Page 88 of Crossing Between
I looked around for a changing room, but Quilith just pointed to a curtained alcove nearby. Inside, the space was large, with a plush velvet bench and a full-length mirror that hummed with magic.
The dress was unlike anything I'd ever worn. Made of afabric that seemed to absorb light rather than reflect it, it felt cool and weightless in my hands. As I slipped it over my head, it settled against my skin like water, flowing and adjusting until it fit me perfectly.
When I looked in the mirror, I gasped. The dress transformed me. It highlighted curves I didn't know I had, made my skin glow with an inner light. But more than the physical change, there was something about my posture, my eyes. I looked powerful.
The mirror's surface suddenly rippled, the image distorting. My reflection changed, darkening at the edges. My eyes turned hollow, my skin pale and veined with black. A twisted smile spread across my reflection's face, cruel and hungry.
I stumbled backward with a cry. The corrupted version of myself reached out, as if trying to break through the glass.
"Quilith!" Panic rose in my throat.
They were at my side instantly, placing a hand on the mirror's surface. The corrupted image hissed and recoiled before vanishing completely, replaced by my normal reflection once more.
"What was that?" I demanded, my heart racing.
"A warning," Quilith's expression was grave. "There's a path you must not walk. This store shows both truth and temptation." They squeezed my shoulder reassuringly. "But you're stronger than the darkness, Zoey. Remember that."
I nodded shakily, taking a deep breath to steady myself. "I'm okay. Just wasn't expecting that."
"The unexpected is Saddie's specialty," Quilith smiled, their usual lightness returning. "Now, come out and let us see how it looks."
When I emerged from the changing room, both Quilith and Saddie fell silent, staring at me with identical expressionsof approval.
"Yes," Saddie circled me with a critical eye. "This will do nicely. The fabric is woven with protective spells. It will shield your aura from detection when needed."
As they spoke, I became aware of the various items around the store reacting to my presence. Fabrics rustled as I passed, even without a breeze. Jewelry displayed on velvet cushions seemed to glow brighter. I could hear faint whispers, too low to make out words, but definitely there, like the store itself was talking about me.
"Is it normal for everything to respond to me?" I watched as a nearby scarf twisted itself into a knot and then untangled again.
"The items here are imbued with various magics," Saddie explained, selecting several more pieces that floated obediently behind them. "They recognize power. Yours is particularly compelling."
Over the next hour, I tried on more magical items than I could count. Boots that would allow me to walk silently, a belt that could hold twice its visible capacity, earrings that would warm if someone was lying to me. Each piece seemed to respond to my touch, some more enthusiastically than others.
"Now for the pièce de résistance," Saddie announced, pulling a corset from a locked cabinet that required three different keys and a drop of their blood to open.
The corset was a work of art, deep crimson with intricate black embroidery that seemed to shift and change as I looked at it. Runes and symbols I didn't recognize were woven into the pattern, glowing faintly with inner light.
"Is that safe?" I eyed it suspiciously.
"Perfectly safe," Quilith assured me. "For you, at least. For anyone who tries to harm you while you're wearing it? Not so much."
Saddie helped me into the corset, their fingers deft asthey laced it up. As it tightened around my waist and ribs, I felt a strange sensation, like the corset was assessing me. It seemed to pulse once, twice, then settled, conforming to my body in a way that was both restrictive and oddly comfortable.
"Why do I feel like this outfit is going to try to bite me?" I muttered as Saddie made a final adjustment.
Quilith's eyes gleamed. "Because it wants to test your dominance. If it respects you, it will obey. If not, well, we'll find something less bitey."
I rolled my eyes but couldn't help smiling. Even in the midst of magical shopping and preparing for a binding ritual that would change my life forever, Quilith's presence was comforting in its familiarity.
Just as Saddie was showing me how to activate the corset's protective spells, the bell above the door chimed. We all turned to see Elias standing in the entrance, looking slightly bewildered.
"Elias?" I blinked in surprise. "What are you doing here?"
"Varon sent me to check on you," his eyes scanned the store with professional caution. "He was worried Quilith might be; his exact words were 'hexing you into something ridiculous.'"
Quilith huffed indignantly. "As if I would ever! I have impeccable taste."
Elias started to respond, then stopped abruptly as his gaze fell on me. His mouth opened slightly, but no words came out. His eyes widened, drinking me in from head to toe, lingering on the corset that accentuated my curves.
