By Zoe Chant

Special Sneak Preview

Frustrated, Dara looked around. There was nothing on this side of the gate that she could see: no visitor’s information or map, or even the admission price.

But now that she was so close to the gate, she realized that she’d be able to slip past the huge plastic icicles. To her right, one icicle seemed a little crooked; it was narrower too, and when she tentatively pushed her shoulder through the gap, there was no alarm.

“Hello?” she called out a little uncertainly. She didn’t want to trespass—but it would be really silly to drive so far and leave without knowing their opening hours. “I just want to look at your visitor’s information!”

No reply. Maybe this was a day off for the castle?

Determinedly, she pushed through the gap between icicles. In the tunnel, it was a little warmer. The wind was no longer biting at her. She pushed her gloves back into her pocket as she walked toward where she’d seen the sign.

The tunnel wasn’t long: perhaps twice the length of her car. From the opening before her, light fell in. She couldn’t see anything beyond, because it was still snowing heavily. Everything was white.

There was snow beneath her feet as well. Her steps made an eerie echo. For a moment, she shivered; it felt as though she was all alone in the world. There was nothing but her and the snow, no other living being anywhere nearby.

After what seemed like an uncannily long time, she reached the sign she’d seen from the entrance. It was mostly covered in snow that the wind must have blown into the tunnel. She put on her gloves again to wipe it away—but just at that moment, the heavy snowfall outside ceased, and sudden sunlight came shining in.

Dara gasped, overwhelmed. There, before her, a plane of gleaming snow stretched out, gently sloping upwards.

And there, on top of the mountain, rose the snow castle.

“Wow,” she breathed.

The sight was incredible. The sun was reflecting off all the ice and snow, which made it hard to see details, but Dara had never seen anything so beautiful. She could make out towers and snow-covered roofs, wide walls and windows.

It is huge!

Dara felt as if she’d just stepped through a magic door and landed straight in Disneyland.

How come the guidebook hadn’t mentioned Christmas Valley and its castle? Surely this had to be the main attraction of the area!

Captivated by the sight, Dara took a step forward. A sudden, cold gust of air made her shiver and clutch at her hood.

When she looked up at the sky, the sun that had made the castle gleam and glisten a moment ago had vanished. Instead, everything was suddenly gray and white.

It began to snow again, much heavier than before. The wind picked up as well. When Dara turned around, already shivering despite her warm parka, the tunnel behind her had vanished.

For a moment she stood there, gaping at the veil of white where a minute ago, the entrance had been.

The wind was driving the snow into her face. She couldn’t see more than a few steps in front of her. Everything was white, and the wind was so strong it was difficult to keep her eyes open.

It’s still there. I just can’t see far enough because of the snow, she told herself, but her heart was still racing.

Carefully, she took a step forward, then another. It had to be right in front of her. She hadn’t taken more than a few steps out of the tunnel—she’d probably run into the rock any second now, and wouldn’t that serve her right?

With outstretched arms, she took another step forward. Then a second, and a third.

Nothing.

Dara swallowed, trying to beat down her rising panic.

This is a tourist attraction. It’s completely safe here. I’m just scared because I’m not used to snow.

The tunnel couldn’t be more than a few feet away. Inside, she’d be safe from the wind and the snow. And then she’d climb into her car, put the heating on high and turn the radio on, and drive back down into Christmas Valley.

This would make a fun story to tell there. Maybe she’d make friends at the hotel. This evening, she could sit around a fire with a few strangers, sipping eggnog and laughing at her adventures.

“Everything is going to be okay,” she said out loud, trying to reassure herself.

The wind ripped the words from her mouth. She couldn’t even hear herself over the roar of it. Terrified, she stumbled a few more steps forward—but there was still nothing.

No rocks. No tunnel. No gate.

She was lost in a snowstorm, and no one knew where she was.

“Oh God,” she sobbed, but the storm tore those words away as well.

She took out her phone, fingers trembling, but the signal was gone. With freezing fingers she tried texting Miranda, but it didn’t send. She stared down at the red exclamation mark next to the message, telling her that it wasn’t going anywhere.

Her panic rising, she tried to call 911, but there was still no signal. In her fear, she began shaking her phone, but that didn’t help either, and after a moment, she managed to pull herself together again.

She needed to find her car. Or, if that failed, she needed to find other people.

The castle.

If she could make it to the castle, she’d be safe. Even if it was closed today, an attraction this large would have someone living there for maintenance. Or at least they’d have a working phone line.

Swallowing heavily, Dara turned again. A moment ago, she’d stared straight at the castle. All she had to do was walk forward.

Straight into the storm...

But she’d seen the ground rise sharply to lead up towards the top of the mountain where the castle was situated. As long as she was walking upwards, she couldn’t miss it.

It’ll be all right. This is like a winter Disneyland! No one dies at Disneyland, she told herself firmly, and then she set out.

She couldn’t say how long she walked. The wind was howling and tearing at her. The snow seemed to have turned into tiny pieces of ice that pricked at her skin. She pulled the hood down as far as she could. Her breath was freezing in the air. She could barely see more than where to place the next step. The ground was as white as the sky, so that she couldn’t even say where it ended or began.

But she could feel that she was walking upwards. It was slippery, the snow hiding a layer of ice underneath, but at least she was wearing sensible boots.

Go upward. Keep going up, she told herself.

She might have walked for an hour. Her feet and her hands were hurting from the cold. She still couldn’t see anything. It felt like she was walking in place—but she was still going up the mountain.

Tiredly, she rubbed her hands. Her fingers stung, as though the cold was pricking at her like tiny needles. She was exhausted. At first, she’d kept pulling out her phone to check for a signal, but now she was too tired even for that.

Keep going. Keep going up...

How far could it be? Surely she’d reach it any minute now.

Her lips were numb. Her teeth chattered. Her feet were blocks of ice.

I can’t make it much longer, she thought, staring into the whirling snow. I don’t want to die here... but I’m so tired.

For seemingly endless minutes she continued to pull herself forward.

Help me. Someone... please!

Even the air she was breathing in seemed to be frozen, filling her lungs with ice until it hurt to inhale. She tried to keep going, taking step after step, fighting against the exhaustion that kept pulling at her—but at last it was too much. She’d given everything.

Her weary body sank into the snow, her knees giving out. She was trembling uncontrollably. She couldn’t feel her feet anymore.

It’s supposed to be quick and painless, freezing to death...

Tiredly, she blinked against the snow that was still falling. Suddenly, everything seemed quiet. Had the wind died down?

She was lying in the snow now—but it wasn’t cold at all. She felt strangely warm, and she smiled as the veil of snowflakes parted.

Something large was coming toward her. It was flying. It was becoming larger and larger as she watched, until she could make out wings.

A dragon.

A dragon made of ice, shimmering in a thousand colors as it reflected the light of the sinking sun. More brilliant than a diamond. More imposing than anything she had ever seen.

It was impossible, and impossibly beautiful.

I’m really dying, she thought vaguely, but she wasn’t afraid now. No one had ever told her that when you died, a dragon came for you.

Is he going to eat me? I’m not even a virgin. She was too tired to giggle.

A cloud of snow arose when the dragon landed. She could feel the force of the giant, strong wings beating the air. A second later, there was silence. And then someone took hold of her hand.

Oh, she thought in quiet surprise, fighting to keep her eyes open. A stranger was bending over her, concern on his handsome, rugged face.

The stranger had pale blond hair, almost the color of the snow. He looked a little like a prince out of a fairy tale—if princes in fairy tales wore heavily padded parkas and snow boots.

“Can you understand me?” the man asked, leaning over her.

Dara blinked tiredly.

Dimly, she felt herself lifted into the man’s arms. For the first time, she felt as light as a feather as her head came to rest against a heavily muscled chest.

The stranger was still looking at her. His eyes were a strange hue of gray. Dara had never seen anything like it before. They were almost silver, illuminated by some inner light, gleaming the same way the ice dragon had shone in the sun.

They were beautiful.

Feeling safe at last, Dara closed her eyes and slipped away into sleep.

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