by K. M. Shea
Kai’s eyes were still glazed with pain, but Rakel saw a flicker of hope in them. “You promise? We’ll be family?”
Rakel wasn’t exactly sure what they were agreeing on. She was too young to be his mother, and the wound was too fresh. But maybe…I can be his Oskar, and that is a kind of family that is just as special and important. “I give you my royal word,” Rakel said. “You will always be in my heart.”
Kai buried his face in Rakel’s dress again, and Rakel rested her hands on his back. “You’ll never be alone, Kai. You are loved. And if you can accept your magic as a gift, you will see there is a beauty there.”
Kai shook his head. “If there is beauty, why did my mother run?”
Rakel hesitated, wondering if what she was about to say was too much. “There is a great deal of darkness in the world, Kai. But life is not hopeless, and you need not live in fear of it. Rather, if you look for it, you will find that the continent brims with love. Do you understand?”
“Grandmother Hilda said you’re a saint for helping us when you were so hated. Is that what you mean?” Kai slipped out of her grasp so he could peer up at her.
“I’m not certain I’m the best example, but yes. The same goes for magic. You can accept what the fearful and hateful say about it, or you can see it with love and delight.”
“How? How can you love something that ruined your life?” Kai asked.
Rakel thought over the question for a moment. She could recall Phile praising her for her delight in her magic, in spite of all that happened to her because of it. It’s what makes you so powerful, she had said. “Magic hasn’t ruined my life. It’s brought me joy.”
“But you were exiled because of your magic,” Kai argued.
“Yes,” Rakel agreed. “But…I take joy in the magic itself.”
Kai stared at her with furrowed eyebrows, his attention hinged on her words. He wants to understand…but how can I show him?
Rakel flattened her lips, deep in thought, then eyed the open field they stood in. She reached for her magic, and, like always, it answered her, twining around her like a cat. Rakel hesitated a moment, feeling out the natural snow and the frozen earth. She nodded, and ice shot out of the ground.
Under her artistic eye, a castle formed. It wasn’t huge like the one on Ensom—but rather a miniature one, a child’s fort. She made its tallest tower twice Oskar’s height, but the walls surrounding the crystalline fort were short enough for a tall adult to peer over.
She could feel Kai’s eyes as she sculpted and created, her brain running over figures and structures while she forged the ice into a work of beauty and craftsmanship. When she finished the castle, she made two life-sized ice sculptures—one of Gerta and one of Kai. When she caught Kai’s pained expression, she made a sculpture of Phile, then Oskar, Hilda, herself, and on and on until a crowd of ice people were stationed in front of the castle.
She studied Kai, who appeared impressed but not quite convinced. He’s not there yet. He’s seen me build and sculpt before. But how can I show more beauty than a castle? Rakel realized she was thinking more along her preferences than Kai’s, but what would Kai—an artistic boy with a sweet heart—find lovely?
Rakel raised her eyes to the clear skies. If I could do it… Rakel inhaled and pulled on her magic. Clouds formed and snow started to fall as Rakel worked her magic on each individual flake. It was harder than she thought—it required a different kind of precision than she was used to—but after a moment, she raised her hand and caught several snowflakes.
“You can craft something beautiful with your magic, Kai. That is what makes it glorious.” Rakel knelt in front of him and held out her hand. The snowflakes hadn’t melted on her cool skin, and they were big and fat, making their beautiful designs easier to observe.
Each snowflake was a work of beauty—extending in different shapes and lines—but at the center of every flake was a white heart.
For the first time, Kai cracked a smile. Rakel returned the smile and kept hold of her magic, making the heart-filled snowflakes drift down from the sky.
“But…I can’t do this,” Kai said, pointing to the flakes.
“No,” Rakel agreed. “You have to find beauty in your own way.”
“But I can’t,” Kai argued.
“Sure you can.”
Rakel turned in surprise to see Frodi—dark circles under his eyes—stomping towards them. A pack of magic users stood behind him, marveling at the snowflakes and watching Rakel’s exchange with Kai.
Frodi marched all the way up to Kai and Rakel and offered them a smile. “You think that’s great, watch this.” Frodi tossed his gloves aside and clasped his hands together. When he pulled them apart, fire flickered to life with a roar.
Kai jumped, but his expression went from fear to awe as Frodi stared at his hands in concentration. Slowly, the flames morphed into a fist-sized horse shape.
“Wow!” Kai laughed when Frodi flicked his hands and the horse-shaped fire went cantering off. “Can you make a reindeer?”
“Sure,” Frodi said.
“I want to see!” Gerta shouted as she ran across the snow. She joined Kai—taking his hand in hers—and gasped in delight when Frodi formed another fist-sized tongue of fire into the shape of an elegant reindeer—antlers and all.
Several of the villagers joined Kai and Gerta in watching the fire show.
Not to be outdone, Bluff followed them.
“Everyone stand back,” Bluff said. “Princess, could you raise and lower the temperature in short successions?”
“Yes,” Rakel said.
“Could you please do it on three?” Bluff asked, pointing to a blank area. “Over there specifically?”
Rakel nodded and grabbed her magic.
“One…two…three!”
Rakel drastically raised the temperature—as he requested—jumping with everyone else when lightning sizzled and struck the ground in the area he had indicated. She lowered the temperature again and rubbed her ears—slightly deafened by the strength of the booming thunder.
“Ta da!” Bluff pointed to the spot where the lightning had struck. It had turned the snow at the site of the strike to water, splashing it in the air, and then Rakel’s magic had refrozen the liquid while it was spraying. The result was a flower-like formation of ice.
Soon, other magic users were following Bluff and Frodi’s example. Bunny transformed into her fox body and bumped noses with anyone who knelt down next to her—delighting Gerta and Kai. Dryden threw grown men up into the air and caught them like they were straw dolls. Eydìs manipulated her rope so it trailed after her like a dog and playfully rubbed against people.
Kai’s face was alight with wonder.
For the moment, he had forgotten the hurt of his mother’s decision. The pain would return, but Rakel hoped he would remember this moment and remember how loved—and lovable—he was. She shifted her gaze to the villagers and soldiers who had joined them on the snow field, smiling as she watched them chat and marvel at the magic users’ displays.
Farrin moved to stand shoulder to shoulder with her so his arm touched hers. “You did well.”
“No, it wasn’t me…” Rakel trailed off, barely able to speak due to the strength of her feelings as she watched everyone laugh, talk, and share. Her heart swelled, and on an impulse, she hugged Farrin. “For a moment, I had forgotten how far we had come—how much better it is now, for magic users.”
Farrin slid his hands down her back. “Kai’s situation is cruel.”
“But we have this,” Rakel said. “Magic users used to cower and hide for fear of what would happen, but we don’t have to any more. There will still be moments of darkness—like Kai’s—but he will be loved!”
“You have changed Verglas,” Farrin said. “Though I fear the rest of the continent is not like this.”
“Then we’ll change it,” Rakel said. “These people welcome magic because they see how it can help them, and how we mean them no harm. If we could te
ach magic users how to use their magic for good—how to see the possibilities in it—they could change the way people think!” Rakel looked up at him, her eyes bright. “Do you think it’s possible?”
“I do.” Farrin brushed a tendril of her white hair from her face. “Though it may take years of sweat and anguish.”
“If it means children with magic will not grow up like we did…” Rakel smiled and rested her face on his shoulder so she could still see the impromptu gathering. “There’s hope, Farrin. And it’s not too late. In spite of the mirror, in spite of the darkness, there can be good.”
“Yes,” Farrin agreed. His arms were warm and secure. Rakel leaned into him and relaxed, letting his warmth encircle her.
Rakel didn’t know if they stood together for hours or minutes, but she was almost asleep when the gathering broke up.
Oskar and Phile walked past them. Oskar carried a sleeping Gerta and Phile leaned into him and yawned, unusually quiet, although she looked happy enough. “It’s late, Princess. You should sleep,” Oskar said.
Rakel pulled herself from Farrin’s warm embrace and blinked at the horizon—which was starting to glow violet with the promise of dawn. “Yes,” she agreed. She blinked owlishly at Phile. Pleased silence is unusual for her. I always thought she was joking about her admiration for Oskar. Could she—no. The lack of sleep has made me stupid. She tottered for a moment, but Farrin caught and corrected her.
Kai trudged towards her, his face pinched with exhaustion, but lacking—she was glad to see—the sorrow that had defined it.
Farrin picked Kai up like he was a baby. “Your strength served you admirably today,” he told the little boy.
Kai plopped his head on Farrin’s shoulder and, to all appearances, started sleeping.
Farrin held his hand out to Rakel, his expression placid.
She studied him for a moment…and realized that her feelings for Farrin were very different than her love for Phile, Gerta and Kai, Oskar, and Halvor. So much for resisting his affections. I didn’t even last a month. Her inner thoughts were blunt and more honest than usual. Phile is going to cackle.
Farrin tilted his head, and his gray eyes seemed especially piercing. “Is something wrong?”
She thought a moment, then took his hand. “It’s fine.” I don’t need to discuss it with him yet. I don’t know the extent of my feelings, and I have gone too long without sleep. Later.
If she felt extra warm as she trudged through the wet snow and made her way back to Tana, she attributed it to the tall, handsome magic user at her side and the young boy he held.
Phile joined them for a moment, and her gaze swiveled from Rakel to Kai. She slightly furrowed her eyebrows, set her lips in a firm line, and nodded solemnly at Farrin. “Remember: it’s a boy and a girl name.”
Rakel blinked. “What?”
Farrin gave the Robber Maiden a flat look and then smiled at Rakel as they drew closer to the walls of Tana. “I fear the early hours have addled her mind.”
“Probably…” Rakel trailed off when she caught a glimpse of the ground.
A small patch of snow had melted, giving way to the grass underneath, which was starting to perk up.
“Rakel?” Farrin asked when she stopped walking.
We have to hurry, Rakel thought, reality crashing back upon her shoulders. We have to defeat the Chosen. We’re almost out of time!
CHAPTER 13
TO MARCH SOUTH
Several days later, Rakel sat in the mess hall in Tana—between Farrin and Steinar—listening to General Halvor give the latest updates.
“As long as we continue to avoid coming into contact with the Chosen’s main army—which includes the likes of Tenebris and his two colonels, Grimick and Kavon—we have an upper-hand in the war,” Halvor said. “When our soldiers and magic users work together, they are much more difficult to face on the battlefield. The Chosen Army does not enjoy the same benefits of cohesive forces and teamwork. In fact, our scouts estimate that less than a third of Tenebris’s mercenaries remain with him. Many of them surrendered in combat, and even more of them are leaving voluntarily.”
Several people clapped, a few whistled, and almost everyone smiled.
“By using the resistance’s hit-and-run techniques, we have managed to strike key points in the Chosen offense. I am pleased to announce that Tenebris has pulled out of his northern-most camp, has abandoned most of his northern fortifications, and has retreated south,” General Halvor continued.
“King’s toes!” Phile exclaimed.
The atmosphere of the room brightened as people were further encouraged.
This doesn’t seem right, Rakel thought. Tenebris is brutal. Why is he retreating instead of laying waste to us? Concerned, she glanced over at Farrin. “Could this be a ploy to get us away from the mirror so Tenebris can snatch it in secret?”
He flashed her a small, reassuring smile and draped his arm over her shoulders. “Your clever general has scouts and spies in place around the mountain path, and I have eyes on Tenebris. If he directs a team north, we’ll know.”
General Halvor’s expression turned somber as he continued. “However, the southern villages and towns have paid dearly for our success.”
Everyone quieted and returned their attention to the general.
He gestured to Bunny and Snorri, who stood behind him. Bunny had her right arm in a sling, and Snorri had bandages wrapped around his head, two black eyes, and a broken nose. “Our scouts report that three villages and two cities have been razed. These were fortifications already under Tenebris’s power. He destroyed them and slaughtered hundreds.”
“Even though they were under the Chosen’s control?” an officer, Colonel Danr, asked.
Halvor nodded grimly. “Furthermore, with the loss of his sellswords, Tenebris has changed tactics and has broken up many of his magic users into teams—like we have—of five to twenty. He has sent them across Verglas to destroy whatever they can. Some of you have encountered them.”
He set his gaze on Rakel and Steinar. “Two of these teams have been sighted west of Ostfold. Both times, the forces were scared off. However, I am sending some of our magic users north for additional security.”
West of Ostfold…that’s where Ensom Peak is…and the path that leads to the mirror. Rakel started to lean into Farrin—seeking his warmth as reassurance—until she realized what she was doing and fixed her posture.
“We have succeeded and accomplished incredible feats given our odds, but now comes the most difficult part of the war,” Halvor continued. “As the tide continues to turn in our favor, we will be put on the defense and struggle to hold as many of the settlements in Verglas as possible against pressure from Chosen magic users. Some of the villages will be evacuated, and the refugees will be taken to larger cities or sent north to Ostfold. Even with that approach, our forces will be thinly spread.”
“What you’re saying is that we cannot afford to let this war continue much longer,” Oskar—sitting in the first row—stated.
General Halvor glanced at Rakel. “For more than one reason.”
Steinar’s face creased with worry. “We need to have a direct confrontation with Tenebris, don’t we?”
“Yes,” General Halvor agreed.
“The heaviest losses we’ve faced were in our second battle against him,” Colonel Danr said.
“I am aware, but if we don’t paralyze their main force, this war will grow long and bloody,” General Halvor said.
“What about assassinating Tenebris and his top men?” a magic user asked.
Rakel warmed to the idea. It would spare the people of all the bloodshed facing him head-on would cause.
General Halvor looked to Farrin, who shook his head. “Can’t be done.”
“Why not?” Rakel asked.
“For as long as I have known him, men have been trying to kill Tenebris. He’s never been caught off guard. It is conceivable that somewhere in the world there is an assassin good enough to
kill him, but it would take a long time to find such a person.”
“But our scouts manage to get close to him,” Eydìs argued.
“Yes, but the scouts also lack the necessary attack power,” Farrin countered.
“What about you?” Frodi asked.
Farrin shook his head. “My magic does not work well against his cursing powers. Mental attacks are hard to counter. I’ve managed to deflect his attacks, but only when he is in direct contact with me. I can evade them, but that won’t help us. As far as I know, Rakel is the only being alive who can stop his curses before they are placed. Liv’s ability to purify his magic is extremely rare as well, particularly because Tenebris often kills anyone who can do so.”
The room—once bright and exuberant—turned quiet and grim.
“We will win,” General Halvor said. “Our goal, however, must be to limit our losses and prepare ourselves for the possibility of another invasion in several years if we do not stamp out all the Chosen officers.”
Rakel’s stomach rolled. This isn’t what I thought it would be like. I thought it would grow easier, and everyone would be happy and free afterward. All of this fear and death—blast that mirror!
Rakel rubbed her eyes. “We will need to face Tenebris in the next two to three weeks,” she said. “Any later, and everything will be in bloom.”
“We are limited to the locations to which Tenebris flees,” General Halvor said.
With this exchange, the room began to lighten again.
“Our Snow Queen,” someone murmured.
Rakel smiled in affection, but at the back of her mind, their reaction nagged at her.
“We will pull out of Tana in three days and march south,” General Halvor continued. “During our march, we will stop at one of the villages that were razed so we can witness what Tenebris has done.”