Page 5 of Bloodween

“Renna. Baby.”

Holy hell. He still thought I was her? The realization crept in slow, pushing past the leftover haze in my head. But then why would he knock me out and take me?

I bit the inside of my cheek, caught somewhere between disbelief and the urge to laugh.

He moved closer. I felt him in front of me, the air flowing with him.

“Talk to me.” His voice was gentle now, coaxing.

I stayed quiet. Speaking would give me away immediately, and for some reason I wasn’t ready to end this little show. My interest was piqued to what kind of freaky deaky frogs they were.

He let out a low laugh, the kind that sounded pleased with itself. “You still mad at me?”

He has no idea.

I whispered words against my tongue, the faintest spell.

“voxa mo’solirae.”

Warmth slid up my throat, altering my voice until it wasn’t mine anymore, but hers.

“I need to know you’re good, Ren. Talk.”

“I’m fine,” I said, testing the sound.

“There she is.” I heard the smile in his voice.

If only he knew.

“That fae dust was a little stronger this time. I had to use smelling salts to wake you up.”

“I see.” I wrinkled my nose.

His hand brushed against the mask. “Let’s see that pretty face,” he murmured.

Shit.

Before I could do anything, not that I could change my face the way I could easily change my voice, the edge of the mask lifted. He removed both the mask and the blindfold at the same time and I braced myself for him to see I wasn’t who he wanted me to be.

I was worse.

His face went through about three emotions in the span of two seconds.

Confusion. Recognition. Panic.

“What the—“ He jerked back so fast he nearly tripped over his own feet. “Armisha?”

I didn’t answer. Just stared at him, keeping Renna’s voice tucked away as I let the spell dissolve. When I spoke again, it was all me.

“Hey, Dro.”

“What the fuck?” His voice cracked on the last word. He peered down at the wolf mask in his hand, then back at me like I’d materialized out of thin air. “Where’s Renna? How—why are you⁠—“

“We switched costumes.” My hands scratched against the restraints again, annoying me. “You know. Bestie stuff.”

“Switched—“ He ran a hand down his face, and that’s when I saw it.

His eyes flashed.