The look Ban gives me tells me I’m incorrect. “I would be more worried about what the Mad Queen will do to people than what anyone may manage to do to her. Come on, it’s not safe here. I haven’t seen any civilians. Let’s go into the shadows until we figure out what’s going on.”
“But we can’t talk in the shadows,” I argue. I tried to stab this man less than an hour ago, and yet he’s inviting me in close again. He should be more concerned about me turning on him again, given how heavy my heart is.
Ban surveys me before he holds out his hand. “We can talk when we get there. I sense and see dead, but not as many as I should. Come on.”
A shiver dances through me before I can help it. No matter how you twist it, that sounds weird. Reluctantly, I grasp Ban’s hand and let him drag me into the shadows again.
The last few times this has happened, the only difference between being in the shadows and real life was that I couldn’t talk. This time, there's a bunch of hazy, floating shapes that resemble people. I try to scream, smacking Ban in the chest.
He immediately moves us out of the shadows, eyes widening as his other hand keeps hold of the staff. “What?”
‘W-what?” I gasp, trying to catch my breath. “What are those… thosethings?”
He frowns, staring at me before resignation lights his eyes. “They would be spirits, Neve. I didn't think you would be able to see them since you never mentioned being able to.”
He glances around, and I realize they arehere. I just can't see the dead unless I'm in the shadows.
Until now, I guess there haven't been many dead around for me to see. It just doesn't bring me any comfort.
“We'll figure it out later,” he says again, his tone almost kind. “Right now, we need to get to the palace. Hold on tight and close your eyes.”
I stare at his hand, afraid to grab on. I don’t want to go back, but there's a very real chance the dead might bemypeople.
I hug his arm instead of taking his hand, squeezing my eyes shut. I want this over as fast as possible.
Chapter 19 Ban
There’s a giant hiding here in the clouds.
Zarev’s words, coupled with the bodies we find as we hurry through the kingdom, threaten to blend my past and present together as we approach the castle. Neve is a bundle of nerves when we step out of the shadows; the confident queen I’ve come to know is missing.
Why can she see the dead now? Nothing thus far has alerted her to any of the dead, aside from the Icebound that follow in her mother’s wake. But the spirits I’m familiar with are usually outside her realm of reality, and even on our way to the mountains to argue she didn’t say anything about seeing the dead. I saw at least two.
So what’s changed?
Pain radiates off her as we storm into the palace. The guards who should be here are missing or frozen in place, and the longer she looks around, the more tortured she appears. Outside the shadows she still seems oblivious to the spirits.
This is unnatural. Whatever the Snow Queen has dipped her magic into, it’s turning even the Icebound. And those spirits are already outside my reach. Reaping them is almost impossible as their souls have chosen to remain in this realm.
“I don’t understand,” Neve murmurs, walking ahead of me. I don’t try to stop her, surveying as I follow in her wake. The spirits I do see look on silently, which isn’t what I expect. Mass murder? Frozen souls? There should be a level of panic or fear.
The ache in my chest calls to the dead, but I don’t know if these are spirits Icanpass on. They are so different from Anastasia, who only hours ago, gave me plenty to think about all by herself. I have no idea what to make of this now. Was I too quick in dismissing Zarev? Is this connected to his giant?
Neve’s heels click on the icy floor of the otherwise-silent palace as we move through the halls. There isn’t a living person in sight, and the further we walk without seeing a soul, the more panicked she becomes. At one point, we pass the Captain of the Royal Guard that she was fond of, Bromley, and I press my lips together instead of sharing that his soul is with me.
My eyes narrow as I match her pace when she starts to pick up speed. I can hear voices ahead of us, and even if I try to divert her from her current path, I doubt it’s going to work. She’s hyperfocused, and dread fills me as I recognize them.
Mere hours in the Frostlands, and the Mad Queen’s already turned everything to shit.
Without waiting, Neve bursts through the doors ahead. We’ve reached the throne room, a space that was supposed to be kept closed to guests during the ball. This room should be empty, but it’s quickly obvious that it’s not.
Neve gasps as we walk in, more frosted figures around us as we enter. Upon the throne sits the Snow Queen, her chilly gaze settling on us. The Mad Queen is beside her, and to her right is Lancelot.
Everyone else is frozen solid in different poses. Some people appear to be running, others standing still, but no one looks natural. The fear etched across their faces is more than real, yet there are no spirits around to contend with in here.
I don’t get it.
“Mother!” Neve screams, storming into the Snow Queen’s space. Her magic jumps off her skin, hands icing overuntil they are nearly a translucent blue, her steps cracking the icy floor. “What have you done?”
