Flashback ( PDFDrive )

practically invented that strategy back when I was young and naive
and serving the wrong side. Much like you are now.” He paused, like
he’d expected to earn a rise from them. “Very well. I guess you’d prefer
we simply stare at each other?”
“We’d prefer you to tell us why you asked us to come here,” Fitz
countered.
“Well, I couldn’t exactly come to see you, now could I? So welcome
to my humble home!” He waved his hands around his frozen bubble,
drawing more attention to the sparseness of it. Save for the block of
ice he sat on—and three others stacked behind him—the space was
empty. Sophie also noticed how thin the fabric of his crumpled robe
looked. Definitely not something that would provide much escape
from the cold. His lips even had a faint blue tinge as he said, “Tell me,
Sophie, does it make you happy to see the cold reality of my
conditions? Have you been picturing me bathed in luxury, idling my
days away while feasting on delicacies and celebrating my glorious
accomplishments?”
Sophie shrugged, refusing to admit how close he was to some of her
imaginings.
“Enough with the silence!” He stomped his feet against the icy floor
—hard enough to cause a few hairline cracks. “You’ve wasted too
much time already.”
“We’ve barely been here five minutes,” Fitz corrected.
“And how many weeks have passed since I extended the
invitation?” Fintan argued. “I expected you to be far more eager.”
“Well,” Sophie told him, crossing her arms, “I guess we’re not as
predictable as you thought.”
He gritted his teeth. “You’re picking a very bad time to play games.”