Chapter 211

The thick goo in Old Ghost's jars bubbled noisily on his workbench. He dabbed a brush soaked in greasepaint across Stella's face, its chilly touch making her flinch a little. She stood still beside him, letting him work his magic, crafting her features into a sharp-boned, unfamiliar face. Honestly, she'd expected it to hurt, but it was over before she knew it—just cold and kind of weird. "Done!" Old Ghost suddenly yanked the gauze off her face. In the metal mirror, a man with a hooked nose and narrow eyes stared back at her. She instinctively reached up to touch her cheek, feeling the rough, bark-like texture. "Wait... this is me?" When Charles turned around, he almost didn't recognize her either. Stella now had a high-bridged nose, thin, tight lips—nothing like the girl he knew. "The Carter family's hiring external guards." He adjusted the fake collar tab on his shirt. "We'll get in with these forged referral letters. Arthur Evans will meet us during the shift change." Old Ghost gave