Page 40 of This Frozen Heart

“CaptainKay of Kleiner House, ma’am.”

“Hmm.” The Snow Queen taps my face. “Quite pretty, but not pretty enough for your face. From now on, you shall be known as Kai.”

I feel no need to resist— I feel nothing at all— so, I nod. “Yes, ma’am.”

“‘My Queen’ or ‘Your Majesty’ will do.”

“Yes, my Queen.”

The Snow Queen offers one of her small, almost sad smiles and then offers me her hand. “You may kiss the royal hand, Kai.”

Taking her fingers into my gloved hand, I press my lips to her knuckles.

Her smile grows. Then, still leaving her hand in my care, she turns to the rest of her audience. “Now, loved ones, I have my second announcement to share. Your beloved Queen— the onewho keeps you from the cold while you admire the ice— seeks to elevate one of you in your status beyond being one of my dear servants.”

The others glance at each other, but this time no one whispers as they wait.

The Snow Queen stands, her hand falling from mine as she seems to grow more radiant than ever before by the power of the light reflecting down on her in her ice palace. “A blue moon approaches, and thus the position opens. What role, you wonder? I shall tell you! It is among you that I shall seek the man who shall be second in power only to me— my king consort!”

Chapter Twenty-One

The Enemies

Gerta:

The Ice Queen maynothave his heart. It already belongs tome.

Those words echo in my head as I think of how Kay— my enemy with stringent rules— gave me permission to kiss him against all common sense.

Unfortunately, none of that confidence translates when I open my mouth. “Let me get this straight— if I were to prance up the mountain to the Snow Queen’s palace and locate Kay, all I have to do then is to kiss him and he’ll be free?”

Wolf nods nonchalantly.

Behind her, Biggs frowns. “Why did you say ‘prance up the mountain’ like that’s a simple task barely worth mentioning? Didn’t you just almostdieon that mountain?”

Prince waves his words away. “No, no— this is a good plan. And there’s safety in numbers, so I’ll go with Gerta to help her accomplish her goal.”

Biggs rolls his eyes. “You really think you can steal the Snow Queen’s icy heart while we’re trying to thaw one of her victims?”

Running a hand through his unevenly long hair, Prince nods resolutely. “At the very least, I can keep her distracted.”

“Surely, this isn’t what you really want, Gerta,” Smalls says from where he stands beside me, one arm draped over my shoulders.

I look up at him.

Smalls sees in my eyes what my throat won’t let me say and sighs.

“If it helps,” Wolf adds, “I know a shortcut up the mountain.”

We all turn to her.

I plant my hands on my hips. “Howdoyou have all this information on the Snow Queen all of the sudden?”

“Oh, it’s not all of a sudden. Some of us have hobbies other than mooning after each other, after all.” She gives Biggs a pointed look before offering Prince a patronizing smile. “And some of us actuallydosomething about our fascination with the Snow Queen.”

Prince glances between her and me. “Wait, I have to fight both Gerta’s prisonerandyou for my Queen?”

“Oh, I don’t want her attentions. Just her alliance in the fight against at Constantinium.” Wolf sniffs. “But apparently, she is ‘above’ such things.”

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