I reach out to touch the needle, but North appears out of nowhere and jerks me away from the table.

"What?" I yank my arm out of his grip. "What are you doing, North?"

"I-uh, nothing." He coughs slightly and blocks the elf and needle from view.

I raise my eyebrows, my eyes widening in disbelief. "Okay, then. Excuse me." I push around him, but he steps in my way again. "North, please move out of the way."

"But I think I found the-uh, the perfect thing for you to use to channel your power. It is up in my private workshop. Come with me." He chatters on, his voice loud and his words fast. North wraps his large hand around my arm and pulls me away from the table.

I grunt and strain to control the magic burning inside me. "Let go of me!" I snap.

North drops my arm and steps back.

The entire room quiets, every guardian, yeti and elf looking our way.

I swallow and rub my hand up and down my bruised arm. I scowl at him. "I don't know why you are acting in such a strange way, but I warn you, never lay your hands on me again."

I step back at the table. My elf-friend cowers on the pile of toys, his tiny hands grasping the needle.

"Sorry about that. Thank you." I don't know why, but a great longing pulls me towards the needle. Could it be the needle? The one that Gothel needed?

Wait-didn't she say that someone named Sinter Klass stole it from her or something like that?

What if Sinter Klass is another name for North? Once, Anna called him Santa Claus. That would explain his strange behavior.

I reach out my hand, my fingers less than an inch from the gleaming, silver needle.

A large, rough hand snatches both the needle and the elf. North's laughs loudly. He slips the needle into his pocket and shakes the elf for good measure. The bells on his hat jingle merrily, the happy sound contrasting the anger simmering under my skin.

"Forgive me, Elsa, but this is not a toy."

"Then what is it?" I fold my arms tightly across my stomach and try to hold in my anger, my power.

"It is a very old needle. I thought that I had lost it. It is worthless." He drops the elf onto the table. "I am sure that we can find something much better for you."

I narrow my eyes. Fine. He might have gotten the needle from me, but now I am sure that he stole it from Gothel.

"You said you wanted to show me something in your private workshop?" I grit my teeth and force my voice to sound innocent.

North rubs his hand over his long, full beard. His voice booms through the room. "Yes. Come along, Elsa. You too, Jack."

Jack pulls away from Tooth. He saunters over to us. "What are you up to North?"

"I am going to show her my center. I want you to be there." North pats Jack on the back. He adds quickly. "Since you are her trainer, of course."

"Of course." Jack nods.

I am not sure if they are being sarcastic or not.

I roll my eyes. What did North mean? What is his 'center'? It doesn't matter. The only thing that matters is the needle in his pocket.

Somehow I need to get it back without anyone realizing it.

**

"Wonder?"

"Yes." North grins, his bushy eyebrows pushing down over his eyes.

I run my fingers over the tiny, wooden baby in my hands. Its large, blue eyes stare up at me.

"What does this have to do with my powers?"

North paces through his workshop. Candles line the tables full of wooden toys and ice sculptors. He holds out his hands. "Every one of us has a center."

Jack rubs the back of his neck. "My 'center' is fun."

"Fun?" I smile, my eyebrows half lifted. Why am I not surprised?

Jack shuffles his feet against the wooden floor. "Yeah...I use fun to help people."

"How does throwing a snowball at someone help them?"

"Life can be hard at times. But even during the difficult times, it is important to enjoy the time we have in this world. I remind people that it is okay to let go and have fun."

Anna would agree with him. Our childhood was far from perfect, but she always found a reason to smile. Perhaps I can learn something from them: the girl who never gave up on me and the boy who taught me how to let go without hurting anyone.

"What is my center?" I ask.

"I don't know." Jack shrugs. "Only you do. Don't worry, Elsa. One day, when it matters the most, you will find it."

"I..." I press my lips together and place the wooden doll back in North's hand. "Thank you for sharing this with me. But what about my 'staff' or item?"

North leans against his table and cross his arms in front of him. His muscles bulge under his tattoos. "I was thinking about it and I believe that we've got it all wrong. No one gave Jack his staff. It was something he had when he woke up. I even think that he had it before he became Jack Frost."

Jack drops his eyes at the mention of his unknown past. He pulls his blue hood over his white hair.

I never thought about it before, but I wonder if his hair was a different color before his transformation.

Who was Jack before he became the Spirit of Winter?

My mind races through my many conversations with Pitch. Didn't he say something about Jack's past?

I remember now. Pitch did mention Jack. His words break through the barriers of memory and wash over my restless thoughts, staining them black with fear.

"You may not know him, but he did know you. You are a queen, Elsa. But before that, you were a princess and you met many commoners. He was one of them."