Sacrifice (The Snow Queen #2)(59)

Kai shook his head. “If there is beauty, why did my mother run?”

Rakel hesitated, wondering if what she was about to say was too much. “There is a great deal of darkness in the world, Kai. But life is not hopeless, and you need not live in fear of it. Rather, if you look for it, you will find that the continent brims with love. Do you understand?”

“Grandmother Hilda said you’re a saint for helping us when you were so hated. Is that what you mean?” Kai slipped out of her grasp so he could peer up at her.

“I’m not certain I’m the best example, but yes. The same goes for magic. You can accept what the fearful and hateful say about it, or you can see it with love and delight.”

“How? How can you love something that ruined your life?” Kai asked.

Rakel thought over the question for a moment. She could recall Phile praising her for her delight in her magic, in spite of all that happened to her because of it. It’s what makes you so powerful, she had said. “Magic hasn’t ruined my life. It’s brought me joy.”

“But you were exiled because of your magic,” Kai argued.

“Yes,” Rakel agreed. “But…I take joy in the magic itself.”

Kai stared at her with furrowed eyebrows, his attention hinged on her words. He wants to understand…but how can I show him?

Rakel flattened her lips, deep in thought, then eyed the open field they stood in. She reached for her magic, and, like always, it answered her, twining around her like a cat. Rakel hesitated a moment, feeling out the natural snow and the frozen earth. She nodded, and ice shot out of the ground.

Under her artistic eye, a castle formed. It wasn’t huge like the one on Ensom—but rather a miniature one, a child’s fort. She made its tallest tower twice Oskar’s height, but the walls surrounding the crystalline fort were short enough for a tall adult to peer over.

She could feel Kai’s eyes as she sculpted and created, her brain running over figures and structures while she forged the ice into a work of beauty and craftsmanship. When she finished the castle, she made two life-sized ice sculptures—one of Gerta and one of Kai. When she caught Kai’s pained expression, she made a sculpture of Phile, then Oskar, Hilda, herself, and on and on until a crowd of ice people were stationed in front of the castle.

She studied Kai, who appeared impressed but not quite convinced. He’s not there yet. He’s seen me build and sculpt before. But how can I show more beauty than a castle? Rakel realized she was thinking more along her preferences than Kai’s, but what would Kai—an artistic boy with a sweet heart—find lovely?

Rakel raised her eyes to the clear skies. If I could do it… Rakel inhaled and pulled on her magic. Clouds formed and snow started to fall as Rakel worked her magic on each individual flake. It was harder than she thought—it required a different kind of precision than she was used to—but after a moment, she raised her hand and caught several snowflakes.

“You can craft something beautiful with your magic, Kai. That is what makes it glorious.” Rakel knelt in front of him and held out her hand. The snowflakes hadn’t melted on her cool skin, and they were big and fat, making their beautiful designs easier to observe.

Each snowflake was a work of beauty—extending in different shapes and lines—but at the center of every flake was a white heart.

For the first time, Kai cracked a smile. Rakel returned the smile and kept hold of her magic, making the heart-filled snowflakes drift down from the sky.

“But…I can’t do this,” Kai said, pointing to the flakes.

“No,” Rakel agreed. “You have to find beauty in your own way.”

“But I can’t,” Kai argued.

“Sure you can.”

Rakel turned in surprise to see Frodi—dark circles under his eyes—stomping towards them. A pack of magic users stood behind him, marveling at the snowflakes and watching Rakel’s exchange with Kai.

Frodi marched all the way up to Kai and Rakel and offered them a smile. “You think that’s great, watch this.” Frodi tossed his gloves aside and clasped his hands together. When he pulled them apart, fire flickered to life with a roar.

Kai jumped, but his expression went from fear to awe as Frodi stared at his hands in concentration. Slowly, the flames morphed into a fist-sized horse shape.

“Wow!” Kai laughed when Frodi flicked his hands and the horse-shaped fire went cantering off. “Can you make a reindeer?”

“Sure,” Frodi said.

“I want to see!” Gerta shouted as she ran across the snow. She joined Kai—taking his hand in hers—and gasped in delight when Frodi formed another fist-sized tongue of fire into the shape of an elegant reindeer—antlers and all.

Several of the villagers joined Kai and Gerta in watching the fire show.

Not to be outdone, Bluff followed them.

“Everyone stand back,” Bluff said. “Princess, could you raise and lower the temperature in short successions?”

“Yes,” Rakel said.

“Could you please do it on three?” Bluff asked, pointing to a blank area. “Over there specifically?”

Rakel nodded and grabbed her magic.

“One…two…three!”

Rakel drastically raised the temperature—as he requested—jumping with everyone else when lightning sizzled and struck the ground in the area he had indicated. She lowered the temperature again and rubbed her ears—slightly deafened by the strength of the booming thunder.