Everyone had arrived and was settling in. Alexia had determined the party would officially start at midnight. She and Soon-mi had planned a dramatic entrance, that along with a wickedly luscious array of food and some truly inspired room arrangements should set things off on the right track.

Alexia sat before the lighted mirror in her room, contemplating the masks spread out before her, trying to decide what would be best. Kristoph stood in the doorway, already dressed for the night. On the surface, he looked no different than his usual patient self, but his silence spoke volumes.

“You’re displeased with me.”

He was too Swan-perfect to startle, but Alexia caught his eyes snapping into focus as he said, “Forgive me, Snow-más.” She felt the nima move around and through him, his etheric gift muting the displeasure almost to nothing. “I didn’t mean to project.”

Which didn’t actually address the issue. “If you have something to say, please do share.”

Softer, he said, “It isn’t my place.”

Which, in a strange way, hurt. Kristoph was her confident, her trusted friend. “If not your place, then who? Come now, darling. Talk to me.”

“Nita Corinne,” he said, then stopped.

“What of her?”

“I like her.”

“As do I.”

To that, he didn’t respond.

Alexia was losing patience for this. “Speak your mind, or don’t, but this petulant silence is unbecoming.”

His external facade was cool and perfect, but if Alexia reached in through the etheric cloud behind which he was hiding, she could feel a sharp frustration and anger that she wasn’t used to from Kristoph.

But his voice was calm and emotionless as he said, “My Emperor likes her. Pays attention to her. And my Emperor’s attention is glorious. She is as lost as anyone ever has been, and my Emperor will delight in that, until she stops. Until my Emperor pushes her away.” A pause, where he didn’t say, as you always do, but Alexia heard the words anyway. “And that will break her.”

Alexia’s own anger flared. Making her voice sharp. “You make me sound a monster.”

“No.” A calm denial. “But it seems unfair, perhaps, inviting her to love Snow-más when my Emperor knows she will not love Corinne back.”

“I know no such thing. Just because I haven’t…” There was no point even finishing that sentence. It wasn’t as though Alexia needed to defend herself. Kristoph was wrong.

Instead, she said. “I don’t need you hovering about me while I get ready.”

“Yes, my Emperor,” he said. He gave a deep bow, then retreated into the hall.

It wasn’t that she was irritated with what he had said. It was how hard she’d had to work to get him to say it. That was one of the things she liked so well about Corinne, her directness. Her willingness to speak her mind.

But she couldn’t shake her mind free of Kristoph’s accusation. That she pushed everyone away.

Like Ishani. Like Vivek.

That she refused to let anyone close.

If not your place, then who? Who did Alexia allow that close? Who did she permit to be so familiar?

Alexia shoved all these thoughts away. This was a party. This was Lady Snow’s party. Alexia was going to enjoy herself, and Kristoph could keep his opinions to himself for the rest of this outing.