A teardrop fell from her eye, onto his chest, and then sank in as a golden glow enveloped him. His foggy eyes cleared, and his frown melted away into a confused expression.

“Serena?” he asked. “What’s going on? Where are we and…are you crying?”

It was Grim, the one she knew, the Grim who she knew had started to become her friend.

She threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly. He stiffened in surprise, but he didn’t pull away, instead patting her awkwardly on the back. This just made her cry harder, because she finally realized how much she was coming to care for this oddly honest, disarmingly handsome man.

Her first real friend.

Grim gave her a minute to let out her tears, and helped her up to her feet as she quickly explained their situation.

He seemed to take it all in stride, nodding along as they made their way back through the passage she had snuck through.

They were almost to the entrance when they were stopped by a cold female voice.

“And where are you taking my guest?”

They turned around to face the Ice Queen.

She looked as cold as Serena thought she would be, with icy blue eyes and hair the color of a frozen lake, that fell in soft waves down her back.

Her face was all high cheekbones and angles, and her thin lips were pursed in a scowl.

Her gown was made of what seemed to be the purest white snow with drifting white snowflakes, and it seemed to emphasize her already impressive height.

The earrings that adorned her ears resembled jeweled icicles, as did the glittering necklace around her throat.

She carried a round mirror in her hands, that emitted the same kind of nauseating magic Serena felt from Lore.

She was beautiful, and she was terrifying.

“I asked you a question,” she said in freezing tones.

“Are you in the habit of keeping your guests as prisoners?” asked Serena, trembling slightly. Grim shifted in front of her, blocking the Ice Queen from view.

The queen’s eyes narrowed, and she chanted something in a high-pitched voice while holding the mirror aloft. Black electricity shot out from the mirror straight toward Rina, only to be blocked by Grim who was brandishing a…sword?

Undeterred, the Ice Queen chanted again, and this time, the ice gargoyles around them sprang to life and charged at them. Grim grabbed her hand, pulling her toward the door.

“Run,” he yelled. “We can’t take them all on at once.”

As they fled, the high, cruel laugh of the Ice Queen echoed through the hall as her creatures pursued them. The gargoyles were large but slow, and they were able to put some distance between them, so they could catch their breath for a minute.

“How in the stars…did you get…a sword? I didn’t even know you could wield one?”

Grim looked at her incredulously.

“ That’s what you’re thinking about as we’re running from ice gargoyles sent by the once mythical Ice Queen?”

She managed a shrug.

“We need to get going,” said Grim, cocking his head to listen for the monsters. “I think they’re closing in on us.”

“We can’t outrun them forever,” she protested. “And why is the tale not ending? I rescued you!”

Before Grim could answer a voice called out her name .

“Tally hooooo!” it sang. “Look alive!”

A sled was racing right at the two, and Grim knocked her aside before it could run into them.

“Well? Don’t just stand there staring, get in before those ugly lugs catch up!”

They looked at the red-haired figure waving at them from within the sled.

“Mor?” asked Serena incredulously. “What are you doing here?”

“Get inside, Princess, we can answer your questions later!”

They hastily complied and the sled set off again at a breakneck speed.

“How did you get here?” Serena called out over the furious wind.

“When I woke up, Finnla told me you’d gone on without me. She gave me some nonsense about this being your own journey and what not, but I told her a na?ve little idiot like you was going to need some help.” She winked at Serena, who smiled at her gratefully in return.

“Where did you get the sled from?”

“Best you not know,” came the amused reply.

Mor shot a look at Grim who was sitting silently in the back. “This the friend of yours you needed to rescue ‘no matter what’?”

She nodded, feeling slightly embarrassed as she remembered her heated response to Mor the other night.

Mor looked him up and down. Grim stared back at her steadily, and she let out a snort.

“Could be worse, I suppose. Not much of a talker is he?”

Right then they heard a roar behind them, and before they could react, the sled went flying, all of them thrown out. Luckily their fall was cushioned by the snow.

Wincing, Serena picked herself up and looked around quickly for Grim and Mor. Grim was stirring right next to her, but Mor —

The gargoyle stood right above her; his fist raised as he prepared to bring it down on her.

Serena ran as fast as she could—faster than she had ever run before.

All she could think about was how Mor had told Rina she only looked out for herself but had come to her aid anyway.

The cynical, jaded robber had thought Serena was special enough to help, and that was why she threw herself over Mor’s body without thinking.

“What are you—” gasped Mor as the fist came down. Grim bellowed her name in panic.

She closed her eyes and braced herself for the pain, but instead she heard a crackling sound and looked up to see a bright shield covering her and Mor, and the gargoyle disintegrated.

“ The Silver Crystal works with a mind of its own; even I do not know how exactly it will help you. But rest assured it will be there when you need it most.”

The Crystal had saved them.

Serena crawled off Mor and lay flat on her back in the snow, the adrenaline finally catching up to her as she let out gasping breaths.

“Are you absolutely crazy?” asked Mor, still in shock.

“Evidently,” said Grim tersely, as he appeared over her.

“Why on earth would you do something that reckless?” Mor cried, ignoring him.

Serena let out a shaky breath and smiled. “Because you’re my friend.”

Mor blinked, and it was clear she was fighting off tears. “You’re insane, Rina .”

Serena grinned through her tears. Mor had called her Rina. “Not insane, just a na?ve idiot, remember?”

Mor let out a shaky laugh and extended her hand to lift her up.

There was a thundering sound behind them, and all three swerved to see a door appear behind them.

“That must be the door to go back,” said Grim, looking surprised.

“It must be because you saved her; Lore mentioned something about how this tale would test how far you would go for someone you hardly knew. I don’t think the curse considered me strong enough proof.

But her…She was little more than a stranger, and you saved her life. ”

Mor looked between the two of them.

“Both of you sound like a couple of goldfish to me,” she remarked. “But I suppose I’m glad you can go home.”

She sounded a little desolate, and Serena’s heart squeezed, wishing she didn’t have to leave her all alone. Then she had an idea. She unclasped her cloak from her shoulders and handed it to her.

“I need you to give this back to someone personally. Her name is Gerda, and she lives in the snowy village bordering the woods. Tell her Serena says thank you and that she was able to return home safely.”

Mor took the cloak with her brows raised but nodded nonetheless.

Mustering up the last of her courage, Serena stood on her tiptoes, kissing Mor on the cheek. “Thank you for everything, and I hope you find more people worth rescuing.”

Mor jumped in shock when she felt the kiss, and then her eyes softened, as she patted Serena’s head affectionately.

“You better take care of her,” she said to Grim, over Serena’s head. “She’s worth more than anything else you might have to do.”

Grim finally cracked a smile. “So, I’ve been told,” he said, and Serena knew he was thinking of Nerida’s words.

“Off you go now, Princess,” said Mor, nodding toward the door .

Grim motioned for her to go in through the door first, and she stepped forward, reaching out for the doorknob. She took one last look at Mor over her shoulder, and smiled sadly knowing she would never forget her.

And then took a step through the door that would lead her home.