Page 34 of This Frozen Heart

“Now it sounds like you’re threatening me again.”

Huffing, I try to think of something to explain before she goes off again. “I mean, if we can come to an arrangement where you and your people no longer steal the supplies from my men, there is no need for me to take you in to be made an example of.”

Gerta recoils. “‘Made an example of’?”

“It wouldn’t just be captivity waiting for you; it would be humiliation, and neither of us want that.”

“‘Neither of us,’ huh? What about your precious mission?”

“I’ll just consider getting supplies to the fortress as my primary mission objective and hope my superiors are satisfied with the fact that our men are no longer starving.”

Gerta furrows her brows. “What do you mean?”

“My ‘sister.’”

“You involved your sister as a ploy?!”

I glance down at her gloved wrists between my hands. “I have no sister. It wasentirelya ploy.”

“Of course it was.” Gerta huffs a gold strand out of her face.

Releasing one hand, I reach to tuck it back into its braid where it belongs.

Gerta stares at my hand so intently she almost goes cross-eyed. Then she turns back to me. “Well, what are the terms for the freedom you promised, and why should I believe you?”

“You should believe me because I have nothing to gain from this. I know where your camp is, so it would do me no good to follow you, and your men have evidently not found us to threaten me into releasing you.” From a strategic standpoint, this is completely foolhardy.

But even I know life isn’t completely about strategy. Some of it is about being able to go to sleep at night knowing I didn’t confine a free spirit to a cage.

“Andwhyexactly would you let me go?” Gerta glances at my sheathed knife.

I angle it away from her while still holding her wrist. “So, you can take your people and find some other way to express your love for Gaelia besides trying to starve out the men who’ve come to keep it secure from Ehyptio.”

“Ehyptio is not our invader.”

“And you are only a prisoner of Constantinium when you violate the laws put in place by the Empress with your King’s blessing.”

“A vassal king.” Gerta sniffs, but some of her fight has dimmed. He is the heir of the ancient Gaelic bloodline of Heritage Magic. The previous Emperor was wise to keep him on the throne, and the new Empress has upheld his reign. “I will never stop fighting.”

“Then find new ways to fight. But if you assault another caravan, they will send others from my troop, with at least one man trained to combat werwölfes. We have all the power to stop this, but I want to offer mercy.”

“I don’t want your mercy.”

I sigh. “I know you want your freedom. But things are more complicated than trying to starve out soldiers who will receive reinforcements before they retreat. Gaelia is no longer just yours, just as I am no longer just Gaelic. But you are still free and can continue to be so. Just know that if you steal again, it will be out of my hands to ensure you remain so. Don’t be illogical.”

Gerta chews her lips.

And I release her hands. My fingers that had been holding hers all night long ache for her warmth immediately.

“Y-you’re really doing it?”

“Yes.” I nod toward where I think I see our escape. “I’ll take you to the road. Then you can return to your people and lead them to a new life, and I can return to my old one.”

Gerta gapes at me, and I turn to continue trudging through the snow, which is halfway up my shins here.

At the sound of grunting, I glance back to find Gerta carefully walking in the path I leave behind.

Smiling to myself, I turn forward again and take as large of steps as possible.

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