It was late, and Corinne had taken refuge in her workshop. She’d freed her mind of mysteries, politics, frustrations to try out something entirely experimental.

As she sat, hunched over a nima-infused circuit board, Lady Snow’s masked face appeared in the glass above her. “Hello, darling.”

Corinne looked up, the familiar cocktail of emotions running through her. The thrill of seeing Snow’s face—Corinne couldn’t imagine that would ever fade away. Nervousness. The simple awkwardness of having no idea what to say. Of trying to figure out exactly what the relationship between them was supposed to be.

“Did I interrupt something?” Snow asked.

“No, I was…” Corinne held up the amulet-sized circuit board before realizing it probably wouldn’t mean anything to Snow. “It was just an idea I had.”

“Really? Tell me.”

Today, Corinne felt an additional level of unsure, after the abrupt way their last conversation had ended. Especially since this project was tied to that that same topic. “It’s nothing—it’s all technical. Not interesting, really, until I know it’s going to work.”

“You’d be amazed what I find interesting. Talk to me, Corinne.”

“It’s a combination of ideas, actually. I was thinking about my father—the amulet he has that makes…something like a shield of nima all around him so he can pass through the barrier into the academy. And about the energy flow in the flight suits, how we generate force fields and weave the nima through them.” Corinne relaxed as she got into it, talking about how shape and design were important to help the nima understand what they needed to do without active guidance from an akashic. How she could possibly integrate all these different approaches to make a shield—a protection for herself to explore the area where the nima had changed.

Snow nodded along, asked the occasional question, and seemed entirely engaged with the conversation. Which made it easy for Corinne to confess, in the midst of explaining things, “I don’t know what to make of this. Of us.”

Lady Snow’s lifted eyebrow was the only sign she was surprised by the sudden change of topic. “I told you, didn’t I? That I wasn’t ready to be done with you?”

“I don’t know why.” The more time passed since the court, the more Corinne gave in to her new routine, to her mother’s demands, the harder it was to hold on to the herself she’d only started to discover. “I don’t know if I even belong in your world. I’m not like those other people.”

“By those other people, I assume you mean the people at my parties?” Snow’s voice held a light edge of amusement. “What is it you think they’re like?”

“Free,” Corinne blurted out before her mind could temper a less honest answer.

“Oh my sweet. I would love nothing more than to help you feel that for yourself.”

Corinne would have loved that too. “But you’re…elsewhere. And I’m stuck here.”

“That doesn’t mean we can’t talk. Get to know each other more. Or even…would you like to try something?”

“Try what?”

“Letting yourself go? Finding that freedom you envy? I can help.”

“How? We’re not even on the same planet.”

“No, it’s true.” Snow’s voice lowered to a purring, sultry pitch. “But you liked having people watching you, yes? Eyes on you, exploring you. Devouring you.”

Another shiver, anticipation and fear all wound together. “Yes,” Corinne said, “But—”

“Shh. It’s all right. Nothing to be afraid of, darling. It’s only you and I.” A smile played across her soft lips. “Scoot back so I can see you.”

Corinne did as requested, all the while second guessing. What was even happening here? What did Lady Snow expect?

“Lovely girl,” Snow said with a soft sigh. “Of course they all look at you. When you came to the first party, what went through your mind as you chose that dress?”

“It wasn’t a dress.” Corinne couldn’t escape the awkwardness of sitting here, talking about this, with Snow just…looking at her. But there was something else. Something warming her from the inside out. “Well, it was part of a dress. I ripped off the bits I wanted.”

“It was delicious. So tantalizing. It drew the eyes exactly where you wanted them to go.”

Which was true. Hadn’t Corinne had that exact thought?

“I’m watching you now, Corinne. Where would you like my eyes to go?”

Corinne’s mouth opened in an unspoken, “Oh,” as she suddenly understood what was happening. All thoughts were banished by sudden heat.

Lady Snow was watching.

Corinne wasn’t wearing anything fancy. She certainly hadn’t planned for anything like this. She’d ditched her uniform in favor of comfy clothes—a light sweater, worn-in denims—hardly what she would have chosen to put on a show.

How exactly did one go about putting on a show? What if Corinne just ended up embarrassing herself? Lady Snow had seen…well, everything, probably. Certainly people far sexier and more sophisticated than Corinne.

What if Corinne only disappointed her? Again.

Snow tilted her head, concern pulling at her beautiful features. Even at this distance, it seemed she could see through Corinne like she was made of glass. “Would you like my help?”

“How?” Stubborn petulance was probably the least sexy, but it was what Corinne had. Especially as awkwardness was creeping back in. “You’re still not here.”

“No, I’m not. Which is a pity. If I were there, if I had you sitting in front of me like that, if it were just us…” Her eyes unfocused, as her voice took on a storytelling tone. “What could I do?” she mused. “I could taste your skin. Such lovely skin. I could start right beneath your ear, and trace down the line of your jaw. That’s a place that can be so sensitive. Can you imagine that, darling? What it would feel like?”

Almost hypnotized by Snow’s words, Corinne lifted her hand, traced a finger right along where Snow had said.

“Yes. Just like that.”

The skin really was sensitive. Just a light touch, and Corinne could, indeed, imagine Lady Snow’s lips there.

“I’d take my time.” Snow’s rich voice resonated through Corinne. “Such a lovely package, one hates to rush to unwrap it. I’d stroke down that beautiful neck. Dip just below your collar.”

Corinne let her fingers trace down, slide under her shirt. She pulled the sweater down, stretching the neck open just enough to show the upper curve of her breasts.

“I would pause, my breath warm against your skin. I’d think about whether to keep teasing you, or if I should move on, if I should reach down and lift the shirt over your head and explore for real.”

Corinne understood the choice she was being given. She didn’t give herself a chance to second guess. She pulled off her shirt and tossed it to the side.

The plain halter she wore beneath was modest. Corinne had been more exposed in either of the two costumes she’d worn to the party. But somehow, the deliberate act of removing clothing made this feel more real.

“Where should I touch you, Corinne? Show me.”

Feeling exposed, feeling decadent, feeling like she was crossing a line she couldn’t come back from, Corinne lifter her hand, touched her fingers to her chest, just below her collar bone. She traced down, over the tight cloth, then let her hand wander to the side.

She took a sharp breath as her fingers crossed her nipple. She could feel her own touch clearly, even through the fabric. She drew light circles, with a strange feeling of wonder as her flesh grew stiff beneath her touch.

Corinne was no stranger to touching herself. But this…deliberateness. This slow exploration of her own body, this was new. The added attention of Lady Snow ratcheted the sensation into something almost unbearable.

Corinne rubbed at her nipple, pinched it, then moved her hand across to do the same to the other one. “Delightful,” Snow whispered.

Corinne had lost all sense of awkwardness, had lost track of everything except for her body’s response to the touch of her own hand and Snow’s watchful gaze. She was hot and tight and wanting and didn’t want to go slow any more.

Corinne slid her hands down. She dragged at the button and zipper, pulling clothing open with one hand so her other hand could continue unimpeded. She found herself wet and sensitive, and squirmed against her fingers.

“Yes, Corinne. Yes.”

Corinne stroked lips slick with her arousal. She watched Lady Snow watch her fingers moving, hidden under the fabric of her pants. Lady Snow didn’t seem to mind what she couldn’t see. Her lips were parted in a possessive smile.

The thought of what she was doing, the fact that Lady Snow was watching, it was too much. Corinne barely had to brush her fingers across her swollen clit and she was over the edge.

She whimpered as she came, clamping her legs tight around her hand, wrapping her ankles around the leg of the stool to keep herself from falling.

Snow wore a warm smile, and she sounded incredibly pleased with herself. “That was lovely, my dear. Thank you.”

Snow’s words, the fading euphoria, and Corinne was struck by a sudden, sharp loneliness.

But again, Snow seemed to know exactly what Corinne was feeling. Even from light years away. “Corinne,” she said softly, “what’s wrong?”

Corinne shook her head. This wasn’t Snow’s problem to fix. This new sense of being trapped, alone, out of place, it was certainly happening because of the world Snow had shown her, but the solution to these feelings were something Corinne was going to have to figure out for herself.

Instead of answering the question, she found a steady voice and said, “I think I can finish working on this tonight, then first chance I get I’ll go back out to the rift site. I want to know what’s going on there.”

“As do I. You’ll let me know what you find?”

“Soon as I can.”

Snow put her hand against the mirror. “Be careful. I’ll be thinking about you.” The mirror faded till Corinne was alone, once more, with her own reflection.