Winter was approaching,and I’ve always led the charge. The blue magical pulse called me from my throne, the same way it had each passing year. Every winter solstice, the oceans surrounding my kingdom provided portals to other realms. I never knew if there was rhyme or reason to the places, or if the universe chose at random. Their purpose, however, was clear. It allowed me to scour the universe for the one thing I had yet to find after eons of searching—mymate. I brought the chill and “nip” in the air as the mortals told the stories, but no one knew of my true mission. After countless places over the course of endless centuries, my hopes of it ever happening dwindled, but I would never stop looking for her.
And when I found her, I’d have a kingdom, a crown, and my soul to offer her in return. Who could ever turn down such a prize? That realization was what kept me going, kept the smirk still playing on my lips as I materialized my clothes into snowdrifts. I stood on the shoreline in nothing but the snowflake charm I wore hanging from my neck.
Slipping into the lapping frigid waters was easy for what I was—the Winter King, the Ice King, the King of Snow. My subjects had given me many names over the ages that I lost count. While the freezing temperatures would kill other beings, itcalmedmy skin, cooling it and forming a crystallized barrier as I swam. It never took long to reach the portal. At first, I feared where it would take me. In my youth, my heart would be racing right about now. Where would I appear? Would this be the time I found her? What would she be like? Now, it was as routine as a morning iced coffee.
Nowadays, I didn’t give a shit where I ended up and doubtedthissolstice would be any different than the last. Wherever I’d appear, a good time would follow me. Whatever place I graced with my presence should feel so lucky. My polar bear companion, Nanok, twirled in barrel rolls beside me, his snowy white fur floating around him.
The hazy, glowing lines of the circular portal appearing in the distance, drew my attention. I nudged my chin at Nanok to ensure he trailed close behind me; otherwise, the portal would close without him. The reaction was instantaneous. No sooner had my foot slipped through, followed by Nanok’s paw, than we appeared where the portal desired—in more water.
Interesting. This was a first.
Circling a hand, I motioned for Nanok to approach from the farther side. Despite the bear’s inability to communicate with me through spoken language, we’d known each other long enough that we didn’t need it. I never went anywhere without Nanok, even if I had to hide him from public view. We were a package deal, protecting one another, growing up together since we were cubs.
I floated toward the circle, my fingertips pressing against ice—the entire surface of whatever this was remained frozen over. Balling my hand into a fist, I punched it through the ice with little effort, creating a hole big enough for me to pull myself out of the water.
A grey sky greeted me, a thick blanket of haze and mist hanging over what I could now surmise was a frozen lake. Sputtering water, I hoisted the rest of the way until I stood barefoot on the ice. The droplets still covering my skin froze quickly in the wintry temperatures, my breath turning into snowy wisps. Snowy chunks now clung to my spiky hair and hung from my beard. I wiped them away, making a confident stride over the frozen lake that wouldn’tdareto crack beneath my bare feet.
It was always too early to tell when I first appeared in unfamiliar territory what form of attire to don. Until I had the chance to survey the land, study its people and customs, I started with something neutral—my grey hooded cloak. It appeared on my shoulders first, rolling out and down toward my feet, my snow blue magic spiraling around it. The hood developed last, and I slipped it over my head, if for anything else but to hide my pointed ears—for now. I was by no means ashamed of them or fearful of beings not accustomed to fae becoming alarmed by them, but it was always best to keep a low profile until I knew what I was working with.
A shoreline appeared through the haze in the distance, a shadowy figure sitting on the ice holding a rod. I pulled the cloak tighter around me, disguising the fact that I was naked under it. When I drew closer, I dipped my head to put my face in shadow. Reaching the mysterious being, I noted how petite they were, guessing they wouldn’t have been any taller than my thighs were they standing. They had a flat, broad nose, a bushy, long black beard that hung to the ground, and their ears were half the sizeof their head. There was a hole cut into the ice, the line on their rod pulling at it, but the being made no move to reel their catch in. Judging by the shocked expression, they’d spotted mebeforethe cloak.
“Hej,” I said, waiting for the being to respond.
They sat frozen, the rod still bouncing.
“Guten Tag?” I tried next, squinting at the peculiar person now.
Clearing my throat, I adjusted my stance. “Halló.”
They still stared at me as if they had never seen a man punch a hole in ice with his bare hand and crawl through it unperturbed.
Considering they didn’t understand any other language, I defaulted to English. “What is this place?”
The being gulped and finally blinked, yelping when whatever fish was on the end of their line yanked the rod into the water. “The—the Cove,” they answered, voice thick with a Scottish accent.
“Really?” I swiveled my hips. “This doesn’t look like a Cove.”
“Nae,” they responded, shaking their head and making the gold rings braided into their beard jingle. “This place. It’scalledArcane Cove.”
A chill, which had nothing to do with my power, clenched my spine as if the universe tried to gain my attention.
Arcane Cove.
Was thisit?
“Thanks.” Strolling past the miniature being, I paused when they scrambled to their feet.
“Wait, wait. Who the bleedin’ Seven Hells are ye?”
Bending forward to bring my hood closer to their face, I said, “I’m quite sure you’ve heard of me.” I bopped their broad nose with a single finger, momentarily freezing it. “I’m JackFrost.”
I’dawoken that morning in my small cottage nestled in the woodlands with nothing but the animals as neighbors. Frost coated the leaves, and a vibrant chill hung in the air. Winter. My favorite season. Snatching a light coat and scarf from the stand near my front door, I threw them on and whisked open the door. The calming scents of winter settling in, combined with the crisp, frigid air circling, had me closing my eyes and sighing contentedly. I walked to the back of my cottage, all but giggling at the cold turning my breath into vapor. Leaves and twigs crunched and snapped beneath my boots before the sound echoed from deeper within the forest canopy. A titanic pair of majestic, icy, ivory antlers appeared first, followed by the friendly, staunch muzzle of my white stag, Fintan.
He lifted his jaw, his pale nose working through the air, already detecting the apples hidden in my pockets. When Fintan moved in front of me, standing at his full height, it put my head near his chest. While white stags and hinds existed in the mortalworld, they were rare, and Fintan was much larger than any real stag. Destiny brought us together, though I was sure of it. We found each other when I’d first moved to Arcane Cove. I’d found him patrolling the area around the cottage I now called home. The house’s seclusion and availability gave me all the reassurance I needed to sign the lease.
“Good morning, handsome. Feel that crispness in the air?” I smiled and held out a green apple to him. Fintan nodded his head and gently took the fruit from my palm.
Joining him for breakfast, I removed the other apple and ate, resting my back against a birch tree. Birds squawked and cawed above us as they flew overhead toward a warmer climate. Various biomes were protected from the wards, each harboring different forms of plant life and magical animals. Arcane Cove, in particular, was the only one to experience all distinct four seasons without any worry of things changing due to outside interference.
