“We are off the ice.” The shorter one looked panicked. “You may claim . . .” Water debt was as close as the translation came although that wasn’t quite what it meant.

“I don’t want one of your body parts.” Beginning to feel the cold through the soles of his feet, Jack moved toward the door. “If we return to the gate, to where the gate was, I can send you home.”

“We go into the warmth?” The taller grabbed for the shorter one’s arm and shuffled back between the swinging beef. “No.”

“It’s night now. Less warmth and a little snow.”

“Snow.” The shorter giant planted its feet and they stopped moving. From where Jack stood, it looked as if its feet were frozen to the floor. “If it is cold enough for snow, we will not be harmed.”

“We will not be harmed by the warm.” Jack thought the expression the taller turned his way was a frown, although given the glittering planes and angles of the Frost Giant’s face, it was hard to tell for sure. “Outside this shelter you will be stronger. I do not trust you. Why should we trust you, Dragon Prince?”

“You shouldn’t.” Not that they’d believe him if he said they should. “But I don’t want you here, and if I open the gate you came through, you’ll end up where you left from.”

The shorter giant’s lipless mouth moved, working that through. “We will go home?”

“You will.”

“The one we calved from will be angry.”

“Dude, I have family problems of my own.” Out over the threshold, he could hear approaching sirens. “And other problems coming in fast. Let’s go. Stay unseen. I’ll follow in the air.”

The taller’s suspicions left him unconvinced. The shorter really wanted to go home. Their argument sounded like a Zamboni drag race, and Jack had started to worry he might have to blow up another car when they pushed past him—the push was totally unnecessary, he would’ve moved—and raced across the parking lot to the darkness beyond. In spite of the stumpy legs, they could really boot it.

The Courts had opened the gate barely half a kilometer away from the plant within a triangle formed by two hotels and a church. They’d wanted the giants seen and that meant they wanted Jack and/or the Gales to know about it.

“Dirtbags.” Snow steamed as Jack landed. Which is when he realized he had no idea of how to open a gate. He’d opened a gate to save Charlie’s life, but that had been need more than sorcery and as much as he needed to get these guys home before someone with a camera left the marshmallow roast on the other side of the meat packing plant, it wouldn’t be enough.

Because he was useless.