Free Immortal Darkness (Phantom Diaries #3) by Kailin Gow Page A

pinning and measuring, Kim helped me out the exquisite gown and pulled out a sheer sheath.
    “What’s that?”
    “I believe it’s for your moonlit scene in the garden.  The one with blood on your hands.”
    Frowning, I took it from her hands and held it up to the light.  “This is completely transparent.”
    “The scene calls for lights to be dim. The audience won’t be able to see through it as much as you think.”
    I shot her a skeptical glance.
    “I’m going to have to take the corset off you,” she said as she directed me to turn my back to her.
    “You mean I don’t even have a corset to conceal myself?”
    A moment of panic shook me. How could I possible go out on stage so exposed? With hundreds of people watching it would be impossible for me to concentrate on the song, on the scene. Surely my mind would be cemented on the fact I was virtually standing there in the nude.
    Kim removed my corset and pulled the sheath over my head.  The moment the fabric touched my skin, my bare breasts, the panic subsided and I was filled with the same passion I was certain Kristine had felt when she’d worn such a garment.
    It was luxurious in its translucence, gentle in its way of flowing so quietly, so unobtrusively over my body.
    “Not as bad as you thought, is it?” Kim stood behind me, admiring my reflection for a moment before turning away. “I’ll leave you a moment to reconcile with this new side of your character and go see if there’s anything else that you need to try on.”
    “I guess I can get used to this,” I whispered once she’d closed the door behind her. I smiled at the brazen woman in the mirror. In my eyes, in the curve of my lips and in the provocative pose my body took, I could see Kristine.
    Seemed she was cropping up a lot lately.  On numerous occasions, both Aaron and Chace had suspected me of being taken over by Kristine again.
    Despite their fears I felt in complete control.  I was playing Kristine in this opera, but I would not allow her to take over as she had before. 
    “Seems I always catch you in some state of undress these days.”
    I turned to face Chace. Standing at the door, he was red in the face. 
    Letting out a soft chuckle, I approached him.  “Of course if you're going to persist to barge into my dressing room you run the risk of seeing more of me than you might have expected.”
    “Look at you. You walked right to me, practically naked and you show no sign of scruples.  What’s gotten into you lately?”
    “Don’t start up with the Kristine thing again, Chace. This is part of the show, you know that.  I have to work at getting into this character. She’s so far removed from who I am, if I don’t convince myself, prove to myself that I can be as wanton and sexual as Kristine was, I won’t have a good performance. I’m already heading into this production with people’s pure white opinion of me.  I have to heat it up a bit.  Let them see this other side of me.”
    “No, this is more than just your way of getting into character.”
    “Please don’t make me feel ashamed of this new woman who is emerging.  I’m not saying I want to go out and roam the streets of New York dressed like this, but at least let me feel the sensuality of this character without making me feel bad about it.”
    “This is all Aaron’s doing.  He’s the one who put this into your head. He’s the one who insists you wear costumes that are more than daring.  I knew I shouldn’t have let you go to Paris with him.”
    “Chace, don’t say that.  I went to Paris of my own free will.  You had no say in the matter.”
    I saw the pained expression on his face and regretted my words, true as they were.  Reaching for his hand, I gazed into his eyes, so soft and trusting, so lost in love.
    “If he’s turning you into Kristine,” he muttered huskily. “What are you turning me into?”  He put his hand to my waist, tentative and unsure, but with heated desire.
    Licking his