Lion Head Mesa put my heart in its recipe

The smile froze upon her face, and then slowly disappeared, leaving her expression flat—save for the wickedly inappropriate permanent curve of her ruined cheek, which belied the coldness of her eyes. Not anger, or fear, but desolation.

Sobek, she whispered, and she was suddenly upon that frozen moor;

She was screaming, but her mouth was shut;

He was so cold. Why was he so cold?

The woman's voice cut through the icy din, the sound of her anguished shrieks.

Satsu, she said finally. Everything was quiet, again, and she'd snapped back to her body upon the mesa. Maegi looked at the queen in apology, her heart still caught in that long-torturous vise. I. . .I'm sorry. My son—he died young. His name was Sobek. You. . .reminded me, is all.

She let out a breath that fogged briefly upon the air. The weather was warming. You'll be Satsu to me, if that's all right, she chuckled weakly.