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Oberon pulls me aside.
“Do we even have time to do this right now?” he asks. “We need to get to the ball too.”
I place a hand on his chest. “Trust me. We’ll get there in time to talk to Lord Finch and secure his vote. Like I said, all we have to do is offer him a ship to go back to Aos. Winning the vote isn’t our biggest problem at the moment.” I return my attention to Harold. “Getting him through a crowd of people is my greatest worry.”
“Why don’t we leave him here for now and take him to the institute after the ball?”
Harold grabs a small vase off a nearby table and throws it directly at Oberon’s head. Thankfully, the dark fae king has quick reflexes. He ducks out of the way before his handsome face meets the heavy weight of the glass.
“Harold!” I admonish, pointing a stern index finger at him. “You do not throw things at people who are trying to help you. Now, behave yourself or I won’t take you to the institute. Is that understood?”
Harold whines softly and lowers his snout.
“The two of you stay here.” I head toward my walk-in closet. “I need to change into something more appropriate for the ball. As soon as we drop Harold off, we’ll need to head straight for the castle.”
When I walk into my closet, I reach for one of my black gowns but stop myself. If I truly want to put the past behind me, I need to shed the widow garb. A quick glance at my clothing makes me realize I have very few options left open to me. A gold box wrapped with red ribbon flashes in my mind.
On my last birthday, Aubri gifted me a new dress. She told me to wear it when I decided to return to the land of the living. With quick strides, I walk over to the drawer I placed the box in and pull it out. I didn’t even open the box when she gave it to me. I simply tucked it away, having no intention of ever wearing it. One tug loosens the silky ribbon. When I lift the top, I send my best friend a silent thank you.
Inside is a strapless burgundy gown that seems to have been made just for this occasion. It only takes me a few minutes to dress and run a brush through my hair. When I walk back into my bedroom, I discover Harold has a new disguise.
Oberon has placed a lampshade on Harold’s head and draped one of my black shawls over it.
“Well, it certainly covers his head,” I say, trying to focus on the positives, “but how is he supposed to see where he’s going?”
When Oberon doesn’t answer me, I look his way and see him staring at me speechlessly.
“Is something wrong with the dress?” I ask, peering down the front of my gown for anything I might have missed.
“No. It’s perfection,” he finally says. “You look beautiful, Emily.”
My cheeks suddenly fill with warmth. I clear my throat and walk the rest of the way over to them.
“Do you believe it will work?” I ask to change the subject. “What should we say if people ask us why he’s dressed this way?”
“I’ve thought about that,” Oberon says. “If anyone asks, I’ll simply tell them he’s part of the dark fae death squad.”
“Death squad? Is there such a thing?”
Oberon grins. “No, but most of the light fae don’t know that.”
“It still doesn’t explain how he’ll be able to see where he’s going.”
Oberon raises the shawl slightly so I can see the two slits he cut into the lamp shade.
“I hope you weren’t too fond of the shade,” he says, lowering the shawl back into place.
I brush off his worry with a wave of my hand. “I can always get another one. We should get going. The sooner we get Lord Finch on our side, the better.”
“Agreed.” Oberon returns his attention to our massive new friend in his ridiculous costume. “Try not to bump into anyone on the street. Just stay close behind us. Understood?”
The shawl covered lampshade swings back and forth.
As Oberon and I walk out the door of my bedroom, I lean in toward him slightly.
“Do you think this will actually work?” I ask in a whisper.
Oberon looks at Harold over his shoulder with an expression filled with doubt. “I guess we’ll find out.”
