The Last Swordmaster

Crashing Parties While Being Fashionably Late, Of Course

I fidgeted in my chair, getting nervous. "You're sure this black hair will only last for one night? It'll come right out?"

Minevra clicked her tongue at me, straightening my freshly dried, black hair with silver ends. "I'm a demon hairstylist that's been in her trade for centuries. Of course I'm sure. Even if it did come out, I could just dye it right back, you know."

Biting the inside of my cheek, I looked up in the mirror in front of me, almost shocked by the blue eyes that stared back at me. I looked nothing like myself with all of the makeup and new features. My face appeared to be so much skinnier, almost unhealthy, but in a whimsical, almost elfish way. No one would recognize me. I could hardly recognize myself. "Good. As long as I look different for just tonight."

"Oh, trust me, you look fabulous," she reassured me, smoothing down a stray hair. "Black to silver hair is all the rage in demon fashion this season. You'll fit right in. I know it seems odd, but trust me, if you went in there with a natural hair color, they'd know you were a trespasser right away."

I fiddled with the ends of my hair, looking down at my lap. One more hour...

"Done! You're all set! You should get something to eat," Minevra suggested, putting her hair straighter down. "Mister Sir Chef is making a favorite of yours! Stir fry!"

Sending her a weak smile, I shook my head. "No, I don't have much of an appetite at the moment, but thank you for the concern, Minevra. It means a lot."

I stood, pushing the chair I was sitting in back into the desk it belonged to. Minevra pursed her lips and watched me thoughtfully. "Hey... don't try to be a hero, okay? You need to survive. If something happens to Jack... leave him behind."

My eyes widened in surprise. "What? No! I can't do that. I'm supposed to be a leader. A leader doesn't let her teammates die."

The demoness grabbed my hands gently and looked me in the eyes, flipping her own newly dyed, sea foam green hair out of her eyes. Her blue eyes were frosted with concern. "Yes, but do you really trust anyone here to lead? No. They'd all muck it up. You're the best chance we have. Jack is replaceable, in a way. You, my dearest Scarlet, are not. You must live through this, okay? Also, I've grown to like you quite a lot, and I'd be rather upset if you happened to die."

A giggle escaped me as I shook my head and let go  pf her hands. "Thank you, Minevra, but I promise that we'll both get out alive."

I began to walk to the door, my hand on the handle as Minevra called out, "Good luck!"

Sending a small smile her way, I opened the door and steeped through. "I won't need any luck."

Swiftly, I closed the door behind me and made my way up to my room, escaping into the open door and sighing as soon as I was alone. "I can't let them know how nervous I am," I muttered to myself, locking my door before flopping onto my soft, warm bed. Wait a minute, warm? How could the bed be-

Jack came out of the bathroom, grinning over at me. "I'm sorry if you were hoping for a moment of peace. I was just making sure the adjustments I made to Eve's dress were fine."

I sat up, brushing my hair out of my face to look at him. His hair was now platinum blonde, colored with red, orange, and yellow streaks. His red eyes had been exchanged for yellow contacts, and he seemed taller and skinnier than before. Apparently unhealthily skinny was popular in the demon world. 

I frowned and stretched, shaking my anxiety away. "How would you know all of my exact measurements?"

He quietly walked over to me, sitting down on the bed beside me while he reached out to touch my hair. Well, fake hair. I had hair extensions in, and now my hair went down to my mid-thigh. I hated it. "I don't like this," he mumbled, frowning down at the silver hair in his hands. "You look so different. Let's hurry up with this little mission so that you can take this stuff off."