Book Six: Chapter 185

Up above, she saw one of the skylights was heavily fractured. She rode the wind upward, using the shield to smash through the glass safely and ride further into the sky.

Down below, the Yule cat turned its gaze up at her. Letting out a terrible hiss, it leapt up in an attempt to catch her, but she dodged away at the last moment. Spears of ice formed around her and she directed them to fall toward the Yule cat, driving the foul beast away as it ran for safety.

“Coward,” she muttered, then gazed out over the North Pole. Though it was the same village she had known for over a century, something had changed. Shadows now hung from buildings as if made from fabric, and colors had been bleached from the city. Down below, creatures made of ice and snow lurked in packs, but they weren’t alone. On occasion, she would see a shadow briefly manifest a form and crawl, walk, or slither across the main street.

“Gods,” she whispered. She had seen such a phenomenon before, shortly b