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I could tell she was trying to cheer me up. It didn’t entirely work, but I grinned anyway. “It’s these Class A snobs we’ve gotta please. We’ll have to find you something else.”
“We don’t have rank cards,” she said. “Or money. How exactly do you intend to buy clothes?”
“I didn’t say we’d be paying for them. And I’ll need scissors so you can cut my hair.”
“Me?” Cait balked. “If I do it, you’ll look like a toddler who hacked at your own head. You need to be well-groomed to pass as an Enforcer.”
“All I know is I can’t look likemyself.” I picked up a long blonde strand of hair, eyeing it with a scowl.
“I know someone,” said Cait thoughtfully. “And she just might be willing to do us a favor, with or without rank cards.”
“What if she recognizes me? Do you trust her?”
Cait nodded. “I do. She has her own secrets to keep safe, and I happen to know a few.”
“Can we get there before curfew?” I asked.
“If we move fast.”
“Then let’s go,” I said.
We made sure no one was in view, then I grabbed the bars of the grate and lifted, sliding it aside.
Peeking out, I surveyed the street. It was dim and deserted, but I still hesitated. I worried more about being recognized more ever before. My isolation at home for years had made me feel relatively safe in the city before, but after my very public coronation and subsequent desertion, I wouldn’t be easily forgotten.
I boosted Cait up, then lifted myself from the tunnel and replaced the grate. I stood, brushing off my damp uniform, and hurried into a nearby alleyway.
The area had all the markers of Quarter A, with its large, dignified homes and decadent flower pots. The cobblestones were cleaner here and the streets were wider. The air smelled of florals and leather with a hint of distant rain. It was an entirely different world than in Quarter C or especially D. I understood why none of the Class A residents were clamoring for change. Equality would be a step down for these nobles.
A couple of noblemen strode past the alleyway. I flattened myself against a brick wall, knowing I wouldn’t be too convincing as a woman in a male Enforcer’s uniform if they looked closely. I eyed their top hats, tempted to snatch one from their heads so I could stand a chance at pulling off this disguise, but hat stealing didn’t exactly fit into an Enforcer’s job description.
My first priority was to avoid getting Cait or myself arrested.
A close second was a new hairstyle.
Then I could try to get to my father.
Horses trotted by, pulling carriages that escorted the nobles to their homes. The hooves announced their approach in advance, giving us the chance to hide ourselves.
I followed Cait through the alleyway and into the next street, keeping my gaze on the cobblestones while trying to keep my distance from anyone we passed. I tried to walk with a noblesaunter that might keep someone from taking a second look. The Academy bells tolled, warning us that curfew was coming.
Alleyway after alleyway, turn after turn, we continued until Cait stopped in front of the most flamboyant shop I’d ever seen. Mannequin heads filled the windows, some topped with enormous wigs, others with even more enormous hats. Curled ribbons and satin bows of every color decorated the display. It looked like a noblewoman’s dream—and my nightmare.
Cait smirked wickedly and reached for the door handle. “Here we are.”
Chapter
Thirteen
Inside,the shop’s brightness stunned my eyes with a rainbow of more color than I’d ever seen in one place. If the sheer boldness of the place didn’t take my breath away, the overpowering scents of violet and cloves would have. It was both stunning and ridiculous. I had no idea there were so many ways for someone to alter their appearance or so much hair for sale.
Wigs of every style lined the room. Some mannequins even wore false beards. And, adding to the sheer excess, full-length mirrors lined the walls, giving the illusion that the shop was twice as bright and spacious.
“Excuse me, Enforcer,” said a voice from behind.
I jumped and turned around.
“I regret to inform you that we are about to close for curfew.” The most vibrant woman I’d ever seen gazed back at me with raised eyebrows. Her gown shimmered blue and violet depending on how the light touched it. Even her eyelids were a gradient of blue fading to violet. The lace peeking out from under her sleeves and hem was pink instead of the typical white, and her hair was a deep burgundy pile of curls that stood several inches above the top of her head. Even without the extra height the hair added, she was the tallest woman I’d ever seen.
