Kiss of Frost

Chapter 28

"Are you sure you're going to be okay over the holidays?" Daphne asked.

It was the last day of the fall semester. Classes had ended a couple of hours ago, and now, I was in Daphne's room, lounging on her bed and watching her pack up her stuff to go home for the winter break. I didn't really know why my best friend was bothering to sort through her closet, since three-quarters of the stuff inside was pink, just like the rest of her room. She could just close her eyes, grab some sweaters and pants, and they would all match. But, of course, the Valkyrie wouldn't agree with me on that point.

"I'll be fine," I said for the tenth time in as many minutes. "Are you sure?" she persisted. "You're not going to snap and go all Reaper, are you? Now that you're plowing through Preston's memories?"

I'd been going to the prison for a few days now, using my Gypsy gift to find out everything Preston knew about the Reapers, what they were up to, and where they were hiding. It hadn't been fun. Most of Preston's memories involved hurting other people-killing them and sacrificing them to Loki.

But try as I might, I hadn't been able to discover the most important secret of all: who Loki's Champion was. The Reaper who'd been in the back of the SUV with Preston the night they'd plowed into my mom's car, the one even he was afraid of. The girl who'd killed my mom. It seemed like they'd always met at night the few times that they'd been face-to-face, and in all of Preston's memories, she was always in the shadows with her face hidden. He didn't seem to know who she really was. The fact that I couldn't figure out her real identity was beyond frustrating. It was driving me crazy.

Professor Metis, Coach Ajax, and Nickamedes knew about the Reaper girl and what she'd done to my mom, but I hadn't exactly told them that I was peering into every corner of Preston's brain, trying to find out who she really was. I knew what they'd say-that tracking down Loki's Champion just so I could kill her the same way she'd murdered my mom was wrong and would make me no better than she was. Whatever. The Reaper girl had killed my mom, and she was going to pay for that. There was nothing else to talk about as far as I was concerned.

Daphne and Vic certainly agreed with me on this point. In fact, Vic had spent an hour enthusiastically describing all the various ways he could be used to torture the Reaper girl. I didn't know about allthat,but I'd be just fine with her dying-and me being the cause of it.

Still, despite the fact that I hadn't discovered the Reaper girl's identity yet, I felt like I was doing something good with my magic, that I was making a difference. Metis told me that members of the Pantheon had used some of the information I'd gotten from Preston to capture several Reapers, and were hot on the trail of even more. So I thought Nike would have approved of what I was doing- and my mom, too.

"I'll be fine," I said. "I won't be seeing Preston again until after the break. I'm going to go to Grandma Frost's house and just chill out over the holidays. Eat junk food, watch television, read my new stash of comic books. There will be absolutely no thinking about Preston, his horrible memories, Reapers, or anything else like that."

"All right," Daphne said, finally satisfied. "But you call me every day."

I rolled my eyes. "Well, yeah. I want to know all about your Christmas-and what your parents think of Carson."

Daphne and Carson were taking the major, major step of introducing each other to their parents. Daphne was going home with Carson for a few days before Christmas, then he was coming over to her house after New Year's. After that, Daphne was going to come spend a few days with me and Grandma Frost before classes started again at the academy.

The Valkyrie bit her lip, and pink sparks of magic flashed around her fingertips. "I hope his parents like me."

"I'm sure they will," I said. "What's not to like?"

Daphne narrowed her eyes, plucked one of her pillows off the bed, and threw it at me. "Your sarcasm is noted."

I grinned. "And you love me for it."

I helped Daphne carry her ridiculously stuffed, ridiculously heavy suitcases out of her room, down the steps, and outside Valhalla Hall. Kids streamed out of all of the dorms at this point, bags in one hand and cell phones in the other. Golf carts zipped over the cobblestone paths, hauling students up the hill, past the main quad, and over to the parking lot behind the gym, where a variety of private towncars waited to drive them home or to the airport.

Carson waited out front, along with Oliver and Logan. While Logan helped Carson and Daphne load her bags onto one of the golf carts, I drifted over to Oliver's side.

"I hope you have a good holiday," I said. "Going home to see your parents?"

The Spartan nodded. "Yep. You going to your grandma's?"

I nodded.

Oliver grinned. "Try not to fall for any Reaper guys while you're away, okay?"

I rolled my eyes. "Just as long as you don't try to run down or shoot arrows at any Gypsy girls. Do we have a deal?"

"I don't know," Oliver murmured. "I kind of like scaring Gypsy girls. It's a lot more fun than myth-history class."

I punched the Spartan in the shoulder, and he just laughed.

"What about Kenzie?" I asked in a low voice only he could hear. "You going to see him over the break?"

Oliver shook his head. "He wanted to hang out, but I told him that I'd be too busy with family stuff. I think it's better if I don't see him for a while. Give me a chance to get over him, you know?"

I nodded again. I did know. "Maybe you'll meet somebody new over the holidays."

Oliver smiled, but his green eyes were dark and sad. "Here's hoping anyway."

Carson and Logan finished loading Daphne's luggage. The Valkyrie came over and hugged me tight, cracking my back with her enormous strength, then hopped into the back of the cart with Carson. Oliver jumped into the driver's seat, and the three of them waved good-bye before Oliver hit the gas and the cart took off toward upper quad.

That left Logan and me alone, standing outside Valhalla Hall. Students moved all around us, talking, texting, and laughing, but everyone was so focused on going home that no one paid any attention to us.

I wasn't quite sure what to say to the Spartan. We hadn't really talked since he'd found me a few days ago in the library, and we still hadn't discussedthe kiss. I didn't know what was going on between us, but I knew I'd miss him like crazy over the next few weeks.

"So… I should probably get going," I said. "I need to go grab my stuff out of my room and catch the afternoon bus down the mountain."

Logan nodded. "Me, too. My uncle has a car waiting up at the gym to take us home."

"Nickamedes, right? He's your uncle?"

The Spartan blinked. "How did you…?"

"I saw the two of you at the ski resort, remember? And I realized just how much you look alike." I shrugged. "And the way you talked to him, it was like the two of you knew each other very, very well. Like you were family. It wasn't too hard to figure out. Why didn't you ever say anything to me?"

This time, Logan shrugged. "It's… complicated. Nickamedes and my dad don't exactly get along."

He didn't explain any more, but after a moment, he grinned. "Besides, you've met Nickamedes. Would you claim him as a relative? Especially if he worked at your school?"

I thought about the prissy librarian and how his mouth always turned down whenever he saw me. "Point taken."

"Anyway, before I go meet him, I wanted to give you this."

Logan reached into his black leather jacket and drew out a small box wrapped in silver paper. A faint flush crept up his neck, and he wouldn't look at me. "I, uh, got you something. For Christmas. I hope that's okay."

"Oh.Oh. You-you didn't have to do that." My heart soared in my chest for about half a second before I winced. "I didn't get anything for you. I'm so sorry. If I'd known-I mean, if I even thought for asecondyou were going to get me something-"

"Just open it, okay?" the Spartan said, interrupting me.

Logan held out the small box. I hesitated, then took it, careful not to brush my fingers against his. I held it in my palm a second, but I didn't get any real vibes off the silver wrapping paper, so I tore it off with my nails. Beneath the paper was a marble box that was a lovely shade of lilac. Once again, I held on to the box a moment, but the only flash I got off it was of Logan wrapping the paper around it. So I cracked the lid open, and my breath caught in my throat.

A gorgeous silver necklace was nestled on top of the black velvet inside the box. It looked like something a goddess would wear-all these delicate silver wires strung together. But the coolest part was that the six strands joined together, their jewel-tipped points forming a specific shape — a snowflake. The diamonds that made up the six rays of the delicate snowflake glinted in the winter sun.

After I got over my initial shock and the dazzle of the diamonds, I let out a little laugh.

Logan frowned. "What's so funny? Don't you-don't you like it?"

"Oh, no! It's beautiful. I love it, really, I do. It's just funny. My grandma and I always get each other something with snowflakes on it for Christmas. It's just part of having Frost as a last name, I suppose. I bought her a cookie jar shaped like a giant blue snowflake when Daphne and I went shopping the other day. And now, you give me this." I drew in a breath. "But it's too much. I can't accept this-"

"Yes, you can," Logan said, cutting me off again. "Think of it as an apology for me being such a dick with Savannah and everything."

His eyes locked with mine. "I've been meaning to tell you for a while now, but Savannah and I broke up while we were at the ski resort-the night after I talked to you outside the coffee shop."

He didn't have to tell me because I already knew. The news had spread around the academy the Monday morning after the Winter Carnival that Logan had broken up with Savannah. It had gone viral in about ten seconds, getting texted from one person's phone to the other. That's why Savannah hadn't been with Logan during the Saturday carnival on the mountain. I'd seen her close to him in the lobby after the avalanche, but Daphne had found out that Savannah had just been getting hot chocolate for her and Talia-not hanging out with Logan.

Nobody seemed to know the exact reason why they'd broken up, although Savannah shot daggers at me with her eyes every time she saw me. So did Talia. Even though Logan and I weren't exactly together, it was obvious Savannah thought I had something to do with their breakup and had spread the word around to her friends. Maybe I had. The thought made me happy and guilty at the same time. I wanted Logan, but I hadn't wanted him to hurt Savannah either.

But the Spartan was here, now, standing right in front of me, and I wasn't about to miss this opportunity.

I swallowed the lump in my throat. "You know how much I… care about you. You breaking up with Savannah. . What does that mean… for us?" I couldn't keep the faint whisper of hope out of my voice.

Logan stared at me, his blue eyes dark and serious, and I knew he was thinking about his secret again, and whether he could trust me with it or not. What I would think about it. But then the moment passed, and he grinned once more. "It means I'll be seeing you after Christmas break, Gypsy girl. Try not to get into too much trouble in the meantime, okay?"

Then he leaned over and kissed me. It was just a brief touch, just a quick caress of his lips on mine, but I still felt the firmness of his mouth, still felt the warmth of his body against my own, still felt his breath mixing with mine, both of them mingling in the clouds of frost between us.

Logan drew back. He winked at me, then turned and walked away.

All I could do was smile and watch him go, wishing the holiday break was over with already.

Since all my friends had left, I went back to my own dorm room in Styx Hall to get my stuff and head down the mountain to Grandma Frost's house. The first thing I did when I got back to the room was stand in front of the mirror on the wall and put on the necklace Logan had just given me.

I hooked the chain together and stroked the diamond snowflake with my fingertips. Then, I closed my hand over the delicate silver strands and concentrated. It only took a second for the images and feelings to fill my mind.

Logan seeing me at the Winter Carnival and eyeing the snowflake toboggan I'd had on that day. The horror he'd felt when he'd realized I was in the path of the avalanche. Him watching me run from the snow and wishing he could do something, anything, to help me. The cold fear that had filled him when he'd gotten Oliver's text that I was in trouble. His determination to save me from Preston no matter what. The fierce pride he'd felt as he watched me use Vic to fight Preston-and win.

There were some happier memories, too. Logan prowling through a jewelry shop, trying to find just the right gift for me. Him seeing the necklace and thinking it reminded him of me. The Spartan hoping I would like it. Logan holding me, first that night outside the coffee shop at the ski resort and then again in the library. And finally, our desperate kiss that day in the construction site, the one that had let me tap into the Spartan's fighting skills.

Through all the memories, good and bad, I felt what Logan did every time he saw or thought about me-that soft, warm, fizzy feeling that only meant one thing.

Logan Quinn really did care about me.

"He likes me," I whispered. "He really does like me." At the sound of my voice, Vic opened his eye. I'd

propped the sword up on my desk, and his face was just level with mine.

"That's a shiny little bauble," Vic said, staring at the necklace. "Looks like the Spartan boy has good taste."

"How do you know Logan gave it to me?"

Vic snorted. "I might be old and cranky, but I'm not bloody stupid. The boy is crazy about you. Anyone can see that. It certainly took you long enough to figure it out."

"Shut up, Vic," I said, but there was a smile on my face.

I moved around my dorm room, stuffing clothes and comic books into my duffel bags. One of the last things I picked up to take with me was the small statue of Nike I kept on my desk. The winged figure of the goddess looked exactly the same as her statue in the library. Maybe it was silly, but the cheap replica made me feel a little closer to her, made me feel like I could somehow find the Helheim Dagger and keep it safe from the Reapers.

"Have a good Christmas, goddess," I told the statue, then stuffed it into my bag.

Finally, there were only two more things left to pack-the photos of my mom. I slid the one of her and Metis into my bag. I picked up the second glass frame and stared at the picture of my mom by herself, taken a few months before her murder. Brown hair, violet eyes, beautiful face. She peered up at me, a small smile curving her lips

This would be my first Christmas without her, I realized with a jolt. The first Christmas she wouldn't be there to open presents with me and Grandma Frost. The first Christmas she wouldn't be around to laugh and talk and joke with the two of us. My chest ached in a familiar, bitter way, but I pushed the feeling aside and focused on my anger-the anger that had grown and grown like a poisonous flower blooming inside my heart, ever since I'd found out what had really happened to my mom.

I didn't know how, I didn't know when, but I was going to find Loki's Champion, the Reaper girl who'd killed my mom — and I was going to shove a sword through her heart. Logan had told Oliver that I was totally kick-ass. I figured it was time for me to live up to the Spartan's words.

But first there would be Christmas with Grandma Frost and Vic. I put the photo of my mom into my bag, nestled right next to the statue of Nike. Then I rummaged through my desk, grabbed the miniature red Santa hat I'd bought for Vic, and stuck it on the hilt of the talking sword.

"You ready to go get that Christmas ham and pie?" I asked. "Grandma Frost called me this morning. She's been baking cookies all day just for the two of us."

" I suppose that a brief holiday wouldn't hurt," Vic grumbled. "Although you're going to practice with me every day, Gwen. You're finally starting to get the hang of me, and I won't have you backsliding and forgetting what little you've learned, just because school's out. We've got Reapers to kill, you know."

"Don't you worry," I said. "We're going to kill Reapers until we're both bathed in their blood and hungry for more."

Vic arced his one eyebrow. "That's my line."

"Yeah," I said. "And it's a good one. Now come on, we've got a bus to catch."

I slung my bags over my shoulder and grabbed Vic. I took one more glance in the mirror at the snowflake necklace Logan had given me. Maybe it was just my imagination, but the diamonds seemed to sparkle with an inner fire, blazing as bright as my feelings for the Spartan did-and would over the long winter break. The pure, hopeful light made me smile as I left my dorm room and headed home to Grandma Frost for the holidays.