Chapter 8
“And then he just left me!” I told Douglas, already appreciating how great of a listener he had been during the long hours of my journey. “After all the time we’d spent together, he had the audacity to abandon me like that. I still can’t believe it.”
Douglas was absolutely speechless.
The sun was getting low in the sky, and I’d already gone through half of the breakfast scraps I had saved from the morning, but my energy was happily fueled by my petty desire to ruin Blamore's rule.
The snow grew deeper the higher I climbed, but the incline was slow and steady, making it more manageable than I had anticipated.
The icy towers of the snow king’s castle were easier to see now, and the sheer sight of their looming presence was enough to make me unsteady on my feet.
It was almost impossible to believe that they were made of pure ice, but when I looked at what his ice magic was already capable of, it wasn’t hard to believe it had more practical uses.
“Anyway, that’s why I’m going to propose to the snow king instead,” I continued telling Douglas.
It was nice to finally talk about the mind-boggling events from the last twenty-four hours.
I could trust Douglas to keep the secret of the time loop; Harley was right about me needing him.
“I’ve heard he can be a bit abrasive, but he can’t be all that bad compared to Blamore. ”
My gaze drifted to a line of icicles dangling from a tree branch, my reflection passing from one sharp point to the next. I didn’t share the details of the magic matches with Douglas, my mind wandering back to the first time I’d encountered the snow king in a mirror.
Can he really see through any reflections?
I approached the tree, the hundreds of icicles dangling above me like the most intricate chandelier that couldn’t possibly be man-made. My reflection surrounded me, hundreds of Safaras all looking at each other as I locked eyes with the clearest piece of ice I saw.
“I don’t care what they say about you,” I said, my voice quieter than I planned. “I need you, and I know I can make myself useful in return.”
I stepped out from under the precarious tree branches, careful not to test my luck with one of those icicles a moment longer than necessary.
I continued up the mountain until the sun truly threatened to leave me, then decided to make camp near the base of a redwood tree that would be worth its weight in gold only a few months from now.
The air certainly got colder as the sun went down, and the wind didn’t hesitate to rip through my cloak and shake snow off the tree limbs above me.
I did my best to build a fire, being careful not to select any sticks that looked even remotely similar to blackwood.
There were enough dry pieces to build up a decent starter, but I knew that lighting it would be tricky without using a match.
The little box in my bag tempted me, but I wasn’t about to waste something so precious. Surviving the night was essential, but not impossible without the help of magic. I just needed to be resourceful.
I turned my attention to Douglas, grabbing him and another friendly rock to try and spark together. To my relief, Douglas was very compatible with this newfound friend, and sparks proceeded to fly like the budding of a fresh romance.
The kindling caught fire, and after a little extra attention, I had a roaring flame ready in minutes. Pride glowed out of me brighter than any flames as I cozied up to my masterpiece, already feeling one step closer to conquering the winter.
“What would I do without you, Douglas?” I said, giving the rock a little pat on what I had decided would be his head.
Deciding my companion deserved a proper expression, I dipped a stick into the flames until the end was hot and charred, then used it to pencil a face onto Douglas.
He seemed like the type of gentleman to smile, so I gave him a polite but not toothy grin.
His eyes were a little lopsided, but I decided that only added to his charm.
The fire warmed through my boots, helping me stretch my stiff toes enough to make me feel confident that they were still safe and healthy in there. I dug through the rest of the scraps I had saved, polishing off a cranberry muffin that was almost frozen solid.
The castle was impossible to see now that night had fallen, but I knew it wasn't far. With any luck I could be at the walls before midday tomorrow, which would be grand considering I likely wasn’t going to have much luck foraging for food out here.
Hopefully the snow king wasn’t so cruel that he would let his guests starve. ..
I did my best to get comfortable in the snow, but the powder was too fresh to do anything other than saturate my cloak and leave me shivering. I couldn’t have been more grateful for the fire, glad to know that its warmth would at least ensure that I woke up in the morning.
I stared into the flames for a long time, picturing the face of my older sister, my mother, and the rest of Rothen. They nearly lost me without even knowing it. I couldn’t let that happen again. No matter what, I was going to live to be queen this time.
Sleep overcame me, but the last thing I remember was the movement of a shadow across the ice and the subtle feeling that I was being watched.