THE UNDYING | TWILIGHT

15. House Visit

By the time Renata was finished with her, Dahlia looked like a porcelain doll, a darling lolita, dressed in a high-collared white blouse and a black ruffled skirt that went well past her stocking-covered knees. It was a more simplified version of Renata's Victorian-inspired style. Unfortunately, Dahlia wasn't quite ready for the corset, so Renata had no choice but to abandon that idea. Despite that, Renata considered her makeover to be a great success.

Delighted, Renata kissed both of Dahlia's cheeks. "Now you look like a lady," she proudly declared, and then she hooked her arm around the girl's and escorted her out the door.

They took the elevator down to the lobby, and upon reaching the third floor, a man joined them. Well-dressed and cultured, he was the kind of man that Dahlia often admired from afar. He greeted them both with a charming smile, making Dahlia's knees tremble.

"Good morning," he said, and then he filled the vacant space between them.

Dahlia discretely sniffed the air, taking in his scent. Whether it was his cologne or his natural aroma, the smell of him was intoxicating, like nothing she'd ever smelled before. He smelled like rain, like freshly cut grass and wildflowers, all of her favorite scents rolled into one incredible smell.

But as great as he smelled to her, she smelled even better to him: like pine needles in the crisp, clear air of a virgin forest. After just one whiff, he could feel his mouth watering. He'd already made plans for breakfast — a plump, tender young babe, as he preferred — but this girl smelled too delicious to pass up.

With his long, itching fingers he traced up and down the length of her arm, grazing over the soft fabric with his fingertips. Dahlia shivered at his touch but desired more. Soon, she felt his fingers on her neck, gently tilting her head to one side. She closed her eyes in anticipation, and so did he.

But then the elevator came to a sudden stop, and the doors opened to the crowded lobby. The man had no choice but to release her.

Renata stepped forward. "Wait for me in the lobby," she said to Dahlia, and then her red eyes shifted to the man in the elevator, fixing into a fierce, penetrative glare. "I'll be just a moment."

For five minutes Dahlia waited in the lobby, nibbling on her fingernails and tugging at her collar. When people passed her, and many did, she would stop whatever she was doing and smile shyly at them. Not one person returned the smile or even granted her a second glance. Eventually, she stopped smiling altogether and withdrew into herself, where she remained until Renata's return.

The petite brunette was readjusting her hair as she stepped out of the elevator and joined Dahlia in the lobby. "Shall we go?" asked Renata with a reserved smile. "We're already late."

"But we're perfectly on time."

"To be on time is to be late."

They walked out of the hotel together. Renata carried a black parasol to shield her sensitive skin from the sun's rays. Dahlia assumed that was how she managed to stay so pale, and then she thought she might get one for herself because the sun always burned her terribly. She wanted to have beautiful, glowing skin just like Renata.

"Legs together, dear," Renata scolded after they were seated in the car. "Are you a lady or a whore?"

Taken aback, Dahlia nervously replied, "Well, I ... I want to be a lady," and then she crossed her legs at the ankles, just as Renata instructed.

Renata smiled. "And a lady you will be, as long as you listen to me. Remember, you represent Aro now. Do you want people to think ill of him?"

"Of course not. He's done so much for me ... I'll never be able to repay him for all his kindness."