The Infinite by Lee Lori M

Author:Lee, Lori M. [Lee, Lori M.]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Publisher: Skyscape
Published: 2015-03-10T07:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 21

CASSIA CAME RUNNING out the citadel’s doors a few hours later, shouting my name. I was in the middle of sparring with Aylis, but she grabbed my wrist without a word of explanation and dragged me back to my room.

She bounced on her heels, teeming with excitement, and I had no idea why until I saw my new gown draped across my bed. My breath caught. Cassia squealed and clasped her hands together.

I was almost too afraid to touch it, but I reached out and carefully held it up. The gown was sleeveless. The front of the bodice was constructed of cream satin with gold embroidery. Delicate gold leaves, blossoms, and lace accents had been hand-sewn into the fabric in flattering patterns. The back of the bodice was sheer, but the gold embroidery continued in leaflike symmetrical patterns across the shoulder blades. A line of tiny pearlescent buttons ran the length of the spine.

The skirt was like nothing I’d seen, not even in the White Court. Layers of cream tulle and chiffon were draped in waves. The top layer was barely a foot long, its thick folds giving dramatic volume around the hips before the elegant draping continued down into the full skirt.

Would I even fit through a door in this?

Two servants blew into my room, an older woman and a young girl carrying a basket filled with bottles and lacquered pots. Cassia greeted them warmly, but I watched with rising apprehension as the young girl set the basket on my dressing table and began unpacking its contents.

“Well, let’s see then,” the older woman said. She grabbed my arms and held them out from my body as she scrutinized me with a slight curl of her lip. I wanted to cover myself despite being fully dressed. “Hmm. A bit thin.”

I snatched my arms away. If she thought I was skinny now, she should have seen me a few months ago when I’d still been scraping by in the Labyrinth, eating little more a day than a sandwich, dried fruit, and whatever Avan could give me for free from his dad’s shop.

“Kai, this is Madgie,” Cassia said. “She usually helps me prepare for parties, but I thought she could assist you today since it’s your first time.”

“Undress,” Madgie ordered.

I didn’t like being barked at, but Cassia only smiled, her eyes bright with amusement. This must have been Madgie’s usual manner. Madgie huffed and reached for my tunic.

“I can do it,” I said. I sneaked behind the paneled dressing screen in the corner and shed my simple gray and blue tunic and pants.

“Everything!” Madgie snapped from the other side of the screen. With reluctance, I also slipped off my undergarments.

The next couple of hours was a whirlwind of lace and satin, creams and perfumes. The servants jostled me back and forth as they closed buttons and tugged at my hair and applied powders and charcoal to my eyes. As they worked, I fidgeted, picking absently at a scab on my leg where Mason had nicked me during a spar.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.