he would be disappointed. I was glad I had cracked his table. I wanted to break it in half. He lifted a hand. I braced myself for a blow, but he placed it on the table and shot a thin line of ice into the crack, sealing it instantly. Then he grabbed my hand and placed it on the table so that my heat melted the surface. My skin tingled at the contact. I yanked away, and the king placed his own hand on the table again, refreezing the water. The surface was flat and perfect as if nothing had happened. “You see?” said the king. “Frost and fire can work together. Perhaps that’s a lesson.”
