Page 38 of This Frozen Heart

I stumble into the camp, not sure how to communicate what has happened. It almost feels like a dream, because my little misadventure was so far from normalcy. But my body and heart both ache too much for me to believe it wasn’t real.

Smalls rushes toward me, the grin falling off his face when he sees the expression on mine. “What is it? What ill tiding do you bring?”

“We were wondering where you went with the prisoner,” Biggs calls as he scoops up another handful of kindling, Prince just behind him. “But Wolf said you had personal reasons for sneaking off, and we certainly didn’t want to intrude.”

I glance toward Wolf in surprise. Why under the First Heaven did she make that assessment? And how does she always assume second-in-command so naturally when I’m gone, even though that position officially belongs to Smalls?

Prince easily looks over Biggs to study me. “Hey, where is our newest addition, anyway?”

My stomach plummets, and my throat nearly closes over at the thought of sharing tidings that hurt me most of all.

Smalls grasps my hands. “What happened? Did he hurt you? So help me—”

I shake my head quickly. “Kay didn’t hurt me. Well, he arrested me, but—”

“Hewhat?!”

“But he let me go. And then he sacrificed himself to the Snow Queen to save me.”

Prince drops his handful of kindling. “You saw the Snow Queen?!”

I nod, my ears tearing up uncomfortably in the cold. “She just took him. Kay, that is.”

“This is no good.” Smalls frowns. “Might be good riddance to an Imperian, but with Constantinium knowing we had himthough we no longer do to use as either ransom or a human shield . . . we will not survive their retribution.”

“We can just tell him a folktale took him,” Wolf calls from her perch. “I’m sure they’ll believe us.”

Biggs sighs. “We definitely have to move camp.”

Prince just drops to his knees. “I camethisclose to being claimed by the Snow Queen and missed it by being thewrong person?!”

I stare at them, not sure what else to say before I begin shaking violently, like my body has decided it doesn’t need to remain strong any longer.

Smalls engulfs me in his embrace. “There is something else wrong, isn’t there, Gerta?”

“He sacrificed himself for me,” I whisper. “The Snow Queen was going to freeze my heart, but he took the blow. I know this sounds mad, but hecaredfor me. That is, until the ice settled into his heart and stole him before even the Snow Queen did.”

Smalls rubs my back, clearly at a loss for words, which doesn’t bode well because he’s always been the most sensitive of us all.

“Do you want him back?”

I stand on my tiptoes to peer over Smalls’ shoulder.

Wolf kicks her legs in the air, a smirk on her face. “Do you want him back enough to face the Snow Queen and steal what she believes is rightfully hers?”

“Even if I abduct him again, his heart will still be frozen?”

“There is a way to melt it.” Wolf slides off the ledge and strides toward me.

Smalls stiffens and looks over his own shoulder. “What are you talking about, Wolf?”

“Yes,” I whisper, “what is this way to melt a frozen heart?”

Wolf comes to a halt and spins her fur camp around, a smug smile on her face. “Isn’t it obvious? Have you never heard the tale before? To melt a frozen heart, you must share true love’s kiss.”

Chapter Twenty

Kay

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