Sealed within Kealie Gothalis are the secrets of a magic destined to flood her kingdom.
Trading her Mortality to disguise the heritage her mother fears most, Kealie is gifted with a blessing. She need only do one thing; keep her kingdom in the dark...
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Within five heartbeats, Kealie had established several things. This shop was a hoard for Caster's, a supply store for ingredients and stones and leathers with a taphouse in the back. Everything was dark, normally lit with candles and cage fires.
A frozen chill ran down her spine as she looked over the black wooden frames and bones strewn about.
"Well, this is terrifying," Nixian voiced behind her, echoing her thoughts while running a hand over some long feathers. They were pinned to an odd statue of a foreign creature. "Who in their right mind would think this is a fitting decoration?"
"I don't know if wearing these will be a good disguise..." Kealie murmured, frowning. She grabbed the sleeve of a leather jacket and rubbed it through her fingers. "My mother hates Casters almost as much as she loathes the Nerydian's and it's not very inconspicuous."
"I don't see any other options," he sighed, looking around. "Do you want to speak with this Caster or not?"
Kealie felt sick to her stomach, eyeing the strange gowns and dark fabrics around them. In the very back corner, she saw a pale moon kissed gown that would fit snugly over her hips and down her midthigh.
If she were to take the jacket and a pair of tights, she'd manage to appear somewhat normal in a crowd.
Kealie grabbed the items one by one and tensed when she found Nixian watching her. He leaned against the counter, half-bored and looking away frequently at the terrifying masks the Caster's had lining the walls.
"Can you watch the door for a moment?" Kealie asked, looking down at the clothes and then back to him. "I'd rather not get caught unaware."
At first Nixian only chuckled and shook his head, but slowly he pushed off the counter and strode to the door.
Good.
Kealie was glad it didn't have to be a discussion.
She shucked off her old blouse and pants as quickly as possible, considering if her undergarments were worthy of salvaging. Luckily, her underwear were, despite the sand trapped in the waistband.
Giving them a few quick snaps and scooping a rock covered in seaweed from her bralette, Kealie layered the Caster's leathers onto her.
She didn't know how they managed to wear such tight clothing all the time, with little room to breathe.
The leather stuck to her arms like a second skin and the tights might as well have been.
"This is as good as it gets," she said, humming a strange note to the image in the mirror.
Kealie heard the footsteps gradually coming towards her.
Nixian gave her a critical once over, before locking onto the silver chain around her neck. "You should take that off, it's a give away."
