Page 91 of Of Mercury and Mist

The closet contained multiple options that were absent when I explored it last night, further evidence of Samuel’s plans. There was no way he hadn’t been organizing this long before I ran into him at the gala, I decided. This was too convenient.

Rich, jewel tone fabrics hung from the hangers in front of me and I picked a golden creation of soft, diaphanous material. It was a bit see-through in spots but there was enough that with the right undergarments, it would work. The other options appeared to be even more scandalous.

“This is the style? Show everything?” I asked, more to myself than Mandy.

She clicked her tongue. “Your sense of modesty is useless here; you might as well toss it in the bin.”

I glanced at her, surprised at the lower level of venom in her voice. “It's fine, I’ve seen some of the women. It'll be good to blend in.” She leveled a gaze. “I mean fashion-wise.”

I hadn’t meant to insult her people. I wasn’t bad looking by any means, but neither was I a supermodel. With makeup on, I could be considered pretty. Other’s opinions of my appearance had always seemed to be a matter of personal taste. To some, I was gorgeous. But to others, merely average and ordinary.

Here, in the Second Realm, I’d definitely be a super model.

My hands shook as I removed the dress from the hanger and laid it on the bed. “Do you know where I’m going?”

Mandy was rifling through the top drawer of one of the dressers. She pulled out a G-string that matched the dress and I realized, belatedly, it’d be impossible to wear a bra with the thing.

She handed me the scrap of fabric. “To Court. You’ll meet the Collective. Samuel will present you and then the two of you will go from there.”

“You said he’s a Lord; can’t he decide my fate. I mean, to a degree?”

She snickered. “Yes, to a degree. His word carries some weight.” She glanced at me. “You must be someone important, if they’re going to all this trouble for you.”

Shaking my head, I replied, “I’m not. I’m just a woman who made a lot of dumb choices and got caught up in some bullshit.”

She appeared thoughtful, for a moment, tilting her head and looking me over. “They’re not all bad, you know. If you’re obedient and kind, compliant, you could have a good life.”

My heart twinged in my chest and my eyes smarted. “Is that so?”

“Your heart is elsewhere,” Mandy stated.

Hope filled me over the possibility of an ally. “It is. It was. He lied to me, tricked me, and I killed him.”

Horror stretched across her features. “I’m not your friend, keep that in mind. What Samuel requires of me is what I do, whatever that may be.” She gave me another look. “Don’t trust anyone.”

Making a mental note not to bring up homicide at court, I said “Thanks for the tip.”

“I didn’t give you any tips, I gave you facts. Get dressed, Lord Samuel does not bear waiting or tardiness.”

Working at Angels shed any shred of modesty I may have had prior, and I stripped right there in the center of the room. Mandy lifted the dress, holding the fabric loosely, and placed it over my head. The fabric swung down around me, weightlessly caressing my skin.

To my amazement, the dress molded to my figure, hugging my hips and supporting my breasts. “Wow. Is this dress magic?” I was only half serious.

“Yes, it's in the fabric. Stop fussing with it.” I dropped my hands. “Into the bathroom. I’ll do your hair and makeup.”

I followed her into the ensuite. “I can do my own hair,” I told her. “It’s curly.”

She motioned for me to sit on a stool she pulled out from under a counter. “Don’t question my abilities.”

I wanted to smack her with the hairbrush sitting on the counter. “Just don’t use a brush.”

She gripped the top of my head with her fingers and yanked me into the position she wanted as I winced.

Mandy poked and prodded, sprayed and twisted, with the assistance of the wraiths. I didn’t see them, but I sure as hell felt them. My skin tingled and prickled, my hair lifting in places she was nowhere nearby. When she was finished, I stepped up to the mirror that stretched across the wall.

My skin glowed with a golden luminescence and my curls tumbled over my shoulders, each one smoothed into submission and sparkling under the harsh lighting. I looked fantastic.

Mandy stood back, a self-satisfied smile on her face. “I did well. You clean up pretty nice, Samuel will be pleased.”

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