Page 29 of This Frozen Heart

“Another excellent point.” Kay flips open his satchel and tugs out a coil of rope. It’s followed by a hammer and a peg.

I frown. “Whatever plan you have, I hate it already.”

Kay ignores me and ties the end of the rope into a small circular knot. Then he tests it out on the peg, ensuring it can’t come off the top.

I slide. “Ireallyhate this plan.”

He pulls a knife out of the satchel and sheathes it in his belt. “As long as you comply with the execution of the plan, your opinion of it doesn’t matter.”

“‘Comply’ isn’t really in my dictionary.”

The smallest of smiles twists on Kay’s lips, and for a moment, I’m as breathless as when we were sledding down this mountain.

Then he’s hammering the peg into the ledge we’re standing on, and my stomach twists for an entirely different reason.

“You’re a wild woman of Gaelia,” Kay says when he finishes. “You know no fear.”

“But you’renota wild woman of Gaelia. I should be considerate of the dread you cannothelpbut feel.”

Kay tugs at the peg, this time checking if it’s secure. It doesn’t budge, but it also doesn’t have the weight of two people bearing down on it.

I glance over the ledge, noting the cliff face. It is covered in fresh snow from the avalanche, and the grooves will have to be dug out one as we go. The ground is higher up thanks to the massive buildup of snow from the avalanche, but it is still farther than I have ever scaled before. It will be quite the descent before I can— possibly— safely fall.

“Fearless or not, I don’t think I can do this. Physically speaking.” I wince at how weak I must sound to a man whom I know to be my enemy. But I have long ago learned my limitations, and this mountainside claims all of them.

But then again, I’d never have made it this far in life without testing each limitation again to see if this time I could be free of it.

And it’s not like there is any other option. Even if I choose to climb back up the mountain— as if that would be less dangerous— the Snow Queen is up there.

“You can do this,” Kay counters, “and if you grow weary, just tell me. As long as you have the strength to wrap your arms around my neck, I can carry us both down.”

“Uh—what?”

Kay turns placidly toward me, like he didn’t just encourage me to embrace him— after he turned away from my kiss, thank Heavens. “My Bloodline Magic. It replenishes my endurance as well as my health. I can carry us both down as long as we make frequent stops while my strength returns.”

“That is some very convenient magic you possess.”

“Well, I wasn’t awarded my ranking just because of my father’s money. And even my rugged looks couldn’t have landed me my elite regiment.”

“What do you mean ‘elite’ regiment?”

Kay sits on the ledge, clears a foothold, and then stands away from it, clinging to the rope. “I’m afraid that’s off the books, ma’am. I’m also afraid this rope doesn’t go all the way down, but it’s close enough.” He offers me his arm.

I shake my head. Between the choice of holding him or clinging to the mountain, I think it’s pretty clear which is the better alternative. Only one will give me a good reason to lose my breath.

Making sure my gloves are in place, I reach the edge of ledge and lower myself to the foothold Kay cleared.

Kay going first is mayhap the most appreciated demonstration of chivalry I’ve ever witnessed. With the footholds and handholds cleared ahead of me, my path is smoother than I originally thought. I still am careful to keep one hand clinging to the rope at all times, though. Because even though the snowis cleared, ice remains. One slip could still kill me from this height— or leave me wishing I was dead.

The longer I stare down, the faster the wind seems to pick up. Has the Snow Queen found us again? The world is spinning too fast for me to dare check without losing my balance—

“Focus on the foothold beneath you,” Kay calls. “That’s all you need to look upon. Just the next step.”

“I know that,” I snarl.

“Knowing and doing are two very different things.”

“Stop staring at my arse and focus onyournext foothold, why don’t you?”

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