Poison, She Might by Daniel Garcia

Author:Daniel Garcia [Garcia, Daniel]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2020-07-16T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 13

Command Performance

Rosetta’s dress was delivered that afternoon, and the tickets for the opera arrived the next. Within days, Snow found herself riding in a carriage for the third time in her life. It was the same one that had taken them to the city, which, though moderate compared to others she had seen on the streets, felt a luxury all the same. Snow rarely caught sight of Upper Alagashia at night other than through the small glimpse she could see from her room’s window, and the city’s grand architecture looked even more magical lit up under a blanket of dark velvet.

In moments like this, she was more than glad she had made the decision to come here, no matter what schemes the Duchess had in mind.

Her “mother” wore a black dress with a neckline that plunged in a daring way. It was sleeveless, like the dress Rosetta was to wear, and clung to her form tightly, though it had no train dragging behind it. Her hair was swept up and covered with a black wrap pinned together with a large gem that resembled a “third eye.”

Snow wore the fairy dress, one of the prettiest in the store. It was white, a contrast to the Duchess’s dark look. The lack of a bustle or hoops to the skirt was scandalous for a young woman. To have a dress clinging to one’s figure was deemed too daring, something that might incite a young man’s sexual desires, but this gown still had layers of gauzy fabric over the skirt to give it an air of propriety. Tiny crystals sewn throughout sparkled when they caught the light.

As they pulled up to the opera house, Snow looked out of the carriage toward the other side of the street. A huge cathedral dominated the city block, one with pointed spires that had crosses at their top. A long set of steps stretched toward the front doors, the most impressive Snow had ever seen. If they reached any higher, they could have led to Heaven. Huge stained-glass windows at the front of the structure depicted the heroic actions of saints. Snow could not imagine the skill of the artists who created these visions.

“It’s all so beautiful.”

“Careful. Those steps have an ugly side. They are the site of more than one beheading.”

Snow quickly turned away. It horrified her to think of such gruesome activities in a place of reverence. But when the carriage stopped, she found herself in an equally lovely setting. More steps rose up on the other side that led to the opera house, whose domed roofs were lit by bright lamps. Men and women in elegant attire stepped out of their own vehicles, and the Duchess and Snow did the same.

They approached the front door of the venue, where two men in black suits took tickets from the patrons. The Duchess pulled theirs from a purse she carried and handed them to the men. There was a kind of electric current in the air, and Snow felt as though she could see people looking toward them as they entered.

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