COLD STEEL, BLEEDING HEARTS
She grabbed tweezers from the cabinet, bit her lip, and pressed the metal to the bump.
Suddenly, the mirror didn’t show her face. The glass went black. A woman’s face flickered into view—short white hair, eyes like cold iron.
“Hello, Maya,” the woman said, her voice echoing inside Maya’s head. “The Rossi Company wanted a Queen. The King wanted a leader. But I work for the people who own them both.”
Maya’s hand shook. “Who are you?”
“I’m the Librarian,” the woman replied. “I’ve waited a long time to see what happens when a Queen loses her crown. Tell me, Maya—do you really think you’re the only experiment that made it down from the mountain?”