22: Ada’s POV

After Mariah and I confronted Darius and Nik, I was in desperate need for a distraction. Somehow Mariah had managed to negotiate taking me on a trip into a nearby village to visit and actual modiste to get a one-of-a-kind gown for an upcoming ball. Apparently it was a ball being thrown in Alpha Phoenix’s honor, for a great success he’d had in negotiating peace with a group of vampyres.

The shop was nearly two hours from the castle and the village it was nestled into was very beautiful and lively— full of a rainbow of flowers and cobblestones. The modiste had a very thick accent and must have come from a region of the Kingdom I was unfamiliar with. She wore a lavish dress and donned an expensive wig, fluttering about her cluttered shop with such ease it was nearly unsettling.

About the only downside was that Lady Elizabeth Jane was present when we had arrived. She was in the process of being fitted, measuring tapes and pins being whisked in and out at rapid fire pace. Mariah and I occupied ourselves by looking at fabrics and sifting through books of styles from different regions and other Kingdoms that were popular. The bell above the door rang a few times, signaling others that were coming and going. Some were picking up orders and others were simply coming in to browse.

I was elbow deep in a pile of green tulle when someone knocked into my shoulder and sent me staggering. As I yelped, I turned to face the assailant and was unsurprised to find Lady Elizabeth Jane’s mousy face looking down at me. She crossed her arms over her chest and clucked her tongue, “I can’t say I’m shocked that you ran crying to the Princes about me. What did you tell them?”’

The room felt blistering out of nowhere. A bead of perspiration dripped down my forehead as I glanced over at Mariah, who was leafing through an album across the room. She seemed completely unaware that anything was going on with me, which was just fine. I could handle Lady Elizabeth.

My voice was soft, “I said nothing about you to the Princes,” I crossed my arms over the chest.

“Lies,” she hissed, shoving my shoulder slightly, “Darius came to my chambers and berated me like a child for what I told you.”

I narrowed my eyes, searching her face. Finally, I sighed, “Again, I said nothing of you. I told Darius and Nik that I wasn’t fond of what was being said about me by them,” my mouth was dry, “but I said nothing about *you*.”

Her hand connected with my cheek sharply, “Lying whore!” Lady Elizabeth took a pointed step toward me, “Do not go up against me, Ada. You will not win a single round,” she nodded at the door and stormed out with her Lady’s maids at her heels.

The door clicked shut behind them and I let out a fiery growl. My wolf seemed to thrum through me, wanting to erupt from within me for the first time since I was thirteen. I worked to tamp her down and tried to control the rage that pumped through my veins. Every ounce of my being wanted to run after the rat-faced Lady and beat the obnoxiousness out of her.

*She has no right to treat me this way,* the thought clanged through my mind. My fists were clenched tightly at my sides and my nails began to bite into my palms. I had done nothing wrong. This wasn’t something I had wanted. I was simply doing my duty as the chosen surrogate. Why couldn’t she understand I wasn’t a threat?

The shadows to my left seemed to move, dragging my attention from my rage. My eyes widened as a beautiful figure approached. It had been so long since I’d laid eyes on her— her petite body, which was so curvy for how thin she was, and her copper toned hair with light skin and soft freckles. Her green eyes sparkled as she neared me, her iridescent wings fluttering behind her. I studied her long brain that was woven around her golden crown. She donned a white dress, which very clearly came from this very modiste.

She bowed her head, “Ada Lennox. I am quite surprised to find you here.”

I gaped, “Lilith of the Alpenglow,” my open mouth slowly closed and turned into a grin as we quickly embraced each other in a tight hug, “It’s been so long, friend.”

“Well, High Fae and Highborn werewolves rarely have cause to interact nowadays,” she squeezed me tightly but released me quickly when Mariah approached, “I’ve been wondering what happened to you. I can’t say I’m surprised to find you’ve made very powerful enemies.”

With a shrug, I turned to Mariah, “This is Lilith. She is a high Fae I met when I was a child,” my attention returned to Lilith, “I never thought I’d see you again.”

“I live in this village,” she reached forward and squeezed my arm, “I can sense that what she said is troubling you.”

The rage had not yet left my body and mind, so it didn’t surprise me that an empath like Lilith could sense it. It seemed to be the only thing I could feel at the moment. I heaved in a breath, “She infuriates me.”

“Let it go,” Lilith suggested, “The anger will get you nowhere,” she grabbed a beautiful evergreen suede fabric, “A good dress will get you everywhere,” she held the fabric up to my skin and scrunched up her nose, “Have you ever tried browns?”

I spent the next forty-five minutes wandering the shop with Lilith and Mariah as the two of them worked diligently to help me find a fitting fabric and style. Once we’d all settled on it, Mariah prepared to pay the modiste but the shop owner simply held up a hand and looked at Lilith. Lilith grinned and gave a little flourish of her hand. The piles of fabric we’d place in front of the modiste disappeared from the counter and then reappeared within moments.

Only it was no longer a pile of fabrics. It was a dress laying over the counter. Mariah gawked as I grinned at Lilith because there were some things in the last five years that hadn’t changed. As a High Fae, Lilith had some magick within her. She was welcome within werewolf Kingdoms because she refused to learn how to harness her powers as fully as other High Fae did— she had actually been disgraced by her family for turning away from her power. Instead, she’d taught herself a few helpful things over the years and always used it to her advantage.

Apparently, she’d used it to help the modiste more than once.

I was flitted to the center stand by the modiste, who was quickly changing me into the gown that Lilith had created. She spun me around, sticking pins into the bottom of the fluffy skirt to mark where it needed to be altered. Lilith, Mariah and the modiste held a conversation about beadwork and potential lacework, with Lilith practically snapping her fingers to make whatever new detail they were discussing appear on the dress so they could decide.

When they had finished, the three of them were smiling. I was motioned to turn around and followed the command unwittingly. With a quick spin, I found myself face to face with a mirror. My breath caught in my throat as I looked at the stranger before me.

I had gained enough wait to fill out nicely, in both my breasts and cheek bones. My skin now had a nice flush to it and didn’t look like I was sickly or dying. I was still plain and not quite beautiful, but the gown was amazing. They’d opted for a dark, rich earthy brown satin for the overlay with intricate beadwork down on the corset. The skirt had a fluerdelis embellishment and was bulked out with various layers of tulle in various shades of brown, tan and white. It was sleeveless with a sweetheart neckline. It made the mouse-brown hair on my head pop.

It didn’t feel like it was me that I was looking at.

With a quick nod, I turned back around to face the others, “This will be perfect. Thank you,” I bowed my head slightly, “Mariah, I think we should head back.”

The invite to return with us was extended to Lilith as the modiste boxed up the dress and it was paid for. While Lilith agreed, she kept a close eye on me. I could feel the knowing gaze of my best friend as I tried to keep an easy expression on my face. I’d run into an unexpected piece of my past after nearly coming to blows with an unfortunate piece of my present, and the beautiful dress made me look forward ever-so-slightly to the future.

Because surely in a dress that magnificent, I could handle anything.