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Charline and Blue ju ers before I could protest The outfit they tossed over a on a nyold buttons at the shoulders They pulled the pins from my hair and lured it to tumble down my bare back in dark waves and slipped sandals on my feet

"What the hell?"

Madame Sylvie appeared in the door to lookfor faults or bared teeth "Hush Tonight is the night"

Charline stepped to Sylvie’s side Their avid eyesand their arms crossed Sylvie’s flesh-colored powder completely creeped me out; surely that didn’t fool the men? Or perhaps that hy she mostly stayed hidden in her rooht?" I asked

Charline sht"

Blue darted in with her brush, painting my lips with a blood-red Cupid’s bow Her own mouth was dran in a frown, darker blue in the wrinkles

Madame Sylvie’s eyebrows shot up in drawn-on arches "You knohat to do, n’est-ce pas? Where everything goes? In theory if not in practice?"

I went stock-still, frozen They still thought I was a virgin And they still thought I was for sale And apparently, they had finally earned a price high enough to ensure that they got a receipt, elephant or no

"I’ as a needle, too

"Of course not" Charline patted"You’re a courtesan And the highest-paid one in all of Paris Possibly all the world one day, if you’re any good at it Iht find yourself on the Maybuck"

Bile rose in my throat When had I eaten last? Ah, yes A vaao on an airship brothel And I’ hatever rich asshole you sold an

"How dare you--" Madame Sylvie barked at the same time

But Blue held up a hand I was utterly surprised when both Sylvie’s and Charline’s ave theirl A beautiful, talented girl with a unique flair that draws e What are your choices?" She counted the options off on her stubby blue fingers "Marry well Unlikely, as you’re not landed or huh money in the cabarets to set up your life Probable, if you don’t make eneht, and youtype" She pinned imlet eye "You could be someone’s mistress Possible, but you’ll need to be da wife in the background Becoreatest and most well-paid courtesan in Paris, with just an hour’s worth of work" Her last finger was a thu and needle pricks She pointed it at utter as soainst the filthy bricks of back alleys Waste away on drops of absinthe Fade into nothing"

The thuers," I hissed

Blue held up a fist "Only if you’re aWe know you’ll choose wisely," Charline said

"Or else," Madame Sylvie added

Charline’s hands curled aroundold sandals so thin I could feel the nails in the floorboards through their soles

"If all else fails, just moan and think of the Tower," Blue called

That struck land

"Why the Tower?"

The old blue daimon snorted "Because if you want to die, you need only touch it"