THE NINTH

 

Zane tried to lead us through as many villages as possible, but there were times we had no choice but to brave the fallen logs and slippery brush of the forest.

Nighttime caught us again, and we found ourselves tucked in an alley to escape the cold wind, just off a street dotted with giant-bulb lampposts of live flames. Zane coughed, and coughed, and coughed until he flopped back against the wall. I expected him to fall asleep when his eyes slid closed, but he spoke between shivers. “Did I ever tell you the one about the ice tower the Rime Folk built so they could get to the White Kingdom without Elowin’s blessing?” he asked.

I leaned against his shoulder to share my warmth. “No, I don’t think I’ve heard that one,” I said. “But Zane, you don’t have to tell me a story right n—”

“Shh. I’m storytelling, Trite. It started with an ancient king in Polar Territory. He’d collected riches from across Winter, stealing a measure of it, swindling the defenseless folk for the rest. He refused to recognize the Truth as a living, breathing being.” He paused to cough again. “The king commissioned a thousand plus five hundred more Rime Folk to help him build a mighty steeple of ice ladders. He planned to climb over the barrier into the White Kingdom to live eternally among those who had been faithful to the True King since the first age. But sometimes Elowin has a sense of humour about these things.”

I glanced over at his bluing lips. “What did Elowin do?”

“He changed their tongues—all the folk began speaking in different languages. I wish I could have seen the spinbugs all nattering at each other.” He leaned his head against mine. “Anyway, they didn’t finish their tower. The snow globe was shaken the next day, and the ladders shattered. The tower became a monument of ice rubble that still sits in the Polar snow to this day.”

I smirked. “That’s a good story.”

Zane looked at me. At first, I thought he was just staring into darkness, but his eyes settled on my face, a miniscule dot of bright blue shining through the slate on his left iris.

“Can you see me?” I shifted to face him.

“No.” He chewed on the inside of his cheek, shoulders dropping. “I don’t know how to be bloody blind, Trite,” he admitted.

I held his arm tighter, wishing I could give him knit blankets, warm tarts, and bedtime stories. I stared ahead at the cold stone wall across the alley.

 

 

 

The factory appeared over the hills, its front lights glowing against the whipping flurries, but the rest of the factory looked unlit.

A cold tear bit at my eye. “We made it.” I huffed hot air on my knuckles to warm my hands so I could drag Kaley into a hug. It had taken us another full day to arrive, and my bones felt like mush.

We clamoured inside. The doors slammed behind us with an echo as cocoa and nut fragrances hit my senses, and I breathed in a lungful. I glanced up at the ramps and balconies, and I spun to see the halls. “Where is everyone?” I reached to stop Zane before he tripped on anything.

“By the sharpest wind!” Apple flew down the staircase and bounded across the main room. She swept me into a hug, her bangle bracelets clapping at my ear. “Helen! Mr. Zane, I’m so relieved,” she said.

“We got delayed.”

But Apple spoke before I could tell her what had happened, “There’s trouble, I’m afraid.”

I realized her lipstick was smudged, and her irises were splotchy like she’d neglected her eyedrops. Theresa came from the hallway; she stopped in front of Zane, taking in his blank stare, his fingers hovering in front of him. Her earth-brown eyes filled with remorse.

“Come, love. Let’s get you settled.” She took Zane’s hand and led him away.

“I’ll make you cocoa…” Apple spun around, frazzled like she couldn’t remember which way the kitchen was.

I stood in the empty main room and looked around, wondering why no one had bothered to light a candle or start the fireplace. I went to the stack of logs and lifted one off the pile, but a voice came from the unlit corner, “You’ll just waste the firewood.”

Edward Haid was half blanketed in shadow. His dark hair and jacket mostly hid him, but his gold eyes glimmered from where he sat at a table in the corner.

I glanced the way Apple had disappeared, then back to the former Green Prince. Abandoning the fireplace, I headed to where he twirled a silver spoon in a mug that had lost its steam. I slowly lowered into the chair across.

He said nothing to elaborate, so I leaned back and folded my arms. “Why is Apple being weird? Where is everyone?”

Edward’s gaze met my eyes. “You’re the only ones who came back.”

“What are you talking about?” I looked over my shoulder, scanning the slat hallways. “Where’s my sister?”

“I don’t know. I don’t know where any of them are.” His gaze dropped back to his mug, watching the cocoa twirl.

I leaned forward. “What do you mean, any of them?”

“Gathadriel, Cane, Porethius, The Patrol. Everyone left, and no one came back. Except for you.”

My hand flashed out to stop Edward’s stirring and his stare lifted. “My sister isn’t back yet?!”

“I don’t know anything of her. I just know the Patrol left to search for you after you didn’t return, and they vanished like all the others.”

“They bloody what?” Zane’s voice lifted behind me.

The Green Prince shoved his mug away. “Trevor’s been turned to snow.”

The large clock at the end of the room released a metallic cry, eight beats long. No one spoke as it clanged.

I stood, palms flat on the table.

“I need to go to Green,” I whispered, and Edward’s gold eyes flashed.

I turned for the doors, but Zane caught me. “Wait, Helen, think this through! The Patrol aren’t here, Green is in danger, and I can’t see—”

“I can’t lose her too, Zane.” A rough whisper.

“Please, friend, don’t go.” Apple followed me toward the factory doors. “Helen!” she shouted, moving to block the way and flattening a hand against my shoulder. “Listen! I’m not a warrior like the fairies, or a guardian like the Patrols, but I’ve lost people too, so please, as your friend, I’m begging you, please don’t go.”

There was a pause. Apple’s big brown eyes pleaded.

“Thank you for being my friend, Apple.”

I pushed back out into the cold.