The Snow Queen's Shadow

“Fairy magic would likely resist her power, at least for a time.”
    “It does,” said Danielle. “My son . . . he has fairy blood. The demon’s magic didn’t work on him.”
    Veleris stared at her a long time, her face furrowed. “I’m not going to ask.”
    Gerta was crouched on the floor, squinting as though she could figure out the language on the giant’s parchment through sheer willpower. “I’ve touched the demon’s power, seen what it can do. How can a young child resist that, even with fairy blood?”
    “It’s not what he does,” said Veleris. “It’s what he is.” She pointed to a small illustration of intersecting circles. “Your kind believe demons are creatures of Hell, yes? Made to torment the damned for all eternity?”
    “There are some who believe that,” Danielle said.
    Veleris smiled. “What hold would such a being have over a fairy, destined for neither Heaven nor Hell?”
    Bellum snorted. “Mystic claptrap. Fairies are magic, that’s all. Fairy magic and human magic overlap, as do human and demon, but fairy and demon magic are like oil and water.”
    Gerta paled. “That’s why she—why the demon needs Jakob.”
    Everyone turned to face her.
    “Danielle, when you saw Jakob in your vision, you said he sat upon a frozen lake polished smooth as glass. A mirror of ice. He was playing with shards of ice, and his hands were bleeding. Jakob was born of darkling magic. He has fairy power in his blood, as well as human. What would happen if that blood were mixed into a mirror formed of ice?”
    “She’s already used a great many shards from her mother’s mirror,” Danielle said. “She has to be running low. But if that lake serves as a new mirror, every splinter of ice carrying her magic . . .”The demon would have a never-ending supply of power. One infused with her son’s blood and magic as well as her own.
    Veleris whistled softly. Bellum scowled. “Possible,” she said. “I don’t understand human magic that well, but—”
    “Snow could do it,” Gerta said. “I couldn’t, but she could figure it out.”
    “How much—” Danielle swallowed and forced herself to finish. “How much of his blood would she need?”
    “It’s hard to say.” Bellum shrugged her shoulder. “How many drops of poison does it take to kill a man?”
    “Depends on the poison and the weight of the man,” Talia shot back.
    “She could keep him alive,” said Veleris. “Bleed him each day, taking only what she needs. With care, he could survive for years.”
    “Don’t give them false hope,” Bellum said. “More likely, once the demon figures out how to use the boy’s blood, it will kill him and spill it all. Demons aren’t known for their patience.”
    “Enough.” Danielle’s voice, trembling from her effort to retain control, cut through their discussion like steel. She jabbed a finger at the parchments. “Tell me how to stop it.”
    Gerta sucked her lower lip as she thought. “There has to be a way to summon it out of Snow. Build a new circle, call it here, and kill it.”
    Veleris shook her head. “Even if you found someone strong enough to summon the demon, it would drain the strength from your friend when it felt itself being pulled away. She would be left an empty husk, and the demon would only find a new host.”
    Talia grabbed the parchments and flung them aside. “The Duchess said you could help us to save Snow White. Either tell us how, or put us in touch with the Duchess so we can tell her you’ve made a liar out of her.”
    “We can save your friend,” Veleris said softly.
    “How?” asked Danielle.
    “With me.” Gerta stood against the wall, staring at the floor. “I’m right, aren’t I?”
    “Snow crafted her, didn’t she?” asked Veleris. The giant rose, both heads studying Gerta. “She’s the key.”
    “Gerta can destroy the demon?” asked Danielle. She had to strain to hear Gerta’s response.
    “No. I tried to fight her . . . but that’s not why she created me.”
    Veleris reached out to cup Gerta’s face. “How long have you known?”
    Gerta pulled away. “I started to suspect back in Noita’s garden. I wasn’t certain until after I tried to fight her, back in Kanustius. I thought you might have another way.”
    Veleris said nothing, allowing Bellum to explain. “The girl is incomplete. I can feel the darkling shielding her, hiding the thread that ties her back to her creator. Use that connection to strike at Snow through