Page 26 of This Frozen Heart

“Indeed.” Kay glances back at the avalanche that is halfway down the mountain toward us. Then he turns back to the ledge before pointing to the overhang. “Stand there.”

Since he has done the opposite of trying to kill me all day— and my death would be counter-productive to his goals anyway and especially while we are cuffed— I comply. The approaching avalanche doesn’t give me much choice.

Kay joins me at the ledge before shimmying down from it.

I sit down on the ledge to anchor myself in case he falls as he hangs from the ledge.

Then his fingers are gone and my heart lurches. I desperately grip the side of the ledge in a foolish hope I can keep us from both being swallowed by the abyss.

No pull comes.

“I made it, and the ledge is sturdy,” Kay calls. “I’m ready for you.”

I snort. “I highly doubt that.”

“I’m more ready for the devastation that you are than you are for the catastrophe that is the avalanche.”

Turning toward the approaching devastation, I find it far nearer. It has certainly gained speed, and I might have mere moments where I thought I had minutes. “Very well; I’m coming.”

“Good. Just slowly lower yourself from the ledge. Don’t release your hold on it until after I give you the all clear.”

“As you say . . .” It is absolute madness to be trusting an enemy soldier this much for my survival, but at least he seems to want me alive nearly as much as I do.

Keeping the avalanche in my peripheral, I move toward the ledge. Then I grip it, anchoring my gloved fingers into the snow as much as I can before moving to lower my body over the abyss.

Until I accidentally look over the ledge and see how far I have to fall. Far enough to die of fright before I reach the bottom.

“Gerta!” Kay calls. “If you’re brave enough to take on the entire Empire, you’re courageous enough to do this one small thing!”

I try to focus on his words, but the rumble of the avalanche is drawing closer. It is a violent force ready to sweep me off the cliff before I can fall naturally.

Leaning down, I toss my cap onto the ledge with Kay. Then I swing my legs off. But I move too fast, and the force drags my fingers free of their anchoring.

Suddenly, it is like all the snow is ice, and I’m slipping backward. I desperately grab at the snow, trying to find a new grip, but it is too late. I fall backward.

A scream tries to tear out of my throat, but I’m not breathing enough to make it audible.

After a moment of freefall, my wrist lurches as the chain tenses.

I lift my head to see if I’m about to drag Kay down to his doom, too.

However, he has himself better anchored than I was, lying prostrate on the ledge, one hand clinging to the side and the other hanging off with the chain, looking badly bent. His legs are partially dangling off the other side.

And is that snow piling above us? The avalanche is here, and it’s about to finish the job of sweeping us off the mountain.

I look up at Kay, not sure what to say. Should I apologize? It’s neither my fault that I fell nor that I’m handcuffed to him. But I feel sorry anyway. Enemy or not, this isn’t the fate I wished for him. It certainly isn’t the fate I desired for myself.

Suddenly, I’m rising.

Blinking, I watch as Kay, apparently trusting his legs bent over the ledge to support him, is now using his uncuffed hand to pull the chain upward.

New hope surges through me, and I reach out to grasp the ledge with my uncuffed hand to help alleviate my weight.

Kay grasps the chain with his injured cuffed hand and then grasps my anchored hand with his free one. With much grunting, he pulls me upward until he’s on his knees and I’m on the ledge.

Then snow is pouring down on either side of our protective overhang, a waterfall of pure white.

For a long moment, we remain on our knees, clinging to each other. Then I turn to Kay, my giddiness returning. “We survived!”

---