On the frozen frontier of Europa, the mysteries are as thick as the ice.
Areina never quite fit in with her peers, and her glowing skin and mysterious past certainly don't help. When an icequake breaks crucial equipment on her research station, her adopted father must retrieve backups from the now derelict Station Beta—the very place Areina was rescued from fifteen years earlier in an incident cloaked with questions and classified documents. Then, the scavenging team loses contact with home, presenting Areina with the terrifying possibility of life alone… and a unique opportunity to learn what happened all those years ago.
Faced with a life missing the only person who ever truly accepted her, Areina makes a choice: leave the safety of home and find Terrance's missing team and the truth about her past. But her biggest bully, Bryce, insists on tagging along, and strange things start happening to her, things that should be humanly impossible. And then Bryce reveals a past connecting them more than she'd ever thought possible.
As they approach Station Beta and the answers to both their questions, can they move past their history to forge a real friendship? Or will the wilds of Europa—and the truth—destroy it before it really begins?
This science fantasy retelling of the ugly duckling is part of the Seasons of Magic standalone novella series. If you love space and the stars, mysterious pasts, and unlikely friendships, you will love Selina J. Eckert's stellar tale.
