The Snow Queen's Shadow

You don’t need me.”
    “There are other kinds of needs.” Hephyra looked past her to Danielle. “What holds you to Lorindar, now that your queen is gone?”
    Talia pulled the red cape tighter against the wind. “Lorindar is my home. The only one I have.”
    “And I’m sure your feelings for Snow have nothing to do with it.”
    Talia’s face warmed, drawing a chuckle from Hephyra.
    “She’s quite smitten with you, you know.”
    “What?” The word emerged louder than Talia had intended. “Snow never—”
    “Not Snow. I felt it the moment she stepped on board. Almost magical, her hunger for you.”
    Gerta. Talia shook her head. “That’s impossible. She’s not—” She caught herself. They hadn’t told Hephyra the full details about Gerta’s origins. “She doesn’t even know me.”
    “Sometimes that’s a good thing. Adds mystery.”
    Talia said nothing.
    “Ah, Talia. Men have killed for the chance to share my bed, but you turn me down. Young Gerta pines for you, and you hardly give her a second glance.” Hephyra sighed. “You’re like a beggar who shows up at a banquet hoping for jellied swan. You ignore the feast laid out around you, starving to death while you wait for that swan to arrive.”
    “I’m not starving,” Talia said, too sharply.
    “Of course not. You spent a month dining on your friend Faziya, didn’t you?”
    Talia’s face grew hot, and Hephyra laughed.
    “I know everything that happens on my ship, remember? Including how you and your friend spent your time on the voyage back from Arathea.”
    “Faziya stayed for six weeks, not a month,” Talia said softly. They had both known it wouldn’t last. Faziya’s home was in Arathea, the one place Talia couldn’t go.
    “And you took advantage of the time you had.” Hephyra clapped her shoulder. “Nothing shameful there. You were happy. You both were. Why not allow yourself to be happy again?”
    “It’s not that simple.” Gerta wasn’t even human . . . not that she expected such minor details to bother Hephyra. “Gerta . . . she’s younger than she appears.”
    “Looks ripe enough to me.”
    Talia punched her on the shoulder, then winced. Even with the added strength and power of the wolfskin, it was like punching a tree.
    Hephyra’s expression turned uncharacteristically gentle. “How long do you plan to wait for her?”
    “Talia!” Danielle hurried over, saving her from having to respond. “We’re ready.”
    Hephyra clucked her tongue. “I still say you’re crazy.”
    Talia wasn’t sure whether the dryad was referring to their plan to rescue Jakob or Talia’s feelings toward Snow. Either way, she was hard-pressed to argue.
    “It’s about time.” Talia unlaced her boots, tugged them free, and tossed them aside. Her weapons she handed over to Danielle, all save a pair of daggers and her zaraq whip.
    “That cape is going to weigh you down,” said Gerta. Talia hadn’t even noticed her climbing down to join them.
    Talia jerked a thumb at Danielle. “That’s why her friends will be doing the actual swimming.”
    Hephyra ordered the lanterns extinguished, all save one which hung from the mainmast. Talia could see no sign of Snow’s ship on the horizon, but if Danielle’s dolphins said they were close . . . “I hope your overgrown fish know what they’re doing.”
    “They’ll get you to Snow’s ship, and they’ll follow behind until you emerge with Jakob.”
    Talia tied her hair back. “They know I have to breathe, right?”
    “I’ll remind them,” Danielle promised.
    “That water is freezing,” Gerta said.
    Talia ran a hand over her cape. “The wolfskin should help.”
    “It’s not enough.” Gerta hurried toward the mainmast. She climbed just high enough to reach the lantern. Stretching out with one hand, she traced several symbols onto the glass with her finger. Talia winced, but the heat didn’t appear to burn her.
    Gerta ran back, her cheeks flushed. “Push back your cape.”
    Talia raised an eyebrow, but complied. Gerta put her hand on Talia’s shoulder and traced the same symbols, whispering a spell in Allesandrian. Heat spread through Talia’s shirt, almost uncomfortable.
    “I took the warmth from the lantern’s light,” Gerta explained, her hand lingering on Talia’s arm. She glanced at Talia, flushed, and jerked her hand away. “The heat is diffused, so your shirt won’t catch fire. Hopefully.”
    “That would make it harder to sneak onto Snow’s ship,” Talia