Free The Snow Queen's Captive by Jill Myles

“Want to go for a walk?”
    “A…walk?” He gave her a skeptical look, as if expecting a trap.
    “Yes, you know, that thing where you put one foot in front of the other?” She mimed feet with her hands. “And you move around? It’s quite thrilling, I assure you.”
    He snorted. “I know what a walk is.”
    “Oh, good. Then I don’t have to explain more of the logistics to you.” She teased, brightening. There was none of the bubbling resentment in Kai today, and it made her feel a little better. “Come on, then.”
    “Where are we going?”
    “Just around the castle.” She’d been working in the courtyard for hours that day, reinforcing the icy lattice of the walls and trying to figure out if she could somehow make a moat. The problem with a moat, of course, was that it kept freezing over. Still, this place was horribly defended and if she didn’t want to lose her head when Kai’s girlfriend came calling? She had to do something. So she made the walls thicker and steeper, and they were no longer as pretty but a good deal safer.
    It took a lot out of her, though. Every day, she worked for hours in the courtyard, until she was exhausted and her ice powers were puttering out in spurts instead of a steady stream. Work was work, but it was also lonely, and as she’d slaved under the icy sunlight, she’d wished that Kai would be able to join her in the courtyard for company.
    So…she was going to test him. They’d take a nice walk around the courtyard, she’d pretend to be distracted, and she’d see if he’d bolt. If he didn’t, he could come with her while she worked, and she’d have company and conversation.
    If he did…well, then Muffin was wrong and she could never trust Kai.
    Gathering her skirts in a crackle of ice, Charlotte headed out of her chambers and through one of the nearby walls. It melted backward as she passed through, and she held the wall open for a few seconds longer to allow Kai to pass through. It was effortless for her now, though she could see from the expression on Kai’s face that it was still impressive to him. Chamber after chamber, they passed through, until they descended the icy stairs that led to the front courtyard.
    The sun was sinking into the horizon, the skies purple and orange, and the courtyard before her glittered with ice and snow. It was rather pretty if you liked the cold, Charlotte had to admit. There had been an orchard here, once, and the trees rustled and tinkled with the breeze, completely iced over. In the distance, there were rose bushes that were nothing but icy tangles, and a frozen over maze that the former occupant of her body had created. Charlotte hadn’t bothered with the maze, since she could just melt the walls with a thought. It sort of made the whole ‘maze’ thing lose its appeal.
    “Well,” Charlotte said lightly. “Shall we walk?”
    She looked over at Kai and was surprised by the expression on his face. His tan had paled, and there was a look of wonderment and some other emotion she couldn’t describe. His eyes gleamed. He looked…upset?
    “Oh no. What’s wrong?” She reached out to touch his arm, but pulled back before her skin touched his. Damn ice queen business. “Is it all the ice? Because I’m pretty sure that once I’m gone, it’ll go back to normal. No need to get upset—“
    He shook his head, interrupting her. “This…is the first time I’ve been outside in months.” He tilted his head back and inhaled deeply, as if delighting in the fresh air.
    “Oh.” Well, didn’t that make her feel like an asshole? Or rather, an asshole-by-proxy since she wasn’t the original asshole. “I’m glad we’re taking a walk, then.”
    “Yes,” Kai said simply, and then fell silent.
    Charlotte clasped her hands and began to walk forward, relieved when Kai moved into place at her side. She glanced over at him, wincing at his bare feet and the way he had the furs wrapped around his shoulders. “If you’re too