Ice Country

“You’ll stay ’ere with yer sister,” she says.“We’ll take care of it.”

“I need to know the truth. Who wanted mysister. And why.”

“You want revenge,” Skye says, right on pointas usual.

“Wouldn’t you?” I ask.

“Yes,” she admits. “But we can give you that.You need to stay with her.” She motions to Jolie.

“When are you leaving?” We haven’t talkedabout what comes next, but I know it’s got to be coming soon.Skye’s not the type to wait around for heroes to rescue her. She isthe hero.

One side of her lip turns up. “I know whatyer thinkin’ in that pretty little Icy Dazz head of yers,” shesays. “You’ll follow us, you’ll find a way to stay with us till werealize you ain’t takin’ no fer an answer. Am I right?” Before Ican answer, she adds, “Yer not comin’.” She’s got that locked-jawlook that says it’s the end of the conversation. Only for me itisn’t. She was exactly right. I’m going with her if I have tofollow like a shadow from a distance.

“If you say so,” I say, laughing. I cut offshort, however, when I realize it. I can’t laugh, not when Joliemight be dying beside me.

Can I really leave her like this?

“I do say so,” she says, getting that look inher eyes, the one where she narrows them and you know there’s noway you can change her mind, so it isn’t even worth trying.

So I try anyway. “You helped save my sister,so I’ll help save yours. This has nothing to do with us.”

She punches me lightly on the shoulder andgets that other look in her eyes, the one where her eyebrowsraise, pulling her big brown eyes open a little wider than usual,and you know, just know, she’s about to say something that’llsurprise you, because it’ll be so honest, so straight to the heartthat you wonder where she came from, how she can wear her emotionson the outside like that, when most people are hiding them deepinside, locking them in a box, throwing away the key.

“Dazz,” she says, and I wait for itbreathlessly.

“Yer a real icin’ fool sometimes,” she says,and I burst out laughing, both because she’s right and because sheused one of our words, the one that I think means the same thing assearin’ in her language.

~~~

After Skye leaves I feel that hole in my soulthat always seems to appear when she’s not around. I don’t knowwhat’s wrong with me, but maybe Skye is right, that I’m a realicin’ fool for thinking I should leave the side of my unconscioussister to go on some wild hunt for a Heater girl I don’t even know,who’s probably not alive anyway.

Call it foolishness, call it the need to paythe Heaters back for what they did for me, call it a hot desire forrevenge, call it bear crap for all I care, but that’s what Iknow I need to do.

The Stormers can’t get away with stealingchildren, not from ice country, not from fire country, not fromanywhere. We’ll make them stop.

I’m staring at the floor thinking about itall when there’s a heavy knock at the door, so heavy I think theguards are back with their battering ram, trying to smash straightthrough our hut. “Ice it all to chill!” I hiss under my breath,striding to the door with snow water in my veins.

I throw the door open, ready to knockwhoever’s disturbing my thoughts and my sister’s peaceful slumberall the way into fire country.

I suck in a quick breath when I find myselfstaring into the chest of a giant.

He grunts and I look up. Hightower standsover me, a foot taller and twice as wide.

Abe steps around him, leaning on a stick andsmiling the nastiest smile I’ve ever seen, all bite and no warmth.A smile that makes me smile back. “Hey, kid, mind if we comein?”

I chuckle. These are the last two people Iexpected to show up on my doorstep. “It’s not like I can stop youwhen you got him leading the charge,” I say, motioning to hisYag-sized brother.

“Icin’ right,” he says, pushing past me. Istep aside and let Hightower grunt his way inside, having to duckand turn sorta sideways to get through the narrow entrance.

“To what do I owe this pleasure?” I say whenI close the door.

Abe smiles wickedly. “Tell ’im, Tower.”

I frown and look at Tower, who I’ve neverheard speak even a single word. The monstrous man reaches a big ol’hand into a deep pocket in his bearskin coat. There’s a jingle whenhe pulls out a fistful of bright, gleaming silver.

I gawk at the sickles, more wealth than I’veever seen in my entire life.

“But where…how…what…” I say, unable to pullmy eyes off the shiny coins.

“Exactly,” Abe says. “All of that. This ’ere,kid, is yer share.”

I keep on staring, wondering when I’m go

“The silver!” Abe says. “Ain’t you beenpayin’ attention?”

I manage to tear my eyes from Tower’s hand,look at Abe. “Nay, I mean, what’s it for? I didn’t realize we werein business together.”

Abe laughs and then stops suddenly, seeingJolie’s resting form in the bed against the wall. “Poor kid,” hesays. “I heard what happened. She’ll be all right?”

“I don’t know,” I admit.

Tower grunts something. “My brother offershis well wishes,” Abe says. Before I can even wonder how Abe canunderstand anything his brother says, he continues. “When theriders tore through the castle, not to mention you and yer strangefriends ru

“What does that have to do with you?” Isay.

“Well, thank you for sayin’ that, kid, butI’m proud to be a part of such a rowdy and mischievous bunch.Anyway, we snuck our way in like rodents, keepin’ behind the melee.It took ten men and Hightower ’ere to break into the palace vault,but we did it. Now I’m richer than the richest snow-blowers in theWhite District. Tis only fair that you get a share for everythin’you been through. Consider it payment for killing my biggest enemy,may the king rot in a shallow grave.”

“Did you know the king was hiding behind apuppet figurehead?” I ask

Abe chews his lip. “Well, I had mysuspicions, but never enough to prove anything. But now one’s deadand the other ain’t far behind, so enjoy the spoils.”

Feeling the weight of the coins in my hands,I lift a hand to my forehead, feeling the room spi

“Don’t say a freezin’ thing, kid. Just takeit,” Abe says, smirking. “I’m not usually this generous, so bequick ’fore I change my mind.”

I don’t have to be told twice. I cup bothhands together, knowing I’ll need two hands for one of Hightower’s.Abe’s brother tilts his palm and lets the silver fall likeshimmering rain into my hands, piling up and filling them tooverflowing, and yet still they fall, clattering to the floor,scattering.

“Thank you,” I say, misty-eyed, but I’mtalking to Abe’s back, because he’s already at the door.

“Hope the kid gets better,” he says, openingthe door and stepping outside.

“I’m sorry about your wife,” I say, but Idon’t know if he hears me.

Hightower lingers for a moment, staring offat Jolie. Then he starts to lumber over to her. “Whoa there,Tower,” I say, springing in front of him. Luckily he stops, becauseif he didn’t I’d be human paste under his feet. “The door’s thatway,” I say, motioning to where Abe’s waiting outside.

Tower grunts, points to Jolie. I look up, wayup, into his eyes, which are crystal-blue, and ogre-sized, likeeverything else on him. I never realized his eyes were blue, andfor some reason it surprises me. “You want to see her?” I say,replacing see with eat in my head.

He nods. I hope he means see and notthe word I was thinking.

I chew on my mouth for a second. Hightower,despite his somewhat scary and threatening appearance, has bee