Once Betrayed Never Forgotten

Chapter 62: Playing Dress–Up

If anyone can find a person anywhere in the castle at the drop of a hat, it’s her the little monster.

I call out “Seraphina, I need you!” as I’d been instructed when I first arrived at the castle. A few seconds later, there’s a puff of black smoke next to the piano, and out steps the Vasiliev family’s servant, a sweet smile on her deceptively childlike fare. I have to remind myself that she might look like a little girl, but Seraphina is at least a thousand years old, older even than Aleksandr.

“An interesting choice of garment, my Lady,” Seraphina says with a giggle, taking in the ridiculous sight of me sitting atop a grand piano wrapped up in an old moth–eaten tapestry.

You smell all

“What were you two doing in here? Seraphina asks innocently, her eyes going wide with awe. “Did you do something weird to her, Luka? You gross and salty! And what’s that white stuff on your pants?”

For a second Luka’s face turns white as a sheet and his silver eyes grow wide with unabated horror, and I feel my own ch*eks blush, before Semphina doubles over laughing.

“I’m just yanking your chain, silly wolf,” she says, her voice filled with mirth. “I know exactly what you two horny youngsters were getting up to. Tsk Isk. Aleksandr won’t like this…”

“Well, he doesn’t need to find out, then,” I snap impatiently at her. I shift uncomfortably

ly under the threadbare tapestry, and an idea springs into my mind.

“Seraphina, can you summon something for me to wear?” I ask, eyeing the torn up shreds of my white lace dress lying on the floor at the foot of the plana. “My dress got sort of… destroyed.”

“Your wish is my command,” she says cheerfully as I hop off the piano and stand before her. There’s a sudden feeling of warmth and trickling over my entire body, like being engulfed in honey, and then the tapestry is gone. Instead, I find myself wearing something quite unexpected.

Oh my god! Bloody Seraphina! I shouldn’t have trusted her.

I’m wearing, to my absolute horror, a crotchless bondage outfit, which is basically just a few scraps of black leather and a series of silver buckles and restraints which cover barely anything. The leather harness and waist to thigh restraints kit with thigh garter kit is basically just kinky BDSM lingerie, I even have a little black leather riding crop.

“NOT FUNNY, SERAPHINA!” I yell at her, but she’s too busy laughing at her own hilarious workmanship to care.

“What?” She says between giggles. “I felt bad for poor Luka. I thought I’d give him a little treat. He’s been a good boy, helping you when you were in danger in the village.”

I sneak a glance over at Luka, and his expression says it all. He stares at me open–mouthed, practically drooling at the sight of me. He’s growing hard again, the tent pitching in his pants even through the hard denim, and I have to look away to keep myself from becoming aroused. With these crotchless panties, there’d be no hiding it.

Even though Seraphina is practically ancient literally like tiny times my own age- it’s still pretty jarring that she looks and acts like a child. I don’t know how much of it is an act, and how much of it is a result of her getting turned into a vampire by Anya when she was young, but I’m not willing to risk it. As far as I’m concerned she’s a kid- and a really bad, mischievous one at that.

“No more tricks Seraphina,” I scold her irritably. “Quit joking around. Give me something less revealing to wear. Content bel0ngs to Nôvel(D)r/a/ma.Org.

“Fine, Miss, Boring.” Seraphina says with a pout. “You’re no fun.”

I feel that same sensation of warmth

th shifting of

over my body, and then I find myself in a far less revealing, but equally over the top, outfit.

I look down and see that I’m wearing a magnificent emerald green dress with a high neck, the lush velvet gliding over my skin like a silken caress. The floor–length medieval gown drapes around me, and its long bell sleeves cascade from my shoulders.

Seraphina even created matching shoes, their delicate straps and elegant design moulded perfectly to my feet, as if they were created exclusively for me

which, now that I think of it, they were.

“The green matches your eyes,” Seraphina says with a smile. “You like it?”

“It’s amazing.” I answer. “But it’s still wanaaaay too much. It’s perfect for the castle, or for some grand vampire ball, but that’s not where I’m going. Can you dial it back a little? Try something more modern. Something I could wear in the outside world, amongst humans.”

Chapter 62. Playing Dress–Up

Something I could wear in California, is what I want to say, but I don’t want to reveal my plans to Seraphina yet. I’m not sure if she’ll run straight to Aleksandr and tell him I’m trying to leave,

“Something more modern…” she says thoughtfully, clearly searching her mind for inspiration. “Human clothing… ok, got it!”

There’s that same feeling of warmth running over my body, and then I’m dressed in the most absurd outfit yet. I’m wearing some sort of vintage dark black and white 1980s womens‘ power suit, complete with huge shoulder pads and a boxy, breasted polka dot peplum blazer, paired with a black knee length skirt. The shiny black leather high heels pinch at my feet, causing me to grimace. It’s like something Joan Collins would have worn on the set of Dynasty forty years ago,

I look f*cking ridiculous.

*1 said no more jokes, Seraphina,” I say with a sigh, narrowing my eyes at her, but this time she looks sulky and confused, and she’s not laughing.

Luka, however, is

“I forgot to tell you, Seraphina doesn’t leave the castle that often,” he says between breathless howls of amusement. “I guess her knowledge of what’s going on outside the castle walls is a little outdated.”

“A little?!” I ask in horror, looking down at the hideous polka dotted blazer, a crime against fashion if there ever was one

“I tried my best,” Seraphina says sulkily

That’s when an idea strikes me. When I first arrived at the castle, and I wanted something to eat, Seraphina sat me down in the dining hall and told me to imagine the thing I most wanted to eat at that moment – and then she seemed to pluck the answer straight from my imagination.

*Seraphina, do you remember that time when you conjured up the birthday cake for me, continue. “Could you do the same for me now? But with an outfit I want to wear.”

“Sure,” she says, shrugging her shoulders nonchalantly. “Ready when you are.”

after I showed you u with my mind? 1 ask. She nods, and i

I relax my mind and close my eyes, trying to focus on the ideal outfit. I need something casual, so that after Mircea breaks the mate bond between Luka and I, I can go find my mom and say goodbye to her, then show up back home in California without looking like a total weirdo.

Just normal human clothes, which should be easy, but is actually a lot harder when you’re having to really think about it..

The first thing my mind goes to is my typical day–to–day outfit in California – sandals with denim shorts and a loose shirt slung over a bikini, perfect for long days spent at the beach or surfing. That’s too summery for this chilly castle though.

-Finally, I clear my mind and settle on a pair of comfy black yoga pants, a loose white tee under a big dove grey hoodle, and chunky white sneakers.

Perfect for layering, and for transitioning from the cold castle atop the snowy mountain, to sunny California.

As if sensing that I’ve finally settled on an outfit, Seraphina says “open your eyes, my Lady.”

I look down and see the exact ensemble I’d pictured, identical in every way except for one small difference one of the white sneakers has a tiny embroidered black bat on the outside, the inky thread gleaming darkly against the white leather.

“To remember me by,” Seraphina says glumly. “Why are you going back to California? Don’t you like it here?”

Damn. I guess she saw more than I was planning when I let her into my mind back there,

“It’s complicated,” I say, noticing the quick look of barely concealed pain that passes over Luka’s handsome face.

“Do you really have to leave? Seraphina pleads, pouting as she bites her lip, revealing one strangely cute razor sharp fang.

“Yes, I do, I’m sorry Seraphina,” I say, “Actually, that’s the real reason I summoned you here. I need you to find Mircea, and bring her to me. There’s something important I need her to do before I can go.”

It’s now or never.