Finn murmured something I couldn’t understand, and Gwinifer stood stiffly, waiting at the doorway. It came again, though disturbed and louder this time. It struck me square in the chest, and my gaze snapped to the door. I walked past Reagan, my legs carrying me through the doorway faster than before.
My heartbeat lurched into a sprint. The stone room was cloaked in ice, its circular walls glittering with frost. There were only a few pieces of furniture. A bed, a small wooden closet, asquare table, a wet fur rug on the stone floor, and another closed door leading to a second room. Two small windows let in the howling wind.
But what truly held my attention was that the room wasn’t empty.
Finn stood near the door, staring at the sight that made my eyes widen.
On the bed, pressed against the wall, her clothes stained with grass and dirt, was my sister.
“Joy?”
I was unsure of what I was seeing, refusing to make sense of it.
Her eyes bulged at the sight of me. “Jane.”
It was her voice. My sister’s voice.
“What is this?” I hissed, stumbling forward. My knees hit the bedside, and I winced as my hands met the frost-slicked surface. I reached for her, gripping her shoulders. Too cold, too still, like touching stone.
“Jane, they took Father!” Her voice was alarmed, desperate. “You have to find him.”
“What?” My fingers dug into her arms, rubbing hard, trying to summon warmth back into her frozen skin. “How are you here?”
Then she glanced past me, her eyes filling with terror and anger all at once.
A huge chunk of ice fell from the ceiling, and Joy grabbed me, yanking me back as if shielding me from something.
“Him.” She spat the word through gritted teeth before her wild, frantic gaze darted back to mine. “He hurt Father. I think...I think he killed him.”
I followed her stare, looking over my shoulder.
Reagan stood in the doorway. His brows drew tightly together, his jaw clenched so hard I could see the muscle shift. His gaze flicked between us.
“What is she talking about? Why is she here?” I asked, my voice rising.
“We came for you, but he caught us.” She was panting, speaking faster and faster, her body beginning to shake. “I don’t know where he is. I...”
“Joy, it’s all right,” I murmured, holding her tightly. “You’re safe. Just breathe.”
“Are you not listening?” she hissed. “He killed him!”
“Your father is not dead,” Reagan said, his voice steady but soft. “He is in the infirmary, with our best healer taking care of him.”
I wrapped my arms around Joy, trying to warm her trembling body. “Why is she here? Why is she in a room that feels like a damn glacier?”
“It wasn’t like this before,” Gwinifer started to explain.
“I will explain everything,” Reagan said, still softly. “But you need to bring her with us. We’ll get you both out of here.”
“So you can grab us by the throat too?” my sister demanded.
I couldn’t think straight. My every instinct was focused on preventing her from straining herself too far. I hadn’t seen her react like this in a long time. I hadn’tseenher in such a long time.
“Joy, there is an explanation for this,” I said calmly. “I won’t let anything happen to you. I’m here, aren’t I? I’m here with you, so take a breath.”
I kept my gaze steady on her until her trembling eased. She remained unsure but relented. I turned back to the others, noticing Gwinifer muttering something under her breath, warming the icy room bit by bit.
Finnegan’s sharp eyes were fixed on my sister, studying her with a wary expression that I didn’t appreciate. Like she was some unpredictable threat. I had seen that look before, and every instance of it coiled a familiar resentment in my chest.
