MADE

Escorts

            Sunlight bathed the clearing in bright, luminous light. The lilac trees were in bloom, filling the whole place with the fragrant scent.

I turned, expecting to see Elijah and Alaric on either side. They never came. The smell of the lilac suddenly changed, rotten.

People began to climb over the hill, a man with a hood up to hide his face. He didn't need to lower it for me to know who it was, not even the light caught his green eyes just enough to make them spark.

Another man came up beside him, not bothering with a hood. He snarled like something wild, arms reaching out toward me. I was chocking.

The next day passed in a horrific blur, late morning by the time Rose practically dragged me out of bed. I barely had time to put on pants before Rose had drug me out and into the hallway of the main building. People scrambled every which way I went, preparing for the grand celebration to be held for Rose and I the next night.

Rose explained everything she thought I needed to know, which wasn't as much as I would have liked. She said our abilities would solidify, and we would become true members of the island. We could sit in one public council meetings, and take part in a bunch of other political shit I didn't bother to care about.

She also wouldn't stop talking about her mate; who she thought it could be, who she wished it was, whose face she couldn't wait to rub it into.

The whole conversation made me want to throttle her.

Amara had joined us later which they had proceeded to drag me around on all their little stops. Including a stop at a woman's house who Amara was paying to make my dress for the next evening. I had been pocked and pinned until the lady behind the needles was satisfied. Amara left the who design up to this stranger which made me grouchy and aggressive.

Knowing my luck, I would get the stupid thing tomorrow and it would be covered in pink flowers and a massive poofy skirt to match.

There was no sign of Alaric or Elijah that day. Not even a word from either of them, which made me weirdly upset. They were my only friends here, my only constants on this whole stupid island.

I tried to look for them the next day, only to give up after a couple of hours.

So, I cooked myself on the boards of the dock. It was better than the alternative. Rose was preoccupied with a lengthy beauty routine that I didn't wish to take part in.

And when I got bored of the dock, I moved to the air division where I found myself I nice patch of grass and watched the clouds. I watched the others fly around, ducking and diving with one another. A small part of me wished I could join them.

I heard the person before I tipped my head up to look at who it was.

I scrunched my face up. "How did you find me?" I asked Atticus before dropping my head back into the dirt.

"A little birdy told me," he said. "Ranger is an excellent tracker."

I scoffed, "Ranger?"

Atticus smiled down at my tipped-up head. "He is a part of my court."

"I don't like him," I said before my head fell back into the dirt. Atticus laughed at a joke I was missing. "What's so funny?"

There was silence for a moment before he spoke again. "Nothing. Are you going to go get ready soon?" he questioned coming over and sitting on the grass beside me.

"Do I have to?" I asked hoping the answer would appeal to me.

"Eventually," he stated.

I groaned and rolled over onto my stomach. "When is too late to be there?" I asked hoping I still had some time to myself.

"About a half an hour ago," he said. "Rose is beginning to pull her hair out."

I groaned but stomped my way back anyway.

My ass had fallen asleep; my legs were sure to follow soon. Rose was beside me, over her tiny tantrum at my tardiness but completely content with the papering currently happening.

Our shoes were laid out on the counter across from us. Rose's were red satin metallic heals, while mine was a simpler beige open toed version of hers.

Her hair was in a smooth bun atop her head while mine was curled and down. My makeup was golden and bronze while hers was greys and blacks. I hated how much they pinned up together. How they made us into exact opposites so to look more alike. More strange than necessary.

Amara burst through the door, bags in her hand with our dresses inside. They looked more like body bags to me, but Rose was already up and grabbing the bag with her name on it from Amara's fingers. She tossed the other on the bed before following after Rose to zip the back for her.

And she was screaming - blood-curdling, ear-splitting screaming that made me cover my ears.

Rose dashed out of the room, her dress almost getting caught in the doorway. It was mostly white which surprised me, but it was covered in red hand painted metallic flowers that caught the light as she spun around the room. A matching metallic red sash cinched in her already tiny waist.

Amara covered her mouth, a silent tear running down her face.

I pressed my lips together. Of course, she was crying over Rose's dress, the daughter she wanted to raise.

I didn't need to be bitter today. Rose had no say in where she grew up. It wasn't right for me to take it out on her.

Amara didn't even notice my sour mood, just handed me the dress off the bed. "Your turn," she said fanning the tears on her face away.

I hung it on the wall in the next room and ripped the zipper down. If this fucking thing was pink-

Gleaming blue crystals caught the light from within. It wasn't the sapphire of my scales but more of a navy, rich and shiny even in the dim light. It was strapless like Rose's, but mine was straight across the top. No floof or frills in the whole damn bag, just stunning flowing crystal encrusted fabric.

It fit over my torso like a second skin and fell off my hips and down to the floor in a flowing wisp of blue. The dress parted when I walked to reveal a slit in the skirt up to the top of my thigh.

"Oh Marielle," Amara breathed as I stepped out. The words barely there as she released another gasp.

Rose beamed at me spinning me in a circle with her. I almost didn't notice Atticus stepping through the door. "You remind me of your mother," he said with a tight smile. Amara fell into his side, another tear rolling down her cheek.

"Now," she started swallowing around the knot forming in her throat, "your escorts are waiting outside. Go, go" she said pushing us to the door. "Mari, you go down with Ranger behind Rose since she is a couple of hours older. Rose, you keep Nikia from spilling something on that dress!"

"Why Ranger?" I protested.

She blanched at my question and shook her head before looking over her shoulder quickly at Atticus who was once again laughing like a maniac.