Since it’ll be suspicious for the maid of honor to show up at the groom’s bachelor party, the plan is for me to cast a glamour over myself to pose as a waitress.
There’s just one problem. I still haven’t told Diego my powers are mostly dormant.
Diego draws me into the coat room after paying the attendant a hundred bucks to take a five minute break.
“All right, Cat. It’s glamour time.”
“Oh yeah. Uh, can you cast it on me?”
He snorts. “You think I would’ve endured middle school with this nose if I had any kind of glamour skills?”
“You grew into your nose. And besides, you managed to pass all the glamour exams with flying colors.”
“By the skin of my teeth. I definitely don’t have the skills to cast a glamour on someone else. Come on, your grandma is one of the best glamourists alive. And I still remember how you convinced everyone at school you’d dyed your hair pink for a full week. This should be a piece of cake for you.”
“About that…”
He ducks his head, looking at me with concern. “What’s wrong?”
“It’s possible…that I don’t…have magic anymore.”
His eyes widen in disbelief. “You what?”
I take a deep breath and finally let the truth out. “I can’t access my magic. It’s why I left Isla Bruja five years ago. I burned out. Physically, emotionally, magically…you name it.”
“It’s really gone?” His voice is hushed.
“Not completely. It’s been coming back slowly, like a hum under my skin. But I haven’t used it for serious spellcasting in years.”
“I didn’t know that could happen.” There’s compassion in his tone, and it makes it easier to tell him the rest.
“By the time I left Isla Bruja, I was working so hard, I was barely eating, neglecting everything except the work. I’d spend all day locked in my workroom, completely focused on the fabric and the patterns and the enchantments. I was striving so hard to be the best and then one day…it was gone.”
Diego takes me in his arms, his movements gentle. “Lo siento, mi corazón. I didn’t know.”
“I didn’t want to tell you,” I mumble.
“Why not?”
I give a light laugh. “Admit a weakness to my nemesis? Never.”
He smiles and looks deeply into my eyes. “Am I really still your nemesis?”
I let out a long breath. “I guess not.”
“So what am I, Cat, if not your rival?”
“I…I’m not sure.” The words come out breathy.
He moves even closer and his voice deepens. “What do you want me to be?”
I’m saved from having to answer when the coat check attendant returns. I finally take a good look at her. We both have long dark hair and similar coloring, but she’s wearing thick-framed glasses and a pink velvet headband.
I pull two hundred-dollar bills out of my wallet and hold them out to her. “Can I borrow your headband and glasses for the night?”
Her eyes go wide at the sight of the money. She yanks off the accessories and hands them to me. “Here. Have fun.”
I give her the money and put on the rented disguise. The world is a little blurry, but not terribly so.
