The Snow Queen's Shadow

bridge first. Gerta could try to flee back up the tunnels, but it would mean running uphill. Even from here, Talia could see that she was sweating and out of breath.
    If she was truly a part of Snow, she wouldn’t give up easily. Talia watched Gerta the best she could, ready to duck beneath the water at the first hint of spellcasting.
    Something splattered against the back of her head, hard enough to knock her face into the water. Talia stopped, kicking to keep herself afloat while she touched her head with one hand. Whatever it was, it had the consistency of hot syrup. It had sprayed the lake around her as well, judging from the rings spreading through the water. “I don’t know what kind of spell that was, but it’s disgusting!”
    Gerta hurried toward the bridge. “Talia, get down!”
    Talia dove, trusting the terror in Gerta’s shout. Moments later, the water over her head exploded in orange flames.
    Talia kicked deeper to escape the searing heat. The surface was already boiling from the fire. She swam as far as she could, waiting until the fire stopped and her lungs forced her to the surface. Steam rose from the water, and each breath hurt her throat and chest. She took one more quick gulp of air, then ducked beneath the water again.
    This time, she managed to make it to the bridge. She pulled herself past one of the stone support pillars, keeping her eyes and nose above the surface and doing the best she could to control her breathing.
    Another burst of flame illuminated the dragon on the far shore. This one was far larger than either of the “tame” dragons she had seen higher up. The dragon slipped into the water with hardly a ripple. The faint glow from its mouth vanished with a hissing sound.
    “Where’s a knight when you need one?” Historically, knights had never done well against dragons, no matter what the bards said. But at least Talia could have gotten away while the dragon was busy baking the knight in his armor. She grabbed the pillar and lunged higher, reaching for the edge of the bridge.
    “Look out!”
    Talia twisted to see the dragon swimming closer, head raised from the water, orange glow clearly visible. With a curse, she dropped beneath the water and pulled herself between the pillars. She yanked her knife from her sleeve. When the flames died, she surfaced and flung the knife at the dragon’s mouth. It bounced off the scaly snout.
    “Brilliant,” snapped Gerta as she reached the bridge. “Are you trying to make the dragon angry? Maybe next we can go find a griffon so you can pull its tail.”
    “Shut up, unless you want it to go after you.” Talia bobbed beneath the surface, dodging another gout of flame. The pillars supporting the bridge were built too close together for the dragon to follow. The water was clear enough to see the dragon swimming from side to side, moving as easily as a fish. The small legs kicked in a way that reminded her of a dog, but the dragon also used its wings and tail for speed. There was no way she could outswim this creature.
    She pulled herself through to the far side of the bridge, then swore. In the second cavern, she could see another orange glow moving through the water toward her, no doubt attracted by the commotion.
    The first dragon’s head snaked between the pillars. Talia twisted, and sharp teeth caught her sleeve. She braced herself as the dragon yanked back, slamming her against the stone hard enough to make her vision flash. The collar of her shirt cut off her breath like a garrote, and then the sleeve ripped away.
    “If I help you, you have to let me go,” Gerta said.
    “If you help me, you’ll get yourself killed.” Her face and neck stung as if singed by the desert sun. She used the beams to pull herself toward the far shore. The dragons kept pace with ease. “I’ll lead them away from you. Wait until they follow, then get out of here.”
    Slow footsteps stopped directly over Talia’s head. “Promise me.”
    Talia reversed direction, dodging another lunge. She ducked beneath the water to avoid a rush of flame. When she surfaced, steam hid the dragons from view. She squinted, trying to protect her eyes from the heat. “Fine, I promise.”
    She pulled herself to one side as both dragons snapped at the sound of her voice.
    “You’re lying.”
    “Of course I’m lying!” The second dragon slipped its head between the columns. Talia punched it on the eyelid, bloodying her knuckles. She needed a plan, but the dragons