at the edge of a cliff face in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Ethan gave a low whistle as his eyes trailed a path over me, no doubt to assess my disguise. “Never would have picked it.” He smiled slightly and I was certain he sensed my nerves. “You actually look quite pretty as a blonde.”

Clay growled slightly. “I prefer her au naturel.”

“Each to their own.” Ethan shrugged, dragging his eyes over me once more.

Catching the path of his brother’s eyes, Clay’s arm shot out quickly and punched Ethan’s shoulder.

“I’m merely appreciating the artwork, bro,” Ethan teased.

I rolled my eyes at both of them, my fear shifting to frustration as they stood around chatting about the merits of my costume. “If we’re done discussing my appearance,” I said, perhaps a little too sharply. “Shall we go somewhere quiet so that we can talk in private?”

Ethan laughed a little. “I can definitely see why you like her: she’s spunky.”

I shook my head before heading out the door of the Starbucks. Walking back toward Central Park, I glanced over my shoulder occasionally to ensure the boys were following me. With a concerned expression, Clay dashed ahead of Ethan to grab my hand and fall in step beside me.

“Are you okay?” he whispered as he threaded his fingers into mine. “It’s not like you to snap like that.”

I sighed and nodded. “I’m just worried. Seeing Ethan brought back the times he threatened my life, and it’s hard to push that out of my mind right now.”

“You don’t have to come with me tomorrow if you don’t want to.”

I heard the, “In fact I’d prefer if you didn’t,” that he hadn’t actually added.

“I’m not worried about that.”

The glare he gave me was a clear “yeah right.”

“Okay, not only that. It’s everything else. How’s Ethan going to react to the news? What’s happening with Louise? How are we going to find out where Mackenzie even is? Is the shadow back? Did he follow us to New York? There’s just so much going on, and I’m afraid of what could go wrong before we can even get to the planning stage.”

“Those are all things that worry me too, as well as your safety, but all we can do is tackle them one at a time. First things first, we need to find out what Eth knows and tell him about Fiona.”