A Sprinkle of Stardust

Chapter 1 - Orders

Lyrani was going to a ball.

She would have to ask around for a refresher. It had been too long since she had last gone to a dance. She had forgotten how to accept a dance invitation politely, how to glide onto the floor on her partner's arm, even the steps that her feet had once known without her having to think about them.

As girls, Lyrani and the other lords' daughters had chattered and giggled about the gatherings they'd host when they grew up, about the music, the flowers, and the crystalware, but she hadn't been invited to any of those parties since she left home to become a secret agent.

Perhaps it was better that way. Lyrani wasn't a lord's daughter. Not anymore.

"Always so cryptic." Omiane studied Lyrani, her eyes glittering with interest. "Not to worry! I'll have your dresses ready by the deadline. I can guarantee that you will be the loveliest elf at the ball."

Lyrani had overheard Omiane make that promise to many clients, but she had yet to break her word, at least in Lyrani's experience.

"Thank you, Omiane! You're the best."

With a last smile, Lyrani turned her back on the grey-haired elf and faced the store. She kept her face placid, slid her casual hands into her pockets, and maintained an aimless gait even as she knew exactly where she was going.

Omiane's Boutique was the same as always—crowded with eager young ladies and elegant noblewomen, and smelling of wood, new fabric, and the lavender perfume masking the sweaty smell of work.

Lyrani traced Dessie's footsteps, slipping behind the wall as she had seen the other elf do. Her hands tensed in her pockets, and her strides recovered their purpose now that she was out of sight of the rest of the shop.

The passage around Lyrani was wide but dark. Even if any customers noticed it, they wouldn't want to look any closer, especially with the smiling seamstresses and gorgeous dresses elsewhere in the store. The wondrous garments put Lyrani's clothes to shame.

She smoothed out the short dusky-blue dress belted at her waist self-consciously. She wore this with dark grey leggings because it allowed her to move quickly and easily as she did now, hurrying along the corridor towards the lift hiding in the darkness. Her scuffed black lace-up boots had seen long fights and longer treks.

Lyrani dressed for practicality more than beauty, but she allowed herself a brief fantasy of the latter now and then, of enchantment, admiration, and stardust glowing in the night.

Lyrani arrived at a set of wooden doors. She pushed them apart. The laughter and chatter around her faded as she stepped into the space behind them. She pulled the doors together and tapped her knuckles on the side of the lift two times like Dessie had taught her when she visited her during her first week working at Omiane's. How long it had been since then, but the motion still came automatically to Lyrani.

The sound passed through the shaft, reaching the ears it was meant for. Lyrani stumbled as the lift began its ascent.

In the depth of the darkness, Lyrani's wristwatch told her she had only a few minutes to prise the truth from Dessie if she didn't want to be late for her meeting.

The lift carried Lyrani up a dark shaft then came to a jolting stop at the edge of a room flooded with midday's light. Again, Lyrani stumbled, shielding her eyes from the sudden brightness engulfing them.

"Miss Esch." Two voices, alike in tone but not timbre, greeted Lyrani as she stepped out of the lift and into the workroom.

"Koy. Jal." Lyrani smiled, patting each troll on the head.