I pulled the chain corset over my head. The silver links settled against my skin, cold at first, then warming. The enchantments activated immediately, tightening the garment until it hugged my curves without constricting my ribs.

  “Perfect!” Aria clapped her hands together. “See? It looks amazing on you.”

  I glanced down at the arrangement of chains that barely qualified as coverage. “This is basically jewellery with delusions of being clothing.”

  “Exactly.” Aria dove back into the wardrobe, fabric rustling as she pushed aside hangers. “That’s what makes it great.”

  Faith sat on the chaise lounge, one hand pressed against her mouth. Her shoulders shook.

  “You could help instead of laughing,” I said.

  Faith dropped her hand. Tears tracked down her cheeks. “I’m sorry, I just—” She dissolved into giggles again. “As Liam, you would’ve killed someone before putting that on.”

  I yanked at one of the chains. It clinked against another. “I’m aware.”

  “And now every time you model something, I picture Liam wearing it.” Faith wiped at her eyes. “It’s the funniest thing I’ve seen in months.”

  Aria emerged from the wardrobe holding what appeared to be mostly straps and buckles. “Try this one next!”

  “No.” I stepped toward the chaise lounge. “Faith’s joining us.”

  Faith’s laughter cut off. “What?”

  I grabbed her wrist and pulled. She yelped as I hauled her to her feet.

  “Lily, wait—”

  “You get to suffer with me.” I dragged her toward Aria. “Plus I want to see your reactions.”

  “But I don’t need—” Faith’s tail lashed behind her, nearly hitting Isabella’s leg.

  “Oh, you definitely need this.” I pushed her toward Aria, who immediately began examining Faith’s measurements with her eyes. “You’ll change your mind once Aria picks a few things.”

  Faith crossed her arms over her chest. “Please. It’s not like I don’t have experience with provocative clothing.”

  I smirked. “You wore tactical gear and conservative outfits your entire life. This will be a good experience.”

  “Two models!” Aria squealed. She thrust the strap arrangement at me. “Put this on while I find something for Faith.”

  Faith backed up a step. “Lily, seriously—”

  “Too late.” I caught her shoulder and held her in place. “You laughed. Now you pay.”

  Aria pulled a red number from the wardrobe, examining it against Faith’s skin tone. “This will work beautifully with your complexion.”

  Isabella moved toward the door. Her heels clicked twice against the floor before Faith’s hand shot out and grabbed her wrist.

  “If I’m doing this, so are you.”

  Isabella’s expression didn’t change. “I was simply going to wait outside until—”

  “No.” Faith’s grip tightened. “You’re staying.”

  I grinned. “Aria needs a third model anyway.”

  “A third!” Aria spun around, the red garment still in her hands. Her purple eyes gleamed. “Yes! This is perfect!”

  Isabella pulled against Faith’s hold, but Faith had already planted her feet. “This is unnecessary. I have perfectly adequate—”

  I grabbed Isabella’s other wrist. Between Faith and me, she had no leverage to escape.

  “Please reconsider,” Isabella said. Her tone remained level, but her tail curved tight against her thigh.

  “Nope.” I dragged her toward the dressing area. “Welcome to the team.”

  Aria dumped an armful of fabric onto the chaise lounge. Chains clinked. Leather creaked. Something with feathers scattered across the cushions. She pulled a black piece from the pile, holding it up to examine the fit.

  “This will look amazing on Isabella.” Aria’s tail swayed behind her. “The cut is perfect for her figure.”

  “I’m leaving.” Isabella tried to pull free again.

  Faith and I both tightened our grips.

  “You really aren’t,” Faith said.

  I released the chain corset and let it fall to the floor. The enchantments deactivated as soon as it left my skin. “Try the strap thing first or the red one?”

  “Red.” Aria tossed the garment at Faith, who caught it against her chest. “Isabella gets the black. You take the straps.”

  I picked up the arrangement of leather and buckles. The material felt soft between my fingers, already warming from the enchantments. “How does this even go on?”

  “Figure it out.” Aria grabbed another outfit from the wardrobe. This one appeared to be mostly mesh with strategic solid panels. She held it against her own body, examining her reflection in the full-length mirror. “Oh, I’m definitely trying this.”

  Faith stared at the red garment in her hands. The fabric draped across her palms, revealing more cut-outs than coverage. “There’s no way this fits properly.”

  “Enchantments adjust everything.” I stepped into the strap contraption, pulling it up my legs. The buckles clinked as I tried to sort out which piece went where. “Mother made sure nothing here would need tailoring.”

  Aria shimmied out of her Academy uniform. The white shirt hit the floor, followed by her skirt. She pulled the mesh outfit over her head. The enchantments activated immediately, fabric tightening against her curves until it hugged every line of her body.

  “See?” She turned in front of the mirror. The mesh sections revealed skin beneath whilst the solid panels created patterns across her torso. “Perfect fit.”

  I finally got the straps arranged. The leather settled against my skin, crossing over my chest and wrapping around my waist. Another strap ran between my legs before connecting to a band around my hips. I checked my reflection.

  “This is ridiculous.”

  “This is fashion.” Aria grabbed Faith’s shoulder and spun her around. “Now put yours on.”

  Faith held up the red garment. “Where are the sides supposed to go?”

  “There aren’t sides.” I adjusted one of the buckles on my hip. “It’s more of a front and back situation.”

  This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

  Isabella stood with her arms crossed, the black outfit still dangling from Faith’s other hand where she’d dropped it. “I don’t see why this is necessary.”

  “Because it’s fun.” Aria pulled another piece from the wardrobe, this one covered in silver chains similar to the corset I’d just removed. “And because you’re all gorgeous and should see yourselves in proper succubus fashion.”

  Faith pulled her shirt off. Her wings flared slightly as she worked the fabric over her horns. “This feels like a terrible idea.”

  “Those are the best kind.” I grinned at her discomfort. “Welcome to my world.”

  * * *

  Three hours had passed since we’d started raiding my wardrobe. The dressing room floor had disappeared beneath piles of discarded outfits. Chains draped across the chaise lounge. Leather pieces hung from drawer handles. Feathers scattered across every surface.

  Isabella pulled her Academy uniform back on, smoothing the skirt against her thighs. “Finally.”

  The word came out more theatrical than genuine. Her lips curved up at the corners despite the exasperation in her tone.

  Aria twirled in front of the mirror one last time, admiring the purple dress she’d claimed as her final choice. “Your wardrobe is incredible, Lily.”

  “I’ll pass the compliment to my mother.” I fastened the buttons on my own shirt.

  Faith secured her tie, her fingers working the knot into place. “Are you sure your mother was the one who filled it?”

  I paused mid-button.

  “You knew exactly which section had what.” Faith’s tail swayed behind her. “And after the first hour, you got just as enthusiastic as Aria about the combinations.”

  My eyes narrowed. “Excuse me?”

  Faith’s straight expression lasted three seconds before she broke. Laughter spilled out of her as she bent forward, one hand pressed against her stomach. “No, I can’t—I can’t keep a straight face.”

  “You’re hilarious.” I threw a stray piece of mesh at her head.

  She caught it against her chest, still laughing. “I’m sorry. Your expression was perfect.”

  Aria gathered several garments into her arms, folding them against her chest. “So when do you want to go on mortal realm hopping?”

  I blinked. “Right. That was the plan.”

  Isabella’s shoulders dropped half an inch. “I had forgotten.”

  “Do any of you have suggestions?” I picked up the scattered clothing pieces from the floor, tossing them toward the wardrobe. “Specific realms we should visit?”

  Aria tilted her head to the side, her horns catching the light. Her tail tapped against the floor twice before stilling.

  Isabella crossed her arms. Her ice-blue eyes shifted toward the ceiling for several seconds.

  “The palace library.” Isabella lowered her gaze back to me. “There should be tomes detailing various mortal worlds worth visiting.”

  “That’s actually a good idea.” Aria dropped her pile of clothing onto the chaise lounge.

  I grinned at her. “Are you volunteering to go to a library?”

  “Only when it involves future fun.” Aria grinned. “Present fun is better, but planning future fun counts as fun adjacent.”

  Faith shook her head. “That logic barely holds together.”

  “It holds perfectly.” Aria moved toward the door. “Library now, adventure later. Clear progression.”

  I grabbed my spatial ring from the dresser, sliding it onto my finger. The cool metal settled against my skin as the enchantments activated. Faith adjusted her uniform one last time whilst Isabella swept her silver hair over her shoulder.

  We left the room behind, walking through the palace corridors toward the library wing. Our footsteps echoed against the obsidian floors. Servants pressed themselves against walls as we passed, bowing their heads.

  Faith walked beside me, her white hair matching mine in the dim lighting. “How big is the palace library?”

  “Big enough.” I turned left at an intersection. “Magically expanded, so it’s quite hard to estimate.”

  “Wonderful.” Isabella’s voice carried from behind us. “More navigating endless stacks.”

  Aria bounced ahead, already pulling open the massive library doors before the rest of us reached them. The scent of old parchment and leather bindings drifted into the corridor.

  “Let’s find ourselves an adventure.” Aria disappeared into the darkness beyond the threshold.

  * * *

  I stepped through the library doors behind Aria. The scent of ancient parchment and binding leather washed over me, but the sight beyond still pulled a sharp breath from my lungs.

  Bookshelves twisted at impossible angles. Some hung from the ceiling, their contents defying gravity as books remained firmly wedged in place. Others curved around corners that shouldn’t exist, creating spirals that hurt to look at directly. The floor continued into walls that became ceiling before looping back into floor again.

  “What the fuck.” Faith stopped beside me, her head tilting back to follow one particularly aggressive spiral.

  “The whole library doesn’t follow normal physics.” I walked forward, my feet finding solid purchase despite the visual chaos. “You get used to it after an hour or two.”

  Isabella moved past us both, her ice-blue eyes tracking the impossible geometry. “I’ve read about it before, but this…”

  “It’s different seeing it.” I finished her thought.

  Aria had already ventured deeper, spinning in a slow circle as she tried to take everything in at once. “How do you even find anything?”

  A demon descended from above—or perhaps rose from below, it was difficult to tell. Her wings folded against her back as she settled on our level of reality, her tail swishing behind her in a gentle arc.

  “Princess.” She bowed her head to me before nodding to the others. “Welcome to the library. How may I assist you today?”

  “We’re looking for the section on mortal realms.” I gestured vaguely at the infinite stacks surrounding us. “Travel guides, cultural information, that sort of thing.”

  The librarian nodded once. “Of course.”

  The floor lurched beneath us.

  No—that wasn’t quite right. The floor remained solid and stable. Instead, space itself twisted. Rows of books compressed into lines, stretched into ribbons of colour, then reformed into entirely different configurations. My stomach remained calm whilst my eyes insisted we were moving at impossible speeds.

  Faith grabbed my shoulder. Her fingers dug into the fabric of my uniform as reality continued to reorganise around us.

  The movement stopped as abruptly as it had begun. We stood before a new row of shelves, these ones mercifully following normal geometry. Books lined them in neat rows, spines facing outward with titles in dozens of different languages.

  “Will you require specific tomes?” The librarian floated several inches off the ground, her wings barely moving.

  “No, thank you.” I glanced at the shelves. “I think we can manage.”

  She gestured to a small table that definitely hadn’t been there a moment ago. A tiny silver bell sat in its centre, reflecting light that seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere. “Ring if you need assistance. To retrieve a book, simply think about what you want and it will appear in your hand.”

  Her wings spread. She shot upward—or sideways, or perhaps inward—and vanished into the impossible architecture above.

  Silence stretched for several heartbeats.

  “That was…” Faith’s hand remained on my shoulder.

  “Yeah.” Aria’s voice came out quiet, almost reverent.

  I stepped toward the shelves. The titles swam before my eyes, reorganising themselves as I tried to focus on any single one. Think about what I want.

  A book materialized in my palm. Brown leather binding, gold lettering along the spine. Comprehensive Guide to Earth-Adjacent Realms: Volume Seven.

  “Right.” I turned to the others. “Let’s get started.”

  We gathered around the table. Isabella summoned three more books in quick succession whilst Aria stared at her empty hands with intense concentration.

  “You have to actually want information.” Isabella set her stack down. “Not just want to make something appear.”

  Aria’s forehead wrinkled. A slim volume popped into existence, nearly hitting her in the face. She caught it against her chest. “Got it.”

  Faith remained standing, her eyes still tracking the impossible shelves above us. I summoned another book and held it out to her.

  She took it automatically, her attention finally dropping back to our level. “Sorry. This place is just…”

  “Overwhelming.” I pulled out a chair. “Sit. Let’s figure out where we want to go.”

  The books opened across the table. Illustrations showed landscapes that ranged from familiar to utterly alien. Faith leaned over one page, her finger tracing the outline of what looked like a standard European city.

  “Earth-117b.” Isabella read from her own tome. “Technologically similar to Faith’s original realm, but the primary landmass follows a different continental arrangement.”

  I flipped through my volume. “Arborea-31c. Multiple sentient species, medieval technology level, magic is commonplace rather than hidden.”

  “That sounds fun.” Aria peered over my shoulder. “What kind of species?”

  “Elves, dwarves, orcs, humans…” I skimmed the text. “Standard configuration, apparently.”

  Faith looked up from her book. “So typical fantasy?”

  “There are enough realms with that pattern that scholars categorised it as a type.” I turned the page to show an illustration of a tavern filled with various humanoid creatures. “Though the specifics vary.”

  “Terramund-EX.” Isabella tapped her book. “This one has interesting geography. Single flat planet at the centre, twin suns orbiting it.”

  Aria leaned across the table to see. “How does that even work?”

  “Different physics.” I shrugged. “Some realms just operate on entirely separate rules.”

  Faith pulled another book from the air, this one appearing more smoothly than her first attempt. The cover showed a sprawling cityscape with towers that spiralled into clouds.

  “Earth-42a.” She read aloud. “Says here they have flying vehicles powered by some kind of enchanted mechanisms.”

  “Magical technology.” I recognised the description from my early research. “They developed along a different path than our Earth.”

  The books continued to pile up across the table. Each one revealed another variation, another possibility. My voice stayed quiet as I described the realms to Faith, the magical dampening keeping our discussion from carrying more than a few feet.

  Different worlds spread before us, waiting.