Page 6 of This Frozen Heart

“What’s going on, Gerta?” Biggs asks, pulling his fur cap down over his pointed ears.

“Gerta?” Kay asks, turning to me like he somehow recognizes me with that name.

I glare at Biggs. Since he’s half-elf, stealth is one of the core tenants of his life. Unfortunately, that doesn’t include keeping his big mouth closed.

“Restrain our prisoner,” I snap. I already don’t like the way Kay seems to take in every detail with just a glance. Now he’ll be able to report my name to his superior officers.

Though, I suppose that doesn’t matter. I’m just another Gaelic orphan.

Prince and Biggs share a glance again before they each grab one of Kay’s hands.

Only then do I kneel and reach into Kay’s boot. I pull out a blade just as promised. This one has ornate woodwork, but it isn’t Constantinium issued.

“My mother gave it to me,” Kay offers. “She wanted to ensure I could make it back to her.”

Prince snorts. “How’s that working out for you?”

Kay ignores him, his warm blue gaze focused on me. “I also have a blade beneath my shirt.”

“Beneath yourshirt?”

“Yes. I should have thought to put it between my tunic and my shirt to be considerate, but I’m afraid I did not take this situation into consideration when I dressed this morn.”

I blow a golden strand of hair that escaped my fur cap out of my face. Then I glance between my men who are holding Kay’s arms. For a moment, I consider telling them to free a hand, but that would be folly. He doesn’t need any chance at grasping a weapon. This could all be a ruse, after all, for Kay to fight his way to freedom. I’m not worried that he would be successful, but that he won’t survive. I don’t care to sully my hands with his blood— especially since his father is likely powerful enough to retaliate.

Since there’s no other option, I grasp his tunic myself and push it up. Because Kay already undid his belt, I have no trouble lifting either his tunic or his shirt.

Goosebumps prickle on Kay’s hairless skin that is wholly impractical for the climate. He possesses far more defined muscles than I was anticipating for a wealthy heir. But he is in the military, and Constantinium likely has standards even men with rich fathers need to meet.

“The blade is on a chain around my neck,” Kay offers, and I realize too late I’ve been staring at his bare torso for far longer than necessary.

I quickly locate the sheathed blade hanging against his chest, just as he said. Then I grasp it, brushing my fingers over bare skin before pulling it free. Then I quickly drop his shirt.

Prince arches his brow at me, and I have a bad feeling my face is redder than the wind normally makes it which is foolhardy, because it’s not like I’m a stranger to man flesh. After all, Prince likes to wander around without a tunic or shirt for as long as he can bear in vain attempts to convince the Snow Queen to come down from her high mountain and take him as her next bridegroom.

We’re all fairly certain that Prince must be under some kind of curse, because his level of infatuation with a legend simply isn’t natural.

Wolf jogs over, a woman again with thick black hair attesting to the fact that she is an Ehyptian rather than Gaelic despite the furs that she wears. But she is as invested in helping us free our homeland from our southern neighbors, as we are —if only because Constantinium and Ehyptio are ancient enemies. “We have a prisoner?”

Smalls jogs over a moment later. “Forget the prisoner— we have fresh supplies!” He caresses the broken-down wagon I crashed through.

“Too bad we no longer have any horses,” Biggs mutters.

“Yes, too bad.” I take Kay’s arm away from him. “Which is why you get to help Smalls pull it.”

Kay glances at my oldest friend at my use of his name.

Smalls stares back at Kay, frowning like he recognizes Kay from somewhere.

Biggs doesn’t notice any of this exchange, though, as he processes my words. “Me?” He frowns. “But I’m just an elf.”

“Half-elf,” I correct, nodding toward the chariot.

He groans but cheers up significantly when Wolf joins him to help push.

I turn to Kay, who is behaving a lot more compliantly than my own men and just studying me wordlessly. “Well, I suppose it’s time for you to see how the other side lives, Captain.”

Chapter Four

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