Worlds Apart

Chapter 9

"What is it?" I ask.

Ailbhe steps into my chamber, moving through their normal morning actions. Sadness is etched into the dark lines of their purple face.

"I see it." Their whisper floats around the room, a gentle breeze disturbing the peace on a sunny day.

"See what?"

"Everything." Their glamour flickers, and I glimpse the true form of Ailbhe beneath the purple human they portray. "The truth."

They walk over to the window overlooking the manor garden.

"Don't you see it too?"

"See what?" I walk up to the window and stand beside them.

"What do you see?" They ask.

"A garden. I don't know the names of the flowers." An abundance of colour spreads out from the building. An expanse of grass reaches out as far as I can see, lined with trees.

"A glamour." They shake their head. "This whole place is a glamour. It's built on corruption and lies. That's all I see now."

"Now?"

"Since your blood."

"I'm sorry." Guilt clogs my chest, burns in my gut. I never should've bitten Ailbhe.

They turn to me. "You helped me see the truth. Everything is a glamour. We are lied to. Their own people. Tricked into believing everything they want us to see."

"You look afraid."

"I am. I'm afraid that when your blood leaves my system, I'll go back to being one of them."

"Can't you leave?"

"And go where?"

Unsure whay else to say, I turn to the garden. "What's really out there?"

Ailbhe follows my gaze. "Nothing. None of this." They wave their arms around room. "Exists."

"Can you describe it to me?"

"Imagine you're underground." They don't say anything else. They don't need to. The memory of waking up in my shallow vampire grave is too fresh.

"If this is a result of your blood. Why can't you see?"

I shake my head. "I wasn't..." Without any other way to explain this, I take the risk, trusting Alibhe probably more than I should. Perhaps they can help me. "Born long ago. I don't really know how much of this works. I can see you now."

"Because I've dropped my glamour. What's the point?"

"And out there?"

"It comes back up. I walk around pretending to be as oblivious as everyone else." They stare at the door. "Do you think no one else knows?"

I follow their gaze, trying to imagine how much of this village sized cathedral is a glamour. "How many fae would it take to hold up the glamour of this city?"

"Hundreds." They shake their head, dismissing the conversation. "Come." Aible grabs my hand and leads me to the bed. Perching on my unmade bed.

Ailbhe's eyes stay fixed on mine as they fade back to the human eyes with the marroon iris I'm used to. The textured bark slips back into the soft purple flesh I thought was real.

"Does it take a lot of energy?"

"I've been doing this so long, it's like second nature, but the relief of not having to hold it up is something I never thought I'd crave." They lift their hands to my face, holding a cheek in each hand.