BOOK 3 of the ORPHIC Series
CHURLISH
/ˈCHərliSH/
marked by a lack of civility.
~~~~~
Lucille 'Lucy' Opal Baker finds herself in the 21 century sporting the title of Aunt while lugging along h...
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"Don't promise to live forever, promise to forever live when you're alive."
Madr!p0–r, I?ndo–si@? December, 2016
IT WAS STRANGE, LUCY decided as she found herself staring face to face with the grandest cases of jewelry she'd ever seen. It was stranger still, that they had decided to come to Madripoor to find a jewel that fitted Lucy's standards. The thing was—she had no standards. Having a ring meant that it was possible for someone to take it away.
It felt like a liability, a dangerous emotional connection that could be severed by an enemy. But she had felt this way before, with James, who still stood by her side. Even now, as his eyes wandered across the hundred of colored and opaque rings, his hand gently grasped hers, together.
She blinked.
"They are all of the finest quality." Klause stated as he walked a few paces in front of them.
He was half turned, hands clasped together. They stood in a rather large basement, remodeled with cases filled with both stolen jewelry, as well as jewels Klause helped accumulate and fashion. There were welders that specialized in creating rings of all sorts.
But Lucy was not interested.
"This one looks really pretty." James said as he leaned his hands against the glass.
She smiled at him, watching his eyes wander over the glittery stones with awe. He seemed far more curious about the engagement rings than she did, and a part of her felt guilty. It was so difficult for her to rely on material things, especially when she'd once been stripped of all of them.
Trusting herself with carrying a piece of what represented them was. . .hard.
But, looking at James's bright expression made it all worth it.
"How about this one?" She asked, poking at the glass box.
There was a bright cerulean colored stone that matched the color of James's eyes. It stuck out to her because it was small, so very thin and holding one single stone at the center. It was fashioned and cut in the shape of a marquise, clinging to a white gold band.
James looked at it, his lips twitching upwards as his eyes caught onto it. Lucy grasped his hand, looking from him to the ring.
Klause padded back over towards them.
"It suits you, Lucy." He commented. "Blue diamond is a remarkable stone."
James gave her a reassuring squeeze of her hand as Klause opened the fancy glass box, removing the single ring which lay inside. Lucy's lips formed the word 'diamond' out of a mix of surprise and horror. It wasn't terrible, by any means, it was just the fact she knew how expensive it was.
