Page 1 of A Storm of Fire and Ice

Prologue

Helena

Irubbedmyhandstogether vigorously, desperately trying to generate the slightest bit of heat. The entire fucking castle was made of ice. Yes, it’s called the Ice Kingdom for a reason, but seriously?! I didn’t even know such things existed outside of Disney movies.

Cupping my hands together, I blew an orange ribbon of flame into my palms, bringing some miniscule source of warmth to my frozen bones. As I glanced out the window, endless snowdrifts blanketed the landscape of this unfamiliar place. All I wanted was to see green grass again.

Things would be greener—warmer—if we’d gone to the Earth Kingdom for winter break.

I shook the thought away and reminded myself why I was really there. Because Fannar needed me.

He perched awkwardly on his bed, his face rigid and expressionless as he stared into nothingness. His elbows rested firmly on his knees with his fingers interlocked at the front of his face. His left foot tapped restlessly against the smooth floor. Tiny snowflakes hovered around him in the air, attempting to cocoon him in an icy aura.

Maybehewas the one freezing the room? As if it needed to be any colder!

“Fannar. Babe!” I pleaded with him. “We don’t need more ice, please!”

Fannar’s arctic blue eyes blinked up at me, like I’d disturbed his thoughts. “Sorry, Helena,” he murmured. He stretched his back a little and huffed out a sigh.

The duvet on his bed crunched underneath me as I sat beside him, frosty from his powers spreading out around him.

“Still worried about your sister?” I asked.

Fannar nodded. His familiar icy expression revealed nothing, but I’d learned to read the tiny hint of emotion that his eyes betrayed.

“Every day that we’re sitting around here, Gwyneira is trapped in the Storm Castle. Gods know what that monster is doing to her, Helena.” He clenched his fists, and more ice collected on them. “We don’t know if she’s okay, if she’s alive. Even Mother and Father don’t know anything.”

“How is it that they’ve seriously not checked on her once?” I snapped.

He shook his head. “Gwyneira is nothing more than a tool to them. Always has been.” He paused and smiled humorlessly at me. “My parents would treat you the same way if they weren’t so damn scared of you.”

“That’s me. Scary Fire Enchanted from the Unenchanted Realm.” I grinned and shrugged, but Fannar hung his head again. I placed my hand on his. “Well, then, it’s up to us to save her.”

Fannar paused, contemplating my words. “It could start a war.”

“So what?” I scoffed. “You’re the future king of the Ice Kingdom. You have every right to rescue your sister if the prince is being cruel to her.”

As the words left my mouth, I knew I had him. Fannar was always so soft-hearted when it came to Gwyneira. He looked at me with pleading eyes, silently asking me for permission to rescue his sister.

“What’s the plan?” I smirked, knowing that I had won this battle. “I’m sure you’ve already thought about it.”

Fannar’s eyes lit up. “She has to be inside the Storm Castle. We can sneak in and look for her. Gwyneira doesn’t have powers, or if she does now, she won’t know how to use them. She’s completely defenseless, so if we escape with her without anyone noticing, that would be best.”

“If we’re caught, the Storm Prince won’t let her go without a fight.” I slammed my fist down onto the palm of my other hand with a loud smack.

“Then we’ll deal with him. We’re two of the most powerful students at the academy. That has to count for something, right?”

I nodded, eying him cautiously. “But, by ‘deal with him’, you mean . . . ?”

Fannar’s eyes and tone darkened. “If he resists, I’ll kill him.”

Chapter One

Gwyneira

Iknow it’s here somewhere.

A cool night breeze played with my long white hair as I stood at the edge of the terrace adjoining the royal chambers that Brontes and I shared, peering at the night sky through a large telescope. My heart fluttered with anticipation as I adjusted the lens, focusing on the dazzling diamond-studded canvas above me.

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