Silver Blood (Series of Blood Book 1) by Emma Hamm (bill gates book recommendations .TXT) 📕

had already discovered that Burke could find his way into most places, but she also knew Pitch. He wouldn’t be letting anyone without an invitation in. His security was impressive enough that no one would slip through the cracks.

She could see Burke stand up from his usual spot in the corner. There was a determined glint in his eye as he started to walk towards her. Apparently, if she was going to sneak away from him then she would have to do it now.

“Going out for the night, Burke. Enjoy your time off.”

She didn’t stick around for his response. Wren charged up the stairs and slammed the door behind her. He wouldn’t be ruining her night, and he wasn’t going to be following her. Not this time.

The box was placed on her table, and she stared at it with a wary expression. Pitch didn’t make a habit of sending her clothing. In fact, he didn’t make a habit of sending anyone anything.

She was going to kill him if this was a trick.

Wren reached out a delicate hand to pull on the ribbon. It slithered away from the box with a silken sound. Inside the box was black velvet and another note.

Wren,

It’s unusual, I know. Just wear this tonight and find me once you make it to the party. It’s imperative that you are there.

Don’t argue.

Pitch

“I mperative,” she murmured, “big word for you, Pitch.”

She thought it interesting that he had known she would argue with this. There was a part of Wren that instantly wanted to fight back when someone ordered her to do anything. Pitch was likely one of the few people that understood that about her. She held fiercely to her independence and solitude.

The velvet was incredibly soft as she stroked the fabric before pulling it from the box. Black velvet dripped off of her table and pooled onto the floor as she held the dress before her. It was more exquisite than anything she had ever seen before in her life.

Delicate strands of silver had been stitched across the bodice. Tiny gems had been soldered onto the strands as though water droplets were suspended on the webbing the silver had made. The gems glittered brightly even in the dim light of her apartment.

It was the corset that most concerned Wren. Spider legs created a corset that would hug her ribs once she put it on. They would reach around her ribs from her back where they connected to a flat panel. Silver and metallic, they were clearly enchanted.

Wren came to her senses rather quickly, and she dropped the dress onto the floor as though it had come alive. She wasn’t going to put something like that on. She wasn’t made to wear something that beautiful or expensive. She’d ruin it. She’d hurt it. She’d look like an idiot.

She’d…her eyes drifted back towards the dress that she never would have been able to afford. It wasn’t her usual style, but it was so incredibly beautiful.

She gave in. In just a few moments, she had stripped out of her clothing and was sliding the velvet over her long limbs. The metal legs of the spider opened to allow her to settle the dress, and then they curled around her ribs on their own.

Magic had always been such a fascinating addition to fashion. Wren smiled as she looked down and saw the matching slits on either side of the dress that exposed her legs. She could feel cold air on her back as she moved. There was nothing but webbing covering the long, pale length of her spine.

Feeling infinitely beautiful, Wren slid a pair of black leather shitkickers onto her feet. They didn’t particularly go with the outfit, but they were what she had. If Pitch wanted to complain about it then he should have sent her shoes as well.

The back door wasn’t being watched, though she suspected that if Burke was there he wouldn’t have let her see him. Pitch’s parties were a few blocks away. He liked to live on the edge of society and closer to the slums.

Those who lived in the slums were the ones that were addicted to his Juice anyways. Soon to be his pills.

She shook her head as she walked. The idea of putting Juice into pill form was horrendous. Pitch had never understood that Juice was meant to be fun. It was supposed to be like walking down a park or drifting in a canoe on a sunny lake for a little while. Most people couldn’t afford to go on adventures like that anymore.

Juice was an escape for a few moments or for fun. It wasn’t meant to be something that changed lives or treated illnesses. It couldn’t. They were fleeting emotions that were far too easy to become addicted to.

Of course, that was probably his idea. Pitch didn’t think of Juice the way Wren did. She was sharing experiences with other people so that they too could have moments that they might never see in their real lives. Pitch wanted people to be deliriously happy on what he could create for them and then spend more money coming back for more.

M.O.M. didn’t want people like Pitch to sell Juice. Wren wasn’t particularly certain that he had the same license she had or even a license at all. The government didn’t want their people to be addicted to emotions but knew how important they were to their magical community. They regulated the usage strictly.

The market was about to get saturated. She supposed that it was going to be time soon for her to think of something else to do. People weren’t going to want exotic emotions like adventure when they were already spending their paychecks just to be happy.

Her lip curled at the thought.

There were enough herbs in her room that she might be able to set up some kind of witchery shop. She’d have to expand a bit and change around the store, but it was possible. There were enough magical creatures around.