Page 49 of Tortured Royals

“Relax,” Dante says, exasperated. “Her magic only changes your outer appearance, and she only changes as much as you ask. I very much doubt Luna will want to go anywhere near that area.”

“Oh, I don’t know,”Shade says.“I go back to my previous argument. Have you seen that face?”

“Okay, fine,”Blake replies via the mental link this time.“No one in Seral has seen Mason before anyway. Will you be happy if we keep that?”

Shade doesn’t reply, and Blake says to Luna. “Sorry, can we keep Mason’s face the same, but give him the features of a demon?”

“Easy done,” Luna replies.

I find it interesting that the bird is focused on my appearance. I’ve always known that I’m attractive, but for the entire time I was in Celzar’s mine, I never had access to a mirror. At most, I saw my warped reflection in the crystals I mined, and the strange image felt like a reflection of who I was inside. Someone broken made from the shattered pieces of the male I once was.

But with Blake and the bond now humming in my chest, I feel complete. Despite everything, I know my appearance pleases my mate, I do not wish for that to change. Still, I was the first to volunteer as this is what my mate wants, and I would do anything to bring her happiness.

“Your magic will also mask our power too, right?” Blake asks Luna.

She nods. “Your power will still be there, but others won’t be able to sense it.”

“Good.”

“But the moment you use your power,” Luna goes on to explain, “it will shatter the illusion magic. So, use old-fashioned steel or other weapons if needed unless you’re ready to give away your identity.”

“Hold on, so we’re goin’ to this meetin’ without our powers?” Nate asks.

“We shouldn’t need to use them,” Blake says. “We’re only going to be there for information, remember? We can’t have anyone knowing who we are.”

The shifter scratches the back of his neck. “Great. We just get a boost, and we can’t even use it.”

“Unless you’d rather wait here while the rest of us go?” Dante teases.

Nate’s slitted gaze settles on our mate. “Not happenin’” he murmurs.

“So that’s it then,” Blake replies. “All right, ready Mason?”

“Of course, my mate,” I answer, my gaze snagging on Blake’s perfect lips.

My mate turns to the red-headed female. “Okay, Luna, we’d better do this.”

~ Princess Blake ~

It feels wrong asking Luna to disguise us and mask our powers, but I need to know what’s happening between the clans. I keep assuring myself that at least if we need to use our power, all we need to do is reach for it.

When Luna is finished with Mason, I can’t help but gape. My centaur mate still has the same face and dark hair, but protruding from his head are now twin brown horns like that of a mountain goat. His long-forked tail curls around, and Mason stares down at it without concern. I guess it isn’t too different from having a tail when he’s in his winged centaur form.

Luna leans back in her chair, dusting off her hands as she stares at him with satisfaction. “How do you feel?”

Mason tilts his head to the side. “Strange,” he admits. “I can sense my magic is still there, but it’s like it’s just out of reach.”

“That’s good,” Luna says. “Keep it that way unless you want the illusion to fall apart.”

With a curt nod, Mason lifts from his chair and moves to the side.

“I’ll go next,” Alaric offers, and Luna goes about working her magic on the assassin. The process seems to take longer, but when she’s finished, Alaric peers down, running his fingers over the smooth skin of his arms. Where there used to be the distinct black tattoos, marking him as a Drozac assassin, now the skin is completely bare, and there’s something about the way Alaric is staring at it that makes my chest tighten.

“Are you all right?” I ask him. “Don’t worry, they’ll come back.”

When I say the last part, I swear he flinches a little, though he continues to touch the skin. “The last time my arms looked like this my brother was alive,” he murmurs.

“Before you joined the order of the Drozac?” I ask softly.

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