The Snow Queen's Shadow

Gerta. The demon will try to escape. Every infected soul is a potential host. But if you can trap it, block off those paths, then it will share Snow’s fate.”
    “Snow’s fate?” Talia repeated.
    “Use that bond,” Gerta whispered. “By killing me, you could kill her as well.”
    “No.” Danielle shook her head. “The Duchess sent us here so you could help us save our friend. Not kill her.”
    Bellum scowled, her eyes going to the headband on Veleris’ brow, but apparently the giant wasn’t yet angry enough for Bellum to take control. She looked at Danielle and asked, “Your friend is possessed. Enslaved to a power you still don’t understand. This is the only way to save her from her torment. How long will you waste in pointless protest? How much time do you think your son has?”
    Danielle didn’t answer. Save her son by murdering Snow?
    “You can’t be considering this.” Talia grabbed Danielle’s arm. “I won’t let you kill them.”
    Danielle’s eyes blurred. “Talia—”
    Talia’s fingers tightened. “Don’t try to justify this.”
    “Snow knew,” said Gerta. “This is why she made me, so we’d have a weapon to use against her.”
    “Then we find another weapon!” Talia was shouting now. “When Danielle’s stepsisters took Armand, we saved him. When the mermaids attacked Lorindar, we beat them. Danielle faced down the Wild Hunt. We can—”
    “I’m sorry,” said Veleris. “The longer you wait, the longer your friend suffers, and the more powerful the demon becomes.”
    “Snow White was dead the moment the demon took her,” added Bellum. “Stop dragging things out because you’re too selfish to let her go.”
    Talia’s hand moved toward her boot.
    “Talia,” Danielle said sharply. When Talia looked over, Danielle shook her head. Did Talia think she hadn’t noticed one dagger was missing from the weapons they had turned over to the troll?
    Slowly, Talia straightened. “We find another way, and we do it now.”
    “How?” asked Bellum. “You think you can just sit down and rewrite the laws of magic?”
    “You’re safe from the demon’s magic,” Talia yelled. “You can help us.”
    “We might resist enslavement,” Veleris said. “But we can still die, like your dryad friend. We’re not soldiers, and we will not send our people to their deaths for you.”
    “It’s all right, Talia.” Gerta swallowed. “I’ve known what was coming. I’ve seen my future, and I’ve been preparing myself.”
    Something in her tone raised the hair on Danielle’s arms and neck. She took a step back, her chest tight. “Gerta . . .”
    “Noita said those futures could be changed,” Talia said.
    “And she was right.” Gerta lifted her head. “I’m sorry.”
    Gerta gestured at the lantern, and Danielle dropped to the ground as fire exploded through the room.

CHAPTER 19

    T ALIA JUMPED TO THE SIDE, putting the giant between herself and the blast. She braced herself against the flames as she searched the room. Where was the giant’s water barrel?
    She heard the door open. Through the smoke and fire, she saw Gerta disappear into the tunnel.
    Veleris patted out her hair while Bellum stomped the worst of the fire on the floor. Danielle had swept off her cloak, using it to smother the rest of the parchments.
    The curtain was beginning to smoke as well, orange embers spreading over the edges. The darkling moved toward it, thinning to cover the entire curtain. The glow died with a hiss.
    Bellum snatched the headband from Veleris. A growl reverberated in her chest. “You came into our home to beg for our help, and instead your friend attacks us?”
    Talia swatted out an ember on her sleeve. The fire had been more flash than substance. The lantern burned merrily, blackened but otherwise undamaged, though Gerta’s stunt appeared to have consumed most of its fuel. She glanced at Danielle. “Fix this, would you? I’m going after Gerta.”
    Danielle stared. “You expect me to—”
    “Thanks!” Talia ducked out of the room and slammed the door.
    Outside, the dragon was on his feet, straining to get into the room to see what had happened. A knocker yanked futilely at the chain, trying to calm him down.
    “What happened in there?” the knocker demanded. “Don’t you people know magic is prohibited?”
    Talia jumped past the dragon and scanned the tunnel. She spotted a faint light retreating to her left, heading deeper into the mine.
    The tunnel was worn smooth, and she