Veridian Shores

Chapter 19 - If I Could Build a Throne

The greatest moments, Gliss reflected, could be discovered in the unlikeliest of places.

Standing in one of the vacant chambers in the Estate's upper regions, she stood staring in amazement at a huge, ornate mirror while Capper's thrall, Lilly fussed her way through the finishing touches of her attire for the Synod.

The sleeveless black dress she now wore hugged her body from throat to thigh, where it gently flowed outward until it the soft, airy fabric swished around her ankles. Just visible below the hem of the skirt were a pair of gleaming high-heeled shoes, wedging her feet into an unfamiliar position and adding a good two inches to her height. The scars on her arms had been neatly covered up by a pair of long satin gloves that reached all the way up past her elbows. Around her neck hung a necklace of glittering silver, which held at its centre an emerald the size of a golf ball. Where Lilly had managed to find such a discarded treasure she could only guess at.

Right now she didn't care. Gazing at the reflection in the mirror, Gliss barely recognised herself. What's more, she liked what she saw. Gone was the rough-hewn footsoldier from the wilds of the North, replaced by a creature of complete grace, and even beauty. It wasn't a word that floated around in her life very often.

A final tug made her gasp, then Lilly appeared by her side, head meekly bowed. "Are you comfortable, milady?"

"I've asked you not to call me that." She gave the timid vampire a pitying smile. "And yes, it feels fine, thanks." Without thinking she gently ran her fingers down the sides of the dress, feeling the contours of her body perfectly accentuated by the slim fit. It was surprisingly comfortable – a combination of skilled tailoring and Lilly's expertise in wrestling unwilling occupants into tight spaces.

"Then, if you're ready, I'll show you to the motor pool."

Part of her still couldn't believe Capper had managed to convince the Glaive Elders to let her attend the Synod. Clearly he had a faster mind than he let on – or maybe she'd just been underestimating him all along. Whatever the case, she found herself inexorably in his debt as she followed Lilly down through the mansion towards the atrium.

The closer they drew to the estate's exit, the more vampires joined them in a garish procession of formidable glamour. She recognised some of the Elders from the introductions Capper had made, but there were plenty that she didn't know. All of them oozed beauty and power. Jewels glittered under the light of the gas-lamps and dresses rasped softly against moving legs. The male vampires formed a kaleidoscope of greys, blacks, browns and blues, most clad in immaculately fitted suits – some sporting waistcoats and cravats. She spotted the individual she knew as Marshall moving in perfect stride, ice-white shirt hanging loosely from his frame, with his deep brass-coloured jacket slung nonchalantly over one shoulder. Through them all, snake-like coils of cigarette smoke writhed, eerie, like wraiths in the air.

And she caught more than once glance filled with what she could only describe as astonishment. Clearly, despite her exploits so far, no-one could quite believe that a scruff like her could be transformed in such a way. She might've been offended if she hadn't been just as surprised.

It didn't take long for them to reach the atrium. Gliss didn't even notice Lilly peel away, slipping back into the shadows as she was caught up in the procession. Her eyes roved left and right, hunting for an elusive figure in the throng. So far Capper hadn't appeared, and she had to admit, she was curious to see what the thralls had managed to accomplish with him.

What she did see was a vicious sidelong glare that scythed across the room like a flung hand-axe. Brooke was on the far side of the room, but that didn't deaden the sheer hatred that passed through that one look. The other vampire was glad in a flowing dress of glittering evergreen, her arms weighed down with a shop's worth of jewels. Her hair had been wrestled into an elaborate cone, and Gliss could see a set of formidable sapphire heels glinting from beneath the dress.