“Oh,” spoke up a voice from behind us. “Yeah, I see it now. Major oversight, Persuasion.”
That had been Rome. It wasn’t really in his nature to tease, or to be overly sarcastic—that was more a job for Yael and Siret. But he was definitely finding some kind of sick enjoyment in the fact that Yael had failed at something. I wanted to turn around and tell the other three sitting on Yael’s bed to leave him alone, but I was fairly sure that me defending him would be an even bigger blow to his pride, so I just stayed silent.
I was also staying silent because Yael wasn’t the only one who couldn’t figure out what was wrong with the dress. He had first instructed Siret to fashion me an ivory under-dress, which fit snugly against my body, hugging me like a second skin. It ended at my thighs, but he had asked for a second layer over the top. The outer dress was woven from fine, delicate lace; the colour was a green so simultaneously bright and dark that the lace looked more like interlinked gemstones. This layer ended near the ground, leaving a lot of bare leg and thigh on show—thankfully my healed wounds were nothing more than silvery shadows, which the boys said would fade out completely in the next few sun-cycles. I loved the dress just as much as my first purple one from Siret. As far as I could tell, there wasn’t a thing wrong with it.
“What?” I finally asked, breaking away from Siret and spinning slightly on the spot, trying to look over my shoulder.
Unfortunately, the tight under-dress was too tight, squeezing my legs together so that I somehow became doubly as uncoordinated as I had been a few clicks ago. So halfway through my spin I managed to pitch sideways and almost face-plant into the rug. Thankfully, I had enough good sense to break the fall with my arms.
“Ugh,” I muttered into the rug.
“That,” Siret sounded satisfied, “is what you were forgetting.”
I could hear the rumble of Rome’s laugh, but I ignored their laughing at me and shoved myself to my feet. As soon as I was upright, Yael stepped forward and gracefully lowered himself to his knees before me. Um, hello there.
My breath caught as Yael reached out with both hands, running them up the outside of my legs. Lifting the lace of the dress as he went. Heat followed the path he traced, and I couldn’t quite tell if it was just my body’s reaction, or if he was using some sort of god magic on me.
“Now you’re perfect,” he said, gracefully standing and taking a step back.
I swayed a little, trying to find some sort of equilibrium, before realising that my legs no longer felt like they were glued together. He had created two cuts on either side of the tight under-sheath, which allowed me to move easily. I smiled and lifted my head to the guys, and was taken aback to see the looks on their faces. Yael had already turned away, so he didn’t see what I was seeing.
Absolute astonishment.
“What?” I whispered to Siret, who was closest still.
He shook his head once, and then again, before he said in a voice that was so low it was almost inaudible, “Yael has never kneeled before anyone. Not even Staviti—”
A knock on the door startled us all, cutting Siret off. By the time I’d turned in that direction, the door was already being opened by Yael. Emmy stood on the other side, looking calm and happy as our eyes met. I realised she was wearing her best formal dress: one that she had received as a gift from her favourite teacher after graduating.
“It’s the real dweller,” Aros said, close to my ear.
Thank the gods. If it had been that shape-shifting bitch again, I might have done something we’d all regret. Like trip and plant my fist into her face, followed by my foot into her gut. Followed by the door to her face.
I hurried over to Emmy, my heart bursting. This was the distraction I needed from that Yael revelation, not to mention I’d missed her so much. Something I hadn’t really realised until she was standing before me.
“You look gorgeous, Will!” she exclaimed as I reached her.
I hugged her hard, breathing in the familiar comfort of her herb-scented soap as it washed over me. “You look beautiful too.” I pulled back. “I thought dwellers weren’t allowed to attend the dance? Other than the cursed ones like me, that is.”
“Cursed one,” Siret corrected me. “There’s only one of you.”
Emmy had gone pale, as though I’d just suggested we kill all sols and make a dweller King of the World. “Don’t be silly, we just have to be in our best clothes. Everyone is in a frenzy in the kitchens.”
“I’ll bet.” I snorted. “So why are you here then? Is everything okay? Atti?”
“Everything is perfect with Atti.” Emmy’s smile was back in place now, and I forced myself not to roll my eyes. She was gone, so very gone over that boy. It was nice to see, but also scary. What if he hurt her? What if I had to initiate girl code and kick him in the balls?
Siret laughed then, which had Emmy giving him a quizzical stare. I, of course, knew that he’d just heard my badass warrior thoughts.
“Why are you here, dweller?” Rome had obviously had enough of this little conversation and was hurrying things along.
I was about to scowl and remind him that this was my best friend, my sister, and not to refer to her as a dweller, when Emmy spoke up. “I have a few clicks to spare and thought Willa might like some help doing up her face and hair.”
I could tell immediately that she had taken no offence at being called a dweller, probably because she was one and had never aimed to be anything more than the best damn dweller she could be. It was one of the million things we did not have in common.
“I’d love that,” I said quickly, more for the time I got to spend with her. Our worlds were drifting apart at a rapid rate, and I wasn’t okay with that. I truly missed her.
“We’ll get dressed in Rome’s room,” Siret announced, striding towards the door. “We’ll just be next door if anything happens.”
I wasn’t sure if that was a warning to Emmy, or just general information. Either way, the five of them left us then, and the room seemed a lot bigger, quieter, and somehow lonely without them in it.
A huge burst of air exploded from my friend. “They’re so intimidating,” she finally managed through her deep breathing. “Seriously, I don’t know how you’re around them so much.”
Really? “They’re overwhelming at times, sure, but they’re also some of my favourite beings in both worlds. I couldn’t imagine my life without them anymore.”
Emmy’s lips thinned, but she didn’t say anything. Although I knew her well enough to know that something was brewing in that genius mind of hers.
“Just … just be careful,” was what she finally muttered. “Don’t lose yourself in them, Will. They might just be too much, even for you.”