"Stand still."
Elder Catherine’s fingers were cold against my spine as she yanked the zipper upward. I wasn't sure if she was part of Larry's staff or his pack, did it even matter anymore?
"I said stand still, girl."
"I am standing still," I snapped, then immediately regretted it. Her eyes flashed yellow in the mirror's reflection. Another one. They were all around me. Watching. Waiting for me to break.
The dress was gold. Not white Larry had been very clear about that. "White is for virgins and liars," he'd said this morning, standing in my doorway like he had every right to be there. "You're neither, are you, Lyra?"
I hadn't answered. What was there to say?
"There." Elder Catherine stepped back, surveying her work with the critical eye of someone inspecting livestock. "You'll do."
