Much love to you, Orek, and the family,
Aislinn Darrow
Well, there it was. The better position she’d asked for, been waiting for, thought she was owed. Five options, all there in Lady Aislinn’s neat script, hers for the taking. There wasn’t even a need to hope for a royal visit wherein she could charm her way into a position with the princess.
It’d all worked out, just as her mother said it would.
If only she’d been patient.
If only she was even a little pleased about any of it.
Maeve tried to swallow, but her mouth was too dry. Fates, this was so sudden, so…
“I didn’t realize you’d written to Aislinn,” said Sorcha, gently but in that motherly way of hers that there was no mistaking it for anything but a scolding.
“You hadn’t heard anything, so I…”
Numb with shock over all the strangeness of the evening, Maeve lifted her head, only to find Sorcha looking at her inthat way. As though she was disappointed.
“How much of this have you told Soren?” interjected Imogen.
Maeve’s gaze cut to her, anger sparking in her chest. “I don’t think that’s any of your business.”
“He’s my friend and my brother now,” Imogen argued, “so I think it is. He’s a kind soul, he doesn’t deserve to be strung along.”
“Ah. So that’s what this is.” Taking a step back, Maeve glared at Imogen, Sorcha, and her mother. “You’ve come to interfere.To scold me and set me right.”
Raising her hands in placation, Sorcha said, “All we want to do is talk with you, Maeve. To see if there’s a solution that works for everyone.”
“Solution towhat, exactly?” demanded Maeve, wanting to hear it.
“About whether or not you can be with Soren,” said Imogen.
“Oh, I didn’t realize the decision was for a committee now. He didn’t tell me that was the way for manticores,” Maeve spat.
“Maeve, calm down,” said Aoife.
Sorcha winced, knowing that was absolutely thewrongthing to say to her.
Crumpling the letter in her fist, Maeve squirmed out of Sorcha’s reaching hands. “Don’t.” Glaring at her sister, she said, “What’s between Soren and me is our business.”
“Whatisbetween you?” asked Sorcha. “There are rumors, but—”
“Oh, right, yes, because there are always rumors about me, correct? Then they must be true. I must be playing with another one.” She spat that last part at Imogen. “That’s Maeve, a cruel little spider trapping men in her web.”
Imogen’s lips pursed and then she rolled her eyes.
Maeve nearly saw red, but Sorcha blocked her way again. “No one said that,” Sorcha insisted. “But, Maeve, it isn’t as though this is without precedence.”
“And what’s that supposed to mean?”
Sorcha sighed. “You know very well you’ve earned much of your reputation. You like to flirt and play, Maeve. And that’s fine if it’s with someone who knows it. But Soren—”
“It’s different with him,” said Imogen. “He may say he doesn’t want a mate, but finding theirkigarameans everything to them. Even Soren.”
“You got what you wanted.” Sorcha nodded at the letterclenched in Maeve’s fist. “You’ve had your fun. Now, it’s time you be honest with him about your intentions.”
“And you know for certain I haven’t been?” Maeve demanded.
