‘A Protector fought this Kazia thing?’ Across the Citadel, the Cloudians rocked back, but the statue only paused, worked its head around, and fixed its eyes on Lucy. ‘It is the old song.’ The statue lifted its hand and pointed at the Cloudians. ‘They forgot, these ones, happy in the cities and habits they had made. They forgot the old stories. They left the safe heart, their Citadel, empty. Only this year, they came creeping back to us. In dribs and drabs, they crept in weeping for their frozen cities, their citizens changed to ice.’ ‘They don’t normally live here?’ interrupted Lucy. The statue thumped its fist on the table. ‘A Snow Owl told us of a castle raised at the end of our Forgotten Lands, a castle of ice where the cold lived. Then we knew and it was certain: the Kazia had risen again.’ The statue stared down at Lucy. ‘We sent our Heir in search of you. January sent a message back. We grieved and were glad of what she told us. Our Heir was lost to a shadow-monger.
