Total pages in book: 146
Estimated words: 144277 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 721(@200wpm)___ 577(@250wpm)___ 481(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 144277 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 721(@200wpm)___ 577(@250wpm)___ 481(@300wpm)
Then, I put on the dress and the boots, and when I twirl the pleated skirt in front of the mirror, I feel the part. I become a traveling girl who came to RhoXi on a permit pass. I’m out in the world exploring. While my partner—father of my child—does very important things with this city’s god.
I shrug up my shoulders, wondering if I’m supposed to talk about that or not.
But Xi didn’t give me any rules. He didn’t tell me to be quiet about anything, and he told me to ask Lilika anything I want, so if I want to brag about Finn, I will.
Feeling confident, I go downstairs using the elevator, get off, and wander into the lobby, suddenly wondering what this Lilika looks like.
But almost as soon as I pause, a group of women are coming at me, all talking at once. I must hear my name a dozen times over the course of a few seconds, and they begin hammering me with questions.
“Yes,” I say, enthusiastically nodding when they ask if I’m Jasina.
And then, they burst into another conversation about my dress, and my hair—two of them even touch it, making me shy away a bit. And they go on and on about book club, which, it turns out, is held in a private room in the Observation Tower’s restaurant.
One of them—I have no clue which one is Lilika, because no one introduced themselves—takes my hand and practically pulls me along behind her as we enter the restaurant and make our way to a small private room in the back.
They file in before me, all taking their seats like this is a regular meeting spot for them. And then, there’s only one chair left, so I sit.
They never stop talking, and I swear, the only thing I understand as far as topics of conversation go, are their names.
Lilika is sitting across from me wearing a powder-blue linen dress. This color really makes her darker skin pop and her face is so pretty—not beautiful, pretty—I can’t stop looking at her. Her outfit was the first one I noticed because while it’s an appropriate ankle-length it’s got a slit that goes all the way up to her hip. And while she was walking, that leg popped out with every stride.
Tau City had dresses with slits up the side, but they never looked provocative like this dress does. In fact, it might not be the dress. It might just be Lilika.
She is one of those women people call ‘sexy’.
The second thing I notice about Lilika is that she is agreeable. She nods an affirmation at absolutely everything her friends say. She’s married to a man called Joreth, who all the girls fawn over when she tells me about him, bragging about how strong he is. And how he’s the brightest spark in the program.
Lilika seems to like the attention the other women pay to her husband, but there’s something wrong with her eyes when she smiles. A layer of tension underneath the joy.
The woman sitting directly to my right is called Veyra. Her outfit is scandalous in its own way. Off the shoulder. Both sleeves. And it hangs so low, at one point, I think I spy a nipple. I have to kick myself to stop staring. She wears a lot of chunky jewelry and talks in a loud voice, which overpowers Lilika whenever they try and talk at the same time.
She tells me her husband is called Dainrik. And then she pulls out a PPD—one that looks about ten levels better than the one I’ve been given—and shows me a picture of his face on the screen. He is handsome in a way that reminds me of Donal. So I give Veyra an all-teeth smile and nod my head to make her put his face away.
Maelis is the girl to my left. And she’s probably the youngest here, even younger than me. I highly doubt she’s a day over sixteen. She’s wearing something I might design myself. A sage-green tunic dress, layered with a sheer, embroidered overskirt that reaches mid-calf. The bodice is structured and laced up with silver cords, but the sleeves are loose and gathered at the wrists with tiny wooden buttons. When I look down, I notice she’s wearing slippers instead of boots.
It’s a very traditional look.
Everything about Maelis feels… rehearsed. Her compliments sound perfectly timed, her reactions a half-second too polished—like she practices her own expressions in the mirror. After every sentence—well, maybe not every sentence, but it feels this way—she says, “Every spark has its purpose.” Like it’s a prayer, or something.
I’m not expecting her to have a husband because of her youth, but she does. Zaylen. And when she pulls up a picture of his face on her PPD screen, he’s got a big smile on his face. Which should be comforting, but isn’t, because he’s got a gray beard too.