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“This is a good thing, Josie.”
I get only silence from the other side of the partition. She’s still not convinced. I groan when I hear footfalls in the hallway. I was enjoying some alone time with Josephine.
“What’s wrong?”
“Rune is here.”
“Yes, he is,” Rune announces his entrance, throwing open the double doors of Josie’s quarters and traipsing in like it’s his room, not hers. “We’re supposed to leave in five. Everything else is good to go except you two. I even managed to wrangle Sebastian. What’s the holdup?”
“I can’t figure out what to wear,” Josephine calls from behind the screen, fabric shuffling as she slips into the next—and hopefully final—dress.
We’ve been through eight already, with six nos and two tentative maybes.
“What do you think?” Josephine steps out in another ball gown silhouette, this one with less lace but more bustles.
I watch the look on Rune’s face as he takes her in. “Give us a twirl, cher,” he says, motioning for her to turn.
She follows the order, lifting the heavy skirt that threatens to swallow her up.
“I know what your problem is,” Rune announces when Josie has completed the three-sixty.
“What? What’s wrong with this one?” Josie looks down at herself, her face scrunching up as she scrutinizes the latest contender.
“Problem is, you’re listening to Finn for fashion advice.” Rune assesses the remaining pile of fabric draped over the armchair.
“Not helpful,” I deadpan.
My fashion sense is more recent than his.
Though if we’re going to make it on time, maybe it would be better if Rune took over. As long as he doesn’t try to put Josie in a skin-tight mini dress, it can’t be any worse than my attempts.
“Hold on. I’ve got an idea,” Rune says, turning back toward the door.
“Where are you going?” Josie asks.
“To raid Naomi’s closets.” Rune winks at me before disappearing, and I can only hope he’s not being serious.
Josie flashes me a nervous gaze. “Why am I dreading to find out what he has in mind?”
I sigh and sink deeper into my chair. “Because you are an incredibly smart and intuitive woman.”
“Should I try on another while he’s gone?”
“Don’t bother. Rune won’t be gone lo?—”
I cut myself short when my sire whisks back into the room.
He holds up a hanger on the end of his finger and Josephine’s eyes go wide. “You have got to be joking.”
There is so little actual fabric to the garment that calling it a dress would almost be a lie. It’s all straps of leather and bits of mesh more suited for Club Sanguine than a masquerade ball intended to celebrate the life of the late high priestess.
“I am.” Rune tosses the strappy leather piece onto the couch. “I just wanted to see your face. Totally worth Naomi kicking my ass for going into her room and raiding.”
“You’re terrible,” Josie says with a shake of her head.
“I know. You’d look hot as hell in this though.” Rune bends to draw Josephine into a kiss, his voice low and ruff as his whisper brushes her hair. “You should try it on for us.”
“We don’t have time for that right now.”
