Frostbound Hearts

a's

rl van

she was sta

t, she

the dorm window, her fingers t

azily across the ice, and everything looked so calm that it was alm

eat refuse

searching the lak

th

ootp

sha

er face starin

rmed in h

have been an easier explanation. But she knew what she'd s

red seeing

rd creaked

aned from

by the window like a h

around,

hair stuck out in every direction, and somehow her

t I saw s

ted toward

urde

N

gho

N

ayer climbing th

thing, Isla r

ck to

y ya

at's a

apsed back onto her pill

't help sta

nestly im

ould come that easi

d far sooner t

s, and judging by the dark circles staring bac

k at her over brea

ook te

rning to

ean

ed her fo

you s

rea

hy

hesit

rl who looked exactly like her standing on

st her mind or find the whole thing fascinat

ion sounded

couldn't

rrowed h

ot better when your face d

e says

practically wr

tugged at Isla's l

ooking entirely too

the day pass

g back to the girl on the lake. Every time she convinced herself it couldn't hav

e, she had

iously considering droppi

robably didn't come wi

of her final clas

outside the dor

ned and t

h

ame almost

u need a s

d despite

a socia

dots a

other m

friend be

red at t

ly, she

Poppy was draggin

ai

are we

'll

that a

kno

followed the growing crowd. Students hurried in the same direction, talking exc

ey reached the

sto

ce was

filled the air with music, and blue, silver,

awk co

d her arms

to Fros

h

ye

w she wasn't goi

s, others argued excitedly about upcoming matches, while nearby booths sold eve

re why anyone needed a

e was

akes hockey ve

came from

e

ili

too c

herself face-to-face w

of the

ter looking, though that was unfortunately true, but because

to notice th

idence in the

n't quite match the reputation

sure she

Caspia

he most ordinary conv

H

der

gettable firs

d far too e

he said

sl

nt longer than necessary. It wasn'

to make he

oying Fr

N

of his mo

o appreciate

ask

r en

een them with obv

pped her han

I'm l

tared

ha

wo see

ally just st

act

op her, Poppy disapp

wa

, neither of

hands into his

't like

't a qu

articu

ver watche

o you

e the ex

frow

expres

they think hockey is ju

mea

laug

caught her

n't ar

n't mo

fortless, and e

... inco

up walking through

ifferent booths instead. He explained old academy traditions, recommended which eve

prisingly easy to talk to. That

ard. Music drifted through the evening air while students laughed a

temperatu

sudden that Isla

her, sharper than the wint

ew thi

ld stop hersel

rushed agai

nd

lse qu

ice re

it sounded

before

rained from

ha

d at her,

happ

ed aroun

ast as though nothing had changed. No one els

r came one

o longer sound

ed like

s co

k split thr

tyard fe

n the middle as glowing blue ice

stomach

he could have sworn someth

chi

it