Crown of Ice

by Victoria Gilbert

  “It’s complicated.” Kai pats the girl’s shoulder. “I’ll explain later. Now, don’t panic over the wolf. He’s quite tame.”

  Gerda’s face has gone white as a sheet of paper. She clutches at Kai’s free hand, drawing him closer to her. “You must come home with me, Kai. You can’t stay here, in this wilderness of ice and snow.”

  “I’m sorry, Gerda, I can’t return yet. We must complete the mirror. I’ll explain as we travel to the palace.”

  I stare at the young couple. Kai’s arm is still about Gerda’s shoulders, but his eyes are fixed on me. “What are you thinking, Kai?”

  “I’m thinking we can’t waste any more time. The mirror must be completed, for your sake and for mine.”

  I meet Kai’s implacable stare with a glare of my own. “Gerda should return home.”

  “No, Gerda can travel with us to the palace. Both she and Bae will be safe there, despite Voss, if you’ll offer them your protection.” Kai drops his arm from Gerda’s shoulder and steps forward until he’s toe to toe with me. “You know it’s the only way.”

  “Bae can take Gerda home.” I poke Kai’s chest with my finger. “It isn’t your call, Master Thorsen.”

  “If they are out of our sight, can you guarantee their safety, Snow Queen?” Kai takes hold of my finger and wraps his own fingers about my hand. “Can you, Thyra?” he asks, more softly.

  I shake my head. “No. Very well, we all travel back to the palace.”

  “What palace is this?” Gerda moves to Kai’s side, laying her hand on his elbow.

  He looks down at her. The tenderness he displayed in his first moments with Gerda is slipping away. Now irritation appears to wrinkle his brow. “It’s the Snow Queen’s castle, Gerda. Thyra’s home. You’ll be perfectly safe there.”

  I think about the wraiths and our strange servants. “If we are going, let’s go before Voss realizes he’s been fooled. He’s likely to conjure another blizzard out of spite.” Kai’s still clasping my hand. I wiggle my fingers until he releases his hold, then turn on my heel and stride out of the cave. Luki leaps about, circling Kai, Gerda, and Bae as they make their way outside.

  Kai insists Gerda sit in the front of the sleigh, while he settles in the back with Luki. He leans against the front seat, one hand gripping the top edge. Gerda casts furtive glances at me as I snap the reins and urge the ponies forward.

  “Hang on,” I tell her. “We fly as well.”

  Gerda’s blue eyes widen and she whips her head around to look at Kai. She fumbles for his hand, but he pulls it back before she can take hold. “You’ll be fine, Gerda,” he says. “Just hold on and don’t lean over the edge.”

  “I’m not likely to do that.” Gerda grabs for the right edge of the sleigh. She keeps her eyes fixed on the horizon as we head into the sky. Bae sails along beside us, his legs moving in rhythm with the pace set by the ponies.

  “Do not fear, little miss,” he calls out to Gerda. “I won’t allow you to fall.”

  I glance at Kai before I focus on urging the ponies toward home. It’s strange how pensive he appears. Gerda’s presence hasn’t lifted his spirits like I thought it would.

  “We should make much better time,” I call back to him, “now we’re not fighting the weather. You and Gerda can share a real reunion soon.”

  My hood is pulled back. Kai leans forward and whispers in my ear. “We can continue reassembling the mirror soon. That’s what truly matters. Trust me, I won’t allow Gerda to interfere with our work.”

  My hood is gently pushed forward to cover my springing curls. I don’t turn around, but cast a glance at Gerda. Tight-lipped and wide-eyed, she’s staring straight ahead. I know she’s scared but as if she senses my interest she turns and give me a tremulous smile.

  A brave child, if nothing else.

  Chapter Nineteen: Cracks in The Ice

  I KNOW GERDA’S TERRIFIED.

  She cowers on the bed shoved in one corner of the small bedchamber. The room is clean and furnished with the necessities, but the very fact it remains locked at all times is enough to rattle anyone, much less a young, inexperienced girl.

  Gerda shrank into her heavy cloak when we arrived at the palace. She gasped when she caught her first glimpse of our transfigured animals. Thank goodness the wraiths made no appearance when I marched her to her room. She’d probably have fainted, and I would’ve had to command a bear to carry her, Kai having vanished the moment we entered the palace.

  “Where’s Kai?” Gerda huddles on the bed, buried under a pile of furs.

  I lean against the door. “Working on the mirror, I suppose. At least that’s where he was when I last saw him.”

  “He hasn’t come to talk to me. I thought he would.” Gerda’s voice breaks on the last word.

  “Well, he wants to complete the mirror as much as I do. To save his father, you know.”

  “I know.” Gerda straightens and throws off the blankets. She looks very fragile, cocooned in a pile of brown and white fur like a butterfly just breaking out of its chrysalis.

  Butterflies. I rub my forehead. I haven’t seen a butterfly in years. “He’s quite determined when he puts his mind to something.”

  “Yes, I’m aware of that.” Gerda’s blue eyes are clear as a summer sky. “It worries me.”

  I walk toward her. “Why?”

  Gerda slides over so I can perch on the edge of the bed. “I wonder if he’ll ever be happy, ever be satisfied.”

  “In the village, you mean.” I lift one foot and survey the well-worn tip of my soft leather boot.

  “Yes. I know he wants to attend the university, and I hope he can. But I worry that when he’s there, he’ll become so absorbed in his studies he’ll forget to eat and sleep. That’s why”— Gerda meets my gaze without flinching—“I think we should be married before he leaves for school. I can keep house, and cook meals, and make sure he stays well. I can take care of him.”

  “Very commendable, but what about your own life?” I absently bounce my foot in the air as I twirl one strand of my white hair about one finger.

  “Kai is my life. I mean, my love for him is what really matters to me.”

  “You’re entirely too young to decide that.”

  “I’m not.” Gerda stares at her clasped hands. “Lots of girls in the village marry at my age. And this would be next year anyway, when I’m sixteen.”

  “Oh, sixteen.” I drop my foot and tap it against the stones. “Really Gerda, don’t you think it’s best if Kai goes off to the university by himself? You can wait a few years, surely, before you two get married.”

  “I can wait forever, but ... ” Gerda glances up at me. Tears glisten on her lashes. “It’s just—sometimes I think Kai will never come home, not once he breaks away.”

  “You’ll have your answer then.” I rise and pace the room. “If Kai loves you, he’ll return for you. Otherwise, why would you want him?”

  Gerda sighs deeply. “You really don’t know much about love, do you, Thyra? I suppose that makes sense, though.”

  Of all the impertinence. I wheel about and fix her with a fierce glare. “Why?”

  Gerda eyes me speculatively. “Well, you were orphaned, and raised by that horrible woman ...”

  “Inga? I thought everyone considered her a saint.”

  “Not everyone,” Gerda replies mildly. “And of course, you were stolen away by some wizard and brought here, to this horrible place.” She shivers. “Living all alone, I’m guessing, for many years, with a terrible curse hanging over your head.”

  I stride to the bed and loom over her. “What do you know about my situation?”

  “You must reconstruct some enchanted mirror before your eighteenth birthday or you’ll be turned into a wraith. Bae told me.” Gerda’s eyes are brimming with something that looks like pity.

  “It’s no concern of yours.” I head for the door. Pressing my forehead against the silky wood, I close my eyes for a moment.

  “Do you really think thi
s wizard, whatever his name is, will let Kai go when the mirror’s complete?” Gerda’s voice pierces my concentration.

  “His name is Mael Voss and why wouldn’t he?” I turn slowly, resting my back against the door.

  “I don’t know. I just imagined he’d kill Kai, and me, when all was said and done.” There isn’t even a trace of self-pity lacing Gerda’s voice.

  “And you came anyway.”

  “That’s what love is.” Gerda pulls up one of the blankets and arranges it about her shoulders.

  “No, that’s foolishness.” I examine the girl’s drawn face. “Anyway, I won’t allow Voss to harm Kai, or you, for that matter. What useful purpose would that serve?”

  Gerda smiles. “Is everything sensible in your world, Thyra?”

  “I try to make it so.” Laying my hand on the doorknob, I reach in my pocket for the key. “Anyway, I’ve a very logical proposition for you, if you’ll agree to listen.”

  “I’ll listen.”

  I point toward her with the hand gripping the key. “You can leave now. Travel home today. I’ll even send Bae with you to make sure you arrive safely. All you have to do ... ”

  “Is give up Kai?” Gerda tilts her head and continues to gaze steadily at me.

  “Yes. Well, for now. He’ll return to you eventually, after the mirror is complete. Simply go home and wait for him.”

  “No.” Gerda sits cross-legged on the bed, her golden head poking out of the brown fur wrap. She looks as delicate as some small bird peeking out of its nest. But, like a bird, her eyes are bright and unblinking.

  “Otherwise”—I sharpen my tone—“you may actually find yourself in danger.”

  “No,” repeats Gerda. “I’m not leaving. Not without Kai.”

  We stare at each other for a minute before I turn and thrust the key into the lock. “Suit yourself,” I snap, opening the door. “I can’t promise anything, you understand. If you left now, I could guarantee your safety. If you stay, I don’t know what might happen.” I pause in the hall to cast one final glance at the girl.

  “Please tell Kai to come and see me,” Gerda calls out before I shut and lock the door.

  Kai, always Kai. Silently confessing he haunts my mind as much as Gerda’s, I pocket the key and stalk the corridors, headed toward the infernal mirror.

  AS I APPROACH VOSS’S chambers I’m surprised to see the doors standing open. I stride past but Voss’s words draw me back.

  “Thyra, come here.” The cold command in his voice is impossible to ignore.

  I turn and walk into his chambers. The clutter I remember from my foray with Kai is still present. Indeed, it seems the center table is littered with even more mysterious objects.

  “I thought it was time I showed you where I keep my shard.” Voss holds up a small pewter box. “In case I happen to be called away when you are about to complete the mirror.”

  “In that, I assume?” I step forward until I am facing Voss across the table. “And where do you keep the box?”

  “On this table, now. It was hidden before, but I think we’ve come far enough that I can trust you to retrieve the fragment for its proper purpose.” Voss is wearing an emerald green robe of brushed wool, with a tracery of brilliant vines and flowers embroidered about the neck and hem.

  I narrow my eyes as I examine the robe. The needlework looks familiar.

  “Ah, I see you are admiring my garment.” Voss carefully places the pewter box on the table and flashes me one of his humorless smiles. “I haven’t yet changed from my recent journey, one I believe you may have had a hand in arranging, my queen. It was worn in honor of an old ... friendship, but alas, it appears I was duped by my former acquaintance. She really had no intention of making amends.”

  I bite the inside of my cheek, seeking a jolt of pain to prevent sinking to the floor under the force of that crystalline glare. “I’m sorry, I’m afraid I don’t know what you’re talking about, Master Voss.”

  His thin lips roll back, exposing his white teeth. “Now, now, Thyra. You can drop the innocent act. It doesn’t suit you.” He turns his back on me and glides over to the row of windows. “I received a most unusual message, from someone I haven’t seen for decades. It seemed as if she wished to make peace with me. After all these years.” His voice drops to a whisper on the last word.

  “So you went to see her?” I press my palms against the edge of the table, steadying my legs.

  “I did. But apparently it was all a ruse.” Voss turns and fixes me with a penetrating stare. “It did cause me to break off my blizzard a bit earlier than I planned. I don’t suppose you know anything about that, do you, Snow Queen?”

  At the sound of my title I draw myself up to my full height. “No.”

  “Or about the enchanted reindeer who is now eating his head off in my stables? The creature who escaped only to meekly return?” Voss lifts his hands and examines his fingers. “Perhaps I should conjure him into something else entirely, just to ensure he never attempts to escape again.”

  “Don’t harm Bae.” Rage vibrates my voice. “He’s not at fault.”

  “No, I daresay he is not.” Voss lowers his hands. “You play a dangerous game, Thyra Winther. If you were not so close to completing the mirror ... ”

  “You’d kill me. Yes, no doubt.” I force the fear from my mind. It isn’t logical for Voss to harm me, despite his anger.

  “And then there is this other mortal you’ve hauled into the palace. Really, it might be best if you limited your collection of strays to wolf pups.”

  I toss back my heavy mass of hair. “She was with the reindeer. I saw no value in leaving her to freeze. It’s Kai’s little friend, of course. Gerda. It occurred to me”—I think furiously—“Kai might work harder if he knew his friend was safe.”

  Voss laughs coldly. “I cannot imagine anyone working more industriously than Master Kai already does. But let that pass.” He eyes me with great interest. “So, about this young woman named Gerda Lund. Yes, I know her name. I too have observed the village in the past.”

  “She’s only fifteen.” I match Voss’s glare.

  “Yes, an innocent young miss. Very sweet, very loving. Very much out of place in this palace.”

  “I’ll agree with that.”

  “I wonder”—Voss taps his pointed chin with one boney finger—“how long it would take to twist her trusting soul into something a bit more dark and desperate? It would be an interesting test, don’t you think? I’m intrigued to find out just how much time it takes for a loving heart to wither when faced with the darkest depths of the human soul. Will such a person cling to their notions of love and loyalty in spite of the truth?”

  I remain silent. I know if I speak I will say things that will only endanger Gerda further.

  “Yes, a most intriguing experiment.” Voss turns to gaze out the windows at the storm clouds gathering in the dove gray sky. “You may go now, my queen. Go back to work on the mirror. You have only a few weeks left to finish your work, or off to join the wraiths you go.”

  “That won’t happen.” I somehow manage to speak without my voice shaking, although my fingers aren’t so accommodating. I thrust my hands deep into the pockets of my gown and stride out of Voss’s chambers.

  I make it all the way to the Great Hall before I collapse against one of the icy walls. After several moments of concentrated relaxation I’m finally able to throw back the doors and walk in to join Kai.

  Chapter Twenty: New Visions

  KAI PACES BACK AND forth in front of the windows of the Great Hall. “There are only a few pieces left. Why is this so difficult?” His voice is raspy with exhaustion.

  “The mirror appears to be resisting us.” I give a shard a miniscule turn to fit it to the finished edge of the glass, but the fragment vibrates in my hand. When I release my grip it skitters to the opposite side of the frame. “Damn it.” I allow my forearms to drop to the surface of the table and lay my head on my clasped hands. Pain throbs in my right temple. N
either Kai nor I have slept much in the last few days.

  Luki’s sharp yips pierce the quiet. Raising my head I watch the wolf stand amid the pile of furs that form his bed. As I follow his gaze a bird wings its way into the chamber. It’s the falcon I sent to Sephia. Somehow it has entered the palace and navigated the corridors to locate this room. That can only mean one thing—Sephia’s sent a reply.

  Straightening, I step away from the mirror and hold out my arm. The bird ignores me, spiraling up to the rafters.

  “Is that your messenger falcon?” Kai crosses to me and gazes up at the bird.

  “Yes. I suppose my acquaintance ordered it to return home.” I lift my arm a little higher and whistle. The falcon tips its head to the side and stares at me with its brilliant, unblinking eyes.

  “How did it get inside?” Kai moves closer to me.

  As his arm brushes mine I feel that strange, fluttering sensation I felt while huddled with him in the cave. I take a few steps away. “I don’t know. It must have been put under enough of an enchantment to seek me out.”

  The falcon eyes both of us for a moment before diving straight toward Kai. The boy flings one arm over his face as the bird circles him once and lands on his shoulder.

  I approach Kai with one arm crooked in front of me. Staring at the falcon I send it a silent command, urging it to fly to my arm. It ignores me.

  “I think it might be carrying a message.” Kai tentatively touches the cylinder on the bird’s leg. “See, there’s a bit of paper poking out.”

  I fume inwardly. Having Kai see Sephia’s message, whatever it is, does not appeal to my sense of control. “You stand still. I’ll retrieve the message.”

  “No, I can get it.” Kai’s fingers work the lid off the cylinder. After he pulls out a rolled piece of paper and replaces the lid the falcon soars from his shoulder and perches on a rafter.

  Kai unrolls the small scroll. I notice the paper is bordered in black. As Kai reads the message his face blanches white as the snowy landscape framed by the windows.