At the sight of the vampire, Bryce's eyes—predictably—lit up.
"Mr. Clave, hello! And you, too, Sloane. I assume you’ve updated Mr. Clave about our proposition?"
“Yes,” I told him with a nod, just a little bit proud. I hadn’t only updated him; I’d convinced him to help.
“And?” Bryce prompted.
I tilted my head to Dorian, inviting him to offer his own answer. He seemed to know what I was thinking.
“I accept your proposal,” he said confidently, sitting in one of the chairs before Bryce’s desk. I took the other.
"Excellent,” Bryce said, pleased that our plan was falling into place. “Because I just spoke with my mate, Jim, the ex-Bureau-now-federal gentleman. In case Sloane didn't explain that part, Dorian." Bryce laced his fingers atop a stack of new, yet already disorganized, papers.
"She did not," Dorian replied.
I wondered whether I should’ve, then shook it off. Dorian’s voice sounded cool and professional. I could recognize the difference between that and the real gratitude and cautious excitement he’d shown when I’d first told him about my and Bryce’s idea. A part of me felt a little special that I’d gotten to witness it.
I pushed the thought aside as Bryce went on; I wanted to hear the details of the project. “Jim is generally on board with our plan,” he said. “In fact, he has a lead on it. He’s keeping details under wraps, though. He needs to meet Mr. Clave first.”
That… could prove difficult. The Bureau wouldn’t allow an outsider on-site.
“Would a video conference work?” I asked dubiously.
“In person, Lieutenant,” Bryce replied. “At his office. In Vegas. This evening.”
“Oh,” I said. I hadn’t even considered that he might allow Dorian off-site for a non-redbill mission, especially to a populated area. Bryce was taking this more seriously than I’d expected him to. My heart beat a little faster at the realization of how quickly my idea was taking shape. That hint of pride I felt before returned, and I swallowed a smile.
“Think of it as a test run. He wants to see what you can do.” Bryce spoke directly to Dorian, his eyes intent.
Dorian paused. “Will this breach the trial period regulations?” he asked after a beat. I watched his face—his professional coolness remained intact, but he carried a hint of tension underneath. Maybe he was trying to figure out whether this was a trap or test of some kind. I wished I could reassure him. Bryce might be tough, but he wasn’t the type to purposefully trick someone.
“Ordinarily, yes… but I’m making an exception. This could be a gamechanger for our mission.” Bryce sat up in his chair, playfully narrowing his eyes on the vampire. “And don’t get all cheeky and think you two will be sauntering off into the sunset to gamble and drink bubbly when you’re done with your meeting. I’m going with you. I doubt you’ll do anything stupid, but I encourage you not to try anything cute, either. All three of us need to travel via redbill tonight.”
Dorian smiled, only a bit stiffly. “We can take my redbill. And don’t worry. With the reputation of my entire species on the line, I don’t think I’ll find wasting money in a crowd of drunken fools as tempting as most humans seem to.”
I bit back a smirk at his tart reminder that none of us could take this lightly. Dorian, more than any of us, knew that this could be a really big deal for both species—if we pulled it off.
“Fair enough,” the captain said, though his eyebrows had risen. “Ah, one more little detail, Mr. Clave. You’ll be incognito during this visit.”
“Sorry?” Dorian asked, seeming genuinely confused at the term.
“You’re going to be disguised as a human on the excursion. You’ll be around folks who have no knowledge that your kind even exist.” Bryce didn’t even attempt to hide his smirk. “Lieutenant Sloane, you will be in charge of this costume change. Can’t wait to see the beautiful transformation. Oh, and you don’t have much time to figure it out. We just got called out for another redbill mission this afternoon, so you’ll be playing dress-up directly afterward.” Bryce winked at me.
An exhale whistled out of me, and Dorian and I exchanged wide-eyed looks.
* * *
The redbill mission took us to an abandoned quarry, and the soldiers had a more hands-off approach this time. We stayed in the plane, ready to provide backup. Sike hung back with us to answer our questions and run interference. He caught me watching Dorian and gave me a knowing look that made me reevaluate him. So far only Zach had noticed the signs of my attraction to Dorian, and I knew how smart Zach was. If Sike had put it together as well, that made him someone to watch, despite his class-clown act.
Soon, the small flock of redbills took off toward Canyonlands with a distinct lack of drama, which impressed all of the humans present. If they could replicate this, the vampires’ request for asylum would be difficult to deny.
When we returned to the facility with news of the success, the captains allowed everyone a few hours of personal time. I immediately seized the opportunity to get things in order for the evening; a few hours would go by fast, and I hoped the more I prepared I was, the lower my nerves would be.
Hoped—but wasn’t convinced. A lot hung on the success of this evening.
I swiped a plastic plate and spoon from the cafeteria, then went to the women’s bathroom. Maybe Bryce was making fun of me, but more likely he was totally clueless about the fact that I was the worst person to do a vampire makeover. I could barely even put makeup on myself for special occasions. I didn’t exactly dislike the stuff, I just rarely found the time, and with my lifestyle, it was impractical. Although one girl I’d met in training claimed her makeup made her feel powerful and prepared, in my experience, eyeliner didn’t help you kill man-eating storks.
I rifled through my cosmetics case, though there wasn't much to look through—a tiny amount of blush, a bit of almost-dried-up mascara, and lip balm. The old bottle of concealer I owned definitely didn't match Dorian's complexion. I chewed my lip, considering the other options. Assorted makeup bags sat scattered about the sinks, each one’s colors and patterns giving away the owner. Roxy’s was black with hot pink flames on it, while Louise’s had a vintage floral pattern. Mine was blue camo—an old Christmas gift from my mom. The other bags looked better stocked than my own. Maybe one of them would have what I needed.
Keeping a wary eye on the door, I picked through them carefully and quietly, trying to use my best judgment as to which products looked like the best quality, and therefore the most long-lasting. I wished I could just ask, but if I did, they would want to know why. In my ethical discomfort, I began to rush, simply grabbing the palest foundations I could find. I really didn’t have any other choice, given the predicament Bryce had put me in, and most of the girls probably would have donated them to the cause if they’d known.
With only the haziest idea of what I was doing, I squirted the tubes over the plastic plate and stirred the products together like paint with the spoon. I tried not to think too hard about what I was going to be doing with this mixture in just a few short minutes. Never mind that I was staring at a paper plate trying to envision Dorian’s skin… the image that kept popping up in my head was his face, only an inch from mine, his pale cheekbones swarming with shadows as I lay on top of him in the desert sand. Maybe Bryce had given me this part of the mission to torment me.
After my hurried stirring, I was mostly satisfied with my work and nabbed a bit more from Roxy's stash, as she was the palest in the group. My concoction wasn't perfect, but it would do—Dorian could use a tan, anyway.
As I replaced Roxy’s foundation, I imagined what Roxy would say if she caught me “borrowing” her makeup for a vampire. It didn’t bear thinking about. I pocketed a blending sponge and blush from my own makeup bag, just in case.
I turned to leave and found Gina leaning against the wall, blocking the doorway.
Her arms crossed over her petite but muscular frame, and her eyebrows lifted questioningl
y high on her forehead.
"Lyra?" she asked, peering down at the plate and assorted makeup bits in my hands.
"What?" I asked a little too loudly. My heart pounded. Crap.
I tried to look calm. There was no easy way to explain this without simply telling her what I was doing. And, honestly, I did want to tell her. Gina knew almost everything about me and vice versa. We’d been friends for years, even before she started dating my brother.
But this was for a mission, and Bryce had specifically asked me to keep it confidential. I didn’t want to let him down. I wracked my brain for the best way out.
“Are you doing what I think you’re doing?” Gina asked with a frown.
I didn’t bother to hide the paper plate. She’d already seen it. “Well, it depends on what you think I’m doing,” I replied, stalling for time.
She sighed, and a wry smile curved her lips. "Oh, Lyra. After all the times I tried to get you to wear a little eyeshadow when we played pool at Book’s—or get one of those full-face makeovers with me at the mall. Or dress up a little snazzier for Zach’s twenty-third birthday… Are you finally starting to wear makeup… for a vampire?"
I gaped at her. Had she caught onto my feelings about Dorian, too? Had Zach talked to her? Or was she just joking?
My cheeks heated to tomato-red temperatures regardless, and my lips parted to correct her, before I stopped myself. As embarrassing as I found it, this was my way out.
“What can I say?” I pushed out a grin, shrugging. “You caught me.”
Gina stared for a minute, then shook her head fondly. “Well, if you want to look good for him, all power to you. I could help, you know, instead of you being all cloak and dagger about it. That color’s clearly too pale for you.”
Wait, she’s not joking? She actually thinks I’m putting makeup on for Dorian? Another protest bubbled up my throat, but I forced it down. I’d have to file that little fact away for… future me to deal with. When I wasn’t in the middle of an incredibly important mission.
My job was so strange.
“Don’t worry about it,” I managed, struggling to maintain my grin. “I just felt like trying it out for a change. A bit of practice in my downtime, ya know? I’m fine for now.”
Gina tilted her head at me. “You know I’m always here to talk, okay? Don’t make me worry about you.”
“Ah, we both know you’ll never stop worrying about me.” I gave her a toothy smile, this one genuine. She worried about me almost as much as my mom, sometimes.
She smiled back at me. “And we both know you’ll do your own thing no matter what. I get it.”
And, just like that, she walked out.
I held my breath for a few moments, to make sure she was truly gone. Then I exited the bathroom, my face more flushed than I would’ve liked as I headed directly for Dorian.
I was lucky my embarrassing fake admission hadn’t gone worse. At least I knew Gina wouldn’t say anything to the other women. She wasn’t the type to gossip. But she really believes I’ve got the hots for Dorian?
It was one thing for Zach to find out I was attracted to the vampire; he’d known me since birth. If anyone would know, it would be Zach. And Sike knowing didn’t bother me for the exact opposite reason: he was only a stranger. But for Gina to pick up on it meant I was being obvious. What if Roxy, Louise, and Sarah found out? What if they thought it compromised my work and went to Bryce? My mind went blank from horror, and I stopped in my tracks until I recovered.
Doing my best to shove all thoughts of the bizarre conversation aside, I hurried to the vampire quarters, walking as swiftly as I could. Now it was time for the real test.
The guards let me through with only a brief skeptical look. They were probably getting used to this.
I found Dorian lounging on his bed, his lean frame propped lazily against the wall, dark hair hanging low over his forehead.
"Come in," he said, his voice neutral, though I could’ve sworn I heard a bit of smirk somewhere in there. I couldn’t really blame him for that.
I stepped into the cell and held up the splattered plate. "Ready to change species?" I asked, trying to keep it light, then regretting the joke. My breathing already felt disjointed.
He sighed with a hint of drama, but his eyes glinted at me—almost as if he was looking forward to this. “If I must,” he said.
I grinned at him, then sat beside him on his bed, careful to keep a couple inches of space between us. I surveyed the vampire’s face.
He watched me as I watched him. “I don’t see what’s so exciting about looking human,” he remarked.
“Didn’t you know? It’s all the rage these days.” My answering smile felt too big for such a basic joke. I gathered my courage. "All right,” I told him firmly, “I need you to tilt your face toward the light so I can see what I'm working with." Maybe he didn’t hear me pulling in deep, measured breaths to calm myself, but with our bodies this close together, I didn’t hold much hope.
Dorian leaned forward and tipped his face obediently, his eyes amused.
The tips of my fingers tingled, and my mouth went dry. A new feeling came over me as I looked down at his still, stoic face waiting for its paint. When his eyes closed, he looked like an ancient statue of a warrior king, his strong features calm and resolved. My anxiety returned, thumping against my chest.
Come on. You can do this. It’s only touching a vampire. We’d even touched before. Somehow, that thought didn’t help. I needed to get a grip. This wasn’t life or death. Actually, life-or-death circumstances didn’t stress me this much.
"I wonder which of your hidden talents I’ll discover next," Dorian muttered as I started dabbing the foundation onto his cheeks with the sponge. His skin was taut and porcelain, and when the tips of my fingers brushed it a few times, I immediately noticed how soft it was. He was putting off a surprising amount of heat, and I found myself questioning my vampire knowledge—sometimes old vampire myths still popped into my head, even though I hadn’t read Stoker’s Dracula since high school. They were closer to mammals with their temperature fluctuations and normal, live births and family systems. They didn’t sneak around turning humans into vampires. In fact, that seemed preposterous to me now. They definitely weren’t cold, dead, ugly, coffin-dwelling dudes who feared the sun. Especially not the one right in front of me.
He grimaced as the makeup touched his skin. "That’s unpleasant."
I smirked. “You get used to it,” I told him, trying to keep up a casual conversation. “Though, I’m not used to it, either. This isn’t my area of expertise.”
Dorian chuckled. “I never would’ve guessed.”
The sound of his laugh, with a bit of vampiric growl to it, made me feel oddly proud to have caused it. “Do you really think it’s wise to sass a person painting your face? I could turn you into an old granny. Or cake your eyes shut with this.”
Dorian’s lips quirked again, which messed up my sponging, but I found I didn’t want him to stop. “Terrifying,” he said dryly. “Why would you wear makeup when you’re not in disguise? Is that normal for humans?”
The question caught me off guard. I guessed I’d never thought about it quite that way. “Uh… it’s normal for lots of humans. Lots of human women. I guess you wear it for fun, or to make yourself look more professional, or feel better, or look more attractive to get a date.” I was glad Dorian’s eyes were closed; at least he couldn’t see my cheeks redden.
“I see. So, you never wore makeup because you wanted to ‘get a date’?” I heard the teasing in his tone and took a deep breath to calm myself, watching the foundation slowly covering up the shadows that danced under his skin. Of all the reasons I’d mentioned, he had to fixate on that one? “I guess not. The Bureau’s my life. Besides…”
The words hung between us, no doubt reminding him that I’d trained for a life of exterminating redbills and hating his species.
“Go on,” Dorian said, after a pause.
I swallowed, loo
king down to daub more foundation off the plate. “Besides, I figured if I did ever want to date, I could find somebody who was attracted to me for what I did with my life, what I believed in and accomplished.”
Dorian’s eyes opened, the vivid blue stunning me for a moment. “That seems likely to me,” he said.
The pounding of my heart had to be audible across the whole room. “Thanks,” I managed. We fell into a charged silence.
I leaned back to assess my work and get a bit of space from the unexpected turn of the conversation. Below the foundation, still-visible dark ripples swirled below his eyes and on his forehead.
“I’m not sure this is working. You look like a clown who got into a bar fight," I muttered.
Dorian laughed in response. “I guess that’s more like a human than a vampire.”
I narrowed my eyes on him. “I definitely wouldn’t sass me right now. I can still do serious damage with this sponge.”
The conversation had gotten off the topic of our mission rather quickly. I focused as I applied another coat to his cheeks and then slathered his forehead. It looked like a can of eggshell paint had exploded on him.
Think. Think. I wracked my memory, trying to remember how Gina had taught me to blend. If I just distracted myself with half-remembered makeup tutorials, and not how much my hands wanted to shake… He shouldn’t have such an effect on me.
"I guess I need to, uh, fix it a bit," I said, trying to keep from looking like I had no idea what I was doing. "Just bear with me, here."
Being so close to him made me awkward. My dabbing with the sponge was just messing it up more. I swallowed again. Attraction was pretty damn irritating.
“What's taking so long?” Dorian asked. "My neck hurts." He opened his eyes a sliver to see my reaction.
I gave him my best stone face in response. "Don't be a baby. And stop moving your lips. It's messing me up."
Despite the complaining, he seemed to be in an exceptionally good mood. Part of me hoped it was because he was excited for this mission. I certainly was.
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