She stepped forward, closing that small distance between them, not caring that the others were watching as she lifted onto her toes so she could look him in the eye. “I trust you.”
He tipped his chin in a single nod of acceptance, but she could see that the look of loss was gone from his face, replaced with surprise. Wonder even. A small half-smile lifted his mouth at the corners as he ran his hands over her cheeks, tucking her hair behind her ears.
“I hate to break up… whatever this is,” Jos interrupted, “but we need to get moving. Nim, your dress is with Melandra—”
“Who the hell is Melandra?” Tristan asked, still looking down at Nim.
“The innkeeper’s lovely daughter, of course,” Reece replied. “Apparently she’s particularly skilled at dressmaking. Among other things.”
“Gods, Reece,” Tristan complained, “how did you manage to find a woman here?”
“Who, me?” Reece replied with a smirk. “I merely referred to her other skills, like needlework and—”
“She’d need skill with needles if she’s going to spend any time with you,” Mathos quipped, earning a snort from everyone in the room.
Jos chuckled too before continuing, “Anyway, as you were, uh, busy earlier, I asked Melandra to sew on the silk overlay for you. She promised to hang your dress up in your room when she was finished.”
“Good,” Tristan agreed, “and while Nim changes, the rest of us need to shave, brush our uniforms, and polish our boots. I want us ready to move out in an hour.”
Nim joined the chorus ofyes, sirs, adding in a small salute, which earned her a glare. Somehow that stern look settled her. Teasing him and having him respond relieved some of the tension of the last half hour and gave her the reassurance she needed to let go, to some degree, of the jumbled mix of anger and fear that had been driving her and quickly climb the stairs to her room.
Everything had been set to rights, lamps lit, the bed made, and the jug filled with fresh warm water. And hanging on a hook on the wall was the most gorgeous dress she’d ever seen.
A floor-length velvet skirt in dark silver was now overlaid with soft falls of the heavy blue silk from the market, everything gleaming in the firelight. The bodice was also silver, with a sweetheart neckline and silky off-the-shoulder sleeves, the front panels embroidered with silver vines adorned with tiny leaves and flowers that caught the light with a soft shimmer.
Gods, Melandra had done an amazing job.
Jos was Mabin, like Nim, and his sister’s dress came with soft open panels at the back for her wings. She sighed with relief, thankful she could avoid the captive discomfort of binding her wings.
She stripped off her leathers and had a quick wash in the basin before sliding on the delicate stockings and silk chemise she’d found in the market store.
There was a gentle tap at the door, and she called a quiet, “Who’s there?”
“Mel, I mean, Melandra, milady. Jos asked me to come and help you.”
Gods, having someone watch her get dressed sounded terrible, but she needed the help. She opened the door to let the young woman inside, thanking her for the beautiful work she’d done on the dress and trying not to feel like an idiot standing there in her underwear.
They both smiled at each other a little uncertainly until Mel showed Nim the silk ribbons she’d brought with her, offcuts from the overskirt, and soon they were chatting about how best to use them.
Eventually, they decided to weave them into Nim’s long hair in strands of delicate plaits. Mel helped her to brush her hair into long shining waves before winding the ribbons into a series of tiny braids that would fall among the soft natural curls of Nim’s hair, adding a hint of shining blue, while leaving most of her hair tumbling down her back.
Next, Mel helped her to step into the dress. It was slightly too small, but she managed to squeeze into it, especially once Mel took charge of her new corset and laced her far more tightly than she ever would have laced herself.
It hugged her figure in a way that she wasn’t used to, the velvet wrapping sensuously around her hips, with soft blue silk falling down the back and drawing attention to the swell of her bottom, while the corset pushed her breasts up until they strained in soft mounds against the embroidered neckline.
She hardly ever wore dresses in her old life, let alone anything so opulent and seductive. Maybe she could keep this one and wear it one day when she wasn’t so terrified for her brother.
She smoothed down the luxurious skirts and slid her feet into the velvet slippers, adding the sparkling diamante earrings to complete her outfit.
There was a small mirror hanging on the wall next to the basin, and Mel took it down and held it for her while she twisted and stood on her toes, trying to see how she looked. It was impossible to see much in the small, slightly cloudy mirror, and eventually she gave up.
“Do you think it’ll be okay?” she asked the younger woman instead.
“I think your husband will swallow his tongue!”
Nim chuckled with her. She couldn’t imagine Tris swallowing his tongue. She could easily imagine him scowling darkly and perhaps asking her if she was cold.
She pulled on her dark blue gloves and then slipped Val’s ring onto her thumb, took a deep breath, and let it out slowly, relaxing her shoulders.
