I refrained from rolling my eyes at her. “So, what does one wear to these secret supe shindigs?” I asked, impressed with my alliteration.
Larissa bounced toward my wardrobe, rifling through the dresses. She pulled out a deep rich purple one, which was actually one of my favorite pieces I’d bought. I’d never expected to wear it though, because it was basically backless.
“This!” Larissa said, examining it as she held it out in front of her. “This one for sure.”
I searched through my underwear to find something that would work. I had nothing—the only way to wear this dress was braless. I pulled on a thong and slipped the dress over my head before spending a few minutes situating my boobs.
“Holy fuck,” Larissa breathed, looking me over. “You look amazing. Maybe too amazing. You’re going to get in trouble in that outfit.”
I crossed to the mirror and stared at my reflection. The dress fit me perfectly, skimming across my upper thighs; my boobs were more supported than I’d expected, with a small gold chain underneath them, and my entire back, almost to my ass, was on display.
“Ahh, I really want to wear it,” I said, turning again, “but I also don’t want to get in trouble.”
Larissa’s expression grew determined. “You know what, screw ’em. That’s what Ilia would say. I’m always more cautious, but she would love that you’re wearing that number. Don’t change.”
Even though I wasn’t sure, I decided to channel Ilia as well. I felt sexy, and occasionally it was nice for a girl to rock her curves out in the world.
Larissa found a skimpy white bandage dress in my stuff that showcased her flawless skin and perfect figure—she was much slimmer than me. “That looks way better on you than me,” I said. “Keep it.”
She hugged me. “Thanks, Mads.”
We finished our hair and makeup, ready to head out at about 10:00 P.M. I’d left my hair down in wide curls, the pink looking darker against my dress. My eye makeup was lighter than for the last dance, but I still went with the dark eyes again; I wanted the sexy vibe to go with my dress.
“How do we find out where this party is?” I asked her, wondering if she knew.
I should have asked Calen, but it hadn’t occurred to me at the time. I figured everyone would be heading there and we’d just follow along.
“If you’re invited, you’ll get directions soon.”
We fussed with our makeup for another ten minutes, stopping when a quiver of magic licked across my skin. An envelope appeared on my bed, and I shook my head. “For a school where you’re not really supposed to use magic outside of class, there sure is a lot of magic going on.”
Larissa nodded. “That’s a loosely followed rule. It’s mainly because we’re all volatile, and magic users have the advantage over other races. Dad is all about keeping things on equal footing here, even if it’s not like that in the real world.”
I hated the thought that in the real world, the four races were divided. Princeps Jones had done an excellent job in making sure this school did not feel like that.
I kinda never wanted to leave.
Larissa grabbed the envelope; her fingers were trembling when she ripped it open. A single off-white card was inside, with fancy gold calligraphy writing on it. I peered over her shoulder to read it.
Maddison James and Larissa Jones are invited to the first PARTY OF THE YEAR!
Your escort will arrive in two minutes. Be ready.
We exchanged an excited glance, and she dropped the card and envelope on the bed. “Do they always escort you?” I asked.
She shook her head. “I don’t think so. Last year I overheard someone talking about a party and how they all got a treasure map on how to get there.”
I already preferred this way.
In the supe world there was no need for identification or money, so I just powdered the shine on my nose, touched up my lip gloss, and pulled on some heels. The knock on my door was firm, and when I opened it, Deeann was on the other side. I hadn’t seen much of her lately. We hung in different circles, and she was a few years ahead of me in classes but was still a welcomed friendly face.
“Hey, bitches,” she said, shimmying in her dress. I felt better about mine the moment I saw her teeny, tiny, almost translucent number.
“Ready to go?” she said, waving us out of the room. I shut my door, excited and nervous about what this party might entail.
Deeann stopped at a few more doors on the way, collecting some other students. I didn’t recognize most of them; they weren’t first years.
“You’re one of the only first years coming,” she said. “Usually newbies aren’t allowed.”
