Someone Else’s Luck

Nariah was wearing heels. Blue suede, tall, stiletto. They were beautiful. They showed off her calves nicely. She was very annoyed that she had to wear them. They were useless for running and Nariah tended to get caught in things that required running.

The shoes matched her dress, a gift from Varrien that she wasn’t entirely sure she’d be accepting. It glittered in a way that said I’m more expensive than your entire annual salary. It hugged her chest and hips in a heavy drape, fading from light sky blue down to dark sea depths at her knees. It had a short slit up the left so she could take a full step—as full a step as the heels allowed.

The dress had thin straps over her shoulders that left Nariah feeling naked, so Varrien had provided a delicate knit shawl Nariah draped over her neck and shoulders. It was dotted with tiny blue seed beads, giving it weight and movement like water.