Page 61 of Ruin of Revenants

I caught my breath, picking up the vial and studying the clear liquid. It seemed too powerful, too helpful to be true. Surely it was a scam, a bit of water dressed up in pretty packaging for desperate buyers such as myself.

Footsteps made my heart lurch into my throat. Folding my fingers around the vial, I turned toward Princess Briar and a petite female with doe eyes and furry-pointed ears whom I assumed was Plumeria. I smiled brightly.

“This is she, our future queen, I suppose,” Princess Briar said with a careless wave toward me. Maybe she doubted her brother’s and my love. Could I really blame her?

“Isoria Gildmere, I’m honored to meet you. I am Plumeria, spellweaver and shop owner.” Curtseying prettily, the female studied me eagerly. “I see you are interested in Liquid Glamour?”

I swallowed thickly. “The idea is…intriguing. It sounds forbidden.”

Plumeria laughed. “I have to report all sales to the king, typically.”

My stomach twisted. Of course.

“But considering you’re practically royalty yourself,” Plumeria continued, “I wouldn’t need his approval.”

Princess Briar cast me a curious glance, arching her brow. “Someone you feel a strong need to compel? Why not ask your beloved?” There was a hint of mockery in her tone, but I forced a smile and laughed as if it were all in good fun, like I was just a curious female with too much money to spend wanting to find a curiosity.

“You never know when you might acquire an enemy, and what if it happens when Archer isn’t around? Besides, I’m a little curious to know what it feels like to have magic like his.”

“Understandable. I purchased Liquid Glamour once.” She smirked. “Used it on him so he knows what the rest of the court feels like.”

This time, I laughed with her.

“Anyway, we came for something to amplify our appearances,” Princess Briar emphasized at last. “Something to brighten the tired, dull looks Isoria and Lily have acquired after last night’s party. Maybe Siren’s Allure?”

Plumeria nodded, guiding us to where Lily already held up a vial of glistening pink potion. “Yes, this here—my Siren’s Allure potion. It will give them the fresh glow and enhanced beauty they seek. One small sip a day will last a full twenty-four hours.”

“Perfect! We’ll take two.” Princess Briar beamed.

“I’ll pay for mine, along with my own potion,” I offered to Plumeria, withdrawing the bag of coins Orchid had brought me this morning, along with a note in Archer’s hand that had said: For my bride. I’d rolled my eyes, but it made sense for our farce, and now it was useful when I didn’t exactly want Lily or the princess to see what I was purchasing.

As Briar and Lily continued to browse, I paid for my purchases and let Plumeria slip them into a parcel, tying it with a gleaming gold ribbon.

When we finally left the shop, my whole body felt light with eagerness. Princess Briar insisted Lily and I each take a dose of our Siren’s Allure, which thankfully was only a temporary potion to “emphasize” beauty, and join her at a bakery, jeweler’s, and an elegant restaurant for lunch. Throughout our outing, my mind was on the potion in my parcel and the possibilities it offered.

Maybe I didn’t have a way to break Archer’s and my bond, but at least this would give me a measure of power in my powerless situation.

Chapter Thirty-Three

Archer

Isoria looked all wrong. Briar had swept into the dining room where I’d been finishing up a late lunch and immediately gestured dramatically to Isoria like she was showing off a new piece of shiny jewelry she’d found. The fish turned in my stomach, and any remaining appetite I’d had vanished.

“What did you do to her?” I bit out, shoving my plate away.

“Siren’s Allure,” Briar announced proudly. “One of the finest potions that Plumeria crafts. It enhances the features, that’s all. Isn’t she absolutely stunning now? She actually looks like she could someday fill the role of queen appropriately. There’s a genteel air about her that I’m afraid her humble roots lacked before.” She tossed her auburn hair over one shoulder, smirking with delight.

My eyes swept over Isoria’s face again, an odd, twisting sensation in my chest. She still looked like herself, but her lashes were thicker, her nose and face were thinner and sharper, and her lips were fuller, as if an artist had studied her features and carefully altered them.

I stood, something like rage igniting in my heart. How dare my vain sister touch my fiancée and imply she hadn’t already been stunning?

“I can’t believe you magicked her like you imagined I didn’t think she was good enough.” I spat the words as if they were poison on my tongue.

Isoria had already been breathtaking, and—

My mind tripped over my thoughts, a bolt of fear darting down my spine. This didn’t feel like an act anymore. This indignation was all my own.

I didn’t just think Isoria was beautiful. That wasn’t a new realization, and not exactly earth-shattering. Even deadly predators could be beautiful—that didn’t mean their prey grew attached. But this was different. I was offended for her. Worried that she’d assume everyone, including me, thought she was somehow lesser.