Page 56 of Monster's Mystery

I grudgingly let her lead me up to our room to get changed.

She was right, the green silky dress she had in her closet was perfect for me. Using altering tips that Una had taught me, I was able to modify it to fit my ample curves and ass. The neckline was daringly low, plunging deep between my breasts and preventing me from wearing a bra.

Once again, I was grateful for my mother teaching me what she called the “lift and squeeze” spell, which I used now to give myself better cleavage.

The thin strings tied around my neck, leaving my upper back bare. I checked myself out in the mirror, happy with my appearance.

“You know what would look hot?” Lilia asked from behind me.

“What?” I asked, turning to take in her shimmery black dress not dissimilar from the one I was wearing.

“A dragon tattoo all across your back,” she said, her eyes twinkling with mischief.

I tilted my head in thought, examining my back in the mirror out of the corner of my eye. “I’ll do it if you do, too,” I said. “Nothing permanent, though.”

“Of course not permanent.” She picked up a book from her shelf, flipping through it for a moment. “There. This one?”

The book, apparently, was a field guide to dragons, and she was showing me a picture of a black dragon that was in the middle of breathing a large flame of fire.

I grinned. “It’s perfect.”

“Fire for your fire beast,” Lilia said with a wink. She lifted a copy of the image from the page. “Turn around. I want to get this centered properly. Lift your hair out of the way. No, shoulder blades down. Haven’t you ever done this before?”

“How do I get my hair out of the way but keep my shoulders down?” I asked, exasperated.

“Hold still!” She grabbed a clip from her bed and pinned my hair up. “There. Don’t move!”

The cool wash of magic rippled over the skin of my back, heating up for a moment and then dissipating.

“Perfect, if I do say so myself,” Lilia said.

“Am I allowed to move now?”

“Yes.”

I sucked in a sharp breath when I saw my new decoration. The tattoo stretched the full width of my back, the face of the dragon on my right shoulder blade, and the column of fire blasting across to my left side. “It really is perfect,” I said. “Thank you.”

“My turn,” Lilia said, brushing away my thanks. “I want this one.”

I repeated the little spell to copy the image, letting it drift in the air until it connected with her back. Hers was a white dragon with a long mustache drooping down either side of its muzzle. Once it was in place, she moved to turn, but I stopped her with a hand. “Hang on...” I added a jaunty Santa hat on top of the dragon’s head. “There.”

Lilia burst into giggles when she saw what I’d done. “Brom is going to love it!”

“You think so?” I asked, suddenly unsure. “What if he thinks it’s... I don’t know, rude?”

“No, it’s hilarious. He’s much more laid back now. Come on, let’s go meet the guys.” Lilia linked our hands and we ran out of the room.

Bruce had disappeared, but Brom and Aiden were waiting for us in the main hall. Aiden’s jaw dropped when he saw me.

“Darling, you look gorgeous,” he said once I got closer. “Spin for me?”

I executed a little turn in front of him, proud of myself when I didn’t fall over in my high heels.

“What isthis?” Aiden stopped me with a hand when I was facing away from him. Even though it was a question, it didn’t sound like it.

“I thought it was fitting to add a tattoo for the occasion,” I said flippantly. “A black dragon, to match your hair, and breathing fire for obvious reasons.”

“A dragon that makes you think of me?” Aiden murmured quietly. He pressed himself against my back, his hands trailing down my sides. “Is it permanent?”

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