Sacrifice (The Snow Queen #2)(50)

It dug at the back of her mind, even though the sunshine felt warm and glorious on her face.

She lifted the hem of her dress—the underskirt was getting wet—and froze, taking another look at their surroundings.

Loads of snow had fallen off the trees, and the sun felt stronger. Rakel knelt and rubbed the snow between her fingers. It wasn’t powdery or icy, but wet and heavy. Some of it was even slush. When a person walked, instead of producing a crisp crunch of snow, it was a moist, sloshy sound.

Spring. Rakel gritted her teeth. It’s almost here. I’m running out of time.

“Is everything alright?” Farrin asked.

“Yes,” Rakel said, although her forehead furrowed with worry. She tried to smile when she realized he, Phile, and Snorri were watching her with concern.

Snorri hesitated, then said, “We always have several thaws and freezes, Princess. It will get cold again.”

Rakel nodded and stood. “It is just a reminder that we need to end this invasion as rapidly as possible.”

“Princess!” Oskar called. “Please allow me to introduce you to the new magic users!”

Rakel smiled at her friends and hurried to join her attendant—though the knowledge of spring’s impending arrival gnawed at the back of her mind.





CHAPTER 11





FUN WITH PHILE


After Rakel’s awakening, Tana held celebrations for three nights in a row. The last of them was held outdoors with everyone crowded around warm fires, joking and singing songs. The celebrations went late into the night, and almost everyone in Tana attended them, rejoicing over the battle against Tenebris, and mourning the loss of the soldiers who died in combat.

Rakel repositioned Gerta’s knitted hat on her head as Knut played a song of mourning on a zither. “Gerta, Kai.” The pair was tucked under her arms like sleepy kittens. “It’s time for you to go to bed.”

“But I’m not sleepy,” Gerta insisted—even though her eyes were closed, and a patch of drool on Rakel’s dress marked where the little girl had lain her head.

Kai ran his hands through his already mussed hair. “Me either.”

Rakel smiled and hugged them closer. “Even so, you need to sleep.”

“No,” Kai protested.

Phile plopped down on a tree trunk positioned next to Rakel. “Come, children. We’ll carry you there.”

“Would you first sing us a lullaby, Princess?” Her eyes were wide and pleading.

“A lullaby?” Rakel said.

“A song to make us sleep,” Kai said.

“Some other time,” Rakel said.

“Why?” Gerta asked.

“Yes, why?” Phile wore a mischievous grin. “I too would love to hear the princess’s singing voice.”

Rakel chose to be blunt rather than mince around the topic. “I don’t know any lullabies.”

Gerta’s jaw dropped. “You don’t know any?”

Rakel placed her hand on top of Gerta’s head. “I’m afraid not.”

Phile sighed—a sound from deep within her soul. “King’s teeth, Little Wolf, I’m sorry. I always forget…”

Rakel offered her a smile. “It’s not your fault.”

A muscle in Phile’s jaw jumped. “No, but it still makes me angry.”

Rakel placed her hand on Phile’s shoulder and shook her head. “It’s fine. It’s different now—better than anything I could have dreamed of.”

Kai leaned into Rakel and peered up at Phile. “What are you mad about?”

Phile smoothed her face, letting a smile return to her lips that cast a warm glow on her olive-colored skin. “Nothing, children. Would you like me to sing you a lullaby?”

“Yes, please!” Gerta wriggled out from under Rakel’s hand and scurried to Phile’s side, almost tripping in her eagerness.

“I only know songs from Baris. This one my mother sang to me when I was a wee thief. It’s about sand and stars and tales that never end,” Phile said.

The children wiggled in anticipation.

Phile started humming. The song was lower pitched than Rakel would have imagined, but Phile sounded lovely as her smooth voice danced up and down while the logs in the fire crackled.

Rakel leaned back, warm with contentment as she listened to Phile and watched her friends and comrades in arms seated around the fire. Farrin stood nearby, listening—with a subtly amused expression—as Topi and Snorri discussed spying techniques with Bunny and Crow. Steinar sat next to General Halvor, and the two were deep in discussion with Pordis—the merchant guildmaster of Glowma who had arrived with a supply caravan that day.

She scanned the crowd, searching for a familiar head of brilliant red hair and a charming smile. He was standing in the shadows, fixing his cloak, so she almost missed him.

Instead of his usual smile, his face was lined with grief. “Oskar?” Rakel murmured. He turned his back to the fire and walked away.

Rakel rose and slipped after him, worrying over his expression. “Oskar.” She hurried to catch up to him.

“Ah, Princess! I hope you enjoyed tonight’s celebration.” Oskar’s bright smile was back on his lips, but Rakel could still see a lingering grief in his green eyes.