Page 29 of Beauty At Stake
So, it was down to Demons and Fairies.
I closed my eyes and summoned my glamour magic, changing my appearance to that of a blonde in a tank top and shorts. Killian went with short brown hair and a slim build, his swords hidden under the glamour of a Hawaiian shirt and board shorts.
Kill looked at Raza. “You gotta change, Bro.”
“I already look human.”
“You use that look all the time. What if the Demon recognizes you?”
“He won't.”
“Raza, do not jeopardize this mission again,” I whispered. “Change.”
“Into what, mo shíorghrá?”
“Something plain. We need to blend in, not cause a riot.”
Raza smirked. “Fine.”
“Fucking vanity.” Killian shook his head.
Raza's gorgeous form shifted into something moderately plainer.
“No.” I folded my arms.
“Look at her.” Kill waved at me. “Seren has even made a blonde college girl look common. You gotta tone it down, Beast Bro.”
Raza sighed and tried again. This time, he went with a much shorter man with longish brown hair pulled back in a ponytail and a forgettable face. “How about this?”
“That works.” Kill took my hand. “Let's go.”
“At least five minutes between entrances,” Star said to his people. Then he stepped out of the alley.
Suddenly, he was a short, blond man with a beer belly and a baseball cap. He looked around the same age as our glamours. Perfect. It seemed that the King of Hell had no problem with discarding vanity for the sake of a mission.
Kill and I led the way across the street, weaving between foot and vehicle traffic. Then we went into the bar together, as a group of four.
The glaring lights and noise of Phuket altered once we passed the entrance. Not that it was quiet in the bar. It was merely another type and level of sound. This was more conversation than honking. The lights, though still peppered with neon like the ones on the street, were much dimmer, allowing for assignations in the dark booths. A combination of sweat, alcohol, and sex scented the air. Not my favorite perfume.
Killian and I led the way to the bar, where we hopped up on stools and looked for the bartender as if that were the only thing that interested us. It took only a few seconds for a Thai man to appear, grinning.
“Whatchu like?” he asked.
I ordered something fruity, then left it to the men, letting my gaze wander the room. I didn't rush, just swiveled on my stool as if bored. I clocked three cameras and two suspicious doors. There was a corridor, its entrance strewn with a beaded curtain, but I saw a woman go through and enter the first door on the left, giving me a glimpse of the universal symbol for the ladies’ room on the swinging door. I'd check on that later, but I was pretty sure that area was clear. No one wanted their office next to the bathrooms.
With my elbows behind me on the counter, I kicked my feet and continued to check out the bar. A waitress went through one of the suspicious doors, briefly exposing a bustling kitchen. That left one door unknown. I waited, but no one approached it.
“Back wall, to the right,” I said.
“Yup. I agree,” Star said.
“You're waiting for us, right?” Sal said into our earpieces.
“Yup,” Killian drawled. Then he extended it into, “You were right. Looks like a fun place.”
The bartender set our drinks down. The guys had gone with beers, so that was just a matter of popping tops. Mine, however, had an entire fruit salad in it.
“Oh, wow!” I exclaimed. “That's beautiful. Thank you.”
