Chapter 11

CHAPTER ELEVEN

O nce again Clarice was flying across the frozen landscape, but it was a thousand times better than her previous trip. She nestled snugly into the thick fur blankets covering her, savoring the crisp mountain air that filled her lungs as the sleigh glided smoothly across the pristine snow. Crystalline flakes danced in the sunlight, transforming the landscape into a glittering wonderland.

Beside her, Rudi handled the sleigh with practiced ease, his movements fluid and confident. His presence radiated strength and security, making her want to lean into him.

As if reading her thoughts, his arm slipped around her shoulders, drawing her closer to his warmth. Her heart skipped at the tender gesture. She gazed up at his face, catching the hint of a smile playing at the corners of his mouth. That rare expression filled her with delight. She would do anything to see him smile like that more.

“I’ve always loved the mountains in winter,” he murmured. “So peaceful, like being wrapped in a soft blanket of white.”

She nodded, understanding the feeling. “It makes the world seem new, untouched. Like anything is possible.”

He looked down at her, his eyes glinting in the sunlight. “You make me feel like that too,” he said quietly.

She tilted her face up, and he didn’t hesitate to capture her lips in a kiss that sent warmth flooding through her despite the chill. His mouth moved gently, yet with an underlying hunger that made her toes curl. She kissed him back, pouring her own emotions into the touch until the world faded away until only the two of them existed, lost in their private moment.

When he finally pulled away, she was breathless. He smiled at her, that real smile that made his stern face light up. She grinned back, delighted to see him letting go of his usual guardedness. Perhaps she wasn’t the only one feeling the magic in the air.

She sighed contentedly, letting herself melt against his big body as the journey continued. The cold air painted her cheeks pink, but she barely noticed, too wrapped up in the comfort of his embrace and the magical atmosphere surrounding them. In this perfect moment, she felt truly cherished—no longer an unwanted refugee, but someone valued and protected.

The sleigh continued on, winding through the snowy valleys between the mountain peaks. They had been traveling for several hours when a gust of icy wind whipped across her face. She shivered, then noticed that he was frowning up at the sky, his antlers glowing. The sight made her stomach clench with worry.

She followed his gaze and saw the crystalline beauty of their surroundings was vanishing as dark clouds rolled in, casting menacing shadows across the snowy landscape.

“What is it?” she asked, her words nearly lost in the rising wind.

“Storm’s coming.” His voice was tight, controlled. “We need to find shelter. Fast.”

She huddled closer to him, her heart racing as she watched the threatening clouds roll closer. The temperature seemed to plummet with each passing moment, and the wind’s intensity increased, whipping snow into miniature cyclones around them.

The sleigh lurched as he pushed it harder, but she didn’t complain, gripping the side with frozen fingers, her knuckles white beneath her mittens. The wind howled louder, drowning out everything except the pounding of her heart as the snow began to fall.

“Over there!” he yelled over the wind.

Through the swirling snow, she spotted what he’d seen—a large dark opening carved into the mountainside.

The sleigh’s engine whined in protest as he pushed it to full power. Her stomach dropped as they accelerated, but she didn’t flinch. She’d seen how capable he was with the controls, the way his strong hands guided them with unwavering precision. Even as the bitter cold stung her face and ice crystals formed on her eyelashes, she felt safe with him.

Despite their speed, they couldn’t outrun the storm. The temperature plummeted so rapidly that she could barely breathe. Each icy gust felt like needles against her skin, even through her layers of clothing. She pressed closer to his warmth, grateful for his solid presence as he navigated them through the worsening conditions.

The cave loomed closer, the dark mouth offering a promise of shelter. His antlers glowed even brighter, casting an eerie glow through the whiteout conditions. Just as the full force of the storm hit, they slipped through the cave entrance, leaving the howling winds behind them.

He brought the sleigh to a halt just inside the cave and she climbed down, shaking her head vigorously. A shower of snow crystals went flying and a laugh bubbled up from her chest, pure relief making her giddy after their narrow escape. The sound echoed off the cave walls, bouncing back at them.

Her heart skipped when she caught him watching her, his usual stern expression softened into something warmer, more intimate. The tense set of his shoulders had eased, and his antlers cast a gentle glow that illuminated the rough stone walls around them.

“You look like a snow queen,” he teased, and the playful tone in his voice caught her off guard.

Heat rushed to her cheeks and she ducked her head, unable to meet his gaze. She wasn’t used to him teasing her—it made her pulse quicken in the most delightful way.

Before she could respond, he turned to their supplies. The crystal he pulled out of his bag caught the light from his antlers, sparkling with inner fire. His large hands moved with surprising delicacy as he fitted it into a compact heating unit.

Within moments, warmth began radiating outward. She edged closer to the heater, holding her frozen hands toward it gratefully. The warmth from the heater seeped into her bones as she watched him pull out more supplies, putting a container of broth next to the heater to warm.

“Was this a mine?” she asked, looking around at the cave walls.

They were chipped and pockmarked, as if someone had gone to work on them with an enthusiastic pickaxe. She frowned, studying the marks. The angles were wrong for that.

“Of a sort.” He sat back on his heels, his expression turning grim. “The rock is too hard for normal tools. So the workers would strap on metal claws to chip out the raw crystals. It’s difficult, dangerous work, but Eldrik made his fortune on the backs of those workers.”

She stared at the walls in horrified fascination, trying to imagine it. The marks didn’t look natural, but they weren’t regular enough to be made by tools. She suppressed a shiver, imagining the effort it would take to gouge the rock with nothing but bare hands, even wearing metal claws. The thought of the laborers scraping their hands bloody in this freezing cold made her feel ill.

“Why not use tools?” she asked. “Surely drills or lasers would be faster?”

“Too expensive. And Eldrik could always find more workers.” His jaw tightened. “My father died in a mine like this one when I was very young. I don’t really remember him.”

She swallowed, her throat suddenly tight. “I’m so sorry.”

He shrugged. “It was a long time ago.”

But it had left its mark, just as his mother’s death had left its mark.

“Let me see your hands.” The words were rough, but his touch was gentle as he took them. “They’re freezing. You should have told me you were this cold.”

He stripped off her mittens and drew her closer to the heater. His big hands enfolded her chilled fingers, his thumbs rubbing the feeling back into them. She bit her lip, holding in the whimper that threatened to escape her. She’d been cold before, but his tenderness sent warmth racing through her.

He kept working at her hands until he was satisfied, and by then her heart was racing so hard her pulse echoed in her ears. She was sure he must be able to hear it, but he didn’t comment, merely removed his own gloves and held his hands out to the heater.

She watched him surreptitiously. He was so focused, his broad shoulders blocking out the rest of the cave. His antlers still glowed, casting flickering shadows on the stone walls.

He glanced at her, and she felt a blush creeping into her cheeks. To cover her embarrassment, she blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

“Can I help with anything?”

He paused, and she saw something flash in his eyes. For a moment, she thought it might have been uncertainty, but then he shook his head.

“No, you just stay here by the heater.”

“Where are you going?”

“The crystals are usually found around water sources. I’m going to check for water.”

She started to object, then decided she was being silly. She nodded, pulling her knees up to her chest as he disappeared into the darker recesses of the cave.

The heating unit hummed softly, its glow casting dancing shadows on the rough stone walls. Without his presence, the cave felt vast and empty. She wrapped her arms tighter around herself, trying to focus on the warmth rather than the growing darkness beyond the little circle of light.

A soft scraping sound came from behind her.

“Rudi?”

She turned, expecting to see his tall frame emerging from the shadows. But the darkness remained empty—or at least, it should have been empty.

Something moved in the blackness. Something that wasn’t Rudi.

Her breath caught in her throat as she made out a hulking shape, as tall as him but not shaped the same way. The shadows seemed to writhe around it, making it impossible to determine its true form.

Her heart hammered against her ribs. She wanted to call out for Rudi, but fear froze the sound in her throat. The shape shifted closer, and now she could hear its breathing—a wet, raspy sound that made her skin crawl.

The creature emerged slowly fully into the light, its crystalline hide catching the glow from the heater. Her breath froze in her chest. The beast towered over her, with razor-sharp formations protruding from its shoulders and spine like jagged icicles. Its eyes glowed with an eerie blue luminescence that reminded her of the northern lights she’d seen on her journey to the village.

The ice beast’s massive head swung toward her, nostrils flaring. A low rumble vibrated through the cave, making her teeth chatter. Her legs trembled as she backed away, her fingers scraping against the rough cave wall behind her.

Her eyes darted around the small camp, searching for anything she could use to defend herself. The heating unit was too hot to grab. Her pack lay just out of reach, and she didn’t dare lunge for it, even if it had contained a weapon. The beast would be on her in seconds.

“Rudi,” she whispered, her voice barely a breath. The creature’s ears twitched at the sound, and it took another step forward. Its claws scraped against the stone floor, leaving deep gouges in the rock.

Sweat beaded on her forehead despite the cave’s chill. The beast’s breath came out in visible puffs of frost, and the temperature around them plummeted. Ice crystals began forming on her eyelashes as she pressed herself flat against the wall.

Her heart pounded so hard she thought it might burst from her chest. Where was Rudi? The tunnel he’d disappeared down seemed impossibly far away. The beast crouched, its muscles bunching beneath its translucent hide, and she knew with terrifying certainty that it was preparing to pounce.