Emmaline, meanwhile, was still fidgeting, tugging at the barely-there corset, muttering under her breath as she attempted—unsuccessfully—to adjust the way it held her breasts precariously in place.
“They’re going to fall out,” she grumbled. “How am I supposed to dance in this thing?”
Before she could protest further, though, Ursula’s cool hands landed on her shoulders and spun her toward the mirror.
“Enough.” She swept Emmaline’s hair back, exposing the elegant line of her neck. Ursula’s nails trailed lightly over the exposed skin before she pulled Emmaline’s shoulders back, forcing her into a posture of confidence she didn’t quite feel.
Then, with a sharp slap, Ursula knocked Emmaline’s hands away from where they hovered uncertainly on the belt, leaning in until her chin rested lightly on Emmaline’s shoulder. “He won’t be able to take his eyes… or his hands off you when he sees you in this.”
“Ursula!” Heat rushed to Emmaline’s face, and she pushed her friend away.
Still grinning, Ursula stepped back, placing a hand on her hip and waving her cigarette through the air. “Look at yourself before you start squirming like an untouched maiden.” She tilted her head. “Besides, none of us are virgins here. I’ve seen you wear far less.”
“I have not!” Emmaline huffed, but as she turned back toward the mirror, the words died in her throat.
The reflection staring back at her was… different.
The pale skin of her thigh peeked through the high slit of her skirt, each movement revealing just enough to tempt but never quite expose. The silver belt at her waist framed her curves, cinching her in and accentuating the smooth lines of her hips. It gleamed in the dim light, a perfect contrast against the soft fabric of her skirt.
And the corset…
Lyra help her, the corset.
The cream-colored leather and delicate lace propped her breasts high and full, teasing at the very edge of indecency. One wrong move and—
A shudder rolled through her as the thought of Deyric’s potential reaction slammed into her all at once. Would that ever-present glint of amusement in his eyes sharpen into something darker, something hungrier? Her breath caught, and she forced her gaze away, trying to ignore the traitorous heat unfurling low in her stomach.
“And what Deyric thinks or does is not the point,” she mumbled, though the words lacked conviction.
“Hmm.” Ursula moved in again, gathering Emmaline’s hair in one smooth pull, twisting it back into a tight, elegant ponytail beforesecuring it in place with a gleaming silver spike pulled from somewhere in the depths of her own corset. “There,” she said as the metal caught the fae-light, its razored edge glinting dangerously.
Emmaline raised a hand to the pin, fingers moving over its lethal point.
Just for tonight.She bit her lip, imagining how it would feel to drag that edge down Deyric’s chest. To hold him still beneath her, to—
She coughed, shaking the thought away as she dropped her hand. “I suppose this will do.”
Ursula snorted, swirling her glass, but the amusement in her eyes dimmed slightly. “You’re lucky you’re cute.” She paused just long enough for the tension to settle before casually dropping—
“I heard the Patrol went out to Greymane Castle yesterday looking for Lady Allistair.”
Emmaline stilled. “Yes.”
She had known the topic would come up. Ursula always knew things she shouldn’t, but she had hoped the conversation about Deyric would have distracted her long enough for them to make it downstairs, where the press of bodies would make the risk of being overheard too high.
No such luck.
Ursula ran a languid finger along the rim of her glass. “I also heard they found evidence of ‘unexpected magic’ out at Caelith’s fuck pad.”
“Sweet Goddess, don’t call it that!” Emmaline stomped forward, reaching for the decanter and pouring herself a much-needed glass of whatever it was Ursula had been drinking.
“Emmaline.” Ursula simply arched a brow. “This is serious. The magic they found was yours?”
“I assume.” Emmaline swirled the dark drink, the scent of something metallic drifting up to her nose. “But I was able to stay hidden during their search and made an unguent to alter my magic signature as soon as I got home.”
Ursula sighed before taking another slow, deliberate sip of her drink. “That’s good, though I didn’t think altering a signature was possible.”
“Illusions are my specialty. I figured it out back at School after an unfortunate incident with a classmate. Now I just need to get back to the scene and adjust whatever’s left there.” She ground her teeth. “I should have done it earlier.” But she hadn’t thought she’d need to hide her actions for long. She’d thought the mate Laws would protect her.
