“What do you mean, ‘downgraded’?” I turned the hem of my robe over in my hands repeatedly. Would that be my offspring’s destiny? Would I condemn them with my defect?
Rose pulled the brush back from my face, glaring. “No more talking. You’ll ruin my work.”
Violet crossed her arms, a vicious glint in her dark eyes. “The Illum are changing offsprings’ status. But the truth is murky, concealed in the rumors.”
“But why? Where do they go?” My heart fell in rhythm with my whirling thoughts. Why would that be happening if the “defects” were seemingly determined from birth?
“Those aren’t truths the Illum are illuminating for anyone,” Violet continued. “That isn’t the important part. The important part, the dangerous part, is that people are rising up.”
“Enough, Violet,” Rose snapped, her face furious before me. “They are calling the Elite Force to handle this. If these people do not stop and follow the Elite, treacherous times are ahead.”
“Did Eve tell you that as well?” Violet probed. “You didn’t mention any of this earlier.”
Rose didn’t deign to answer her partner as she moved toward the vanity littered with vials, putting away brushes. Her face in the mirror looked fearful.
“Why is it that Eve is so informed? I thought she was avoiding society,” Violet said, stepping closer. Eve must be an important Elite member to have been seeing the Starlings for so long.
“Things change,” Rose claimed. “We have said too much. If the Elite Force is involved at all, we should hold our tongue.”
“What’s the Elite Force?” I asked.
Rose crossed her arms.
“They’re—” Violet began.
“Enough,” Rose demanded. “Stay silent or there will be trouble. Let’s get you dressed and be done with you.” Rose practically sprinted from the room. I glanced in the mirror, and two brown eyes stared back.
Violet walked toward the door, peering out before turning toward me. Her words were hushed and quick. “They are a group of highly trained men that claim to maintain the peace. They actually carry out the Illum’s will with force—physical force.”
“Why are you telling me all of this?” Everything they had said left me dizzy. Surely they knew the dangers of voicing dissent to a near stranger. Did they not fear the consequences?
Violet stood straighter, fierce determination on her face. “I was once like you. As was she. Every woman since the Last War has been an obligation and a vessel. I see a lot of your kind. Many do not have a care in the world. They do not think, simply pleased to be chosen. Not you. You questioned us, pushed back during your initial meeting. I want more for us. Maybe I am done being powerless. I think you might be too.”
“There are consequences. You could be eliminated.”
“I have seen enough to know there are worse things, Fledgling.” Her face was grave as she disappeared into the black room beyond.
A few minutes later, I stepped up on the dais. Violet handed me a pair of panties that were the exact color of my skin as Rose carried over what looked like a cloud. A sheer cloud. I slipped on the scraps of lace before she ushered me into the chiffon silk fabric. Violet wrapped two impossibly thin strings around my neck several times before securing them as Rose fluffed out the dress. A heavy silence hung between the two.
I caught my appearance in the mirror. The dress was completely sheer and featherlight, floating in layers to the ground. Diagonal seams bunched new layers of fabric together strategically, providing me the slightest amount of modesty. The dress was delicately beautiful, the thin fabric shifting with the lightest movement.
Violet kneeled, tying cream heels to my feet. They wrapped around my ankle much like the dress wrapped around my neck, the only places I felt any security in the outfit. As I shifted, the seams went askew, leaving my breasts fully exposed.
“I’m naked,” I protested, tugging the gown back into place.
“You are not; I’ve dressed many in less,” Rose informed me. “The Elite view the human body as a reflection of their superior genes. They relish exposed skin.”
“Fine, I’mpracticallynaked.”
Rose ignored me as she continued fluffing the dress insistently.
“Rose, it’s beautiful. Some of your best work. They will love it,” Violet reassured her, her tone gentle.
Rose paused her fussing to smile. “Thank you.”
“You make these?” I asked, looking at the tiny details. It must have taken her days.
“If you have exhausted your Procreation Abilities, you must convince the Elite that you have value. An Elite vouched for me to the Illum years ago. She showed me a great kindness.” Rose stepped back, looking over the ensemble one last time. “They are all my creations. Your Mate requested the best after your first meeting. So make them look good,” she warned.
