Gods Beneath The Ice – Alexandra Kennington

My underwear and breastband came next, and I shivered naked by the fire, begrudgingly trembling less than I was before. Søren kept his eyes averted as he hung the clothing up to dry. I watched him reach for the fresh cloak he’d set out earlier, along with a thick wool hat and matching socks and mittens. They were huge and somewhat lumpy.

Handmade, perhaps. Did Søren knit? He draped the cloak over my shoulders, and I relaxed almost instantly. The inside was lined with thick fur, and I relished the sensation. He tugged on each of my ankles until I could extend my leg and allow him to put the socks on. The mittens were next. “D-don’t put the hat on,” I said, curling in on myself to try to contain the limited body heat I’d regained. “My hair is wet.” Søren eyed the tight bun I’d wound earlier. “Let me take it down.

Then it can start to dry.” I tensed but offered no argument when he knelt behind me and pulled out the leather tie softly before unwinding my hair to cascade down my back. The locks were cold against the backs of my ears and I made an involuntary sound—something like a moan of sadness at the chill. “How’s that?” he asked. “Better.” It was the truth, too. Every part of me hurt, worse than when he’d carried me back after I’d spent hours wandering the prison halls once.

But the pins and needles were a good sign, I knew. It was enough. He stood and set some meat to cook over the giant fire. “Did you meet it?” “The god in the lake?” The acknowledgment of what had happened weighed heavy on my tongue, and if I wasn’t speaking to someone who believed in its existence, I would have convinced myself I imagined the entire thing. “Yes. It calls itself the Tapestry.” Søren looked at me over the flickering flames.

“And? What did you learn?” I sighed and pulled the cloak tighter around myself. “I heard the prophecy. Do you have paper and something to write with? I think I still have it all memorized, but I’m not sure it’ll stick around if I fall asleep.” Ever the scholar, he procured a notebook and writing instrument from his bag. He dutifully copied down every word I spoke. When I finished reciting the prophecy, he was silent. “Any idea what it means?” I asked.

He shook his head. “No. It’s so vague.” Søren’s lips moved soundlessly as he read over the words again. I forced my gaze away. Studying the shape of his mouth was a quick way to more unwelcome thoughts—ones I couldn’t afford. Frode made his own choice, my thoughts whispered. Maybe you can make yours. No. I didn’t care what decisions Frode had made in the heat of the moment. He didn’t have to die, and forgiveness was too much to ask of me.

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ACE is a registered trademark and the A colophon is a trademark of Penguin Random House LLC. Cover illustration by Jason Raish Cover design by Emily Osborne Book design by Daniel Brount, adapted for ebook by Kelly Brennan Ebook ISBN 9780593820155 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Names: Kennington, Alexandra author Title: Gods beneath the ice / Alexandra Kennington.

Description: First edition. | New York : Ace, 2026. | Series: The blood & souls duology ; 2 Identifiers: LCCN 2025036901 (print) | LCCN 2025036902 (ebook) | ISBN 9780593820148 hardcover | ISBN 9780593820155 ebook Subjects: LCGFT: Fiction | Fantasy fiction | Romance fiction | Novels Classification: LCC PS3611.E6683 G63 2026 (print) | LCC PS3611.E6683 (ebook) LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2025036901 LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2025036902 First Edition: February 2026 The authorized representative in the EU for product safety and compliance is Penguin Random House Ireland, Morrison Chambers, 32 Nassau Street, Dublin D02 YH68, Ireland, https://eu- contact.penguin.ie.

This is a short excerpt from the opening of “” by Unknown, quoted for review and introduction purposes. All rights belong to the copyright holders.

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• Unique ID: 3d1e4ccda23b74d7
• File Extension: .pdf
• File Size: 4,164,181 bytes (3.971 MB)
• Title: –
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• ISBN: 9780593820155, 9780593820148
• Pages: 421
• Language: English (en)

Reading & Word Statistics

• Estimated Reading Time: 665.91 minutes
• Total Words: 133,183
• Total Characters: 729,327
• Average Words per Page: 316.35
• Average Characters per Page: 1732.37

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