Blue Flames

Chapter 71

I snorted. "Okay, you're exaggerating."

She scoffed. "I'm not. Ask anyone. You're the only one who seems completely unbothered. Now that I think about it, you've been this way with him from the start."

I leaned my hip on a dresser. "Well he did scare me back then, I won't lie. But he's just a man, you know that, right?"

"A man who can crush a person's eyes into their skull without so much as lifting a finger!"

I just shrugged. Irene gave me a long look, but turned to the hung dresses and picked out the red one. She held the hanger way over her head to admire the dress. It was long sleeved, with a sweetheart neckline, a tight bodice and a flaring skirt. The silk glimmered under the soft closet lights like blood.

"That skirt is way too long," I told Irene. "There's no way I can run in that."

"If there's a need to run, just rip it. The full skirt will give you room to strap enough weapons on your thighs to kill a small army. Now shut up and go shower."

I rolled my eyes, grabbed a change of clothes, and went to shower. Fifteen minutes later, I sat in front of the vanity in the closet. Irene behind me, doing my hair. The blond tresses pulled into something resembling an intricate bun at the back of my head. It looked beautifully messy. Wavy strands of hair framed my face.

"You're good at this."

Irene grinned. "I know."

I remembered her car and apartment back in America and grinned back. She might be putting out a serious, no-nonsense front, but Irene was a lover of all things fluffy and cute and pink.

Next, Irene pulled out an array of tools and products from the bag of makeup that Amanda had stuffed into the suitcase.

"Don't go overboard with the war paint," I told her.

She snorted and pointed a brush at me. "Close your mouth and your eyes and let me work my magic."

I complied. After a few seconds, I shifted on the chair. Irene growled. "Stop fidgeting!"

I glared at her, eyes closed. "I'm not used to sitting still."

"Learn. Or I'm going to poke your eyes in. And I don't want to explain that to your frightening mate."

I huffed. After what felt like forever, I felt her step back. "Almost done."

I blinked my eyes open. Irene was holding lipstick in a deep shade of red, blocking my view of the mirror. My brows shot up. "Really?"

"Yep."

She applied the lipstick and stepped away, moving behind me to admire her artwork. The woman in the mirror was... beautiful.

Large green eyes framed with sooty lashes and lined with black, naturally flushed cheeks, and loud red lips parted in surprise. Even my scar seemed part of the getup.

"Wow. Is that even me?" I asked, leaning toward the mirror, turning my head left and right.

Irene rolled her eyes. "It's not that big of a difference. You're just not used to seeing yourself dolled up. You still look like yourself."

I gave her a dubious look, but admired her work. She was really good. With the red dress, I would've thought the red lips would be a bit too much. But the understated way Irene did my makeup made it all work out.

"If your career with the order doesn't work out, you can always be a makeup artist."

She laughed. "I'll consider it."