Page 154 of In Violent Waves

It took her a second to realize Maelys was not joking.

“What happens now?”

Maelys looked around for listening ears and smiled with devilish delight.

“The pleasure house.”

“Absolutely not,” Lyra said, holding up the scrap of sheer fabric that could be compared to cobwebs.

Maelys already had hers on, and every inch of her body was visible beneath the sheer, pale pink lace.

The setting sun sent a beam of golden light through the wide-open window and highlighted every morsel of her curvaceous frame. And Lyra couldn’t fight the blush that ignited across her cheeks and down to her chest.

“Wear anything else, and you’ll stand out like a daisy among roses.”

Lyra held up the sheer green fabric and stared at Maelys. “This is invisible!”

Maelys smiled and pulled the dress down between them. “That is the point! Ostara is the holiday that celebrates birth and new life. Hence the naked part.”

Lyra looked at Daisy for confirmation. And she bobbed her head in agreement.

“And why aren’t you dressed like that?” Lyra shot back.

“I don’t celebrate,” Daisy replied.

A slight frown marred Lyra’s face. “Oh, why not?”

Maelys bumped Daisy’s hip with hers. “Because Daisy has someone special, she celebrates with.” A waggle of Maelys’ eyebrows cleared up the insinuation.

“Ahhhh. And you don’t?” Lyra asked Maelys.

A smirk was Maelys’ reply.

“Ugh, fine,” Lyra sighed, throwing her head back and screwing her eyes shut.

Maelys and Daisy didn’t even move as Lyra shucked her robe and slipped on the sheer dress. Lyra shivered as the cool fabric slid over her sensitive nipples before clinging to her waist and fluttering right above her ankles.

“Goodness,” Maelys breathed, her eyes widening. “You’ll have an abundance of suitors.”

Daisy bit her bottom lip and hummed. “Yes, but it’s missing something. Oh!” She scrambled across the room and into the bathing chamber.

Lyra and Maelys stood listening to Daisy open and slam cabinet drawers before an exclamation of victory rang out.

“I put this away on your first day here. I thought you might want a piece of home,” Daisy said, striding across the room with a bracelet clasped in her hands.

The chain sparkled like moonlight, and at the very end of it was an iridescent saltwater pearl. It must have been from thesouthern seas because the pearl gleamed with a slight emerald hue.

It was spellbinding, and Lyra found herself enraptured with the dainty thing.

“Daisy—it’s perfect,” Lyra whispered, reaching out and cupping the pearl, before clasping it around her wrist.

“It’s perfect!” Maelys clapped her hands together. “Alright, we must be off. I’m sure it’ll be standing room only now.”

Lyra’s stomach gurgled, and she pressed a hand to the hollowness. It wasn’t hunger that had her stomach churning, but nerves.

Maelys was halfway out the door before she realized Lyra wasn’t right beside her.

“Are you coming?”