Page 120 of The SnowFang Storm

Spring’s misty gaze hardened.

I pushed. “You remember them. You should have them. She was your sister.”

Spring slowly took the fragile strand. She tucked the limpets carefully into a hidden pocket of her jacket.

Then she stood. “You used me, Winter. I won’t forget it. Rodero defended you when everyone told him not to. Does he know what you’ve become?”

“I don’t know and I don’t care,” I snapped.

She left the cabin without another word.

I stared at the door, and muttered, “And when you find out who he really was, you won’t care either.”

“What will your father do?” Hamid asked.

I lifted my head, all energy gone. “Nothing. He’s dead. They don’t know it yet. I’ve been gambling on that this whole time.”

“I see. What happens if they find out?”

“Given they’ve carved me up thinking my father is still alive? We probably die.”

He did not reply, but I didn’t get the impression he was terribly upset with what might be a very unique way to die.

I thought hard. “I don’t remember the limpets. Why would my mother have left them to me?”

A pause, then he offered, “There is some folklore about limpets.”

“Oh?”

“They anchor themselves to rocks and other hard surfaces. Their grip is notoriously strong. They do not let go.” Hamid went to his coat on the hook, and slipped the earrings into a small hidden pocket in the lining, and the journals into another, larger pocket.

I wearily touched the swollen lymph nodes under my neck. At least my face wasn’t too swollen from Alan punching me.

Somewhere under all of it, I was hungry. We still hadn’t been fed, and I doubted there’d be snack service anytime soon.

Jerron 1, Winter 1

“The weather is going to change.” Hamid observed from the window.

I lifted my head as much as my neck allowed to acknowledge what he’d said, but I’d devoted myself to not even faking being well. It took too much energy, and I needed my energy for whatever was going to come next.

Some time passed. No idea how much. Snowmobiles droned.

Hamid’s voice cut into my haze. “There are new people here. Two men. One young, one much older. They’re clearly visitors.”

Hamid pulled me to the window and steadied me while I peeked out. In the greyish late-morning light, and with one eye not really sure it wanted to focus, and everyone bundled up in winter gear, it took me a moment to figure out who was here. Alan and Mercedes had both showed up to greet the new comers. It was obvious Alan was annoyed, and Mercedes had no patience for this.

“Oh no,” I rasped. Despair strangled my aching body even tighter. “What is he doing here?”

“Who is it?” Hamid demanded.

“My brother, Jerron, and I’m guessing the other guy is Daniel.” I limped back to the couch.

“Are they here to negotiate for our release?” Hamid asked.

“Not a chance.” My brain flopped as I tried to force it to explain this, while worrying what it meant.

“You said you were a princess. That must make your brother a prince.”

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