WHEN I FIRST was dragged into the southern part of the Permafrost, I thought I’d never feel a cold like it again. When I traveled with Soren to the High North where he lived, though I was still unconscious half the time, I once again thought I would never experience a cold worse than that. But plunging into the icy river proved how wrong I was.

The cold stole the breath straight from my lungs, and I broke the surface, gasping for air as my chest tightened and my instincts told me to thrash and panic. But now was not the time to panic. Rose’s and Seppo’s struggle in the water I could feel if I reached out with my power, but it was Soren’s that was the most severe. Whatever creature or monster or thing that had its claws in him was desperate not to let him go until he drowned and stayed underneath the water forever.

All the blades in the world couldn’t help him in the rapid, icy current, and my own weapons were useless as well. Still, I couldn’t, wouldn’t, let that thing have Soren, and so with another gasp of icy air, I thanked my lucky stars that I’d been taught how to swim so well all those years ago and plunged my head back under, forcing my eyes to remain open despite the sting.

I’d had my share of salt water in my eyes before, growing up so close to the coast, but I’d never had it like this. It burned like salt water but also gave the distinct feel of river water, the taste of lake water. Was this the river where all bodies of water came from? I didn’t have time to ponder that thought because despite the current pushing me farther and farther away—or trying to, at least—I dug my hands into the stony muck of the ground to pull myself forward. Unable to shriek as rocks and sharp edges ripped at my fingers and dug into my fingernails, I pulled myself forward to the thing attacking Soren, not entirely sure what I was going to do, but knowing I was going to cause it a world of pain.

Somewhat surprised that I could easily touch the creature, I yanked it away from Soren and watched as Soren broke to the surface, hopefully getting in breaths of blessed air. I was ready to unleash the fury of the nine worlds onto the thing until I got sight of its face, and time stilled, despite the swirling, chaotic water and ice around us.

She was young, and the wounds in her body wept blue blood as she shrieked in pain. Her anguish radiated through me like it was my own, and flashes of memory that didn’t belong to me forced themselves into my head as she spoke to me without words.