Chapter 172: VISITING MAYA

LILA

I find Kieran in the courtyard behind the main estate, standing under the an archway. He’s speaking in low, measured tones to two High Fae, his posture immaculate despite the faint exhaustion still lingering around his eyes.

The moment I step onto the stone path, his golden eyes snap to mine. He dismisses his guards with a brief nod and turns

"Kieran," I say softly.

"What is it, Lila?" he asks, his voice low and smooth.

"I need to go see Maya."

His dark eyebrows draw together slightly. "Maya?"

I nod, taking a step toward the desk. "I need to know she's safe. And..." I hesitate, taking a breath. "She deserves to hear the truth about what happened directly from me. I can't keep her in the dark anymore. Not after everything."

Kieran studies my face. Then, he grabs my hand. "I'm coming with you."

I blink, surprised. "Are you sure? "

"Of course."

He rounds the desk and walks toward me, his playful tone shifting into something more tactical and serious. "However, there is a complication we must address before we set foot on her street."

"What complication?"

"My glamour," he says, gesturing toward himself.

I tilt my head. "What about it?"

"With the Conduit fundamentally transformed, the dimensional boundary between our worlds is no longer a dense stone wall. It is now a living, permeable membrane," he explains smoothly. "The barrier is intentionally lighter, allowing high-level ambient energy to circulate."

"Which means..."

"Which means a standard glamour may no longer be entirely infallible against human perception."

My stomach drops slightly. "Are you saying Maya might see right through it?"

"It is a possibility," he steps closer. "Humans across the realm are already perceiving phenomena they were previously blind to."

"So her eyes might naturally pierce a basic illusion spell," I summarize.

"Precisely. If I do not reinforce the weave properly."

I look up at his impossibly handsome, sharp High Fae features. "Would it really be the worst thing in the world if she saw who you actually are?"

A faint, dry smirk touches the corner of his lips. "Maybe sometime when we start talking. But not immediately. Give me a minute to adjust the weave."

I step back to watch him work.

The magic begins subtly. A delicate, iridescent shimmer ripples across his skin, so faint I almost miss it. Then, a second, denser layer of atmospheric magic settles over his shoulders. His features shift effortlessly.

The lethal sharpness of his cheekbones softens. His pointed High Fae ears round into standard human curves. His wings retreat. The striking gold in his dark eyes recedes completely, replaced by a warm, familiar human brown. Even the cold, intimidating aura of raw power that constantly hums around his shoulders vanishes beneath a cloak of mundane energy.

Then, to my surprise, he raises his hand and casts a third spell over the second.

I stare at him in amusement. "How many layers are you putting on?"

"Three."

"Three?"

"The first alters what human eyes perceive," he breaks down meticulously. "The second reinforces the physical illusion against latent magical sensitivity. The third completely dampens my ambient High Fae energy so I don't set off her instincts."

I raise a dry eyebrow. "You've thought this through."

"I have had centuries to perfect the art of walking unnoticed among mortals," he says quietly.

His casual mention of time makes me go silent. There are moments when the sheer scale of Kieran's existence still takes my breath away.

Centuries. A life spanning eras I've only read about in history textbooks. And yet, after living through hundreds of years of war, politics, and ancient magic, he stands in a doorway looking at me as if I am his entire universe.

He catches the subtle shift in my expression. "What?"

"Nothing," I whisper, a soft smile breaking across my face.

He squeezes my hand tightly. "Ready to go?"

"Ready."

The drive into Maya's neighborhood is surreal in its utter mundanity.

The city outside the car windows is irrevocably changed. People crowd the sidewalks, staring up at the clear sky in fascination and confusion. News vans are parked on street corners, and giant digital billboards broadcast live coverage of ethereal structures and shimmering atmospheric distortions.

And yet, despite the extraordinary unfolding around them, people are still walking their dogs. Still holding paper coffee cups. Still rushing to beat traffic lights. Humans are stubbornly attempting to process the impossible by clinging to the routine.

Kieran keeps his multi-layered glamour locked tightly in place as we step up the paved walkway toward Maya's house.

We reach Maya's front door. I take a deep breath and knock firmly.

For several agonizing seconds, there is complete silence from inside the house. Then, I hear frantic, heavy footsteps rushing down the hardwood hallway.

The lock clicks, and the door flies wide open.

"Maya…"

She doesn't even let me finish my sentence.

She lunges forward, grabbing my jacket. "Lila!"

I stumble backward an inch as she throws her arms wildly around my neck, squeezing me with terrifying strength.

I laugh out loud, wrapping my arms tightly around her back. "Oh my God, Maya!"

"You're around! You're actually standing here!" she cries, pulling back sharply to slam her hands onto my shoulders and completely ignoring Kieran standing behind me. "Oh my God it’s been such a long time! You have to tell me you've seen the news. Tell me you're watching what's happening!"

I blink, trying to catch my breath. "I've seen some of it, yeah…"

"Some of it?!" Her dark eyes are wide as saucers. "Lila, the world going crazy! It's absolute insanity!"

Her frantic gaze darts past my shoulder, landing briefly on Kieran standing on the porch behind me.

My heart instantly stops. I hold my breath, watching her eyes intently.

Nothing.

“Hello Mr. Sterling,” she says causally.

Kieran nods and gives a short wave.

She then turns to me. “Lila, why did you bring your boss to meet me? Ooh… are you guys…”

I laugh. “I think we have some more important things to discuss.”

Maya shrugs. “Fair.” She then grabs my forearm, practically dragging me across her threshold into the foyer. "Do you have any idea what the news networks are broadcasting right now?"

"Maya, calm down…"

"They found proof!" she shouts, pacing frantically across the rug.

I offer a faint, knowing smile. "Proof of what?"

She stops dead in her tracks, staring at me like I've lost my mind. "Lila! There are actual creatures out there!"

"I’ve heard about it."

"No, you don't understand! I mean actual, shimmering, mythological creatures in Central Park!"

"I know, Maya. It’s something else…"

"They aren't animals!" she continues, waving her arms wildly. "They aren't undiscovered marine life! They are things that shouldn't exist according to modern physics!"

She paces toward the window and spins back around, vibrating with pure, unfiltered excitement. "They're showing live high-definition footage! People are seeing ancient buildings shimmering behind skyscrapers! Structures appearing and disappearing into thin air!"

She rushes over, grabbing both of my hands in hers, her eyes shimmering with overwhelming emotion. "And do you know what the absolute best part of this whole crazy thing is?"

I bite the inside of my cheek to keep from smiling. "What?"

"You weren't crazy!"

The words land with unexpected weight, hitting me right in the chest.

Maya's voice cracks slightly with fierce protectiveness. "You weren't crazy, Lila! All those years when you kept telling me you saw strange things, creatures, stuff that made Ezra think you had a schizophrenia… you were right!"

Her eyes shine with profound relief. " You aren't losing your mind, I'm not losing my mind, there are actual, real creatures out there, and somehow humans can see them now!"

I stare at my best friend, touched beyond words. For a brief second, I don't even know how to respond. Then, a quiet, gentle laugh escapes my lips. "To be completely honest, Maya... I've known I wasn't crazy for quite a while now."

She frowns, her pacing coming to a sudden halt. "Wait. What?"

"I mean... I figured it out."

"When?" she demands, her eyes narrowing in suspicion. "Long before today's news broadcasts?"

I glance briefly over my shoulder at Kieran. He stands quietly near the open doorway, his arms crossed over his chest, watching us with calm, watchful eyes.

Maya's sharp gaze darts back and forth between the two of us, taking in my calm demeanor and Kieran's silent composure.

"Okay..." Maya says slowly, her excitement instantly morphing into deep, sharp suspicion. "Why do I suddenly feel like there is a massive, life-altering secret you aren't telling me?"

I take a slow, deep breath.

I step forward, closing the distance between us, and gently cup both of her hands in mine. "Maya."

She freezes. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Sit down on the couch with me."

Her eyebrows climb high up her forehead. "Why?"

"Because I have a few things I need to tell you," I say softly.