Arcane Masks Novels & Stories

Alex presses her lips together and nods. Masks are laid out beside the uniforms. Simple for most—full-face, angular, anonymous. Red on red. No expressions. No individuality. Hers waits at the center. Horned. Smooth lines. Not grotesque. Not theatrical. Just enough to suggest something ancient and unyielding. Eve runs a hand over it thoughtfully. “You sure about this?” Alex lifts it, feels the weight. “If they’re going to hunt a myth,” she says, “we might as well give them one that doesn’t break.”

Maya retorted, folding her hands under her breast. "Good, I think we can work with that, even if you're both being extremely brute with your words," Becca said, frowning. "First of all, you should cover your faces," Becca handed each of us a mask. It was made like the face of an animal. Maya's face was a leopard, Naya's face was a hyena, Becca's face was a rabbit and my face was a deer. "Why do I get to wear a deer? Why not a Lion?" I frowned, wearing the mask.

The air thrummed with the energy of our shared taboo, the anonymity of the masks a sacred bond that tightened with each touch. “Rise for the mastery,” the gold-masked leader commanded, her voice a resonant decree, helping me to my feet, my legs shaky but resolute. The silver-masked woman spread a new mat, this one embroidered with crimson runes, and guided me to lie on my back, my arms and legs outstretched. The purple-masked woman retrieved a collection of toys from a gilded chest—vibrators, a larger strap-on, and a triple-headed dildo—laying them beside me like sacred relics. The red-masked woman unbound her hair, letting it fall over her shoulders, her blue eyes alight with anticipation,

“He’s auctioning kids, Marcus! What the fuck is going on?” We had already put on the masks Marcus had procured from the trunk of his car – simple, elegant black half-masks that covered our eyes, common enough in these high-society, illicit gatherings to not draw attention. They were meant to conceal our identities, but right now, I felt like mine was screaming.

He turned to me and this time he looked straight in my eyes and he continues, “I will try and come back here to see you. But if I can’t and you can recognize me without my mask when we meet once again, then I won’t hesitate to be yours forever. This I promise.” I became dumbfounded at the moment and couldn’t speak a word but just look into his sparkling eyes. He blinked and cleared his throat before looking away, he made his way out of the room without looking back. My heart that was accelerating at the moment stopped the instant he closed the door vanishing from my sight.

Like she was empty of tears. "The mask was a gift from my mom, someone I thought I lost long before I lost my dad, I survived with an injury on my face that the doctors said would scar me. Everyone hated me after that, for taking away their alpha, for being weak and ugly." Lennox's hand came around her and held her close as she exposed more of herself. "The mask was a way of hiding my face so I don't disgust people but more than that it was what helped me stay close to my parents even when the wound was gone, I couldn't be without the mask."

“Not all mates are as lucky to be adored and loved. I’ve never seen a couple as happy as that picture of your parents. I was possessed and subdued, never loved.” Darren sat silent for a long moment, staring back at me. He placed his hand over mine and gave it a gentle squeeze. “You know, those masks weren’t meant to hide a person. They were meant to reveal one’s inner self.” He pushed off the couch and walked to a cabinet in the corner of the room. He dug around in a bin at the bottom for a minute, then pulled out a mask like the ones decorating the wall downstairs in the pool room. It was a deep purple with black feathers coming from one side. “Ready to show that bastard your inner self? Th

“The black one is good for everyday. The white would look nice if you were wearing a cocktail dress. And the brown is a good option if you feel like switching it up.” “Fantastic,” said Greer. “Here,” said Nate , picking up the black mask and helping Mira unwrap the gauze from around her eyes. As he pulled the mask over her eyes, Greer placed the remaining two masks into white boxes, which she then set into a shopping bag with her studio’s logo on the front. “Thank you so much,” said Mira , finding Greer’s hand to shake.

She was a tiny human in a den of very ancient appetites, and all her nerves bristled with icy, shuddering awareness. It was why she didn't even flinch when the two of them advanced on her. They navigated the throng not as if they belonged to it, but as if the throng parted miraculously before them, a sea of silk and magic flowing aside to twin pillars of predator beauty. Their masks were pieces of art: one of sweeping raven's feathers that streamed back from a completed, pointed face, the other of forged, sun-soaked bronze that caught up the untamed beauty of its wearer.

I ignore her attempt to make small talk with me and lead her to look for our table. As we approach the main gathering area, a waiter appears with a tray of ornate masks. “Alpha, Luna, it’s a masquerade,” he says politely, offering us the tray. “What! Shut the front door… who thought of such a brilliant idea,” Nicole’s eyes light up as she picks a sleek black mask with gold accents. She places it delicately over her face, adjusting it with a practised grace. I on the other hand grab a simple silver mask, slipping it on without much thought.