No More Frozen Bones

Chapter Eight

"W-what?"

"What?" The woman cooed, tilting her head. A chocolate strand brushed her cheek as she settled beside me. "What's the matter? You were talking a lot before."

My hands shook as I inspected the foamy beverage she bought for me. I ran my finger across a trail of condensation on the counter. My other hand tapped my thigh. The air was heavy. It was so heavy. It made breathing hard and clear thinking impossible.

Stilling my fidgeting, I drew in a breath. "Who are you trying to fool?" I didn't turn, but I still saw her flash a toothy grin.

A high-class fire blood. She could have been thousands of years old, and I had no way of telling. Although my knowledge of history was lacking, I grew up around one. I knew the feeling of debilitating power. I'd gotten used to that feeling. The feeling of being prey. One glance from my father would send my heart racing into fight or flight mode.

But this was different. It was heavier— a permanent ache in my chest. A pending doom.

Dread.

The woman hummed, sending vibrations through my bones. "I'm not trying to fool you. I want to know you."

I strained my neck towards the door. There were fewer patrons still residing in the dim space. Some passed out on the ground while others still let out boisterous laughs with friends. My gaze fell to the corner by the entrance, and my throat tightened. Emma was gone.

I pushed myself up but couldn't get far. Her leg wrapped around my calf and the chair leg. Since my feet couldn't touch the floor, my abdomen strained until I planted myself back down. The woman's muscles remained locked.

I stretched to kick at her leg with my free one.

She huffed out a laugh, not flinching. "You're serious? We're doing this?"

"You're doing this," I snapped. "I have no business with you."

"Aw." She stuck out her lip. "That's some big talk..." She trailed off.

My cheeks burned. "I know what you are. You don't scare me." Nothing scared me anymore. I dug my nails into my palm, staring nowhere but at the table and drying condensation.

We sat in silence for a few moments. My heart pounding started to subside as I listened to the lulls of conversation around me. The woman beside me tapped her fingers on the wood, nails clicking in no pattern.

"Then look."

And I did.

There was something achingly painful about looking at cheeks so full of color. A face full of life. Brown wisps of hair brushed her cheeks, splitting off and sticking out from the static of her hat. Her lips, reddened and parted, curved upwards in amusement. Dark eyes crinkled in mirth. Alive.

But I saw something else, too. Something shined gold around her neck, hidden by the layers of clothing.

"Now..." She clasped her hands in front of herself, leaning towards me. "Was that so hard?"

My blood ran hot. The sarcastic drawl in her tone made my hands shake as I dug my nails further into my palm. I blew at a strand of hair that tickled my face.

"Lynn is going to cause the death of many children." My tone was grave. "Is she prepared for that?"

The woman's expression hardened, and when she fitted me with a glare. It pierced through me. My body seized. "You let me worry about Lynn."

"You'll have much more to worry about than just Lynn, Advisor."

I saw it. Her eyes widened— only for a moment, but it was long enough to confirm my suspicions. I'd never seen someone from the Center. But, her mannerisms were different from those of the poor here. What was she doing with Lynn?