“May I?” she asked, waiting for a nod before setting her hands on my head. Her fingers meandered through the strands, gently lifting them from my scalp. “Your hair is a fine color—and quite full. It needs little else.” She let the strands fall; at once they became untangled, glossy, and loosely curled. “Unless you’d prefer something more eye-catching?” Aris gave a subtle nod toward the woman at my right.
The woman was in the middle of admiring her hair, which didn’t look that different from a large bird’s nest. Even for a Realm style, I imagined it must feel heavy and awkward, but the woman seemed pleased with herself, ignoring her attending scholar’s suggestions.
I winced. “Definitely not.”
“Good. And besides, you don’t need the distraction,” Aris agreed,turning her attention to my face. She brushed a hand over my cheeks, my nose, my eyebrows. Lightly pinched my chin. Took the edge of her pinkie nail and traced the shape of a half-moon on my forehead. “Let’s accentuate your eyes, add some shimmer to catch the light, and use a darker rose for your lips. What do you think?”
I looked at myself in the mirror. Tried—and failed—to envision what she was planning. My eyes, lashes, and brows were already dark. My natural lip color was muted. Unremarkable.
“I don’t usually fix my face with powders and paints,” I admitted, trying not to fidget under Aris’s scrutiny. “So I’m not sure.”
“Oh, this is far better than those simple embellishments. Promise. Now, let me see.”
And before I released my next breath, my face changed.
It was as she had promised. My features darkened, becoming more defined and commanding, and the color on my lips made them appear fuller. Tempting, even. And at my temples, brushed artfully into my hair, was a shimmering silver dust. I had worried she would make me unrecognizable, but I still looked like myself. Polished and beautiful, but myself.
Aris gave an approving nod. “You look lovely, Esmer. Lord Erebus will surely think so, too.”
I blushed. Actuallyblushed. Over a simple compliment.
Aris must think I am incredibly vain. Someone easily swayed by pretty words—just like all the other women here.
“It is not wrong to acknowledge or appreciate your own beauty,” Aris remarked, as if hearing exactly what I was thinking. “In fact, I think it is rather honorable to recognize beauty in yourself. No matter which form it may take.”
She was sincere. But I had already averted my eyes from the mirror.
“Thank you,” I managed. “Truly.”
“Of course. Now, for your attire.” Aris took a step back, assessing. “You will want to match Lord Erebus, I presume. He does favor his black, but this Revel requires a lighter touch.”
I bristled. “I don’t have to match him.”
She gave me a peculiar look. “You are his guest, are you not? It is tradition to honor your Realm host.”
“And I would honor him by matching him?” I pictured the Bringer and me entering the ball together. Envisioned the hundreds of eyes as they swiveled to stare, fixating on our matching dramatic capes, devilish armor, and pointed boots. What a pair we’d make. A very obvious, not-blending-in-at-all pair.
“Yes,” she said with a smile. “But your attire would not be identical to his, if that is what you are imagining.”
“It wasn’t.”It was.
Soft fabric cocooned my old clothes, squeezing, shaping, and stretching them into something new. As the cocoon unfurled, it revealed floating layers of dove gray silk, sheer sleeves that fell from my shoulders to my wrists, and a wide, somewhat-revealing neckline. Delicate slippers cushioned my feet, molded to me as if I had worn them my entire life. Last, a mask nestled itself to my face, curving elegantly over my nose and eyes. It was gray, not ivory like the others, and a simple, flattering shape that matched the silhouette of my dress.
My breath caught as I studied myself.
I had imagined, when I was younger, what I might look like in a princess’s gown. Eden and I had shared many of these daydreams as girls, describing what we’d procure when we could finally visit a proper dress shop. What we’d wear to balls or garden strolls with wealthy lords and handsome princes. What we’d wear to our own weddings, even. In truth, we had little understanding of what people wore outside of Norhavellis. What colors were favored or what quality satin or velvet felt like. All we had were storybooks and the imaginations of children. And even with all my lavish daydreams, never in my life had I imagined donning something so magnificent.
“Go on, take a twirl,” Aris said, grinning. “This may be my best work yet. Come, now.”
She guided me into a spin, making a sound of approval as my dress gently floated behind me.
“How long have you been a scholar here in Evernight? You’re very talented.”
We completed a second spin. “I was recruited at thirteen with my twin brother. It was Theia, Weaver of the Future, who found us in a dream and assured us of our potential.”
“So you study under Theia’s guidance, then?” I asked, curious about what it was like to study in a place such as Evernight.
But instead of answering, she dropped my hands. “I should escort you to the Revel. I’ve taken enough of your time.”
