Page 2 of The Midnight Blizzard

“Why were you out so late and all alone?” Jack asked.

“I was trying to get to the castle.”

“Off to compete in the prince’s bride balls?”

“No. My stepfamily has something of mine, and I intend to get it back.”

Jack didn’t ask any more probing questions about my motives and within twenty minutes, we swept into a small village. Jack pulled up next to one of the shops. The windows were dark, but Jack slipped out from under Kodiak to pound on the door anyway.

“Beryl! Open up!” Jack returned to the sled, scooped Kodiak into his arms, then continued to pound on the door with his foot, so loudly that I looked around in alarm, wondering if the other townsfolk would wake up and begin throwing things at us. Having made my way to his side, I nervously patted Kodiak’s head, and he let out a piteous whimper.

“I’m coming! I’m coming!” a man grumbled from inside, heavy footsteps thudding across the floor. The door creaked open, and a bearded man poked his head out. “By holly, Jack, can’t this wait until morning?”

“No.” Jack lifted Kodiak and nodded at the injury.

The man I assumed was Beryl sighed and opened thedoor. “It’salwaysdogs with you. Bring him inside. I’ll stake your team.”

While Beryl went to secure Jack’s team, Jack laid Kodiak down on a table. Shelving ran from floor to ceiling all around the room, crowded with jars and bottles.

“Beryl’s a healer,” Jack explained quietly. “I can bind up injuries well enough, but if that wolf had a disease, which is fairly likely…”

“Thank you for everything you’ve done,” I told him. “Truly, I don’t know how to repay you.”

He shrugged. “No need. I don’t like many people, but I do like dogs.”

“Likewise.” I scratched under Kodiak’s chin and he wagged his tail feebly. “Dogs don’t talk back or judge.”

Jack ran his hand along Kodiak’s back. “That’s always a nice quality.”

“Now how did you convince any girl to stand being in your presence for longer than three seconds?” Beryl had returned, stomping snow from his boots and pulling off his gloves. “You sure you want to be out with this shady mage all alone, miss? You never know what he may do. Or is Jack using his magic to manipulate your mind?”

I bristled, drawing myself up to my fullest, though still short, height. No one, healer or not, should have such a low opinion of mages. “For your information, the law banning mages from interacting one on one with any non-mage was lifted ten years ago, so neither of us were doing anything illegal, and Jack has been a perfect gentleman. Being born a mage was proven to be completely random and not hereditary at all. Mages are just as trustworthy as anyone else, andfurthermore,there is a proposed bill to—” I broke off, confused as to why both men had begun laughing.

“Calm down, lass, I was only teasing. Jack’s an oldfriend of mine. It’s rare to find someone who supports mage rights so vehemently.”

Tension drained from my shoulders. While I didn’t appreciate being laughed at, it was at least comforting to know that I didn’t need to give yet another lecture about mage rights. Kodiak let out another whine, and all three of us clustered around him.

Beryl’s brow contracted as he cut the bandage away and examined the injury. “Tell me what happened.”

I told the story of the wolf attack, and Beryl listened as he began dabbing dollops of a pale-pink salve onto Kodiak’s side. “That will numb it so he doesn’t feel anything. Now, why were you out walking alone so late at night on a deserted forest road? Were you hoping to be eaten alive?”

“I was…separated from my stepmother and stepsisters during our journey.”

“Where are they?” Beryl asked. “Shall I send for them?”

I let out a hollow, humorless laugh. “No. They were the reason I was left behind.”

Jack threw a sharp look my direction. “They abandoned you?”

“Essentially. I think they assumed I would go back home.”

“Why didn’t you?” Beryl didn’t look up from where he was stitching Kodiak’s wound.

I didn’t answer. I didn’t want to admit that my own stubbornness had nearly killed me and my dog, but even if I had tried to backtrack to the previous village, it could have been just as dangerous. To avoid his question, I cast around for a change in topic. “I can pay you back for everything you’ve done, but I’ll need to go back home?—”

“No need. Watching a tiny scrap of a girl prepare tofight a fully grown man over the trustworthiness of mages was payment enough.”

“You’re going to go out of business if you keep giving away your services for free,” Jack told him. “I’ll ensure you’re paid.”

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