Highland Dragon (The Treasure of Paragon #6) - Genevieve Jack Page 0,18
thinking the same thing,” Clarissa added.
“Let me put your curiosity to rest. It is very uncomfortable, and it weighs a ton.” Avery swayed back and forth, causing the skirts to swish over her feet. There was something called a sark, which was basically a shift, made out of white linen that she wore underneath it all. The sark she could handle. It was soft and lightweight, almost like a nightgown. But on top of it, Laurel had tied something around her waist like a donut and then layered on three full skirts. Her hips looked like they needed their own zip code.
As if that weren’t enough, Laurel had tied her into a set of stays that were basically like the world’s most uncomfortable bra and then a wool bodice with sleeves that tied at the shoulders. It fastened in the front and gave her breasts an attractive lift. But anything sexy about that bit of the dress was completely undone by another piece of linen that was wrapped around her neck and tucked into the bodice. At least that part of her costume served to hide her healing scar. The doctor had removed the stitches, but the slice was still an angry bright pink, darkest over her breast.
Not that it mattered. You’d have to have Superman’s X-ray vision to see it under all the layers. The oreads had wrapped a subtle gray plaid blanket called an arisaid over the top of everything else and tucked it into a belt. All in all, with everything on, she looked about as attractive as a lump of wet clay.
“It does have pockets!” Avery slipped her hands into the well-hidden slots in her skirt. She had no idea if those were historically accurate, but they held a head covering and gloves the oreads said she might need.
“Small pleasures,” Clarissa said.
“The shoes are wrong.” Nathaniel scowled pointedly at her toes. How he could see her shoes, she had no idea. The skirts reached the floor in front of her.
“I couldn’t walk in the ones they gave me,” Avery said. “If I need to hike as far as you’re suggesting to find Xavier, I’m going to need something practical.” She lifted her skirt to reveal soft, stretchy leggings and a pair of leather hiking boots complete with thick socks. “I might as well be warm if I need to sleep outside.”
Nathaniel frowned. “At least they’re a dull color. Keep them covered as much as possible and try not to draw attention to your feet.”
She nodded. The top half of her hair had been pulled back from her face and bound at the crown of her head with a blue ribbon. That at least matched her eyes and gave the outfit a bit of color. The rest of her jet-black hair tumbled around her shoulders in long, loose curls.
“So I guess that’s it. I’m ready, right?” Avery shrugged. Her stomach was tied in knots, and she was anxious to get started on this journey. If Nathaniel dropped her into the bubble first thing in the morning, she might be able to find Xavier and have him back here in as little as a day or two. Why would it take any longer?
Nathaniel cleared his throat. “One more thing.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out something small and dark. A jewelry box. He removed a round disk from inside and pressed it against her throat, just under her jaw.
“What are you doing?”
Everyone laughed.
“What’s so funny?”
Clarissa laughed harder. “She can’t hear it?”
Nathaniel shook his head. “It sounds the same to her.”
“What sounds the same?” Avery asked.
Raven raised a hand. “You’re speaking with one hell of a Scottish accent! You just said, ‘Whit are ye doin’?’”
Clarissa giggled.
Raven’s mimicry of the accent was comically exaggerated, and Avery scraped the mole-shaped dot from her throat and held it up to the light. “I suppose I won’t get far sounding like an American. I might as well belly up to the bar and order a Corona Light. How long will this little inspiration of magic last?”
Nathaniel took the mole from her and placed it back into the small wooden box. “Long enough. It should remain effective for weeks, barring magical interference. Far longer than you will be in the bubble.”
“Great, then it’s all settled. I’ll go get changed.” She turned to leave.
“Wait,” Raven said. “You know you don’t have to do this, right? There’s still time for you to back out.”
Clarissa chimed in. “Raven’s right. If it’s too much—”