Sin & Surrender (Demigod of San Francisco #6)(2)

“She shouldn’t try to be one of them, she should be herself, unapologetically.” Daisy stopped in front of one of the dresses, a long, flowing affair liable to trip me. “This is last season.”

Aubri’s mouth dropped open and her cheeks flamed. “It was released between seasons. It was a special release!”

“It’s old and it was made for the masses.” Daisy waved it away and kept walking down the line. “Kieran is a Demigod. Custom should be all I see. If you don’t have the top designers’ info, I can forward it to you. I’m friendly with most of them. If she shows well at the Summit, I’ll have them all.” It sounded like she was collecting trading cards. She gave Aubri a frosty stare. “I shouldn’t need to be telling you this.”

Daisy was only newly fifteen, but lately she sounded thirty. If surviving were an art, my younger ward would be van Gogh, except the lost ear would belong to her enemy.

Aubri sputtered, at a complete loss. In fairness, Daisy was probably right about the gowns. My ward had a knack for style. She’d always been a dreamer, poring over magazines and wishing she could be as glamorous as the people in them, but with Kieran’s bottomless credit card, she’d made those dreams come true. What he lacked for in clout in the magical world, he could make up for in funds. He could buy his way in. Which meant we could, too.

“I’ve always said it…” Bria paused to grab a chocolate-covered strawberry with her bare fingers, ignoring both the servant trying to do it for her and the tongs resting right next to the dish. “Lexi rocks the wild, natural look. Demigod Lydia is traditionally beautiful, but next to Lexi, she looked ridiculous. Too much sparkle and shine—like she was compensating for something.”

“Alexis has the natural gift of being the most striking person in the room, regardless of what she wears or how she acts,” Jerry said. “Like her father.”

A chill ran through me. I still hadn’t heard from Magnus, not even in spirit. He’d faded into the background after his intervention at Lydia’s mansion. Given I’d see him again in no time, I knew he wasn’t gone for good. This absence was planned, I just had no idea what the plan was, only that I was somehow going to be part of it.

Daisy snapped her fingers. “Yes!” She pointed at Jerry. “Good work, giant. Yes!” She spread her arms. “Did you notice what he wore? Black on black with a tiny pop of gray. Excellently tailored and the finest quality, but no flash. No bling. Not an eye in the room would have missed him.”

“Because he was saving our asses,” Red said. “What else were we going to focus on?”

“There’s a reason no one likes you,” Bria said to Red.

“Good,” Red replied.

“That guy is used to having eyes on him,” Daisy said. “He is used to commanding a room, you could tell. He doesn’t need any flash or bravado to get attention, and the same is true of Lexi. This is all too flashy. Lately she looks more like a socialite than a magical misfit. It’s not her. No, she needs to take a lesson from dear old Dad.” Daisy turned toward me. “None of this is going to work. We need a new direction.”

“That’s ridiculous. This—” Aubri started.

“No.” Daisy waved it all away and gestured me up out of the chair. “We’re leaving. I’ll be styling her from now on, and I’ll be doing it without all these people standing around, eager to wait on Lexi. It makes her uncomfortable, and it shows. That’s not what we’re going for.”

She said it so resolutely that I had to wonder if this had been her plan all along.

“That’s absurd.” Aubri braced her hands on her hips and an indignant expression crossed her face. “Alexis hasn’t been called out for looking silly since I started dressing her. I’ve kept her consistently on the best-dressed lists. Because of me, articles praise her for her fashion.”

“Ew, all you need to impress those people is to wear something released this year.” Daisy rolled her eyes, her attitude starting to grow back. She was a teenager—it was never far away. “Anyone shopping in the high-end stores could do that. You’ve helped Lexi blend in with all the other clowns in the circus, when really she should be standing out.”

“Oh yeah?” Aubri popped a hip in annoyance. “What do you know?”

“How to survive,” Daisy said, and motioned me up again.

“She just won that argument,” Bria murmured to Red.

“The kid is spot-on about Magnus and Lexi. That’s what won the argument,” Red replied.

“There is literally no talking to you,” Bria said, exasperated.

“Good,” Red replied.

I rolled my eyes at their antics, but I was already getting to my feet. Daisy had won me over, and not just because she’d offered me an out from this sparkling, servant-crowded nightmare. She was a survivor, more so than anyone I knew. Who better to equip me for the challenges ahead? Flash and sparkle had always made me feel awkward and unnatural. If Daisy had another strategy, I was inclined to trust her. Hopefully this would also give her some control and more confidence going into such a dangerous situation.

“Sorry, Aubri.” I gave her an apologetic smile. “She does have a point. But I’ll still need someone to do hair and makeup.”