Page 58 of A Yulean Sister’s Guide to Getting Kidnapped
But I didn’t listen, turning a bit out of his guidance and continuing towards the shop.
He grumbled, but followed me forward. Racks lined each side of the room, with a changing area and mirrors at the back. Though the space was similar to the sewing shop, it was more open than the organized chaos of the other store.
As I looked over the selection, it was clear none of them were my normal style. They were all a darker shade, in blacks and navys and maroons. But they were striking. Many of them had a shimmery overlay that shifted depending on the angle you looked at it.
One of the lighter blue ones caught my eye. Still darker than I would have normally wanted, but it had this sparkly quality I couldn’t take my eyes off of.
I pulled the garment from the rack, deciding to at least try it on.
“Great, ready?” Shadowhart asked.
He was so quiet I would have forgotten he was there if he wasn’t looming over me like that.
“Not yet,” I said. “Have some patience.”
“I think I’ve been very patient thus far.”
I lifted a brow. If this was what he considered patient, I would hate to see what he thought of rushing.
“I need a few more,” I said, instead of sharing my thoughts. “And I should try them on to make sure they fit.”
“This research is important, and we don’t have all day.”
I grabbed a maroon one. “We actually do have all day. Unless you had other grand plans.”
He scowled. “Just hurry.”
I only smiled.
Chapter 19
Adrian
Sage was still fluttering through the dress shop, not a care in the world. She ran her hands over fabrics and pulled out what felt like every dress, examining it before usually deciding to put it back, with only a handful being chosen.
I’d never seen someone so particular about what they wore. Everyone on the ship wore the same variation of things. Laundry got mixed up all the time and no one seemed to mind. But Sage really took care in everything.
My eyes scanned the room. The shop keeper had stopped by, and he and Sage were in a discussion about appliqué… whatever that was.
The rack next to me had garment after garment. I reached for one, trying to see for even a moment whatever she did. It was a black dress. The top was more of a square cut, simple but pretty. I tried to imagine her in it. The way the skirt would swish like the waves on the beach around her feet. I’m sure it would be pretty, but everything she wore was.
“You like that one?” she asked coming up behind me.
“As much as I liked the rest.”
She plucked it from my hands. “Might as well try it on.”
An argument danced on the tip of my tongue. We didn’t have time to try things on, but she turned and headed towards the back before I actually formed the words.
I followed her all the way to a small area where there were curtains, a mirror, and a small couch that looked like half my body weight would break. She disappeared behind one of the changing areas and I coiled my tail tight, resting on it while I waited.
This was not how I expected today to go nor was it how I wanted it to go. It would be over soon, I told myself. And then I could get back to my mission.
My hat sat heavy on my head today. Sometimes I barely remembered it was there, while other days it felt like a weight, keeping me steady. I took it off and examined it. It was passed down to me from Tungesten, and down from the previous captain to him. Many generations of the Violet Ghost captains wore it, and their legacy followed me closely. Made me consider the legacy I’d make many times, but I still had plenty of time to figure that out. At least I hoped. I was only thirty, but Tungesten had been just pushing fifty.
She came out a few moments later, wearing the black dress I’d handed her. It looked similar to how I’d envisioned it, but what I didn’t think about was the dip in her waist you could see with the lower skirt, and the way her breasts sat higher above the square cut, pushed together in a flattering way that drew my eye more than it should.
Maybe I was starting to understand why people chose different clothes after all.
