“In the close atmosphere of the mask shop, the prickling energy of his proximity was inescapable. He bent over the assortment of masks with great interest. “This is lovely,” he said, handing me a delicate confection of glass beads strung on complex swirls of golden wire, “but is it truly wise to put an artifice device on your face?”
“That depends on what it does. This one is harmless.” I held it up to show him, the cold wire pressing into my nose and cheekbones. My vision immediately went hazy and green, then began fading slowly into blue. “See, it just cycles the color of your eyes.”
Kathe blinked, then lifted his long fingers to the mask, running them delicately along one edge. “How strange. It does make you look like an entirely different person.”
“That’s the point. It’s a game.”
As the room warmed through dusky purple toward rose, Kathe’s fingertips trailed down my cheek. “You know how I love games.”
My skin shivered pleasantly in the wake of his touch. I swallowed.”