“Kat, it’s your turn,” Marley announced.
I stood slowly, breathing deep.
The olive-green dress hung on a silk hanger beside the vanity, catching the light like it had been spun from the forest itself. Sleeveless, with a low sculpted back, and a neckline that framed my collarbones just enough to bare their marks — the ones they’d placed on me together. The ones that still burned with a heat that reminded me I was never alone.
The color was perfect — deep and earthy — pulling the green from my eyes, making the chocolate undertones in my hair gleam. The fabric moved like water, light as mist but stronger than it looked, with hidden silver embroidery at the hem. Symbols for protection. Fertility. Strength.
I slipped it on, and it clung to me like a second skin. The marks at my throat and s
