“Cursed?” Rifats’ face pinched with fury. “How could that be? Your father said nothing of that to me during our engagement.”

“He didn’t know.” Irayen sobbed “No one knew. It happened when I was a young girl and I was too afraid to tell them.”

His expression cooled and he sat back, waiting in silence for her to continue. Irayen sucked in a slow breath to steady her nerves and began her well rehearsed tale.

“It was during the Moonlight Festival many years ago. I snuck out one morning to watch the performers practicing. I hid behind one of the stalls selling fatayer.” She paused with a fond smile at the imagined scene. “It was incredible to watch, the dancers, the tamers, the fire breathers. But my absolute favorite were the magicians. I was mesmerized by them. I watched for hours before I decided to head back home. I’d stayed much longer than I had planned to so I was in a hurry to get back before anyone noticed I was missing.”

She looked down, wrapping her arms around herself with a pained expression.

“I ran into the alleyway. I knew I shouldn’t, my parents always warned me how dangerous the back alleys were, but it was the fastest way home and I was afraid of getting in trouble.”

Rifat watched her over laced fingers with a scowl.

“There was a man in the alley, or at least I had thought it was a man.” She shook her head, adding in a lip quiver and shaky breath for good measure. “He stopped me, asked what I was doing in his alley and that’s when I noticed his eyes. They were silver and slitted like a cats. I was so terrified I couldn’t move, couldn’t say anything. He smiled at me.” She shuddered. “The most terrible smile, too wide and full of cruelty. He held up a hand full of swirling black mist and blew it into my face.”

She brought her hands up to her neck, tears spilling onto her cheeks.

“It pushed into my throat and I couldn’t breathe. I was sure he was going to kill me, but then it cleared and I collapsed onto my knees. That’s when he explained what he’d done.”

She paused again, letting out a dramatic sob.

“He grabbed my chin and jerked my head upwards so that I was staring strait into those terrible eyes. Then he laughed and said ‘This curse will follow you all of your days. Any child that you conceive will be consumed by this darkness both body and soul and perish in your womb.’”

Irayen dropped her face into her hands and wept.

“I-I wanted to tell you about the baby, but I was terrified of the curse. I just couldn’t bear to break your heart that way.”

She peeked up at him, trying to gauge his reaction to her performance. He stared at her, his expression unreadable and said nothing.

“I’m so sorry my love, you are right to be upset with me, I should have told you sooner. But I think I may have found a way to break the curse. I’ve been searching everywhere for an answer, especially since I discovered my pregnancy. Scouring books, talking to fortune tellers, even asking the maids but I couldn’t find any clues. Then last month when the Moonlight Festival came through town again I met an old woman. I don’t know how but she knew about my curse, even though I had never told anyone. She told me she would help me, that she was a seer. She said that it would take some time for her to find the answers and that she would find me when she had them.”

Irayen pulled a rumpled letter from the folds of her dress and held it out to Rifat.

“Yesterday I found this sitting on my bed, as if by magic.”

Rifat slowly unfolded the paper and scanned its contents, his features scrunched up and shadowed.

“She found it! The answer lies in Nopriat. If I go there I can break my curse” She smiled, her arms draped lovingly across her womb “and I can save our baby.”

The sun was making its descent toward the western horizon as Neira and the others made their final preparations for the evenings festivities with the Guild of Whispering Blood. Morai and Neira stood together in front of a mirror inspecting their newly glamoured appearances. Morai leaned in close to the glass, turning her head back and forth.

“It feels so strange to see a completely different person in the mirror.”

Neira nodded tracing the strange new planes and dips of her glamoured reflection with her eyes. Morai stepped behind her and fastened the buttons up the back of her dress.

“Is it terrible that I’m kind of excited about tonight?” She laughed softly.

“I don’t think so.” Neira shrugged “When I was little my parents always told me the only way to be truly happy is to find joy anywhere you can, in every moment, even when the whole world seems like it’s falling apart. I think you’ve got to embrace whatever good you can find.”

Moira smiled.

“Thanks. I guess I’d better hurry and get dressed so we aren’t late.” She crossed to the bed where her gown was laid out. “Would you let the others know I’m almost ready?”

Neira nodded and smoothed the slick fabric of the her long blue gown, stepping out into the hall. Akua was there, in a long dark grey jacket with intricate gold embroidery and a crimson shirt that made his eyes seem to burn even brighter. He looked her over, his customary smirk replaced with a stunned expression.

“You look incredible Neira. It’s almost a shame that everyone at the party won’t be able to see how beautiful you really look in that dress.”

Neira colored, looking away with a smile and tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear.

“Well, the glamour looks pretty good too.”

“Perhaps,” He moved closer and took her hand, his voice soft and low. “but nowhere near as good as the real you.”

Her eyes met his and the air between them grew heavy. Tiernon scurried into the hall, fidgeting at his own jacket and looking a bit pale.

“Are you certain you’ll be able to hold the glamours on this many people for the whole evening?”

Akua released Neiras’ hand and stepped away from her again, rubbing awkwardly at the back of his head.

“It won’t be a problem. Glamours require very little energy to maintain.”

Tiernon nodded, almost more to himself than anyone else and Morai came out as well, beaming with excitement.

Iroin arrived with a slight scowl, his jacket a bit rumpled and lopsided, the belt tied slightly asked. He looked to Morai with his arms held wide and a helpless expression.

She crossed to him, biting back a small giggle and helped him straiten the unfamiliar garments. Dyric entered, clearing his throat and looking subdued. He glanced over his sister in her intricate clothing with a pained expression.

“Are you all ready to go?”

Everyone shifted awkwardly for a moment in a tense quiet.

“I think we have everything we need.” Morai said with a gentle smile. “We’ll see you all in a few hours.”

Dyric nodded, not looking her in the eye.

“Just be careful.” He grunted as she wrapped him in a hug.

After saying their goodbyes the group made their way toward the city center in an anxious quiet. Tiernon lead the way, studying the map closely. People swept by, a river of strangers buffeting them along. Just when the crowds grew thickest they slipped into a back alley and crossed through to a cluster of opulent buildings.

They joined the queue of people approaching the large wooden double doors. A cluster of guards were inspecting invitations before granting entrance. Once they reached the front of the line Tiernon handed over the invitation with a queasy looking smile. He fidgeted as the guards looked them over, Neira could see sweat beading along his forehead. The guard squinted at the name on the invitation.

“Which of you is Yerin?”

“That would be me.” Akua stepped forward with a polite smile.

“I’ve got a cousin that worked with you a while back.” The guard said. “Do you remember a man named Motarne?”

Neiras’ heart beat louder, a breath catching in her chest. Akua smiled again.

“I’m afraid not my friend. You’ll have to forgive me, but I do meet quite a lot of people in my line of work.”

The guard gave him a hard stare. There was a tense hush that seemed to freeze time until he finally broke into a grin.

“Fair enough.” he sniggered “He’s not exactly a memorable sort anyhow. Sometimes even I forget about him.”

Akua laughed indulgently and the guard waved them in.

Neira rubbed the dampness from her palms and took a slow breath. Akua met her eyes, taking her hand in his with a gentle pressure. The tension in her body softened and she smiled back at him, keeping her hand in his.

They made their way through the ornate ballroom, looking around at the other guests. A server approached, holding a tray of small pastries. She held them out to the group.

“Sambusas?”

The pastry crackled in her fingers as Neira raised it to her lips. She looked absently around the room, the warm gravy soaked filling driving away the unease that prickled at the back of her neck.

She turned and noticed a slender man at the edge of the room, his bright blue eyes meeting hers.

He was unfamiliar to her, but his gaze carried such hatred that her heart froze. Still glaring, the man gave a chilling smile before he vanished into the shadows.