The Snow Queen's Shadow

bill. He ruffled his wings but settled down, waiting.
    Danielle sipped her tea, grimacing at the medicinal taste, and returned to the letter she had begun writing to the king. She had described their failure to save the prince, and the futile search that followed. Danielle’s dolphins hadn’t returned, and Snow had evaded their pursuit since that night. Gerta suspected she was using the infected prisoners to track and avoid the Phillipa .
    Seven men had been cut, along with Stub the cat. Stub was now confined to a small cage in the chartroom, and the infected crewmen were locked in the hold. Even if Snow looked through their eyes, she should see nothing to reveal their plans.
    Gerta was probably right, but what more could they do, short of throwing the prisoners overboard? They were victims, innocents who had fallen to Snow’s magic under Danielle’s command.
    Bells clanged from the deck. The duck squawked and beat his wings in alarm. Danielle hastily signed the note and rolled it tight, sliding it into a leather tube. She smeared wax over the seams to protect it from the elements, then bound it to the duck’s leg. “Thank you. Please take this to the king as quickly as you can.”
    She tossed her cloak on over her nightgown and grabbed her sword belt. The bell continued to ring out as she opened the cabin door and stepped into the cold night air. Captain Hephyra was shouting orders, which the crew scrambled to obey. She waited for the duck to leave, then hurried over to join Talia.
    “We’ve an escort,” Talia said. Gerta was close behind, smothering a yawn. Talia pointed to the two ships which had emerged from a thick fog in the distance.
    Gerta squinted. “They fly the royal banner. Inspectors, I’d guess.”
    “Do inspectors normally greet visitors with gunports open?” Danielle asked.
    Gerta gave a half-shrug. “Not usually, but we don’t know what’s happened in Allesandria these past few days . . .”
    They had passed the northern coast of Hilad two days before, and were now in Allesandrian waters. By Hephyra’s estimate, they should reach their destination tomorrow morning.
    But Snow could be almost anywhere by now. What had she done to Jakob? Was he still locked away in the hull of her stolen ship? How long would her patience last as she tried to unravel the mysteries of his power? Or had she already—
    No. Jakob was alive. He had to be.
    “Stop that,” Talia said.
    Danielle blinked. “Excuse me?”
    “Your eyes give you away. Jakob is alive, and we will find him. We’ll save them both. If you want to worry, worry about what those inspectors will say about us arriving in a fairy vessel.”
    Danielle pursed her lips. She had studied the histories of Lorindar and its neighbors, including Allesandria, where the fairy folk had been ill-treated for centuries. Most had fled to friendlier kingdoms. Many of those who remained were destroyed or enslaved. Rose Curtana, Snow’s mother, had paid a bounty for every fairy head, believing their magic to be a threat to her rule. King Laurence had reversed some of those policies, but after so many years of hatred, Hephyra would not be welcome.
    “She will remain with the Phillipa ,” Danielle said. “She should be safe enough here. Anyone who comes aboard to harass her deserves whatever they receive.”
    Talia smiled slightly at that, but said nothing.
    “They know we’re coming.” Danielle rested a hand on one of the lines running to the foremast. “Theodore has been in contact with King Laurence, and warned him about what happened.”
    The approaching ships spread out to flank the Phillipa .
    “You’re certain you can find this witch who helped Rose Curtana create her mirror?” Danielle asked.
    “I . . . I think so.” Gerta stared into the distance. “I was young and, well, not real.”
    “Assuming the witch is still alive,” said Talia. “Assuming she exists at all, and this isn’t some game Snow planted in your mind.”
    Gerta’s face went blank, and she turned away. “Talia’s right. It feels like a true memory, but how would I know?”
    “It doesn’t matter,” said Danielle. “If not Noita, we find someone else. Allesandria claims to be the birthplace of human magic. There must be others who can help us free Snow from this demon and rescue my son.”
    Unbidden, the memory of the Duchess’ offer pushed to the forefront of her mind. She could call right now. Perhaps fairy magic might succeed where Talia’s rescue attempt