The grogginess that gripped Sophia had proven extremely difficult to dispel. It’s my own fault, I suppose. What got a hold of me last night? That dream had felt incredibly vivid, especially compared to the ones she usually had. The memories of the average dream faded quickly for her, but this one refused to let go of her. The thoughts she’d had about wanting to be touched, to be played with… they nagged at her still.

I don’t have time for that. She had just finished breakfast and needed to get herself put together before she left for her new employer’s extremely normal home in the middle of the forest. Maybe he would want to– She bit her own tongue as soon as the thought came to her mind. No. Absolutely not. The man was undeniably attractive, and his voice felt so incredible to listen to, but with that attitude? The man was more arrogant and self-assured than anyone she’d ever encountered. Like he was so much better than everyone else!

Sophia went back to her room to grab a cloak and her gloves. It was supposed to be cold today, and the windows in the carriage seemingly didn’t have any way to shut them. She grabbed the cloak first, wrapping it around her shoulders. She reached for her gloves, picking them up off of the table. As she did, she looked down at her hands; specifically, her right. There were dark lines over the joints of her hand. She turned her palm up– they were completely circling each of her fingers. As far as she could tell, her fingers were still perfectly fine.

That dream.

It didn’t seem possible, but each of the marks on her fingers lined up with every place the finger in her dream had touched. She ran the fingers on her left hand over her right. Everything felt normal, but if there wasn’t anything happening, why would those markings be there in the first place?

Sophia tugged the glove onto her hand and folded her arms over her chest. I don’t have time to worry about that. That carriage is going to leave me here if I don’t– She grabbed a bag of sewing equipment that she’d left by the door the previous night and ran outside. Sure enough, the carriage had slowly begun to roll away from her home. That ass of a man– It’s not even 8:30!

She turned, locking her front door, then bolted after the carriage. After a few moments of reaching for the door while running alongside it, Sophia found her way inside again. Some perk this is. He’s forcing me to adhere to some arbitrary schedule he wants without even explaining the damn thing!

She sat quietly, catching her breath. Why did he want her to repair all of those garments? Sophia could have sworn that every one of them was an article of women’s clothing, not a man’s… Unless– Well, no, he did say they weren’t for him. A shame, that.

The time went by slowly. She was grateful for the chance to rest her legs instead of making the long trek back and forth, but there wasn't much to look at outside. I was too tired last night to think about bringing something to do with me… I should bring a book next time. If I really do have an hour to kill anyway, that is. She stretched out on the seat, laying down across the bench. Come to think of it, why did he go through Bernard for this? Surely he could have just come to ask me directly for my assistance. Unless… Does he think that I would have turned him down if he’d asked me first?

She frowned, staring up at the ceiling. And what the hell did Bernard mean when he told me to stop asking like I wasn’t interested in what he wanted? He always has wanted to set me up with someone… She sighed. He did tell dad he wouldn’t let me end up alone. But what if I like being alone?

Sophia sighed and rubbed her right hand. I’ll worry about all that later. For now I just have to put up with this stupid handsome mage. Whatever will I do? She thought, rolling her eyes at herself. At least he makes it easy to not find him so attractive.

Another fifty minutes later, the carriage stopped exactly where she'd gotten in the night before. She gathered the few things she'd brought with her and stepped out. It was a beautiful morning. And I won't get to enjoy any of it now. She knocked on the front door.

No answer.

She knocked again, this time a bit louder. Still, she heard nothing from inside the house. She raised her right hand to bang it on the door. As she went to strike it, something stopped her. Instead, she reached for the doorknob. The door opened immediately as she touched it.

Sophia leaned forward to look inside. Why did I do that? She curled and uncurled the fingers on her right hand. “Miles? Are you home?” she asked, unsure if she should step inside. After a few moments again with no answer, she walked through the door. It immediately slammed shut behind her, making her yelp. Where could he even be?

After looking through a couple of rooms, she finally made her way back to the sewing room. Well, it's not as if he's going to be upset that I'm working. This is what he asked for. She set her bag down next to the table, took off her gloves, and opened the wardrobe Miles had shown her before. It was packed with dresses, skirts, blouses, and more. Sophia’s hands drifted across them, noting the different ways each were in need of repair. Oddly enough, they seemed to have a single uniform size among them.

She pulled a soft and flowing red dress out, a cut across its skirt. “Shouldn’t be too difficult,” Sophia muttered. She settled down with her supplies at the table. She couldn’t help but stare at her marked hand as she worked. I bet Miles will have something to say about it if he ever shows back up. She stopped, looking up from the machine for a moment. Is this his fault somehow? It made as much sense as anything else. Did she accidentally set off some kind of hex by using the carriage the night before? It couldn’t have been something she did today, since she’d found it this morning after that dream. When she curled her fingers, she could swear she could feel the markings on her skin. They didn't just feel like ink stains– there was something else about them, something more physical about them. But for whatever reason, she couldn't bring herself to worry.

***

Sophia gingerly walked up the polished stone staircase leading to the party. She hadn't planned on attending, but at Miles’ urging, she finally agreed to at least make an appearance. She was still unsure about the event, but Miles was right: it was the best way to introduce herself to a number of powerful and influential people in the surrounding area. There was no need to continue serving the people of Nebela exclusively. There were so many other towns, so many other bigger and better things she could aspire to.

She reached the top of the steps and looked into the crowd. There were dozens of others who had already arrived, mingling amongst each other while they drank. A band was playing soft music on the other end of the hall. Sophia took a deep breath and made her way into the crowd, taking a drink from a passing servant. She brought the glass to her lips and felt a bit of relief as she realized she was wearing a pair of elbow length red gloves to go with her dress. She still hadn't quite figured out where the strange markings on her right hand had come from, and she didn't want anyone here to see them. Actually… Why am I…?

“Well well, a new face in the crowd!” Sophia turned around to face the voice and immediately felt smaller. The man was tall with broad shoulders, towering over her. He leaned forward, taking Sophia’s hand in his, planting a kiss on the back of it. “This must be your first time attending one of our little get-togethers here. I can’t say that I recognize you,” he said.

Sophia tried her best not to pull her hand back when he took it. “Y-yes, this is my first time here. My name is Sophia. Does that make you the host then?” She recomposed herself, flashing a smile at the man. He was well dressed with sharp features, and golden brown hair.

“That it would, dear.” He took a drink and smiled. “I’m surprised to see you so soon. Is this really where he had you start?” He was looking her up and down, appraising her. “I suppose he’s always been bold. I can’t blame him either, look at you.”

She blushed and couldn’t help but smile. “Thank you?” She didn’t know why she said it, or what he really meant. “So you…” She stopped to think. “Are you talking about Miles? What do you mean by him being bold?”

“I’m just surprised to see him send you to us so soon!” He gestured widely at the crowd. Sophia gave him a curious look, and he smiled down at her. “Don’t think too much about it, dear. There’s a reason he wanted to introduce you to us. If you’re going to be working with him for a while, coming to gatherings like this is inevitable. Mages love to do anything to get away from work.”

Sophia nodded, pretending like she had any idea what the man meant. She didn’t really know many mages – Miles was the first she was personally acquainted with, and it sounded like he might have been telling people about her. “How much has he told you about me?”

“Enough, I think.” He reached for a nearby table, taking another glass off of it. This one looked different from the first glass of champagne Sophia had downed when she came in, and he gestured for her to take it. “There’s really nothing to worry about. You’re among friends! Relax, doll.”

Sophia blinked. Her right hand reached out and took the drink without thinking, and she felt some of the tension she’d been holding leave her. The man was right. She needed to relax. She felt a lazy smile appear on her face, and she took a drink from the glass. It was sweet, but it didn’t taste alcoholic. “You’re right, I’m sorry. And I never did ask for your name!”

The man ran a hand through his short blonde hair. “Jonathan Lest. And think nothing of it, dear. It’s always difficult to go somewhere new and socialize.” He looked at the glass in her hand again, then set his own down. “Finish that, dear. Would you care to dance?”

Sophia quickly finished the glass, then offered her left hand to Jonathan with a smile. “If you’ll have me, I’d love to.”

He took her hand and led her closer to where the band was playing. There were others already dancing, and she let him lead her. Sophia didn’t have much experience with dancing, but it almost felt natural to her here.

Jonathan’s hand made its way to her hip, and she almost gasped. She was so sensitive to his touch. Was it that drink…? Sophia blushed and continued dancing. Every step of the dance made her that much more aroused, feeling her body so close to his. The dream she’d had drifted to the forefront of her mind. She felt his fingers squeeze and she let out a squeak. Jonathan pretended not to notice and moved in closer to her. “You’re good at this, doll. How are you feeling?”

“Oh, ah– I– I feel fine, sir– Jonathan, sorry,” she stammered. It’s probably nothing. Just an overly familiar man using a term of endearment. There’s no way he knows what I was thinking about. “I’m good. You’re sweet to say so. I think you’re doing most of the work, though.”

He pulled her in tight to him, forcing her to look straight up to make eye contact. “That’s good, dear.” She was looking into his green eyes as he spoke, and she felt her head swim. She was so close to him now. She wanted to feel his hands all over, she wanted him to overpower her. She squirmed in his arms, worried about how desperate she was becoming. He leaned forward, getting face to face with her. “You’re going to feel like this all the time soon, you know. You’re really going to enjoy it.”

“I– Jonathan, what on earth–”

***

“Ms. Reed!”

Sophia snapped awake suddenly, her head cradled in her arms at the sewing table. She opened her eyes and bolted to attention. Miles was standing on the opposite side of the table, his beautiful golden eyes meeting hers. “I– I’m so sorry, I don’t know– You weren’t answering when I got back, so I just decided to let myself in and–”

Miles sighed, then nodded. “I suppose I can’t blame you for doing what I’ve asked of you.” He stepped forward, taking the red dress from the table in front of Sophia. “And the townsfolk were right. This doesn’t look like it’s been repaired, it looks new. You have a talent for this.”

“That’s very kind of you to say, Miles. Sir. Sorry.” She watched as he inspected the fabric. I don’t even remember actually repairing it… When did I fall asleep? And why do I keep– Sophia shifted on the seat. She still felt so aroused, even after realizing the ‘party’ was just some kind of dream she was having. I can’t say I’ve ever had two dreams back to back nearly as vivid as that.

Miles put the dress back on a hanger and took it to a rack on the other side of the room. “We’ll place the finished products here.” He flashed her a grin. Sophia couldn’t help but smile back, closing her eyes.

“Though I must ask– What were you doing that got your hands so dirty?”

Sophia looked down at her hands. They were both covered in those same markings now. She blinked a few times, unsure what to make of the situation. “I– I truly don’t know, sir. I didn’t have them yesterday, and I don’t know where I could have even gotten them. I was hoping you might be able to tell me, to be honest.”

The mage raised an eyebrow and looked down at her. “Have you tried… washing them, Ms. Reed?”

The arousal Sophia had felt just a moment ago was immediately replaced with irritation. “Do you truly think I wouldn’t try that first? I’m not stupid, Miles.”

His expression became a glare faster than she could process. Even so, he did approach her, taking her left hand into his. He looked down at her hand, inspecting it, adjusting his glasses to get a better look. “No, I can’t say I know exactly what this is. It’s strange that they mostly encompass your finger joints. Are they anywhere else on your body?”

Sophia felt her face turn red. “I– I suppose I haven’t checked, but I don’t believe so. I can almost feel them on my skin. It’s strange.”

“Well, consider yourself lucky for now. I don’t think they’re dangerous, just from a cursory examination.” He dropped her hand, turning towards the door. “From here on, don’t just pick an item at random from a wardrobe. I’ll make sure to have your next assignment ready for you when you come back tomorrow. It’s already evening.”

***

Sophia exited the carriage, happy to finally be away from the mages cottage. She was wearing her gloves now, trying to cover up her hands as best she could. I don’t need anyone asking questions that I can’t answer. She stepped inside, setting her bag down by the door, then began shedding the modest clothes she’d worn today. I have to make sure there’s nothing else on me.

She grabbed a handheld mirror and used it to make an inspection. So far, it didn’t seem like they were spreading any further.

You’re going to feel like this all the time.

The words echoed in Sophia’s head. She couldn’t let them go. Why do I keep having these dreams? What’s going on with me?

She set her mirror down on the table and fell onto her bed. It doesn’t matter. I still need to sleep. Sophia pulled the blankets over her. A soft smile crept across her face.

Maybe another dream like that wouldn’t be so bad.