“I don’t know what they’re doing. I expected it to be a trap, which is why I told you to stay at the outpost. But if it is a trap, I don’t see how. Our scouts could only pick up the scent of a single fae within that town, which doesn’t make sense. A child of the Winter Queen would not be allowed near a contested zone without ample protection.” He took back the letter, scanning the text. “And the message bothers me, too. It’s addressed to theRegentsof Chains.”
That was a good point. Their neighbors mostly considered the Chains a nuisance, and one of the primary reasons for it was their leadership. While Natalya technically wasn’t Queen, everyone treated her like she was. Aleksander included.
But many saw fiends as less than. Greater fiends especially. They were summoned to be under the will of another, and many considered it unnatural or even insulting to see them as anything more than tools.
It was one thing to legitimize the Chains by inviting them to a Court meeting. But offering Natalya the respect of a Regent’s title…
A play of some sort? The game board was just too obscured to make out its purpose.
“So what’s the plan?” Maya asked. “Wait for Natalya?”
“Save for emergencies, she stays in Chicago. I won’t pull her away from the position that strengthens her most.” He pinned Maya with a stare. “But you can go.”
She stepped back, eyes wide. “What?”
“I have two options. Let the meeting and whatever opportunities it may present pass me by. Or send a representative. Someone who knows the values of my Court and can be trusted to speak for them. You fit both descriptors.”
Maya stammered out a few hollow attempts at words before getting her voice in order.
“I’m not ready for something like that. I wouldn’t know what to do or say.”
“You would. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be asking you. And if you ever feel unsafe, call me, and I’ll send in reinforcements. I had several volunteers.”
Maya looked back at the people gathered behind her. They were standing at attention, ready to move at a moment’s notice.
“And Night?” Her voice came out uneven, and she quickly got it under control. “Will they be there?”
This would be a lot easier with a friend at the table. Almost a year ago, the Chains had helped Hasan Khara—the Night King of the American Heartlands—topple the sitting vampire Regent, ending a reign of terror and pain.
The cost of the alliance had been two states, with the Court of Night rescinding control of Illinois and Wisconsin to the Chains.It would have been too high a price for most people. The steady correspondence between Hasan and the Chains suggested he didn’t share that belief.
“Night won’t be present. Hasan is still dealing with the fallout of claiming his territory. Vermin are hard to kill.”
Aleksander stepped closer, lowering his voice.
“This is a request. Not an order. I won’t pretend this isn’t dangerous, but we are on the brink of conflict. Expanding our borders has earned us more ground and numbers, but it also gave us several enemies. The longer the loss of St. Louis persists, the more people will point fingers, and we make a prime target. One Court cannot reclaim the city without heavy losses, but if Winter is serious about offering aid, everything changes. Do you understand?”
She did. Sort of. It was risky, to invite collaboration with a faction known for backstabbing. To enforce change in a world that had been rigid for years. But while the Chains were hard as steel, they were also flexible. Capable of bending and growing in ways others refused to do.
For some, that fact was enough to want them destroyed. For some, it was enough reason to defend them. But though part of Maya fell within the latter camp, her motivation had a far simpler source.
This Court was her home. Harper’s home. That alone made it worth dying for.
“Okay,” Maya said. “I’ll try. Hopefully, that will be enough.”
Aleksander’s mouth tensed. A hint of a smile.
“It’ll be more than enough.” He looked back at the bridge, eyes hard again. “Whoever this R. Frost is, do not give them anything. Especially not the benefit of the doubt.” He gave a single nod. “Now go.”
Forcing her face into a composed mask, she stepped away from the trees, walking at a brisk, but human, pace. She typed the address into her phone, reading the directions.
Just a few minutes away. So close to the border that it was almost taunting. But it didn’tfeellike a taunt. If it was, it was shortsighted. Lacing an invitation with an insult didn’t set you up for success.
Winter wasn’t averse to gambling, but there was a difference between accepting risk and needlessly inviting it. Gloating was better done when your opponent was bleeding out on the ground rather than merely at a safe, but temporary, distance.
Something about this was plain odd.
Maya came to a halt at the target address. A dingy-looking bar with a neon sign reading ‘O’Reilly’s’ in flickering letters. Putting her phone on silent and slipping it into her pocket, she pushed down the growing unease and stepped inside.
