"Disappeared!" Cecilia exclaimed. "Wait. Then what does this mean?"
She raised her hand, only to realize Emma's hand rose with hers. The crimson thread between them tugged as the assassin's arm was forced upward as well.
Cecilia stared at their joined hands before looking back at Margaret. "I have seen a monster, encountered a wounded vampire I thought was human, heard that dragons actually exist in Switzerland, so please–" She pointed at the crimson thread with her free hamd. "Do not tell me that your supernatural god disappeared."
Margaret remained silent.
Cecilia's eyes widened. "And absolutely do not tell me that no one beside your god can cast this magic."
Margaret's eyes softened. "Then I'm afraid I can't tell you that."
"Tell me what?"
"That only our god Celene could cast this magic, The Red String of Fate."
Cecilia let out an agitated groan as she brushed her hair back from her face in frustration. With all these emotions swirling through her mind, she plopped back down into her seat. "Then how about a way of getting back to our world?"
"There are ways," Margaret commented, "but I wouldn't recommend any of them."
Cecilia looked at her. "Why is that?"
Margaret leaned back in her chair, her expression growing more serious. "In our world, the High Officials are the only ones who possess passes that allow them to travel freely between realms. Even kings, queens, and tribal leaders have to request a permit from them before they're allowed to enter the Human Realm."
Cecilia frowned. "So we just need to ask them to send us back."
"If only it were that simple." Margaret's voice hardened. "After the war thousands of years ago, the high officials became much stricter about passage between realms. And they never forgave the humans for what happened." She paused. "They bear a grudge that has lasted for generations. If a human were caught trespassing into Alfehum now, they wouldn't be escorted back home."
Cecilia's expression changed. "What would they do?"
"They'd kill them."
Silence settled over the room. Margaret continued, her voice quieter this time. "So if you were to meet one of the High Officials, I can guarantee you wouldn't survive long enough to explain yourselves." Cecilia glanced instinctively at the red string. "And what that exposed..." Margaret's gaze followed hers. "It wouldn't just be a matter of two humans trespassing into Alfheim." Her expression darkened. "The moment the High Officials discover the Red String of Fate appeared again, it could throw the entire political balance of Alfheim into chaos."
Emma's eyes narrowed. "Then contacting them isn't an option."
"No," Margaret replied. She looked directly at the two of them. "It's a death sentence. For now, you two need to stay low-profile in Alfheim." Margaret glanced between them before continuing. "I can cast a concealment spell over you. It should mask your human presence and wash away the scent of humans from your bodies.'
Cecilie frowned. "Then what are we supposed to smell like?"
"You'll need to carry scents with you," Margaret explained. "Something that makes everyone believe you belong here. If anyone catches even the slightest trace of a human scent, you could draw unwanted attention."
Margaret raised her hand. A faint shimmer passed through the air as the spell settled over them. For a moment, nothing happened. Then Margaret's expression changed. She looked toward Cecilia first. "Interesting."
Cecilia frowned. "What?"
Margaret stepped closer, studying her. "Your human scent is fading."
Cecilia sniffed herself. "And?"
"There's something underneath it." Margaret's eyes narrowed. "A faint scent of the sea."
Cecilia blinked. "The sea?"
"Not just the sea." Margaret tilted her head slightly. "Mermaid."
Cecilia's face went blank. Emma glanced at her. "And now the scales from our first meeting make a lot of sense."
"I am not a mermaid." Cecilia's voice was firm. "I'm human."
Margaret didn't respond to her immediately. Instead, she turned her attention toward Emma.
"You also have a particular scent, Emma."
Emma raised an eyebrow. "I do?"
"A fairy?"
"Something like that," Margaret replied. "It's difficult to tell. Whatever scent you're carrying is almost completely buried beneath your human scent."
Emma glanced at Cecilia. "So we're both hiding something we didn't know about?"
Margaret's eyes narrowed. "Perhaps." She lifted her hand again. "But I can work with it." A soft shimmer passed over Cecilia first. She felt a strange tingling sensation crawl across her skin before slowly fading. The familiar scent of the sea that Margaret had detected became stronger, carrying a cool, salty freshness.
Margaret nodded in approval. "There. The mermaid scent is stronger now. Anyone who catches your scent should assume you're one of the merfolk." Cecilia cautiously smelled her sleeve. "That actually smells like the sea."
"It should."
Margaret turned toward Emma. "For you, I'll have to be more careful." Emma watched as Margaret raised her hand again. "The fairy scent beneath your human scent is much weaker. I'll draw from the Winter side of Alfheim. Their scent carries a cooler quality, and it should blend with the trace that's already there."
Another wave of magic passed over Emma. The temperature around her seemed to drop slightly. Margaret waited a moment before nodding. "Better."
Emma glanced down at herself. "So now I smell like a fairy?"
"Enough to pass," Margaret replied. "But remember, the scent is only a disguise. It doesn't change what you are."
Cecilia looked at Emma. "So we're still human. We're just going to smell like supernatural beings."
"Exactly," Margaret said. "Your bodies haven't changed. Your nature hasn't changed. I'm only giving Alfheim's inhabitants something else to sense when they encounter you.'
Cecilia nodded. "So I'm pretending to be a mermaid."
"And I'm pretending to be a fairy," Emma added.
Cecilia looked at her. "Wonderful," she said with sarcasm.
Margaret sighed but eventually her gaze settled on the red string. Margaret slowly extended her hand. Her fingers hovered over the crimson thread. A faint shimmer passed through the air. The vivid red of the string gradually faded until it became completely transparent, blending seamlessly with the air around them.
Cecilia gasped. "It's gone! I thought–"
Margaret shook her head. "I can't make the string disappear. Whatever binds you two together is far beyond my magic."
Cecilia stared at her finger, turning it from side to side. "But you made it invisible?"
"Not exactly." Margaret's eyes narrowed as she studied the faint outline that only she could see. "I made it transparent. To everyone else, there will be nothing there."
Cecilia let out a relieved breath. "So we won't be exposed."
"Not because of the string," Margaret replied. "The bond is still there."
Emma glanced down at her finger. She couldn't see the string anymore. But she could still feel it. A faint, almost imperceptible pull against her skin. Margaret studied the invisible thread for another moment. "So some magic does work." She sounded almost surprised. Then, as if testing the minutes of her spell, Margaret raised her hand again. A pulse of magic moved through the room. The invisible string suddenly stretched.
Cecilia stumbled back. "Whoa!"
The distance between them continued to grow until several feet separated Emma and Cecilia. Margaret lowered her hand. "There. That's better."
Cecilia stared at Emma from across the room. Then a huge smile slowly spread across her face. Emma noticed. "What?"
Cecilia looked around the room. "We can actually have some distance between us."
Margaret nodded. "Distance matters. Especially when you're trying to keep a low profile. Privacy matters too."
Cecilia looked across the room at Emma. For the first since they arrived in Alfheim, her shoulders seemed to relax. Margaret noticed her expression but said nothing. 'I've already prepared everything you two will need," she continued. "Your disguises, the scents, and a place to stay. I had two rooms prepared as well, so you won't have to share."
Cecilia's face immediately brightened. "Really?"
Margaret nodded. "Yes, You'll each have your own room. It will be easier for both of you to maintain some privacy, and it will attract less attention than having two strangers constantly together."
Cecilia smiled, visibly relieved. Emma, meanwhile, glanced down at her wrist. The string was invisible. It was stretched farther than before. But she could still feel it. A faint, almost imperceptible pull against her skin.
Margaret watched her for a moment. "Don't get too comfortable," she warned. "The distance may have changed, but the bond hasn't."
Emma said nothing.
Neither did Cecilia.
For now, at least, they had a little room to breathe.
Margaret led them down the corridor and showed them to their rooms. They were only a few doors apart, close enough that they could reach one another quickly if something went wrong, but far enough to give them the privacy they had been missing.
Before leaving them, Margaret handed each of them a neatly folded set of sleepwear. "I had these prepared for you," she said. "You should both get some rest. Tomorrow, we'll figure out the rest."
Cecilia looked down at the soft nightgown in her hands, then glanced toward the room Margaret prepared for her. "You thought of everything."
"Not everything," Margaret replied. "But enough for tonight."
With that, Margaret left them to settle in. Cecilia stepped into her room and closed the door behind her. She changed into the nightgown Margaret had prepared, smoothing the fabric over herself before looking around.
A proper bed. A wardrobe. A small table beside the window. Everything was simple, but comfortable. After everything they had been through, having a room to herself felt almost luxurious. Cecilia climbed into bed and sank beneath the covers with a contented sigh. Finally, she had her own room. No Emma beside her. No need to worry about where Emma was sleeping. And, most importantly, no one is invading her personal space.
She smiled faintly to herself. For the first time since arriving in Alfheim, Cecilia felt as though she could actually relax. Her eyes grew heavy. Within minutes, she drifted into a peaceful sleep.
______________________________________________________________________________
Emma's room was quieter.
She placed the folded sleepwear Margaret had prepared for her on the bed before changing. The fabric was simple and comfortable, nothing she was accustomed to paying much attention to.
Once changed, Emma neatly folded her clothes and placed them beside the bed. Her gaze fell to her finger. Nothing. The string was invisible. Yet she could still feel its faint presence against her skin. Emma stared at it for a moment before finally looking away. There was no point thinking about it tonight.
She had spent enough time trying to understand things that refused to make sense. The exhaustion that had been weighing on her finally began to take over. Her breathing gradually slowed. Her muscles relaxed. And within minutes, Emma had fallen into a deep sleep. The room remained still.
Moonlight slipped through the curtains, casting pale shadows across the floor. Then, from somewhere within the darkness, a voice whispered–
"I finally found my Emma."
Emma didn't stir. She remained completely unaware, lost in the depths of sleep. The voice fell silent. For several moments, nothing happened. Then the invisible string around Emma's finger gave the faintest pull.
Once.
Twice.
As though something on the other end had finally recognised her.