No freckles. No beauty spots. No marks of any kind. An ethereal phantom born of snow and winter storms, and her eyes—such a piercing shade of blue that they looked like ice—were fixed on Maya.
Maya maintained eye contact. One of Aleksander’s most repeated lessons was that she couldn’t avoid being stared at, so she needed to not let it affect her. Or at least make it appear as though it didn’t.
“I wasn’t aware the Chains would send a representative.” The woman had approached the table. “Especially not someone like you. Curious.”
Her voice was cold and crisp, sharpened by a British accent. A posh cadence, making every word sound both elevated and insincere.
“My Regents are busy with other matters.” Maya cocked her head. “I assume yours is, too. Or is Queen Morrigan unwell?”
The woman scanned Maya’s face as though looking for cracks.
“My Queen’s territory spans nations rather than states. With spring’s imminent arrival, she has more serious issues to contend with than this… situation.”
Jackie glanced at the door. “Is that why Summer isn’t here?”
“Summer won’t arrive until months from now.” The woman sat at the end of the table. “Besides, they prefer their fairy circlesto civilized meetings, and they are unwilling to break bread with my kin. Night won’t be in attendance either, so unless you want to lament about their absence further, I suggest we get started. This issue is a thorn in the side, and it’s been allowed to fester for too long.”
The woman eyed Maya again. “Though I have to wonder why you are allowed to be here. I expected the Chains to keep such a valuable toy on a tighter leash.”
Jackie snorted. Didn’t even bother hiding it, either. She saw the woman’s comment as an amusing insult and treated it as such.
It wasn’t an insult. It was a question disguised as a jab. If Maya let it needle her, she would throw out a snarled response that she was a person rather than atoy.
Doing so would provide information. And this woman had the look of someone who wielded information like knives.
“My orders are enough of a leash,” Maya said. “Once this is done, it’ll pull me right back to Chains territory. Where I belong.”
The woman’s face stayed impassive. This close, her flawless skin became eerily so. Though something about her seemed ancient, she didn’t have a single wrinkle anywhere. As though she had never creased her brow or even smiled.
Maya extended her hand. “I’m Maya, by the way. Maya Novak.”
“I know who you are. Your eyes provide a detailed introduction.”
“Well, now I feel rude. Since you know who I am, but I don’t know you.” Maya smirked. “Can I have your name?”
The woman’s eyes shifted. For a second, forgoing their piercing quality for one a fraction softer. A hint of amusement, gone in a blink.
“You cannot. But, if you wish, you may call me Róisín.” She gave Maya’s hand a single shake. Her fingers were icy cold. “Róisín Frost.”
Chapter 31
“You have caused quite a mess.” Róisín took a pack of cigarettes from inside her jacket. “Winter looks away for a few months, and you lose hold of a neutral zone? One has to question the leadership that let such things occur.”
She glanced at Jackie, who let out a low growl.
“I didn’tletanything occur. I had no idea Kieran would do something like that.”
“So the betrayal came as a surprise?” Róisín said evenly. “That’s more concerning. Regents who get stabbed in the back tend to have short rules. Makes deals with them quite worthless things.”
She lit a cigarette, its end blazing orange. The warm color was a stark contrast to her cold visage.
“I don’t think you’re allowed to smoke in here,” Maya said. Róisín scoffed.
“You Chains are such sticklers for the rules. As it happens, I have a penchant for toxic things. If I am to spend time on a problem I didn’t cause, I need to find a way to enjoy myself.”
She blew smoke in Maya’s direction. Jackie leaned over the table, fists clenched.
“This isnotmy fault,” she snarled. “If you want to blame someone, blame the Chains. They pushed out both your kind and mine when they went on their little expansion kick. Plenty of wolves got pissed off.”
