Page 39 of The Midwinter Mirror
I break into a run, not following Khazim but following those heartbeats.
They grow clearer; I know they’re close, but I can’t see the children. I stop and search the area, but all I see is more ice and mirrors.
I turn to Holly. “Are these magical mirrors?”
“I don’t think so. They don’t feel right. I think this place is a manifestation of Khazim’s mind. He made his own prison. He’s been thinking about mirrors a lot and so…” She waves her hand at the landscape.
That makes sense. “Where are you, Tansy?”
“We’re running out of time,” she says.
“I know.”
Josh is staring into the distance, that weird faraway look in his eyes. Then he points at a sheer ice cliff directly in front of us. “There,” he says.
I close the short distance to the ice cliff. I still can’t see any children, but I press my hand to the ice, and I feel them.
Shit. He’s trapped them in a prison of ice.
But they’re still alive.
I take a deep breath. We can do this. “I’m going to shift.”
No one argues; they just back away. A moment later, Raze stands in my place. He knows what he has to do. He roars out a stream of fire, and the ice doesn’t just melt. It screams—a hiss ofsteam and a thousand reflections shattering across the mirrors like broken glass.
Careful. We don’t want to burn them.
He snorts, then breathes out another bout of flame. He steps back, studies the cliff face, moves closer, raises a clawed foreleg, and tears at the ice. It gives way, and we’re through.
Back away.
I’d hate to find them just for them all to die of shock when they see Raze. He does, and I shift back and hurry to the opening. The others are already there. Holly squeezes through the gap, then Josh and Grimlet, and I follow.
I’m holding my breath.
And then I see them.
The sound that comes out of me isn’t human. It’s a broken thing, part laugh, part sob, because there she is.
She’s pale, lips blue, huddled on the floor, arms around her knees. For a heartbeat, my vision goes black because she’s not moving. Then her lashes flicker. She sees me.
“Tansy,” I whisper.
“Zayne?” Her voice is small, hoarse, but it’s hers. She remembers me.
I’m already there, pulling her into my arms, holding her against me like I’ll never let go. She’s so cold, but she’s alive.
I open my jacket and wrap it around her as well. “I’ve got you, little sister. I’m here now. I’m not leaving you again.”
Her head tucks under my chin. Her teeth chatter against my throat, but for the first time since stepping into this nightmare world, I let myself believe we might actually win.
I stand like that for long moments, then give myself a shake. We’re not out of this yet. We still have to escape this prison. I can’t help but think that Khazim is going to try to stop us. I keep expecting him to appear.
Holly is handing out blankets and chocolate. I shrug my own rucksack off without letting go of Tansy, and Josh opens it and hands me a blanket, then gives out the rest.
Holly crosses to where we are standing and holds out a chocolate bar. Tansy takes it.
“Let’s get out of here,” Holly says in a low voice. “They’re weak—it’s going to be slow.”
