“Ororo,” Master Summerisle said calmly, “Would you kindly go and fetch my wife?”

And he edged forward, his blind-man’s gaze never leaving the newcomer. Her flirtatious, coy little grin clearly doing nothing to soften his mood. Ororo nodded to his request and darted out, throwing an unreadable look to Logan as she did so. The fact that she was frowning setting unease hissing through Stray’s chest. The newcomer feinted playfully forward, a flurry of her metallic snowflakes coming with her; Instantly Scott tensed, his fingers going to his blindfold even as Logan moved himself to more fully cover Stray. Acting almost in concert the Company of Miracles shifted, their stances becoming combative; The diamond-skinned woman’s smile widened, the silver-skinned man beside her stiffening as if to defend her himself.

“Really, lover,” the newcomer murmured, eyes on Scott, “Has it come to this? Would you attack me, after all we meant to one another?”

Summerisle opened his mouth to retort but a door sprung smartly open to his right before he could do so. Mistress Red hurried through it, Ororo and the dark-haired girl Stray had noticed earlier at her heels. As soon as she laid eyes on the apothecary the newcomer stopped in her tracks. Blinked. Red reached for her husband.

The two women stood appraising one another, fire against ice, as the rest of the room held its collective breath.

“Mistress Red,” the newcomer said then, inclining her head politely, taking an unobtrusive step away from Scott. “You, of course, honour me with your presence.”

And to Stray’s surprise she dropped herself into a curtsy, just like the ladies Stray remembered being presented to Lord David’s father.

Red did not return the gesture.

“What do you want, Emmalaine?” the apothecary demanded instead. “You remember Father Carlos’ edict; You are no longer welcome here-”

The newcomer spoke over her. “I am here because I have been speaking with your sister.” Despite the fact that she tried to school her features, the relief this piece of news brought Red was obvious to all in the room. “Gold came to see me last night, begging me to take her in. Seemed to think that she too was no longer welcome here, something to do with a slip of a girl and a lustful, lecherous old wolf…” For the first time her eyes went to Logan, shaking her head in mock remonstrance. Eyes flicking back and forth between he and Stray, understanding gleaming wickedly in their depths. Logan showed her his teeth and she laughed to herself, though Stray couldn’t help but notice that she kept her distance. Clearly, she had some sense of self-preservation. “You know how Gold gets,” the woman continued, “and what little patience she has; I therefore prevailed upon my husband-to-be to let her in-”

“So this husband is actually yours, is he?” the little dark-haired girl who’d come in with Red spat. “You’re actually warming your own bed, and not slutting about in another woman’s?”

Cool blue eyes came to rest on the girl. “Katherine Shadowskin, as I live and breath,” Emmalaine murmured. “I heard you’d hanged yourself, because of all you lost.”

“I lost nothing,” Katherine hissed, “It was stolen-”

“A heart that’s contented cannot be spirited away.” Emmalaine gestured over her shoulder, calling to the silver-skinned male who’d accompanied her into the hall. As soon as she laid eyes on him the girl’s face turned ashen; Stray saw Ororo’s expression soften with pity at the sight. “Do you like my man-servant?” the diamond-skinned woman was cooing coyly. “Does he please you? Petyenka, say hello to this poor, pathetic, abandoned little drab…” And Emmalaine reached up, trailing her tongue along the silver man’s jaw line even as he held out his hand mutely to Katherine in greeting.

Tears rose in the dark-haired woman’s eyes, which she tried to unobtrusively brush away.

This casual callousness was the last straw for Scott though. “You’ve given your message,” he snapped, “We know that Gold’s alive and safe, and that you’re still a plague-bitch. Consider yourself relieved of your obligation Emmalaine, and be on your way.”

And he grabbed the woman’s arm, making to move her: None of the Company of Miracles would have stopped him, of that Stray was sure.

“But you haven’t heard everything I have to say yet,” the woman pouted.

“We’ve heard enough, now leave my family alone.”

Emmalaine’s gaze narrowed, a knowing smile playing about her lips. “They were my family too for many years, and from what Gold has told me since Father Carlos’ disappeared they’ve fallen on hard times: I can remedy that.”

“How?” Red demanded. “By reminding Kitty of what you did to her husband?”

“No, by offering you honest work.” At Red and Scott’s frankly disbelieving looks she shrugged. “Consider it a thank you to Mistress Katherine, for providing me with such a delicious ox of a man, even if she didn’t know what to do with him…”

She shot the girl a knife-like grin and just as she’d intended, Shadowskin darted forward, kicking and gouging like a Hellcat. There was a flash of smoke and brimstone and suddenly Gainsborough was between the two women, holding Katherine tightly to his chest and stroking her hair even as he pulled her away. The silver-skinned man faltered at the sight and Emmalaine started, body turning from diamond to flesh again as she gesticulated vindictively.

Instantly the silver man’s uncertainty disappeared, so quickly that if she hadn’t seen it Stray would not have believed it was there.

“Go and fetch my conveyance!” Emmalaine snarled then, jabbing her finger towards the door. “Don’t look back at anyone, and don’t even contemplate disobeying.”

The man did as he was bid, though less than willingly it seemed to Stray; Emmalaine was breathing slightly harder now, embarrassment at her outburst making the snowdrop-white flesh flush crimson. As soon as her servant left though she reverted to her diamond-skinned form, lip curling in disgust as her mocking gaze came to rest on Scott and Red, expression trying to regain its hauteur. Stray could practically feel the anger in the room, it was so palpable. “I have come far in the world,” Emmalaine said quietly, “And I wish to share my good fortune. That is why I came here, in addition to passing on the news about Mistress Gold. I wish to be on good terms with my family, despite what has been said about me in the past- Despite what you have all convinced yourself that I am- Despite everything. You may not believe it but there it is.” And she cleared her throat, steepled her hands before her. It seemed that she had belatedly decided to try being polite.

“In a week’s time I will become the wife of Lord Sebastian of New Angelom, the King’s most trusted Seneschal,” she was saying. “And after that, I will not be a woman to be trifled with- By the Company of Miracles or anyone else.” Her gaze flickered over them; Stray was surprised to see that nobody smiled or even looked away- Though suddenly he was more grateful for the feeling of Logan’s hand in hers. “If you come and entertain the guests at me wedding,” Emmalaine continued, her voice less assured now, “There would be much coin and patronage to be had for you. There would also be much glory, and the chance to stock up on supplies in the hardest months of winter. It would-” Her voice dropped. “I would consider it a wedding gift to me.”

And despite all the mischief and hurt she had wrought tonight, that one sentence sounded like she meant it, the sincerity of the words coming across as wrong somehow when said by her.

The Company of Miracles however studiedly did not respond.

So Emmalaine sighed like a martyr, reaching inside her cloak and pulling out a parchment. Placing it carefully on the table before her, the red wax of what looked like a nobleman’s seal reflecting the room’s dim light. “These are travel papers, and a map,” she announced tersely. “They will show you how to find Shaw Manor, and they will allow you to pass into the Southlands after the wedding, should you wish to rest out the worst of the winter there.” At this there was a noticeable stiffening of backs amongst the gathering; Travel to the Southlands was strictly prohibited by order of the King’s Conjuror, which was why the Company was slowly freezing themselves to death here in the ice-wrought North. But if the papers were genuine they would be worth a fortune, a fact Emmalaine had to be aware of- Just as she had to be aware that neither Scott nor Red could afford to pass up the chance to escape this winter when it was dropped straight into their lap. She must be very eager to have the Company of Miracles at her big day, Stray mused. Either that, or she owes Mistress Gold a massive favour. The girl wasn‘t sure she wanted to find out which was the truth. “Myself and your sister shall be waiting,” Emmalaine was saying, some of her old haughtiness returning. “We will expect you all within the fortnight, since the wedding cannot wait. Good day.”

And with that she stalked out the way she had come, dragging her silver snowflakes after her in a flurry of metal and coldness. Leaving Stray with so many questions she didn’t know where to start from- Though the first would involve finding out from Logan- or more likely, Ororo- precisely what had happened to get Emmalaine banished. She turned to ask the feral but her eye drawn to Katherine Shadowskin instead: She was staring after the diamond-skinned woman as a starving cat stares at the last, brief-of-flesh morsel of mouse left in the wildwood. Her expression so hurt, so pale, so unaccountably heartbroken that it was actually painful to see. Stray found herself wondering at the rage she saw in that gaze, at the vindictiveness of it-

And she found herself hoping, for everyone’s sake, that Mistress Katherine was not nearly so devilishly powerful as she looked right at this moment.

Because she couldn’t imagine anything good coming from so great an anger as that- And she did not want it anywhere near herself or her Sunlight Lock.