1

It feels like the Freeze will never end.

Day after day, I wrap up in the warmest layers I can find: cloak, gloves, scarf and hat. I sweep the drifts of snow away from the door of our log cabin, and dodge the icicles hanging from the roof. I check that Cressida’s all right, in her cabin just opposite, and I usually meet her grandson Blake in the clearing where we chop logs. It’s a continuous task, because we have to keep the fire going. There’s plenty of wood, but it takes a lot of hacking to get it down to the right size. Blake jokes that I’m going to break the axe sometimes, when I’m particularly ferocious.

Grandfather doesn’t often leave the cabin. I try to convince him to get some air from time to time, even just to walk to Cressida’s, but his cough worsens when he’s outside. Each Freeze, the same fear grips me—it could be his last. 

I know theoretically that the Thaw will come soon. It just feels a million miles away. I have to observe the forest carefully for tell-tale signs that it’s near. We’ve gone about a week without any fresh snowfall. The boughs of the firs look less weighed down than usual with their layer of white powder. My snowdrops, the clump at the edge of the path, have started to shoot up. I’ve given them a little help by clearing the snow as best I can from that area. It gives me hope to keep going when my arms are exhausted and my fingers feel raw.

Finally, the day arrives when William Derby rides to the clearing.

He was in my class at School, though it feels like a long time ago now. Blake finished the year after me, and we’ve brought in four Harvests since then. Well, I can’t remember a time when we didn’t help with the Harvest, but what I mean is that we did it all, from the sowing to the reaping. William’s role, as a Derby, is to oversee the Farmlands. To be fair, he does help with the jobs, but he also spends a lot of time riding around on his stallion.

I brush my dark curls out of my face, readjusting my hat. William always looks so… composed. His dark hair isn’t exactly short, but it isn’t long and unkempt like Blake’s. His eyes seem set in a permanent frown, and I rarely see him smile. His features look set and chiselled, whereas Blake’s face is rounder, with mischievous eyes. I can tell by his expression that he’s noticed me trying to tidy myself up, and he’s going to tease me the moment William’s gone.

‘Elise… Blake,’ William says. His tone always seems to have an awkward formality. ‘Are your families well?’

‘Yes, thank you,’ Blake answers, lifting his cowboy hat respectfully. I joke that he sleeps with it on, as I never see him without it, even in the coldest Freeze.

‘The Casting will take place tomorrow,’ William says.

‘We’ll be there.’ 

Blake gives me a side glance, which I know is my cue to speak, but I feel winded. My best friend, Ada, will be cast. Everything will change.

William stares at me, and something passes through his expression. Then it’s gone.

‘See you tomorrow,’ he says, then rides off into the forest.

I turn and unleash my fury on the next log.

‘You still haven’t forgiven him, then,’ Blake says.

I pause, axe mid-air, panting.

‘At least you don’t need to worry about Ada,’ he says. ‘It was obvious at the Harvest dance that Charles was only interested in her.’

I bring the axe down with a crack. 

Blake mutters under his breath, and returns to his own log pile.

Every year, at the end of the Harvest, we celebrate the Day of Unity. Couples cast together take their Pledge, and there’s dancing in the Square. Charles made a beeline for Ada, and I spent most of the time lurking in the shadows of the Town Hall.

I overheard a conversation between William and Charles that stung like putting your hand in a hornet’s nest, though it was in no way unexpected.

William, as usual, stood alone and did not participate in the festivities. Charles left Ada for a moment to urge him to join in.

‘You look ridiculously sullen. Why don’t you dance? You could ask my cousin, Elise,’ Charles suggested, obviously over-excited with the combination of drinking ale and dancing.

‘My father said to never take a horse if you don’t know where it came from.’ 

It still stings to think of it now. All my life I’ve been punished for the fact that my mother was never cast; her number was never called. Blanked. There have only ever been two girls blanked. My mother was the only one to carry a child outside a Pledge, and no one ever lets me forget that.

Blake doesn’t give me any grief about it, and encouraged me to laugh off William’s words of derision, but Blake’s a boy who wears a cowboy hat in the snow, so it doesn’t massively boost my credibility. It’s like loyalty from a sibling: nice, but you take it as a given, so it doesn’t really count.

By the time I finish chopping the logs, and hauling them back to our cottage, my anger has burned out enough to leave only tears. I blink them back. There’s no point in crying over William’s careless words, or over Ada’s imminent Casting. There’s no point in crying about my mother, who died giving birth to me.

‘Elise?’

Grandfather calls to me, and I take a deep breath.

‘Yes, Grandfather?’

I push the door and enter the cabin.

2

Thankfully, the fire hasn’t gone out. Grandfather is huddled up under a blanket. I hurry to build the fire back up again, and heat up the broth on the stove.

‘Any news?’ Grandfather asks.

He’s been looking out of the window every day.

‘William came to tell us that the Casting’s tomorrow,’ I say, as emotionlessly as possible.

‘Hmm.’ Grandfather’s not fooled, but he doesn’t press the issue. ‘We’ll need to leave early, then.’

‘Are you sure you’re up to the walk?’ I ask.

‘I’m not missing it. All the other Council members will be there,’ he says.

If I’m stubborn, then I know who I inherited it from.

‘You haven’t been out much recently…’

‘Because of your fussing,’ he interrupts. ‘Whitecroft’s not that far. It’s barely more than a half hour walk.’

I raise my eyebrows skeptically. For me, it’s probably forty minutes, at a brisk pace. If Grandfather and Cressida are with me, it’ll take an hour. I only manage it in half an hour in dire circumstances, such as when I was very late for School and needed to run half the way. With these heavy skirts, my running pace isn’t much faster than walking.

All my dresses are plain and drab—you wouldn’t want to waste colour or delicate fabric on a farm girl—but I do have a silk flower, which I made from some leftover fabric Cressida gave me. I pin it in my hair the next day, and we set off for Whitecroft.

I’m marvelling at how much slower Grandfather and Cressida have grown since Harvest, and reflecting on my obvious lack of patience, when there’s an unanticipated source of relief. Francis Derby, William’s grandfather, comes along the path with a horse and cart, and offers to give them a ride.

‘I could probably fit you on too, Elise,’ he says.

‘No, thank you,’ I say quickly. ‘I enjoy the walk.’

Not exactly—but given the slow speed of the cart, I can hurry off and get to Whitecroft with enough time to call on Ada before the Casting.

As soon as I’ve rounded the corner and no one can see me, I break into a run. I know this path so well, and every field that I pass. My life has been measured in these journeys… Well, it’s always the same journey. There’s nowhere else to go.

At least out here, I’m free from all the restrictions which choke me as soon as I enter Whitecroft. I’m dreading knocking on Ada’s door, because her mother hates me. Harriet Stead runs the School with a rod of iron. Literally. I lost count of the amount of times she gave me the ‘You are a disgrace to this nation’ speech. 

The only advantage to Harriet’s relentless persecution was that Ada took pity on me. No one else would sit by me. No one else would play with me. But Ada, cut from a very different cloth to her mother, was kind. Even though she was two years older than me, she made a special effort to befriend me.

I was Ada’s best friend. She was my only friend.

Which is why it hurts so much that everything is about to change. Forever.

I’ve passed the last field and now I can see it: the sinister shape of the Infirmary, marking the edge of Whitecroft. Its ugly metal is grey against a white-cold sky. Bracing against the sharp wind, I shudder.

This is the place where my mother died.

I quicken my pace, trying not to speculate about what goes on behind these icy walls. There’s a high-pitched cry; at first I assume it’s a scream, but then I see the kites making a low circle above me. They always know how to position themselves so that looking up, you’re dazzled by the sun. Today there’s heavy cloud.

As I reach the first houses of Whitecroft, I slow my pace to an acceptable walk, trying to steady my breathing. When I finally arrive at Ada’s house, I’m still gasping and my cheeks are probably bright red. I try to tame my hair, and realise my silk flower is gone. It must have fallen out while I was running.

Harriet Stead opens the door, wearing a pewter-coloured gown that looks starched to the consistency of metal. She looks me up and down in disgust.

‘What do you want?’ she says coldly.

‘Ada said I could call for her, if I arrived early.’

I just about manage to say this without wheezing, but Harriet shakes her head in disapproval.

‘She is getting ready for the Casting.’ Harriet always speaks to me as if I’m five years old. ‘One of the most important days of her life. Don’t bother her!’

There’s no point arguing, and Harriet slams the door in my face before I can try. I step back, my cheeks redder than ever, and then hear someone clear their throat. William Derby stands a few cabins away, in the street, and must have seen the humiliating exchange. Great. 

I stare at the ground, my eyes brimming with pointless tears, and ignore him. I can feel that he’s still looking at me, and when he starts to walk towards me, I lift my head to glare so that he gets the message: Leave Me Alone. He falters, surprised at my hostility, and in the same moment, a door opens and my uncle, the General, steps out in full uniform. His jaw is as rigid and angular as his shoulders. 

‘Ah, William!’ my uncle greets him. 

William is forced to look away from me, but it’s enough to cause my uncle to glance down the street, notice me with a flicker of his cold eyes, and then turn his back to face the direction of the Square.

‘Will!’

My cousin Charles steps out into the street, grinning at his best friend. He’s wearing a smart new jacket and silk cravat—only the best on this important occasion. He’s fair, but he’s trying to grow a beard and it looks ginger.

I remember how I used to chase Charles around the Farmlands when we were children. I don’t know him anymore. He’s too important to spend time with me, and this is what terrifies me. If Ada is cast with him, then she will be too important for me as well.

‘Ready?’ I hear William speak to Charles in a low voice, but my uncle still jumps into the conversation.

‘Of course he’s ready!’ He claps Charles on the back, keeping him away from me. I don’t think he’s seen me. ‘My own son in the Casting. I’ve been waiting for this ever since he was born!’

The door of the cabin shuts loudly—intentionally—as my other cousin, Alice, emerges. She always demands everyone’s attention. She gives William a dazzling smile, adjusting her skirts so that the layers of fabric swish luxuriously. We’ve got the same features: piercing blue eyes and long, dark hair, but that’s where the similarity ends. 

‘William,’ she says, ‘how lovely to see you.’

If fancying your brother’s best friend is a well-worn trope, Alice doesn’t mind.

‘Come on,’ my uncle says, setting off towards the Square. ‘We need to hurry.’

Charles walks after him, and Alice looks hopefully at William.

‘Would you mind escorting me?’

She moves towards him, wanting to take his arm, but he looks away, back to me, and hesitates. Alice’s sharp eyes alight on me and gleam with dislike. 

‘Alice?’ my uncle barks, calling over his shoulder. ‘What’s keeping you?’

For a moment, Alice and I hold each other’s stare. She has a hard, calculating look, like a cat assessing prey.

‘Nothing,’ she says, making sure I understand her full meaning. ‘Shall we go, William?’

‘I—’ he hesitates, looking at me while I continue to glare at him. ‘I need to speak to Elise.’

He’s clearly no good at reading body language. Alice shoots me a death-stare, and then hurries to catch up with Charles, taking his arm. I fold my arms across my chest as William walks towards me, the street now deserted.

‘What do you want?’ I ask coldly. ‘Come to remind me of my lowly place in the social order?’

‘No.’ He frowns, then pulls my silk flower from his pocket. ‘I think you dropped this.’

My eyes widen. I reach out and take it from the palm of his hand, feeling my cheeks burn again. I’ve been rude, and he must know that I was running if I lost my hair decoration.

‘Thank you,’ I murmur, avoiding his gaze.

‘You know, you may find that you can see Ada more after the Casting,’ he says. ‘I’m going to help Charles to build their cabin—’

‘They haven’t been cast yet!’ I snap. Everyone’s certainty is starting to annoy me.

‘Well, she will be free to keep her own society,’ William says.

‘And I suppose you think that she should mix among the right sort of people… like you and Alice.’

‘That’s not what I said.’ He snaps this time, then takes a breath. ‘I know you’re as close to Ada as I am to Charles. She’s going to be free to make her own choices, away from her mother’s restrictions.’

Until she starts carrying a child. 

‘I don’t expect you to understand,’ I say, shaking my head.

‘Would you like me to walk you to the Square?’ he asks, offering his arm.

‘Who do you think I am, Alice?’ I scoff. ‘I don’t need you to escort me anywhere. You’re happy enough to leave me to work for hours in the fields. I suppose that’s all I’m good for in your eyes.’

‘I never said that!’

‘You may as well have said it,’ I say, his words to Charles as clear as if I heard them yesterday.

‘It’s impossible to get through to you,’ he says, shaking his head in frustration. ‘You only see what you want to see.’

Ada’s cabin door opens, and her sisters come out first, greeting me and giggling at William. Ada follows, her face brightening when she sees me.

‘Elise!’

She wraps her arms around me in a tight hug. Her face is pale, but she looks beautiful with her golden ringlets.

‘Hello, William,’ she says.

He bows, and then walks off to the Square, not giving me a second glance. He finally got the message, then.

‘We’re going to be late,’ Harriet says, sweeping out of the cabin with Ada’s father in her wake. ‘Come on, Ada.’

She looks at me apologetically, and I press my silk flower into her hand.

‘For luck,’ I say.

We hear drumming from the Square. The Casting is about to begin.

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