her head reeling. So precise were his movements that she could almost imagine the accompanying music as their blades sliced neat patterns in the coldness beneath their skates.
“Watch yourself,” he warned, steering her away from an area marked with a hand-painted sign that read THIN ICE .
“I’ve heard of ladies wearing through their dancing slippers in an evening, Zack, but I may be the first to wear out a pair of skates.”
“Do you want to stop?”
Persia threw back her head so suddenly that her hood fell away, releasing her shining, fire-colored hair to whip in the cold wind. “Never!” she cried. “I want to go on and on. I’ve never felt so wonderful!”
His hand tightened on her waist and he drew her closer, whispering into her free-blowing hair, “You certainly do, Persia, more wonderful than you can imagine.”
At that moment, a scream pierced the night air. Zack whirled them to an ice-shaving stop, his brown eyes giving up their lock on his partner to scan the pond. Shouts went up from the shore, and in a moment he saw what had happened. Leaving Persia where she stood, he put wings to his skates, flying over the ice toward the warning sign they had passed moments before.
“Help! Please, save me!” came the strangled cry.
A woman had fallen through. Zack could see her arms waving. She went under—once, twice, a third time. People were rushing out onto the ice. He had to reach her and try to pull her out of the frigid water before the crowd converged around the broken place in the ice. Otherwise, their massed weight might cause a larger break and draw dozens of would-be rescuers down into the icy depths. A real disaster was in the making, and only Zachariah could avert it.
“Try to grab hold of the ice!” he yelled. “I’m coming!”
“I can’t. Help me, oh, please, I…”
The weak voice trailed off. Zack saw a gloved hand clutching the edge. Slowly, it slipped away, leaving long scratch marks in the death-white ice. He plunged forward, diving for the edge.
Persia waited only a stunned moment after Zack left her. She recognized the first cry for help and knew who had fallen through the ice. A coldness gripped her heart like none a Maine winter could produce. Europa’s life was in the hands of the man she had called “riffraff”—the man she herself loved, Persia realized suddenly. And he might well lose his own life attempting to save her sister.
Skating quickly after Zack, Persia arrived at the broken ice only an instant after he reached the jagged edge of the hole. She saw her drowning, half-frozen sister go under once more and then watched, stricken, as Zack plunged into the black water.
Persia’s heart was pounding. She could barely hear anything for the rush of blood in her ears. The shouts of the others on the pond came only as a dull roar from far away. She must remain calm, do whatever she could to help. That was difficult, however, with the dark patch of water yawning empty before her. Both Europa and Zack were under the surface now. If they stayed down much longer, neither of them would survive. But she couldn’t think about that.
Acting with a calm reason she was far from feeling, Persia lay down on her stomach on the ice, reaching as far out over the opening as she could. She scanned the black surface with keen eyes, alert to any movement. The reflection of the northern lights played over the water, mocking her with its beauty. Now other skaters moved closer in, ringing the broken ice to light the area with their flickering lanterns. Persia was uncomfortably aware of the cold dampness seeping through her woolen gown, but she held her prone position, ready to lend a saving hand to Zack and to her sister the moment they surfaced… if they surfaced.
Suddenly, the water stirred. At first, Persia thought her hopes were causing her eyes to play tricks on her. Then Zack’s head burst above the water. He spewed icy spray and shook the clinging ice crystals from his hair.
“Watch yourself,” he warned, steering her away from an area marked with a hand-painted sign that read THIN ICE .
“I’ve heard of ladies wearing through their dancing slippers in an evening, Zack, but I may be the first to wear out a pair of skates.”
“Do you want to stop?”
Persia threw back her head so suddenly that her hood fell away, releasing her shining, fire-colored hair to whip in the cold wind. “Never!” she cried. “I want to go on and on. I’ve never felt so wonderful!”
His hand tightened on her waist and he drew her closer, whispering into her free-blowing hair, “You certainly do, Persia, more wonderful than you can imagine.”
At that moment, a scream pierced the night air. Zack whirled them to an ice-shaving stop, his brown eyes giving up their lock on his partner to scan the pond. Shouts went up from the shore, and in a moment he saw what had happened. Leaving Persia where she stood, he put wings to his skates, flying over the ice toward the warning sign they had passed moments before.
“Help! Please, save me!” came the strangled cry.
A woman had fallen through. Zack could see her arms waving. She went under—once, twice, a third time. People were rushing out onto the ice. He had to reach her and try to pull her out of the frigid water before the crowd converged around the broken place in the ice. Otherwise, their massed weight might cause a larger break and draw dozens of would-be rescuers down into the icy depths. A real disaster was in the making, and only Zachariah could avert it.
“Try to grab hold of the ice!” he yelled. “I’m coming!”
“I can’t. Help me, oh, please, I…”
The weak voice trailed off. Zack saw a gloved hand clutching the edge. Slowly, it slipped away, leaving long scratch marks in the death-white ice. He plunged forward, diving for the edge.
Persia waited only a stunned moment after Zack left her. She recognized the first cry for help and knew who had fallen through the ice. A coldness gripped her heart like none a Maine winter could produce. Europa’s life was in the hands of the man she had called “riffraff”—the man she herself loved, Persia realized suddenly. And he might well lose his own life attempting to save her sister.
Skating quickly after Zack, Persia arrived at the broken ice only an instant after he reached the jagged edge of the hole. She saw her drowning, half-frozen sister go under once more and then watched, stricken, as Zack plunged into the black water.
Persia’s heart was pounding. She could barely hear anything for the rush of blood in her ears. The shouts of the others on the pond came only as a dull roar from far away. She must remain calm, do whatever she could to help. That was difficult, however, with the dark patch of water yawning empty before her. Both Europa and Zack were under the surface now. If they stayed down much longer, neither of them would survive. But she couldn’t think about that.
Acting with a calm reason she was far from feeling, Persia lay down on her stomach on the ice, reaching as far out over the opening as she could. She scanned the black surface with keen eyes, alert to any movement. The reflection of the northern lights played over the water, mocking her with its beauty. Now other skaters moved closer in, ringing the broken ice to light the area with their flickering lanterns. Persia was uncomfortably aware of the cold dampness seeping through her woolen gown, but she held her prone position, ready to lend a saving hand to Zack and to her sister the moment they surfaced… if they surfaced.
Suddenly, the water stirred. At first, Persia thought her hopes were causing her eyes to play tricks on her. Then Zack’s head burst above the water. He spewed icy spray and shook the clinging ice crystals from his hair.
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