bottomless madness. Not bad. The lady hadn’t even had black wine to make it.
Oh, now Celaise remembered. She had seen that dress before, only a different color. Now it was yellow. Then it had been purple too, and the jewels hadn’t been glowing. The woman wearing it hadn’t been flying. Her eyes must’ve changed since Oasis City. Now they were a piercing lavender.
“You’re different,” Celaise said.
The Lady of Gems scratched the fox’s chin. She didn’t look up.
“I’m to be your dressmaker,” Celaise tried.
“I can see you’re a passable one.” The Lady of Gems glanced at Celaise’s root tresses. The lady didn’t smell of fear at all. “You can’t know the golden ratio, I assume?”
“I don’t think so.”
“You do have some natural intuition for beautiful proportions.” Her fox swatted at a necklace with a red jewel so large it would choke a grown man. “Yes, you may help with my wedding dresses.”
“Dresses? You mean, more than one?”
“One dress might suffice for most weddings. This one will be anything but ordinary. Did she imagine I’d need assistance making a single gown?” This the lady said to her fox, nose to nose. She turned back to Celaise, peering at the root maze of her skirt. “I can see you have an appreciation for originality.”
Celaise bowed her head. She had brought night to the City of Endless Day. She could make a few dresses for this lady. This would be wonderful.
“As an elder enchantress I wore twenty-seven honorary dresses,” the lady said. “An equal number of wedding dresses would have a pleasing synchronicity.”
This would be terrible. Twenty dresses? Celaise would have to kill people for that much black wine, for so much power. Did the Lady of Gems know the cost?
“Twenty-seven wedding dresses would also be absurd. No, I shall be reasonable and only require nine.”
Had the lady been joking? She might still be. Nine gowns? Well, that would only take a couple lives. Jerani would still look at Celaise with his sorrow eyes.
The Lady of Gems lifted her hand. A dragonfly landed in a flash of crystal wings. It carried a dead scorpion. The lady flicked away the stinger and gave the rest of the bug to the fox.
Celaise leaned closer to the dragonfly. It had no insides, only a glassy clearness. The eyes were faceted gemstone. “You made them?”
“One of my side projects,” the lady said. The dragonfly shot away.
“What are these?” Jerani asked. He stood in front of the amethyst hoard. His spear only just reached the top of the pile. “I mean, will they be something?”
“Scales,” the lady said.
“Good,” Celaise said. “The merchants’ balances are always crooked.”
Dragonflies swooped in loops of green and orange. The fox leaped after them, falling into a patch of maize growing at the center of the grove. Golden beetles crawled over the fronds. Bloodsucking beetles. Pricking beetles that would swarm and lay eggs behind the ear. Had any of the scourge scuttled onto Jerani?
The beetles on the maize had interlocking circles and triangles on their wing shells. That was new. They had a red sheen. Oh, they weren’t the bloodsucking kind of beetles. They were copper. Real metal copper, engraved by the lady.
“Are the beetles eating the leaves?” Celaise asked.
“The corn louse already excels in that capacity,” the lady said. She glided past the maize beetles and toward Jerani with an upraised hand. Her fingernails gleamed like crystal. Maybe they were. “If I may, young man, I’d like to reward you with a simple enchantment.”
If those crystal nails dug into Jerani’s neck, would he die? Turn into a dragonfly? The Lady of Gems might do anything to him. Celaise had to think of a reason to stop her.
Jerani spoke first. “What will it do?”
“Cure your foot fungus.” For the first time, the Lady of Gems feared. Her apprehension smelled of steamed asparagus.
“You’re lying to him.” Celaise root-shambled in front of
Oh, now Celaise remembered. She had seen that dress before, only a different color. Now it was yellow. Then it had been purple too, and the jewels hadn’t been glowing. The woman wearing it hadn’t been flying. Her eyes must’ve changed since Oasis City. Now they were a piercing lavender.
“You’re different,” Celaise said.
The Lady of Gems scratched the fox’s chin. She didn’t look up.
“I’m to be your dressmaker,” Celaise tried.
“I can see you’re a passable one.” The Lady of Gems glanced at Celaise’s root tresses. The lady didn’t smell of fear at all. “You can’t know the golden ratio, I assume?”
“I don’t think so.”
“You do have some natural intuition for beautiful proportions.” Her fox swatted at a necklace with a red jewel so large it would choke a grown man. “Yes, you may help with my wedding dresses.”
“Dresses? You mean, more than one?”
“One dress might suffice for most weddings. This one will be anything but ordinary. Did she imagine I’d need assistance making a single gown?” This the lady said to her fox, nose to nose. She turned back to Celaise, peering at the root maze of her skirt. “I can see you have an appreciation for originality.”
Celaise bowed her head. She had brought night to the City of Endless Day. She could make a few dresses for this lady. This would be wonderful.
“As an elder enchantress I wore twenty-seven honorary dresses,” the lady said. “An equal number of wedding dresses would have a pleasing synchronicity.”
This would be terrible. Twenty dresses? Celaise would have to kill people for that much black wine, for so much power. Did the Lady of Gems know the cost?
“Twenty-seven wedding dresses would also be absurd. No, I shall be reasonable and only require nine.”
Had the lady been joking? She might still be. Nine gowns? Well, that would only take a couple lives. Jerani would still look at Celaise with his sorrow eyes.
The Lady of Gems lifted her hand. A dragonfly landed in a flash of crystal wings. It carried a dead scorpion. The lady flicked away the stinger and gave the rest of the bug to the fox.
Celaise leaned closer to the dragonfly. It had no insides, only a glassy clearness. The eyes were faceted gemstone. “You made them?”
“One of my side projects,” the lady said. The dragonfly shot away.
“What are these?” Jerani asked. He stood in front of the amethyst hoard. His spear only just reached the top of the pile. “I mean, will they be something?”
“Scales,” the lady said.
“Good,” Celaise said. “The merchants’ balances are always crooked.”
Dragonflies swooped in loops of green and orange. The fox leaped after them, falling into a patch of maize growing at the center of the grove. Golden beetles crawled over the fronds. Bloodsucking beetles. Pricking beetles that would swarm and lay eggs behind the ear. Had any of the scourge scuttled onto Jerani?
The beetles on the maize had interlocking circles and triangles on their wing shells. That was new. They had a red sheen. Oh, they weren’t the bloodsucking kind of beetles. They were copper. Real metal copper, engraved by the lady.
“Are the beetles eating the leaves?” Celaise asked.
“The corn louse already excels in that capacity,” the lady said. She glided past the maize beetles and toward Jerani with an upraised hand. Her fingernails gleamed like crystal. Maybe they were. “If I may, young man, I’d like to reward you with a simple enchantment.”
If those crystal nails dug into Jerani’s neck, would he die? Turn into a dragonfly? The Lady of Gems might do anything to him. Celaise had to think of a reason to stop her.
Jerani spoke first. “What will it do?”
“Cure your foot fungus.” For the first time, the Lady of Gems feared. Her apprehension smelled of steamed asparagus.
“You’re lying to him.” Celaise root-shambled in front of
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