Frost

by E. Latimer

  ~ * ~

  The flames of the campfire were mesmerizing. While Erik talked, I watched them snap and dance over the wood, licking the surface until the bark curled and blackened. There was an old, black pot on a grill over the fire, full of some kind of bubbling soup. The smell drifted up with smoke from the fire, and the sharp tang of garlic made my mouth water.

  "She knows where we are now." Erik stared into the fire, the flames reflecting in his eyes. "She won't be content to leave us alone. She knows she has a rebellion on her hands." He looked around at his tent city. "We'll have to move out tonight. And this time, more...permanently."

  Loki sat up straight, his eyes glowing. "Come to Muspelheim, all of you! We will take you in as allies. Erik, you were her captain. You know her. With your help—"

  Erik shook his head. "How do we know we can trust you? I'm not going to lead my people into a trap."

  The heavyset man beside Erik—the blacksmith—spoke up. "What choice do we have? It's die here or maybe die there. If we stay in the forest, the queen will hunt us down until we're all dead. We might keep a few steps ahead of her for a while, but sooner or later, it will come to a bad end. That's why this was supposed to be a secret rebellion until we were strong enough." He rolled his eyes at me. "But then you had to go rescue the princess."

  The tips of my ears started to burn.

  Erik rocked back on his heels and flicked snow at him, making the blacksmith grunt and huff with annoyance. "What would you have had me do, Jarll? Leave her to be executed? Give her up so she can lead the army into battle?"

  "I suppose not." Jarll crossed thick arms over his chest and regarded me coolly. He didn’t seem to notice the chunk of snow in his beard. "What do you have to say about all of this, Your Highness?"

  "Don't call me that. And I think we should go with Loki to Muspelheim."

  Beside me, Loki shifted, obviously startled. When I glanced over at him, a smile broke over his face and his eyes sparkled.

  "I was the same way before, not sure I could trust him. But...I think we can. Besides, what else are we going to do anyways? Wait here for her to find us?"

  Erik stroked one hand over the blond stubble on his chin. "I don't know. It isn't a decision I can make lightly. Or on my own. I'll have to call a council, and we need to do it now. We only have a few hours at most before she sends out a hunting party."

  He paused as a skinny woman with short, blond hair emerged from the tent behind the fire and handed him a wooden ladle and a set of crudely carved bowls. "Thank you, Marian."

  She bowed her head and turned away, and I watched her retreat into the tent, thinking it was sort of rude she hadn't said hello.

  Erik leaned over, keeping his voice low. "That's Marian. She joined us several weeks ago. She spoke out against the queen and Eira had her tongue cut out. We found her in the woods, half dead from shock and blood loss."

  And I’d been thinking she was rude for not speaking to us. I could feel the tips of my ears burning. "That's evil."

  "That's why all of you have to come back with me." Loki threw his hands in the air, looking from Erik to Jarll and back again, exasperated. "Can’t you see that? She wants to kill you—all of us. We're on the same side."

  Erik nodded slowly. "I take your meaning, but I still have to call a council to decide. But first…” He leaned forward and dipped the ladle into the pot. Then he set the bowls out on the ground in front of him before spooning the soup evenly until each was a little over half full.

  Erik handed the bowls out, and I grasped the warm, wooden surface, letting the heat sink into my skin. There was no cutlery. The others put the bowls to their lips and tipped it back, and I followed suit. The broth was warm and spicy, and I finished it off in seconds.

  Full and warm now, my eyelids started to droop, and everyone around the fire started to look a little blurry. When had I last slept?

  Erik set his bowl down on the ground and turned to me, catching me in a giant yawn. I shut my mouth with a snap, my cheeks flushing.

  "I'm sorry." Erik put a hand on my knee. "You must be exhausted, all of you." He looked over at Charlotte and Loki.

  Charlotte blinked sleepily at us, but Loki was wide-awake and glaring at Erik's hand. "I wish we had time for you to rest. I really do." The pressure on my knee vanished. "I'll call a meeting. You three stay here until I come back to get you."

  Erik walked away, already conversing with Jarll in low tones.

  There was silence as we stared into the flames of the campfire. It was all a little much to take in.

  News of our arrival must have spread, because the rebel camp was starting to come alive both in the ground camp and in the city in the trees. The rapping sound of people passing on the wooden planking overhead was loud.

  I tilted my head back, marveling at the ingenuity of the long lines that stretched from tree to tree.

  People hung laundry out to dry, and the multicolored clothing resembled a jumble of colorful flags flying proudly in the breeze. A thin layer of flakes blanketed everything, bright in the orange light of the torches.

  How did they ever get their clothing dry when it was always snowing?

  I turned to the others, about to make a joke about it, when a great shout rose up from the other end of the camp.

  Chapter Fifty-Two

  The queen. It had to be Eira there to kill us all. Hadn’t Erik said that we had a few hours? Dread settled over me like a stifling blanket of snow. She was going to charge in and kill everyone and it was my fault.

  Loki told me to stay back before heading for the edge of camp. That isn’t going to happen. If I had to give myself up to avoid getting these people killed, I would. The thought filled me with dread, but I forced one foot in front of the other, following him. He shot an irritated look over his shoulder when he realized I wasn’t obeying his instructions.

  Just outside the camp, five rebel guards crouched in the snow, their swords and spears bristling. Two tall figures dressed in white furs were approaching, hoods obscuring their faces. Through the whirling flakes, they looked like twin specters drifting through the woods toward us. It felt like they had reached in and clenched my heart with icy hands.

  Who were they?

  One of the rebels stepped forward. “Identify yourself or we will attack!”

  There was a moment of loaded silence, and then the figure on the right reached up. The hood fell back, revealing a pale face, wide, blue eyes, and shoulder-length hair.

  Before I could say anything, Charlotte launched herself from behind me. “Becca!”

  One of the guards reached out and snagged her before she got past him, holding her back.

  “It’s fine!” Charlotte tried to wiggle out of his grip. “We know her.”

  The other one pushed her hood back, revealing Margaret. Snowflakes started collecting on the lenses of her glasses. Both girls looked anxious, their eyes darting around the camp.

  Becca held her hands up. “Sorry to startle you. It’s just us. Megan, you left in such a hurry. We would have gone with you.”

  My mouth had been hanging open until now. “What? But I thought you and Amy...”

  Becca frowned. “Amy is an idiot. She thinks she’s some kind of warrior princess and that it’s all so glamorous and fun. She doesn’t seem to understand that she’s going to get killed somehow. Either she’s going to do something to make the queen angry and be executed or she’ll die in battle.”

  Margaret pulled her cloak shut around herself. “We heard about you and Charlotte escaping with the fire jotun. The queen’s furious. She was breaking things in the throne room, and she slapped a servant so hard she knocked him out.” Her lips trembled. “She’s insane. I don’t understand how Amy can’t see it.”

  Becca tilted her head to look up at the city in the trees, her eyes wide. “It took us ages to find you. We were scared she’d send men after us.” She rubbed her arms, and since she couldn’t possibly be cold, it was probably more of a self-comforting gesture.


  They had to be exhausted and scared.

  I stepped forward. “What about the other three?”

  Becca’s face twisted with disgust. “Amy called us traitors when we said we wanted to leave. Well, that and a lot of other horrible names.”

  “And I think she’s brainwashed Alicia and Stacey,” Margaret put in. “They stayed behind too.”

  I touched Erik’s arm, and he looked down at me questioningly. “They’re okay, really.”

  He looked at the two girls for a second longer, rubbing the back of his neck, then he released a deep sigh and signaled the guards to back down. “All right. I’ll have to trust your judgment.”

  Charlotte, finally released from the guard’s grip, flew at Becca and caught her in a bear hug. “I’m so glad you came!”

  “Come on,” Erik said. “We have a council meeting now.”

  ~ * ~

  The meeting was held in a circle of tents, and everyone crowded around a low-burning campfire in the center. The coals glowed in spite of the snowfall, painting people’s faces in flickering shadows. Just before I stepped into the circle of tents, Loki stopped me. His hand on my arm sent shivers over my skin.

  “Megan.” He studied my face, worry creasing his brow. “What if the council says no? What if they decide not to go back with me? What will you do?”

  For a moment, I didn’t know what to say. What would I do? The logical thing would be to stay with the rebels, help them fight against the queen. But a part of me ached inside, knowing that Loki would leave. That I’d probably never see him again.

  His fingers were hot on my arm, and he didn’t move away. Instead, he stepped closer. The other girls had vanished, and it was just us now, standing alone outside the tents.

  Loki trailed a thumb down my cheek. A thrill went through me as he cupped my chin and tilted my face up to meet his. His mouth pressed against mine, gently at first, and then the kiss became more urgent. His arms slid around my waist, pressing my body against his as if he could melt us together somehow.

  Somewhere behind us, someone let out a cheeky catcall, and I broke away, my face hot. I’d managed to forget we were in the center of a large camp. Of course people could see us. I backed away and scurried over to find Charlotte and the other girls beyond the next set of tents.

  Erik stood at the front of the crowd, his arms crossed over his leather jerkin. When he spotted me, he straightened up, waving one hand. “Amora, come stand by me.”

  I was pretty sure my cheeks were still bright red. Hopefully people would think it was from sitting in front of the fire. Loki shifted beside me, but he didn’t protest when I started to walk away. When Erik gestured for him to follow, he obeyed silently.

  We took our places beside Erik, and I found myself standing between the two of them. The difference was instantly noticeable. Loki seemed to radiate heat each time he brushed my arm, warming my skin, while Erik’s hands were cool. It was strange to see the boys standing together. They were like winter and summer.

  Finally, Erik cleared his throat, and the gentle murmur of conversation died away.

  “My friends.” His voice was powerful, carrying out over the crowd. “Today, we robbed the queen of something she holds very dear.”

  The crowd erupted into cheers, and I jumped, startled. Some of the rebels in the front pumped their fists, hooting, and cheering. Erik made a slashing motion with one hand and they fell silent.

  “However, she is not going to be content to leave us alone. She wants Amora back.”

  Everyone was looking at me now. Hundreds of faces turned my way, bathed in flickering, orange light. Some judgmental or hostile, some shining with triumph. My face burned, and the dark shapes of trees around the clearing seemed to blur. This entire situation seemed unreal, like another one of my strange dreams.

  Someone in the back piped up, “Well, she can’t have her back!”

  The rebels stirred again, and there was muted cheering. Erik motioned for silence.

  “Like it or not, we have to move on again. Tonight. She is no doubt assembling a hunting party to come after us as we speak. It will be hard to find us, but eventually, she will.”

  There were a few more hisses and boos, and I had to force myself not to shrink back at some of the looks I was getting. Some of the crowd blamed me for this.

  Erik’s voice had an edge to it. “Stop that! Are you not more courteous than those at the palace?”

  Grumbling and ashamed muttering rippled through the crowd.

  “We knew this was going to happen sooner or later. You can only keep a revolution quiet for so long, and ours has been growing daily. Growing stronger. There are too many of us to be secret any longer, but too few to attack the queen directly. We only have a few choices.”

  The crowd grew silent, almost leaning forward as one in their eagerness.

  “This is Loki.” Erik motioned across me. Loki looked startled, but he recovered well, stepping forward to give the crowd a wave. “As you can see, my friends, he’s a fire jotun.”

  Surprisingly, the crowd was utterly still. All eyes were on Loki, examining him, pulling him apart. I felt him stiffen, but he kept the easy grin on his face.

  “Not only is he fire jotun, he’s the son of King Surtr.”

  A murmur swept through the crowd, and Erik raised his voice over the noise. “He has offered us refuge in his land if we so choose.”

  The murmur grew to a rumble.

  Someone at back shouted, “That’s insanity!”

  Erik waved his hands. “We can stay here in Niflheim and try to avoid the queen. We can escape to the human world—”

  This brought on another rumble of outrage, and Erik gestured wildly, raising his voice until he was shouting.

  “Or we can go with Loki to Muspelheim and fight alongside the fire giants!”

  The noise from the crowd was uproarious now. Everyone was on their feet, arguing with one another or shouting toward the front at Erik. Panic started to rise in my throat, choking me. How were these people going to decide on anything? They would stand there and yell at one another until the queen found their camp and killed them all.

  A deep baritone voice carried over the racket. “Let the princess speak!”

  Later, I would swear it was the blacksmith, Jarll.

  The noise trickled off, and every eye was back on me again. Terror coated the inside of my throat like a thick layer of ice. My vocal cords were frozen. I wouldn’t be able to get any words out.

  Erik turned to me, and his voice was soft. “They really need to hear from you. You wouldn’t think it, but you are Amora to them.”

  My voice was a strangled whisper. “What do I say?”

  “Just tell them, as honestly as possible...what you feel. Tell them what you think we should do and why.” His hand was on my back, gently pushing me forward. “You can do it, Amora.”

  Amora. I clung to the name like a life preserver. What would she do right now? I tried to stand up straight and push my shoulders back. You are jotun, I told myself. Right now, you are Amora.

  A strange thing to tell myself when I’d done nothing but fight it.

  “I didn’t know much about the queen.” I was surprised at how strong my voice was. “Only what she told me herself. Now, it’s clear that it was all a lie. I have Amora’s memories, though sometimes...I don’t want them. They’ve shown me one thing that has helped me.” As I scanned the crowd, I spotted Marian, and suddenly there was a railway spike through my heart, a writhing mass of poisonous snakes in my stomach. I was breathless with rage.

  The queen had cut this woman’s tongue out and left her to die. She’d killed her own daughter. Ripped me away from my real mother. Thrown Loki in the dungeon. Ordered mass murder. What horrible thing wouldn’t she do?

  “The memories showed me that Amora had orders to kill the women and children of the fire jotun. Loki’s people.” My voice rang out over the crowd.

  Yes, everyone’s eyes were still fixed on me, and so
me didn’t look friendly, but I didn’t care now. I was too angry. All I could think about was the dream. The compassion Amora had felt for the captives, and the hurt and betrayal when her mother had called for her death.

  “But she refused. She wasn’t a tyrant like her mother. The queen killed her for that. Branded her a traitor and had her own daughter executed. How many horrible things has Eira done to you?”

  The crowd stirred. A low rumble began, like the vibrations of an earthquake deep underground.

  “How many of your friends has she killed? How many of your loved ones has she murdered? She destroyed her own daughter. Do you think anything is off-limits for this woman?”