Frey and the Icy Orchard: A Snow Queen Retelling (Autumn Fairy Tales Book 1) by Scarlett Luna Strange

Author:Scarlett Luna Strange [Strange, Scarlett Luna]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: anonymous
Published: 2023-09-07T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Fifteen

By the time I finally awoke, it was nighttime, and I opened my eyes to Mor wiping my forehead with a cool cloth.

“There, there, Frey darling,” she whispered to me softly. “We’ll find out what happened to Kian.”

It was no surprise that she assumed I would have passed out from the news, and it was much better than her knowing the truth of what really had happened.

At least, what I suspected to have happened.

Did I take him during changeday? Was he, at this moment, locked in a castle high in the mountains, hidden by magic from all who could find him?

I felt my body shiver and Mor tucked blankets in around me. “You poor thing. Shaking from the shock.”

Glancing up at her, I tried my best to force a smile. “I’m okay, really. Kian and I weren’t close anymore.”

She pulled back in shock. “But he visited here before his disappearance. Edna saw you both by the gate, talking like dear old friends, she said. It was a surprise to me, but it sure warmed my heart to hear.”

She prattled on, but I froze in place. “What?” It all started coming back to me. The conversation we shared at the gate. What had we said?

Changedays were so hazy. The transformation always came over me that day, and it was a battle between the cold heart and my warm self.

A smile lit Mor’s face. “You needn’t hide your care from me. A first love is not so easily dismissed.” With a light kiss on my forehead, she moved to stand. “It’s late. Perhaps I’ll leave you to rest. I’ll check on you in a few hours.” And in a moment, she was gone.

Thinking hurt my head, but I couldn’t help myself. When I first became this dual version of myself, I fought so hard to remember what happened. I had spent hours awake each night, trying to force memories to come forward, but I failed every time.

No matter how hard I tried, no matter what I did to myself, there was no way for me to connect the dots, to remember.

Tears of frustration filled my vision as I pulled my pillow over my face, loosening a maddening scream. How long would I endure this horrid curse? This inability to dictate or control my memories, my days.

Kian had left me for a year with scarcely an explanation. How painful was it that I couldn’t even recall our last conversation together before he disappeared? Was he angry? Was I angry? How was I supposed to feel about everything that had occurred when I couldn’t even remember what happened?

I don’t know how long I laid there, but I knew I had to get outside. I had to walk in the orchard. I had to feel the dirt under my feet. I had to taste the Red June apples of summer.

I rummaged through my wardrobe seeking the dark shawl I always wore, but it was nowhere to be found. “Leaf, did you take my shawl to build a nest again?” His indignant chirp was the best response I’d get.

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