Page 24 of Bound By Honey

"Yeah..."

"She works at a clothing recycling company. People of all classes sell their clothing when they no longer need them and resold to others. Usually, it's worn-out clothing passed down from the middle class to the lower class, and the poorest sell their clothing for rags, but occasionally the wealthy bring in big batches of their clothing to sell as well. The richest wouldn't be caught dead wearing the same dress twice."

Sage felt a tiny flicker of hope. "So you think they may have a ball gown that I could buy? I can't afford to pay for a dress I'm only going to wear once."

"That's the genius of my idea. My sister is one of their seamstresses. She takes the dresses of the upper class and alters them before they resell them. I bet we can borrow a dress that she is altering."

"Piper, you just may be a genius."

The two girls made their way to a large brick building several blocks away. An unassuming sign hung over large wooden doors with Miracle Clothing Company written in large black letters.

As they entered the building, a woman wearing a bright smile greeted them. She wore a simple blue dress with her hair pulled back into a neat bun. "Welcome to Miracle Clothing Company! How can I help you?"

"Is Faith available? I'm her sister," Piper said.

"If you would follow me. She is working upstairs."

The woman led them up a broad flight of stairs, coming to a stop in front of a door with the wordAlterationsprinted on it.

The woman opened the door and stepped aside, allowing them to enter. Faith was standing with her back to them, her brown hair cascading down to her shoulders. She was humming softly and seemed deeply engrossed in her work.

"Faith?" Piper said, stepping into the room.

Faith spun in surprise, her eyes widening when she saw Piper and Sage. "Piper! What are you two doing here?"

"Hoping you can help us." Piper pulled her invitation out and handed it to Faith. "We need dresses."

Faith smiled and gestured for them to follow her. She led them to a rack of dresses and began looking through them.

"Let's see what we have here," she said, eyes scanning the room.

Faith walked around pulling out different dresses, sifting through each one before setting it aside or returning it to its place on the rack. The selection was vast; there were long, flowing, lace gowns; sleek, satin, floor-length dresses; short chiffon numbers, and shimmering sequin sheaths.

After a few minutes of searching, Faith presented a glimmering ivory gown with a low V-neckline, a boned waist, a full skirt, and delicate beading along the bodice.

"This one is perfect. I can alter it to fit you perfectly. Add a few adjustments so it is fresh and new. Just be careful not to spill," Faith said with a smile.

Sage couldn't believe her luck. She carefully took the gown, holding it out, and taking a twirl.

"Thank you so much! This will be perfect," Sage said, her excitement growing with each passing second before handing the dress back to Faith.

Faith smiled and winked at her sister. "Now, what should you wear?"

***

Sage stood in her workroom. The setting sun reflected a kaleidoscope of colors on the floor through the stained-glass windows.

Everything was almost ready. The ball was in a few hours, with both anti-love potions prepared.

A blue bottle with a glass roller on top held an antidote to prevent people from developing romantic feelings. This would need to be rolled onto each man’s pulse points before they left to ensure they didn’t wear too much. In contrast, she had prepared individual bottles with a counteragent to any potential love potions.

The last thing Sage needed was for the Charming Four to go to a royal ball and find that everyone hated them, thanks to her work.

She double-checked her work, making sure the dosage was perfect. She focused on the task at hand, blocking out the doubts in her mind. The Charming Four had been nothing but friendly to her, well, most of them, since she started working for them, and she wanted to make sure her work was as perfect as possible.

Picking up the bottles, Sage left the room.

As she stepped into the hallway, Sage was startled by another person who had also been walking by. Her grip on one of the bottles loosened in a moment of panic, causing it to slip out of her hands and crash to the floor. Shards of glass flew everywhere as the contents spilled out and splattered on the other person's front in an iridescent red liquid.

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