Page 32 of Of Snow and Sapphire

Not only did she need to find the Heart, protect it as she found Cirrus, and get out, she was being timed, too. The Weather Gods were not on her side, then. A smart way to humble her it seemed, so she gave the skies a middle finger—because it couldn’t get worse—and entered again.

She dug her claws into the wall as she braced herself, her arms outstretched and her feet gliding across the slick ice. It was beginning to thin out faster now, so much so, she could just make out the large expanse of space between her and her doom if she didn’t hurry. It was so high that she knew she would never survive it. Cirrus would also die.

All her markings from earlier had melted so she had no clue where she had already been. Frustrated and desperate, Ludelle took a dangerous second to think of how to best track her movements now. She could feel herself sinking down. Sweat beaded along her brow. Ludelle looked up and the clouds moved quickly, the barest hints of the sun coming through.

She didn’t think twice as she sliced across her palm and let some of her blue blood flow on the ground. The small pool of blood caused the ice to melt slightly, but she had no other choice.

She made fewer mistakes this time, perhaps the added pressure boosted her instincts. She didn’t complain either way.

Thinking back on her conversation with Zimyn’s father, Ludelle wondered how nervous her father and her grandmother had been during their Undertakings. Did they walk in confidently? Did each Undertaking get harder or easier as they became more familiar with the test?

The biggest question Ludelle had: Why did the Gods hold their powers hostage and force them to partake in an Undertaking? If they were all-giving and actually cared, surely they would gladly fuel the land they ruled so the people below would prosper.

Right now, she had more pressing matters to worry about, like the fact that the thin layer of ice would not be able to bear her weight soon. She didn’t know how much longer she had, but she begged whoever would listen that she would make it to the Heart soon.

Her nails ached with how much they were holding her upright, and before she knew what was happening, she crashed to her knees. The ice underneath her splintered and fell. She quickly reached out and clawed the wall, but the sharp ice scraped her face as she did. She would leave this maze bruised and cut, if she didn’t die first. She hung there, her legs dangling as she held on, but she couldn’t hold on forever. The distance below daunted her. The fall would last too long for comfort, with too much time to think before her body splattered against the rocks and trees.

It couldn’t end like this. Not without saying goodbye to Zimyn. That thought had her gritting her teeth and swinging her legs until she could toss herself back up onto the maze. A few of her nails cracked and broke in the process, but she could care less now that she was back on somewhat solid ground. She stayed there, heavy-breathing, scared—but she couldn’t stop now.

She decided to crawl to keep moving at least, even if at a much slower pace. Ahead of her was a long straight path and then a left turn. Ludelle prayed that this would be it. If it wasn’t, then her body might actually fail her.

She sobbed in relief when a large clearing revealed itself. At the center, on a glimmering pedestal of ice stood the Heart of the Snow Court.

She didn’t hesitate as she ran and grabbed it, the cold exterior biting into her skin. She sagged in relief. One task accomplished. Now, she just had to find Cirrus and get back to the caves. Right as she stepped off the platform to start the next phase, the ground shook beneath her and the side of the maze she just solved crumbled and fell.

Eighteen

Ludelle blinked in disbelief at the sight before her. She hadn’t realized how far she had walked from the starting point. The distance between her and the tunnel was stark and wide, a looming presence. At least she now knew that Cirrus waited for her on the other side of the maze. Less options meant she could go faster.

She put the compact over her neck and tucked it into her leathers, giving it extra protection in case she decided it would be fun to fall again. She didn’t want a stupid mistake to be the reason her court fell.

There were two points of entry back into the veins of the maze. She picked left, and she could have sworn she felt the Heart of the court thud against her skin. Hopefully, a good sign.

The ground beneath her hadn’t started melting yet, giving her more traction to walk faster, but sharp icicles poked out of the walls, some long enough that she had to adjust and dodge.

This time, Ludelle purposefully hit every path possible, even the dead ends, making her blood more important than ever. Cirrus could be waiting for her in any corner, and she didn’t want to miss him.

An icicle shot out of nowhere, stabbing Ludelle in the shoulder. She screamed in pain, pulling it out of her and holding the wound. She heaved as she looked at her ripped clothes and the small hole that was bleeding out, luckily not too deep. She didn’t let it deter her, she kept moving. The faster she could get out, the faster she could call the healer. She just made sure to be careful as she continued.

Now that she had the Heart, her confidence had risen. She could do this. She would find Cirrus, get the hell out, and tell Zimyn goodbye. Tell him her heart beat just for him and that no consort would ever compare. She would dream of his hands on her at night.

She would also tell him that she was happy for him because he deserved to see the world. Just like her, he had been locked into the Snow Court his whole life, only leaving on official court business, which were rare to begin with and never allowed time for actual exploration of the destination. Now, he would have that freedom he clearly desired, even if it was without her.

She didn’t stop. Not even a moment to think through her actions. She made a sharp turn and gasped at the sight around the corner. It was Cirrus!

But as he lay there, a red spot bloomed on his chest. Ludelle covered her mouth as a cry escaped her lips.

Was she too late? Had the Weather Gods cursed her to a worse fate?

“Ludelle,” a whimper called out. The sound, weak, but with it being so silent, she could easily hear it. “Lud—” Her body froze as she recognized who it belonged to. It couldn't be.

She ran.

She slammed into a wall, her face hitting it so hard she had to blink away the white dots in her vision. She would bruise, but she didn’t care. She didn’t care about anything except for the other bleeding body that lay there. Zimyn, whose hands and legs were tied and whose eyes were closed, opened his mouth to call out to her again. He was caged in by a myriad of icicles. She tore through them with her hands quickly to reach him, the sharp ends slicing through her skin.

She dropped to her knees at his side and placed her hand on his cheek. “Shh. I’m here.” She wiped his wet hair away from his face and revealed all the bruising. His scales had been ripped off, his arms coated in blood where they once were.

“What happened?” She whispered frantically, doing her best to tamp down the devastation and fear. Water began to pool beneath them, the ice melting at a quicker pace with the two of them on it, but she shakily undid the knots that restrained him.

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