Page 37 of Unraveled (A Kingdom of Beasts and Ruins #1)

I stare at my reflection, unblinking, as if at any moment someone will come in and take this mirror away. This is the first time I’ve seen myself, unfiltered, since leaving Penumbra a month ago.

With mechanical movements, I pat tinted powder over my skin and apply a thin layer of rouge to my cheeks as I focus on the stranger staring right back at me.

Once I was Mia Clementine. A woman who borrowed magic from grimoires and guarded knowledge from ancient races with enchantments and wards.

Now I’m Mia, the hybrid, who needs to wear an amulet or my repressed magic could kill me—or worse, hurt someone else.

Lied to by those I love. Protected by my enemy.

Except I can’t think of Ash as my enemy anymore. Not when he’s telling me truths no one else has shared, protecting me, and training me. He’s a victim of the hybrids, just like I am.

I stand from the stool by the dressing table and put the ornate silver hand mirror in my trunk, under layers of dresses and fabric. I’m sure Marlena won’t miss it. And by the time she notices, I’ll be long gone.

I can barely breathe for the tightness of my corset—or the intensity of my feelings. I spent far too long making sure my breasts won’t spill over the low neckline, but I love this dress. And the fact that Nera insisted I have it.

She claimed she can’t wear such a garment, but I think she simply wanted me to have something nice. I’m not sure when Irene last gave me a gift.

Skimming my fingers over the red fabric, I smile at the delicate, embroidered patterns stitched into the bodice in shades of dark green and white. I can’t remember ever wearing something this elegant—nor this daring.

A knock, and Nera peeks through the doorway, her hair twisted into a crown of intricate braids high on her head. I don’t know why I do it, but I step in front of my trunk, hoping she won’t see the mirror, even covered by my clothes, and take it away.

There’s something suspicious about the lack of reflective surfaces around the castle, and in the inns we stayed at on our trip. Like they disappeared before we ever made it to our rooms.

Coincidence? I don’t think so.

“I knew that color would suit you, Mia,” Nera says with a genuine smile as she pushes the door fully open and reveals herself, and the beautiful gown she wears, to me. White with silver lace, it makes her look like the moon.

“Thank you again for giving it to me.”

Talking about the clothes reminds me of Morgana, who never came back with my dresses. Did she lose herself to the curse before she got around to making them?

Nera nods enthusiastically and we leave my room to head downstairs, where Finley and Ash await us. It’s past twilight now, and our plans for the night were sorted earlier when we went out to get my amulet only to find most establishments were closed in preparation for tonight’s lunar celebrations.

So with the silver moon shining upon us, I make my way into a new city, surrounded by the fae I grew up fearing, to go to a magical market.

The celebrations sound exciting, though I’ve read little about them even with all my years of studying old customs. All I know is they last a month, and apparently, we caught the tail end of it.

“I don’t know what to expect out there,” I admit, while trying to ignore my heated blood as my power, brought out by my nerves, hovers way too close to the surface.

“Lots of dances in the bigger establishments or manors, delicious food from other parts of the kingdom, and of course, drunken fools attempting to get your attention.” Nera threads her gloved arm through the crook of my elbow, and we make our way down a long corridor to the receiving room.

“It’ll be nice to see the full moon in my regular form.

Well, without my wings and ears, but still. I feel almost normal.”

We spill into the round room at the front of the manor where Ash and Finley wait for us. Everything goes quiet.

Ash is casually leaning against the wall, and his brown gaze drags over me as if memorizing every inch of my body. Time slows and I burn. I want to memorize every inch of him too.

“There you are. I thought I was going to have to come and get you two.” Finley steps forward, signaling a couple of maids I hadn’t even noticed to bring us our coats.

Mine is a little dirty on the bottom edge, and the black fabric stands out against my red dress. I shrug it on, careful not to damage the curls I spent most of the afternoon perfecting.

Ash steps forward and offers Nera his arm. He wears a black outfit with a wine-colored vest that almost matches my dress to perfection. He styled his hair back, though an errant strand has escaped the constraints of hair product and curls over his forehead.

“Nerala,” he says with a smile. “I hope this is what you wanted.”

“It is. Thank you.”

Their faces draw close, like they are sharing a mischievous plan, and they’re both smiling. Like there isn’t a curse weighing them down. My heart aches for them.

It takes all my willpower to look away and back at Finley. I curl my hand around the crook of his elbow, and the cool air of the evening envelops us as we leave his manor.

“Now, Mia, best not to get too close to me. I’d rather not get my ass beaten when Ash decides he’s had enough of me touching you. The fae can be... intense when it comes to relationships.”

“That’s ridiculous. Plus, it’s not like that between us?—?”

“Is it not? You could’ve fooled me with that kiss. Or should I remind you that the dare showed us what you truly desire?” Finley keeps his voice down and gently pulls away from me until there’s at least a foot between us.

Blood warms my face, but I focus on the positives: One, Ash is far enough from us, there’s very little chance he can hear our conversation. Two, while mortifying, I like talking to Finley when he seems so free.

We cross through the front gates and join the people walking under the gas lamps, dressed in their finest clothing.

“When they said chivalry was dead, Finley, they were talking about you,” I tease, but keep my hand loose around his arm. I wasn’t lying. There’s a chill in the air that burns my cheeks.

“Chivalry is for those who don’t have to fight a two-hundred-and-some-pound fae who’s bonded with an ancient spirit. I already tried to win that fight and came out soulless.”

“True,” I say. “What a pair we make. Two fools who lost part of our souls for trying to stop Ash when he was wreaking havoc.”

“Yes, it’s a lesson in being humble, that’s for sure,” he whispers near my ear, his face a bit strained as he stares around us, as if expecting someone to jump out of the alleyways. “How’s the ring working for you? Is it still hostile?”

“Yes.” In response to my words, I feel a distinct zap of energy bursting through me. The cool silver ring eases it immediately, but the pressure in my stomach remains. “Thank you for allowing me to use it. How does it feel for you to not have it?”

“I hate every second. But it’s reminding me what a privilege having power to wield is. How do humans live their lives without it? Using matches to light a fireplace is archaic.”

“Fire spells are my favorite to cast,” I admit.

“I don’t like how dependent I’ve grown on magic to do everything, but I miss having it.”

“I miss it too.” My fingers twitch ever so slightly. Using my magic with Finley’s ring is tricky, and most of the time, it suppresses my power, stubbornly refusing to let it out.

“You miss it? Haven’t you been able to use magic with my amulet?”

“It doesn’t allow me a full flow of power when I try, and then when I need peace, it allows too much, so I can’t sleep for fear I might explode.”

“What an ungrateful piece of tin.” My head snaps toward the sound of Ash’s voice. He and Nera waited for us. “Perhaps put it inside a dark drawer for an hour or two to see if it learns manners.”

Nera drops Ash’s arm and strolls to the other side of Finley, taking hold of his free arm. “I was asking Ash where the best celebrations will be tonight. How much has the town changed in the last five years?”

“You know I live with the two of you, right?” Finley says. Unlike with me, he leans toward Nera, as if her closeness is something he’s used to. Then he pulls out an invitation from his jacket pocket. “We got this invitation to the Vanderbilts’ dance.”

Nera’s brows shoot up, and her smirk turns mischievous. “Really? Is your niece going to the dances now?”

Ash groans, shaking his head as he continues forward, shoving his hands into his coat pockets. Feeling like a third wheel, I rush after him, but hear Finley say, “They usually send it to everyone on the street. I thought you might like to go.”

Once I’m by his side, Ash clears his throat and glances my way. “Are you actually feeling like you might explode?”

I shrug, not trusting my voice as we cross a plaza on a beautifully paved path between two rows of large trees. His arm brushes against mine, and our hands linger so close—I want to close the gap but hold myself back.

“Why is it such a big deal if someone recognizes you?” I ask instead. “Finley mentioned in the carriage Hedrum is more neutral toward the fae? I’m sure there are people here who support you.”

He nods, but we walk quietly for almost half a block before he speaks again.

“It was safer at the beginning, but now, Hedrum is crawling with hybrids, which is why I didn’t want Nera to come.

They hide as nonmagical humans. Usually they’re trying to find a fae who hasn’t perfected the glamours.

Those who weren’t close to me when the curse took effect. It makes them easy prey.”

“Is that why you stopped coming here five years ago?”

It smells of campfire, like everyone in town has their fireplaces lit. I enjoy that, even with two cursed fae hidden behind enchantments, the night remains clear of rain.

“No. It’s because Nera turned to stone and lost her mind briefly during that first blood moon. After that, I focused all my time on trying to break the curse and avoided the politics of it.”

“I never expected the fae to become prey for humans. You always seemed so powerful,” I confess as we turn to go down a hill. Street vendors have set up carts between the shops on either side of the street and are selling flowers, food, and various knickknacks.

“Perhaps that was our downfall. We believed ourselves to be untouchable for so long we grew too comfortable. But the power that lies within a repressed society, power willing to incite organized chaos? That’s enough to bring a kingdom to the ground.”

I mull over his words and feel empty. There’s no good side to a war when innocents die for the decisions of those who hold power.

“Are the seelie also affected by the curse?”

Ash is quiet for so long, I don’t know if he can say anything about it. It might be a detail in the confines of the curse... but then again, if I ask the right question, it seems they can answer me.

“No,” he says at last. “It only affects the unseelie of Aphelion.”

His kingdom. An act of war to eradicate a race shouldn’t be so specific to him. Not unless it’s personal. I tilt my head and drink in his expression, the shine behind his eyes. He wants me to keep asking questions. I’m getting somewhere.

“Is the curse directed at your family?”

He looks around us, but we’re mostly alone as we walk down the street, and those who are nearby are shouting at each other and laughing drunkenly. “Yes.”

My heart lurches.

Continue , his eyes beg me, though his lips flatten to a line. I think back to the prophecy.

The hybrids will come under a blood moon to the unseelie halls .

At first, I thought it referred to a mob who marched into the castle and brought dark magic with them, but what if the person was already inside? What if they were close to him?

Another tribute of the blood moon, like me. What if the prophecy refers to the both of us? Two hybrids coming to the castle, though I’m not intent on their destruction. Quite the opposite.

“Was the hybrid someone whose soul you took?”

Even under the pale light of the full moon, I see how every ounce of color in his cheeks fades. “Yes.”

Adrenaline rushes through me as I open my lips to continue my line of questioning, but something moves behind him in the window. Black swirls form around his blurred reflection, like what I saw in Eponde. Long, fingerlike, and drifting closer and closer to me through the surface of the glass.

I turn back to Ash, then to Nera, who still holds Finley’s arm, but they both look normal. Glowing even.

“Is everything alright, Monster?” Ash lifts a brow and searches my face. I’m afraid if I tell him what I see, he’ll pull me away when I’m so close to finding something. I suspect what I’m seeing in the reflections is a manifestation of the curse itself.

There has to be a connection with the lack of mirrors in the castle. What if the hybrid got rid of them all? What if I can use a reflection to break them free? I just have to figure out how to sever whatever connection there is.

A group of young men stumble around us, breaking my line of vision to the shadowy figure. I watch them stroll down the street, abusing their massive jugs of wine. The last one from their group turns to Nera as he passes, howls at her, and moves on with a manic cackle.

“Drunken humans are so predictable,” Ash says flatly, and offers me his arm. “Come, Monster, let’s get you an artifact that actually works for you.”