My legs burned. My lungs were tight. My eyes stung with unshed tears. But I couldn’t stop running, if I did they would kill me. My own family, my own village, would kill me. Ice and snow crunched beneath my bare feet as I raced through the tundra. The wind whipped my hair around my face, the straps of my light nightgown slipped off my shoulders, but I was not cold. My fingers shook with the intensity of what I had just done. I killed her. I killed her before she could kill me. They were gaining on me. I could hear their angry shouts and heavy footsteps close behind me. They were going to kill me. I imagined my dark azure blood spilt on the fresh snow. They’d rejoice. The ice witch would be dead. I would be dead. ____________________________________ Second instalment in THE ELEMNETS series