Mallory stared. She didn’t know what she’d been expecting but it certainly wasn’t this. If she were honest, it was something of a disappointment. A modest empire design, the material appeared to be expensive black velvet. There wasn’t a flash of lime green, hot pink or even a saucy thigh-baring slit in sight.
‘Oh.’ She smiled politely. To be fair, the dress, was ideal because it would help her stay in the background and that was her role. Gia had done exactly what was required of her. ‘It’s very pretty.’
Gia laughed aloud. ‘Now tell me what you really think.’
‘I’m not lying! It’s very pretty! Thank you very much, Gia. It’s exactly what I hoped for.’
‘Just wait. Put it on and then we’ll see.’ There was something in her voice – merriment, perhaps. Or delighted anticipation.
Mallory looked at her warily as she took the dress and moved towards her bedroom. ‘I’ll only be a minute.’
‘Take your time.’
Peeling off her dungarees and oversized shirt, Mallory clambered into the dress and fastened it. It fit perfectly, clinging to her every curve in all the right places and draping over the spots that she preferred not to highlight.
As she smoothed it down, she realised the fabric wasn’t velvet; in fact, she couldn’t tell what it was. It was soft but it had an unusual shimmer. She nibbled on her bottom lip. There was magic bound into this dress, she’d put money on it. Still, Gia had been right about one thing – it was definitely comfortable. She could wear this outfit all night and there would be no wriggling or twitching.
Padding into the living room, Mallory smiled. ‘I take it back,’ she said. ‘It’s not pretty, it’s beautiful.’
Gia sprang up. ‘It’s not finished yet.’ She looked her up and down with a critical eye. ‘More boob,’ she said, brandishing a pair of scissors.
Mallory’s eyes widened in alarm. ‘Uh…’
‘Don’t worry, this will only take a jiffy.’ The witch stayed where she was, her fingers sparking with light, and the scissors started to glow. Mallory felt an odd tugging around her chest and glanced down. An inch of fabric peeled away, re-forming almost immediately into a perfectly stitched edge.
She gaped. ‘That’s some spell.’
Gia winked. ‘You ain’t seen nothing yet.’ She reached for one of the many tools she’d unpacked earlier, a strange metallic curled stick. ‘Close your eyes.’
‘Um, Gia, I don’t…’
‘Trust me.’
Mallory drew in a breath and did as she was told. There was a hiss of air, followed by a strange crackle as the material of the dress stretched and altered.
‘Oh yes,’ Gia breathed. ‘It’s exactly as I imagined.’
Mallory opened first one eye and then the other. When she saw how the simple dress had been transformed, her mouth dropped open.
‘I would never dress you in black, Mal. That’s not your colour. You’re sunshine sparkles, not a night-time diamond.’
Still unable to summon up words, Mallory continued to gape. The dress was definitely no longer black and it definitely wasn’t shimmering velvet; in fact, the fabric seemed to have vanished and in its place were hundreds upon hundreds of glittering, golden butterflies. When she reached out tentatively and brushed one of them, its wings fluttered gently. ‘Gia…’
‘They’re not real,’ the designer reassured her. ‘No butterflies were harmed in the making of this dress. Think of them of as a glamoured illusion.’
‘I’ve never seen anything like it in my life.’
Gia smacked her lips in satisfaction. ‘That’s exactly what I wanted to achieve.’ She turned away and picked up a small mirror. Muttering a few words under her breath and holding it carefully to one side so it was away from her body, she used a blast of controlled magic to enlarge the reflective surface.
Suddenly Mallory could see her full-length reflection. The golden hue did something to her skin, making it glow as if she were shimmering in the same way as the magicked butterflies. Her face was lit up and the overall effect was beautifully dramatic. ‘It’s amazing,’ she whispered.
‘I know.’ Gia jerked her hand and the mirror returned to its original size. ‘It’s not perfect – there wasn’t enough time for that, I’m afraid. If you make a lot of swift movements, the butterflies will struggle to keep up and there’ll be, uh, flashes of skin.’
Mallory blinked. ‘Pardon?’
‘Try a few kicks,’ Gia advised.
She did as she was told. Each time she moved her leg, the butterflies parted across her thigh to reveal her legs. ‘Oh,’ she said faintly. ‘I see.’
