The room was modest, nothing like at Blackdown Keep but more like home. It was large enough to fit all of the furniture and a couch near a large window. It was distinctly feminine. There were various perfumes and jewelry on a dresser, with delicate looking decoration throughout.
I moved past all of it and opened one of the closed doors in the room. The private bathroom was attached to the room with a Roman tub and a stand-alone shower. I made my way inside and froze when I saw myself in the mirror.
The mint green dress I was wearing from the night before was filthy from the trek through the woods and swimming in the river water. With all of the mud and grime from the water, I looked somewhat like my human self.
But barely.
I had dirt streaked across my face which dulled my features somewhat. It was no longer the perfect tawny-colored complexion that I'd received once I turned into a fae.
I grabbed the hair tie from my hair and let my silver hair loose.
It was so short. Without telling me what it was for, Kymra had taken some of it so she could use it to masquerade as me using its magic. Had I know what it was for, I would have given her all of it. Now, it hung in shaggy uneven layers a little below my shoulders at the sides of my face, with the back shorter still grazing my shoulders.
I started digging through the drawers and found a pair of scissors. Holding my hair in one hand and the scissors in the other, I straightened it as best as I could, using a comb I'd found to guide me. I'd cut enough to even it all out, but now it was over my shoulders, not quite touching.
It'd been years since I had it that short.
I threw the silver hair from the sink into the trash can nearby then peeled off the dress and hopped into the shower. I didn't recognize any of the soaps or the shampoo in the shower but used them anyway once I sniffed them and found that they smelled all right.
I grabbed a nearby clean towel and wrapped it around me. I made my way to the closet with the brush in my hair and grabbed the first thing I could that looked decent enough. It was a cream colored long sleeve dress with a dark brown vest that tied in the back. I searched through the drawers in the dresser and felt instant remorse.
I found a brand new pair of underwear and bra set with tags still on them and silently thanked whatever gods were responsible for that small mercy. "Sorry, Julian's sister, I'll pay you back soon for using your things."
They fit and were comfortable. I raised an eyebrow; it didn't seem like a mere coincidence. I placed the dress over my head and slithered it on then put the vest on, tying it as best as I could behind me. Once done, I fished through the shoes and found something comfortable in a similar brown as the vest.
Julian was already waiting in the same hall we'd appeared in, a hand in one pocket, his phone in the other as he texted. He didn't look up. "Ready?"
"Yes."
He looked up and for a moment looked surprised.
I touched my hair. "I had to cut it shorter it was uneven."
"Hmm. You need a glamour for your hair." He paused and looked at me expectantly. "May I?"
After a moment, I nodded.
A second later, he looked away at the phone in his hand and started walking toward the door. "Okay, done."
I frowned and looked in a mirror as I passed it. My hair was brown again close to the color it had been when I was human.
"Why brown?"
He turned with a raised eyebrow. "Okay, blue then."
I took a step towards him. "Don't you dare-"
