“Impossible, child.” She scoffs.
“How do I get him back?”
“You’d have to win at her game.” The witch hobbles away, beckoning for me to follow her. I take my pack and trail her into the hut. “No human wins against the fae witch.”
“Is that why I am the only person who remembers that she took him?”
“Yes. The fae love games, and she is no different. Immortal creatures grow bored as the centuries pass. To entertain herself, The Snow Queen selects a handsome man, one who is beloved far and wide. She likes it best when they have a lover. You have been honored, in a way. She sees you as a worthy opponent. You are part of her games, too.”
A scruffy orange cat hops up on the table beside me. Idly, I scratch its head. The cottage smells of mildew and damp earth mixed with dried herbs, and more than a whiff of feline piss. My nose wrinkles, but I can’t afford to insult this woman. “The shard caught in Kai’s eye, is that a piece of the queen’s shattered mirror?”
“I cannot believe it took you this long to figure that out.” She rummages around, banging pots and pans, searching for something. “It’s right there in the legend.”
“But everyone says it’s only a legend.”
“That is because humans have pathetic memories.” She snaps her fingers, and a startling puff of smoke bursts in the fireplace. It settles into a roaring fire. “Humans are so easy to toy with, aren’t they, my prince?”
The raven that had followed me down the river hops onto her shoulder. She strokes its chest, but the raven’s eyes remain locked on me. My mouth falls open.
“The Snow Queen isn’t the only collector of souls, is she?” the old woman cackles. The raven flies off to a perch. A black cat slinks around the base. “Here. Eat.”
The witch shoves a bowl at me. It smells and tastes fine, like an ordinary fish soup. My belly gurgles. Suddenly ravenous, I spoon it into my mouth with abandon. The River Witch looks on with great interest and a predatory gleam in her ancient eyes. “That’s a good girl. My cooking is so tasty, you’ll never want to leave.”
I stop with the spoon midway to my mouth, then set the bowl aside. “Thank you for your hospitality. Which way should I go to find Kai?”
“North, of course. You’ll need to venture into the frozen fae lands to reach him.”
“That’s so far,” I sigh. The witch nods sympathetically.
“Dangerous, too. The Northern Territories are infested with trolls and ogres, dangerous beasts like wolves and bears, and monsters made of snow. The only way to kill them is to melt them. Once they are unfrozen, The Snow Queen’s power to command them is broken.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
“I’ll bet you will.” She props her chin on folded hands. “Go on. Finish eating.”
Iamhungry, but now I’m suspicious, too. Who is this woman? I thought the fae had been driven out of Montrace. She clearly isn’t fully human. I stir the soup, delaying. “What about the ice in his eye? Can that be melted, too?”
“No, silly. That’s glass, not ice. Glass doesn’t melt.” Her bemused exasperation brings a smile to my lips.
“It was a dumb question, now that I think about it.” Forgetting that I was suspicious, I spoon the soup into my mouth and moan at the delicious taste. “How does this keep getting better with each bite?”
The witch winks. “Magic, sweet, innocent Gwendolyn.”
Distantly in my mind, an alarm rings, for I never told her my name.
Days bleed into weeks. The river sings its constant song. Birds, deer, cats, and other creatures flit in and out of the clearing around the cottage.
I forget the castle.
I forget Nana.
I forget Kai.
I feel myself growing soft. Fading. I am no longer bothered by my scars. They startle me whenever I look at my own hands or legs. There are no mirrors in the River Witch’s cottage, for which I am grateful. I don’t like being reminded of the calamity that befell me. It’s easier to live adrift in an endless flow of time.
Until one day, when the raven flies in with a red rose clamped in its beak.
“Get out of here, you troublemaker!” the witch shouts, waving her arms at it, but the bird dodges around her and hops to my feet. I bend, noticing the way my nails have curved and become claw-like for the first time.
