Page 9 of Gifted to the Frost King

Tears sting my eyes, but I remind myself that being here is my only chance to save them from the curse. I will do what I must to try and lessen their hardships now that I’ve been taken captive.

Ice and snow gently hit against the large window. Time must move differently on this side of the mountains. There is no hint of sunset approaching. The sun has remained the same height since we emerged from the trees.

I still don’t know how long I’ve been away. Hours? Days? Weeks? The journey over the mountains could not have been quick. Yet, the Frost King does possess magic. I have to imagine that if he can slide through walls and spell clothes to fit me perfectly, he can travel quickly over the land.

With a deep sigh, I turn from the mirror, only to catch sight of something from the corner of my eye. Pulling back, I look closer at the reflective surface. Inclining my head, I can make out the faintest of shimmering. It rests at the base of my neck undermy hair. It is a glittering ball of light. How strange. Reaching for it, my fingers brush against something warm and soft.

A buzzing sound tickles my ear.

“What the?—”

I grab the shimmering orb again but miss it. This is entirely ridiculous. I swat at the thing repeatedly until finally, I raise both my palms, intent on crushing whatever annoying vermin is pestering me.

“STOP!” A shrill voice cuts through the air.

My eyes widen in horror as I watch the orb float in front of my face. It sparkles brilliantly before emitting a soft glow. From its center, a figure emerges. It is distinctly female, curvy, and no larger than my palm. Her blue skin is iridescent, as is her pale blue hair. Gossamer white wings flap at her back. Her eyes glow brightly as she smiles with two dainty rows of razor-sharp teeth.

“Hi,” she chirps, giving me a small wave.

My shock at seeing her causes a scream to rip from my lungs. Falling onto my backside, I crawl backwards away from the creature. Frantically, I look for anything to use as a weapon. Kicking off one of my slick slippers, I grip the show in my hand.

Unperturbed by my reaction, the creature flies towards me on her tiny wings. She buzzes before my face—pinching my nose and cheeks with her small hands. I swat at her and push back further, but she merely flies to the side of my head.

“Round,” she states, squeezing the top of my ear. “How odd.”

I swat her again, but she misses my shoe. Crawling back until my back bumps the far wall, I raise my hands in a defensive potion. The creature just floats in front of me, grinning with her sharp teeth.

“What—what are you?” I ask, failing to keep the tremble from my voice.

“A snow fairy,” she replies, primly.

“A snow fairy?”

“Yes, the last one.” The glow of her eyes dims. “At least for now.”

I eye her warily as she buzzes closer to my face again.

“You’ve never seen a fairy.”

It isn’t a question, but I shake my head regardless.

“Well, now you have,” she announces proudly, her skin turning a deeper shade of blue.

“Is…” I pause. “Is the Frost King a fairy, too?”

Something flickers in the little creature's gaze before shaking her head.

“An elf.” She scrunches her nose. “No wings and cumbersome large bodies. A nightmare if you ask me.”

Despite myself, I let out a chuckle. She’s made no attempts on my life, so perhaps being afraid of something bigger than a potato is ridiculous. I drop my slipper and slide it back onto my foot. The creature returns my smile and buzzes on happy wings.

“I’m Glimmer,” she says. “What’s your name?”

I pause for a moment. What’s the harm in sharing it? I’m already stuck here.

“Dove.”

“Dove,” she repeats. “Dove.”

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