A Gift of Three (A Shade of Vampire #42)(14)

“I’m not exactly sure. But vast—we have very little idea of all the planets and stars that it contains, or what creatures might live there. We have only ever encountered a few, and I imagine have only scratched the surface of the species that call it home.”

“The Oracle’s in the In-Between, right?” I asked.

“Somewhere, yes, we believe so. As you know, we haven’t heard from her since the events of Nevertide. I do sometimes wonder what happened to her…I half expected her to return to visit, but she never did.”

“Our mysterious fairy godmother,” Vita sighed. “I wish we could meet her. I want to know what she gifted us with.”

“I don’t know about gifts… I think she was just blessing you,” Corrine said.

“Not sure how blessed I feel,” muttered Aida, grumbling as she took in her appearance. “Why couldn’t she bless me with magnetic sex-appeal, or super fighting skills? Or lack of hair, for that matter.”

“Enough,” Corrine scolded. She disliked it when Aida spoke badly of herself. We all did. “You, madam, have a body to die for, thick beautiful hair, and your eyes are golden, for goodness’ sake—what more do you want?”

I laughed out loud. It was so true. Aida just had no clue how pretty she was. The color in her cheeks flared up at the compliment, and she fell silent. I didn’t really believe the myth about the Oracle’s blessing either—it had only come about because all three of our mothers had gotten pregnant at the same time, and Phoenix, Vita and Aida were born on exactly the same day… pretty much down to the same hour. It was amazing for sure, and possibly the Oracle’s touch had something to do with it, but that didn’t mean that they were gifted. None of them had noticed any “gifts” thus far in their lives, anyway.

“Speaking of the blessed, where is Phoenix?” Aida asked. “I haven’t seen him all day, but I take it he’s coming?”

I rolled my eyes. “Back in Hawaii. He’s dating another girl—she works in a surf shop, of course,” I replied.

“How many is that this summer?” Vita asked with a bemused expression.

“I’ve lost count. We’re almost in the double digits though. He’s so greedy.”

Vita and Corrine laughed, but Aida shook her head.

“I’m not sure about that, I think Phoenix’s a romantic at heart—he secretly wants to find someone that will make him as happy as your dad and mom are,” she replied with a smile. “You’re all too hard on him.”

“Believe that if you want,” I scoffed. “But I know my brother. He’ll never settle down with one woman—he loves them all too much. He’s like a kid in a candy store.”

Aida snorted at that, but I meant what I said. I knew he would never set out to deliberately hurt anyone, but I didn’t think he’d be able to help himself.

“Okay, I’m just about finished—have a look, tell me what you think.” With a wave of her hand, Corrine produced a mirror where a picture frame had been only moments before, and we all stood in silence as we surveyed her mastery.

“You really are amazing, Corrine. Thank you.” I sighed softly. The dresses were beautiful. We were so lucky to have a witch in The Shade who was more than happy to make such artistic creations. The girls might refer to the Oracle as their fairy godmother, but I felt like the real one was Corrine. She had helped in each of our births, watched us grow, and had always been there—facilitating our education, soothing scratches and treating injuries with her usual calm bedside manner, and then, like today, making us appear like royalty with her unparalleled seamstress skills.

“Haven’t you ever thought about becoming a world-famous fashion designer in a Paris atelier?” I asked, only half-joking.

Corrine smirked. “If I did that, who would help you?”

“It wasn’t encouragement,” I replied hastily, “never leave us!”

“You are a genius though, Corrine,” Vita replied softly, her fingers running down the sides of her dress. Vita had the smallest frame out of the three of us, and so her dress was the simplest. It was a sheath of icy-pale blue that made her turquoise eyes pop and fell to her high-heeled feet, skimming her body. The straps were thin, showing off the delicate and pale skin of her décolletage. Her arms were left bare, her dark blonde hair tied in a low bun at the bottom of her neck. She wore a thin, silver chain around her neck that held a small fire stone amulet—a gift from her mom and dad.

Aida’s dress was a different style entirely, a body hugging creation that clung to her curves and showed off her figure. The material was a darker, richer hue of blue that perfectly set off her golden eyes. Her hair was left loose, tumbling down in thick, brown waves. The dress managed to look modest and unbelievably sexy all at once—gone was the battle-strong Aida I knew, and in her place was a complete temptress.

“Wow, Aida!” I exclaimed, taking in her appearance.

“I know.” She grinned. “I second Vita, you’re a genius, Corrine.”

I took my turn in the mirror, and was just as pleased with the results as my friends were. My dress was shorter than theirs, showing off my main asset—long legs, which kind of made up for my lack of bust and curves. It was a strapless, rich crimson chiffon-type creation that had a tight bodice, with multiple layers of skirt exploding beneath, almost like a ballet dancer’s tutu. It was incredible. My hair was worn loose too, trailing straight down my back—it had been so long since my last haircut, it almost reached my butt.