Chapter 10 Dressed To Kill
Dressed To Kill
Agentle hiss had my eyes peeling open, but the brightness that greeted me had me swiftly slamming them shut once more. I smothered a pillow over my face, my head pounding from all the liquor I consumed last night. Sadly, I couldn’t ignore the hissing that became as violent as my rule as queen.
“I’m up, stop your whining,” I groaned, throwing the pillow over my face in the direction of the annoying noise.
I propped myself up onto my elbows, watching the pillow land rather close to where Dante laid coiled up at the end of the bed. His crimson eyes flared as he glared at me.
Sometimes he stared at me like a disappointed father witnessing their unruly daughter coming home drunk for the first time. At least that’s what I imagined what a father’s reaction would be, since I grew up without one.
I didn’t even know his name. My mother didn’t deem that information important enough to share with me.
“Where is your sister?” I glanced around the tent with only one eye cracked open in search of Ember.
Dante didn’t respond, instead opting to ignore me as he slithered out of the tent. With a rather dramatic flick of his tail, he kept the flap open a moment longer, causing a blinding stream of sunlight to spear directly into my eyes. A hiss burst from me as I shielded my face with a hand.
Rude ass snake.
Once the linen sealed shut and black spots were no longer clouding my vision, I forced myself to crawl out of bed, gulping the water left on the makeshift bar cart.
“Well, would you look at that, the Queen has risen!” Reena’s chipper voice pierced my ears.
I made sure to let her know how I felt about her cheery tone by tossing a sharp glare at her over my shoulder.
My lady-in-waiting simply laughed as she straightened up my bed, but she paused upon hearing my gasp.
I was horrified when I caught my reflection in the floor-length mirror on the opposite side of the tent. I moved closer, closely examining the kohl smudged beneath my eyes, and the red lipstick smeared around my lips.
I looked like I was a part of the fucking traveling circus that passed through my queendom every year.
“For Serpent’s Sake,” I muttered, dragging a hand down my face as if it could fix my disheveled reflection.
If there was one thing I hated more than feelings, it was looking a mess.
My appearance was my mask, my persona—it anchored me to who I was as the Serpent Queen and helped push me further away from the broken, mortal girl I once was.
Reena tutted as she came behind me. “Let’s get you cleaned up.”
She motioned to the wooden partition, and I went behind the screen to clean myself with the warm washcloth she handed over to me.
“What would you like to wear today, Your Majesty?” Her voice floated over the partition as I considered her request.
“Did you bring my black leathers?”
Something slapped against the wooden partition, prompting me to glance behind myself to see my favorite fighting outfit now hanging over the divider.
“I brought two, considering what you came here to do . . . I figured you might need a backup, should the first ones get ruined.”
“You know me so well.” I clutched my hand against my chest, even though I knew Reena couldn’t see me.
She snorted, and the sounds of her skirts whipping around rustled as she no doubt hurried to straighten up the rest of my tent as I dressed. The promise of today’s bloodshed had me swiftly hopping into my leather pants and shimmying into my matching top.
I had to admit, I was slightly impressed.
Reena must have had the tailor work overtime to create this garment in time for our trip.
Instead of my normal long-sleeve leathers, this version was sleeveless and better suited for Ashivire’s desert climate.
I held the top in place as I moved out from behind the partition and back in front of the floor-length mirror so my lady-in-waiting could lace up the corset.
As Reena took her place behind me and worked to tighten the strings, I admired how the leather hugged each and every one of my curves.
I loved executing traitors, and I especially loved looking ravishing while doing so.
Oh, yes. Today was going to be a marvelous day indeed.
I was swiping my preferred shade of lipstick across my lips when Reena’s arm shot up in the reflection, some horrid brown boots dangling from her hands.
“What the fuck are those?” The lipstick stilled mid swipe, a frown quickly flowing onto my face.
Her hands started to sway with uncertainty. “I thought you were going to the mountain today?”
“I am, but I refuse to wear whatever the fuck those monstrosities are.” I scrunched my nose at the abominable boots my lady-in-waiting cradled in her arms.
“You couldn’t have the tailor make some custom heeled fighting boots? Or at the very least, pretty leather ones? Honestly, Reena, what in all the lands were you thinking, presenting those things to me?” I resumed applying my lipstick, then moved on to swiping some fresh kohl along my eyes.
“They are pretty hideous . . .” she mused, making me sneak a sideways glance at her through the mirror. Her lips were curled with disgust. “Apologies, my Queen. I shall have a custom pair made for you when we return to the Queendom of Phantamos.”
With that, she dropped the sad excuse for footwear onto the floor.
“As long as they have a heel, I may consider forgiving you for suggesting I wear those.” I glared one more time at the brown, chunky boots, a shiver coursing down my spine at how revolting they truly were.
Reena brought my attention back to gaze at my reflection as she latched my custom holster around my hips. The golden hilts of my daggers sparkled from the fresh polishing I did right before our trip, a ritual I always performed before entering battle.
She positioned twin blades to hang from my hips, along with a slightly shorter dagger that was safely secured at the back of my waistband. She handed me additional holsters, and I swiftly attached them around each of my thighs, then placed a sharp dagger into each one.
After my weapons were secure, I straightened, my gaze catching onto the head of my serpent tattoo, which peeked out from between my breasts thanks to the sharp V-cut of my top.
Reena presented a pair of stilettos before me, and a vicious smirk spread across my face at the pair she picked out. Wickedly sharp, gold spikes gleamed along each skinny heel, brightening as a stream of light flashed against them from someone entering the tent.
While I stepped into my heels, my bodyguard’s reflection came into view as he, too, assumed his position behind me.
My blood-red lips curved into a sinful smile as I looked at him through the mirror.
“Shall we get to today’s festivities?”