Christmas Magic Page 9

  Pine trees were not my thing, given my allergy, but even I could appreciate how devastating the loss of this one was. It wasn’t just a tree; it was tied to a life. As I looked around the rest of the garden, I noticed Dash and his herd walking over to a body that had been covered by a white sheet.

  I slowly trailed after them, not relishing the idea of going near the dead nymph. I stood back and watched as Dash pulled back the sheet to reveal the girl. My stomach twisted with sadness. Thistle looked like she could simply be sleeping. Her green hair fell softly around her shoulders, and her brown skin was still radiant.

  There was no rise and fall to her chest though, and I couldn’t smell the scent of her magic anymore, which was strange even after death. Dash carefully checked Thistle for signs of injury. There were no marks marring her skin though, and no disturbance to the garden around her that might indicate there had been a struggle. Her death appeared to be a mystery.

  Vixen, who’d been crouched at Dash’s side, stood and walked over to survey the dead pine tree. Up close, the thick trunk looked like it was slowly turning to ash with thin layers of the gray bark flaking away in the breeze.

  “Do you think maybe the tree was killed rather than the nymph?” I asked, following her. Their life forces were joined so completely that if one were killed the other would follow.

  Vixen nodded as she ran a hand down the tree trunk. Her fingers came away covered in dust, which she wiped on her jeans. “There are no wounds on her body,” she replied. “It’s the only thing I can think of, but I can’t tell how the tree died either. The death was too sudden to be poison, and it doesn’t look like there was a fire. The tree is still standing, so I don’t know what could have caused it.”

  Her gaze was filled with concern, mirroring the rest of us as we stood in the garden, unsure what to make of it all. We’d come here for answers, but if anything, I felt we only had more questions.

  “You mentioned there were others victims,” I said, slowly turning to Dash. He was still crouched at Thistle’s side, and I paced toward him. “Did they have any wounds?”

  He pulled the sheet over Thistle’s face, covering her once more. “No. They didn’t have wounds either.”

  I frowned and looked down at the covered body. Considering the violent way the elves had attacked me, it seemed strange that all their victims had no wounds, but it wasn’t impossible. What made me most uneasy about the whole thing though was the fact I couldn’t smell Thistle’s magic. Dash would probably think I was crazy, but I knew I had to say something.

  “What about smell?” I asked. “Were the others missing the smell of magic too?”

  Dash stood and turned to face me. “What are you talking about?” he asked.

  “There’s no smell of magic on the nymph or her tree. It usually lingers for a while even after someone’s died…”

  Dash glanced at Blitz.

  “I don’t smell it either,” Blitz replied.

  “She’s right, there’s no magic,” Vixen agreed. “I think she might be onto something.”

  I looked between the three of them, seeing the first signs of anticipation in their eyes.

  “I didn’t think twice about it when we came across the others,” Dash replied. “It was too early in the season. I figured that was why I couldn’t smell it. But that’s not the case anymore. We should be able to smell her magic.”

  “What do you think this means?” Blitz asked, looking at Dash as if he held all the answers.

  “I’m not sure,” Dash responded. “But whatever the elves did to the victims, it must have had something to with their magic.”

  I pushed down a shudder. Whatever the elves were doing with their victim’s powers, if magic was involved, I could see why I was a target.

  “Okay, so that might explain how the elves killed their victims, but what about why?” Vixen added. “Why would the elves kill a tree nymph?”

  No one had an answer, and a flicker of guilt flared through me as I considered the secret I was keeping from the reindeers. I didn’t know why Thistle had been killed, but I wondered if I should share the fact that the tree nymph’s magic was stronger than other magical beings like her. I didn’t want to draw attention to my own powers, but I wasn’t sure I could keep the truth about Thistle from them either. It was already sitting like a heavy weight in my stomach.

  “Joy told me something after you all left,” I slowly started. Their eyes turned to me, and I tried not to act nervous though my hands felt clammy at what I was about to reveal.

  “She told me a story about how Thistle had once traveled a long distance from her tree. It sounds like she had some pretty strong magic. Perhaps that was why she was targeted?”

  I held my breath as the shifters considered my suggestion. Dash was frowning at me while Blitz and Vixen exchanged confused glances. “Perhaps,” Dash finally said. “But...” His voice trailed off as the gate at the back of the garden swung open, and all four of us turned to find Coop hurrying across the lawn toward us.

  “I thought you were waiting here for us. Where have you been?” Vixen asked him.

  “I was following the scent the elves left at the back of the property,” Coop replied. “There was a faint trail of their magic leading away from here, and I’ve been seeing where it led.”

  “And…” Dash prompted.

  “And you’re not going to believe it, but there’s a krampus bar back in Halton,” Coop responded with a mixture of excitement and worry. “Those dark elves may be up to something, but it looks like they’re not the only ones involved.”

  Everyone in the group traded tense looks and I pushed down a shudder. Krampuses were the dark Christmas equivalent of a claus. Their magic could also summon objects, and they had the power of persuasion over dark elves, just like clauses had over light elves.

  Unlike clauses though, the krampuses had never outlawed persuasion. They used their powers over the dark creatures at will, often forcing the elves to act as their slaves. Not all of them were evil, and I hadn’t met many krampuses in my time, but the ones I had come across in the Human Realm were about as bad as you could get.

  I turned to Dash, unease rippling through me as I tried to digest the significance of what Coop had revealed. “Dash, if there’s a krampus bar nearby, you know it’s unlikely the dark elves are acting of their own volition, right?”

  “Yes, I know,” he replied. “We’re going to have to investigate. Everyone, meet back at Clio’s house. We have some planning to do.”

  Chapter Nine

  The four reindeer crowded into my kitchen. They were supposed to be planning their investigation of the krampus bar, but instead, they were arguing over whether it was wise to even go there in the first place.

  “It’s too dangerous,” Coop said.

  “Since when were you such a calf?” Vixen replied. “With the three of us, it should be fine. We’ll leave Blitz to watch the claus.”

  “Vixen is right,” Dash said. “We’ll be fine if we’re together, and we have to follow this lead. You’re the one who found it after all, Coop. I would have thought you would want to see where it takes us.”

  I folded my arms across my chest and glared at the shifters. They were making decisions without me again, and I really didn’t like it. Tomi was also sitting on Vixen’s shoulder, looking every bit like he belonged there, which wasn’t helping my mood either. Why didn’t my tomten like me that much? Maybe I too wanted to walk around looking like I was a Christmas pirate.

  Tomi gave me a smug smile when he caught me watching, which only turned my gaze darker. The devious little monster knew exactly what he was doing—and it was working. I was jealous. Damn it!

  “So, the claus, who has a name, don’t forget, thinks you’re all being ridiculous,” I said, focusing my anger back on the shifters.

  Vixen lifted her eyes to the ceiling like she couldn’t be bothered dealing with me, but Dash turned, setting his heated gaze on me. I really did hate how handsome he was. It would
make it so much easier to hate him if he looked like a gremlin—those pests were so ugly they ran away whenever their reflection was visible. It was certainly no gremlin staring me down now though.

  “There shouldn’t even be a debate here,” I continued. “We obviously have to go to the krampus bar. It’s the only lead we have, and if we don’t go, other beings could die because of it. It was only luck that I didn’t end up like Thistle.”

  “She’s right,” Blitz said. “We still need to catch these elves, or we could have another death on our hands. Clio could still be a target, and if they’re under persuasion, they won’t stop until she’s dead.”

  “Well, that’s a comforting thought,” I muttered. I had assumed I was still a potential target of the elves, but I hadn’t quite pieced together the fact that if the dark creatures were under persuasion then they would be relentless in their pursuit of me. Running and hiding was still an option, but it really didn’t seem like a valid choice anymore.

  Dash ignored my sarcasm and turned to the others. “We’ll wait until closer to midnight, and then we’ll go. No more arguments,” he said.

  “And what about me?” I asked, as the others went to turn away.

  “You will stay here with Blitz,” Dash replied.

  “You’re not bringing me with you?”

  “No,” he said. “You’re enough trouble without taking you to a krampus bar.”

  “True.” I couldn’t argue with that. “But I helped you with the tree nymph earlier, and have you even thought about how you’re going to get into the bar?”

  “I’m still figuring that out,” he grumbled in reply.

  I had to push down a smile. He didn’t have a plan. “You know that I can pass for a krampus. My magic smells the same. I’m your best chance of getting in there unnoticed,” I told him.

  “I don’t care,” he growled. “You’re not coming.”

  “Whatever you think is best.” I turned to walk away from him. “Come get me when you change your mind.”

  I left him fuming in the kitchen, a smile on my lips. Dash knew perfectly well he needed me with him. I couldn’t wait to watch him beg for my help.

  I was surprised by how long Dash held out before he came around. I expected him to leave without me, just because he was so stubborn. But twenty minutes before midnight, he knocked on my bedroom door.

  “Come in,” I called out. I was sitting on my bed in the middle of reading a book. It was some human story about witches that I found highly amusing. Didn’t humans realize there was no such thing?

  Dash opened the door a crack before grunting. “Put something more krampus-like on, we leave in five.” He’d finally caved. He might have admitted he wanted me to come to the bar, but there hadn’t been nearly enough groveling.

  “Say please,” I purred, a gloating smile on my face. I was enjoying this far too much.

  Dash folded his arms over his massive chest and glared at me from the doorway. “Please, Clio, will you come and help us get into the krampus bar?” he asked through clenched teeth.

  “Why, of course,” I said in a sickly sweet voice as I jumped up from where I’d been sitting on my bed. “I thought you’d never ask.”

  Dash rolled his eyes at me and turned to leave. “You have five minutes,” he called out over his shoulder.

  Grinning, I went over to my drawers and looked for something leather to wear. I wasn’t sure why, but every krampus I’d ever encountered wore leather. It was like they had a uniform. Lucky for Dash, this wasn’t my first time visiting a krampus bar, and I’d kept hold of the outfit I’d worn on that occasion.

  As I walked into the living room dressed in leather pants that clung to my skin and a leather corset that left little to the imagination, I could feel Dash’s eyes on me. When I turned toward him, I found his gaze slowly making its way up every inch of my leather-clad body. It was enough to make me want to blush.

  “Let’s go,” Dash said, clearing a cough from his throat.

  “Where’s everyone else?”

  “Waiting in the car downstairs.” He was still looking at me with clear appreciation in his eyes, and I kind of wished he’d stop. It was making me feel nervous.

  “You didn’t change?” I asked, noticing his was still in the dark tee and jeans he’d been wearing earlier.

  “I’m not the one pretending to be a krampus,” he said.

  Fair enough. “Okay, lead the way.”

  I followed him from the house, not bothering to find Tomi and tell him I was leaving with the reindeer. I was slightly nervous he’d hear we were headed to a krampus bar and put another lockdown on my house. Dash had really struck below the belt when he put that ludicrous idea in my tomten’s head. I’d have to find a way to pay him back for it someday.

  Dash led me onto the street and opened the back door of a black Range Rover that was idling by the curb.

  “This isn’t your car,” I said, hovering by the open door.

  “It’s mine,” Vixen said from behind the steering wheel. I glanced inside to find her tapping her long fingernails against the wheel as she waited. Coop and Blitz were already in the back seat, and even though the car was massive, the two shifters took up all the space it afforded. There was the tiniest gap between them, which I supposed was where they expected me to sit.

  Blitz jumped out and waved for me to get in. “After you,” he said with a grin.

  I hesitated though. “You’re kidding, right? A tomten wouldn’t fit between you two.”

  Blitz’s grin grew even wider. “I guess we’ll just have to snuggle up tight.”

  I was suddenly dreading the car trip. I opened my mouth to tell him exactly where he could take his offer of snuggling up, but Dash cut me off. “Just get in the car, Clio.”

  I shot him a glare before huffing out a breath and complying. Sometimes, fighting back took way too much effort. Thankfully, it was only going to be twenty minutes of being crowded between the two massive shifters—twenty minutes too long if you asked me.

  I got in the car and slid over so I was pressed up next to Coop. A moment later, I felt the other reindeer’s warm body get in beside me. I was surprised when I turned and found it was Dash sitting next to me instead of Blitz.

  The front door opened and Blitz got in, taking the passenger seat. “Over possessive much?” he asked, looking pointedly over his shoulder at Dash.

  With a frown, I glanced at Dash, who was refusing to look my way.

  “Just drive,” he told Vixen, who took off from the curb like her foot had just been cemented to the accelerator pedal. My hands instinctively reached out and grabbed the knees of the shifters on either side of me as my body pushed back in the seat.

  “Where’s my seat belt?” I realized it wasn’t done up and scrambled to try to wriggle around and find it.

  “Don’t stress, I won’t let anything happen to you,” Dash said.

  I wasn’t convinced though and continued searching, partially groping the reindeer butts on either side of me as I tried to get myself secure.

  Even when I was fastened in my seat, I didn’t feel safe. Vixen drove like she was being chased, screeching around corners and weaving around traffic as though she was playing a video game. I was worried that perhaps that was the only driving experience the shifter had—video games.

  “She knows how to drive, right?” I whispered to Dash.

  “She can hear you,” Vixen responded, accelerating even faster.

  I immediately regretted asking the question and decided never to get in a car with her again. I didn’t care if I had to waste all my power on summoning one for myself, it wasn’t happening. No way.

  When we exited town, hedges and darkness replaced the street lamps and small stone townhouses of Bramblewood. I hoped Vixen’s driving would become a little more cautious, but I was wrong. Even though the narrow and winding lanes were only just wider than her car, she refused to slow down. Her driving had been scary before, but now, it had me in a total panic.


  By the time Vixen screeched to a halt, at the end of our twenty-minute journey to Halton, I was ready to puke. My legs were shaky as I exited the car, and I was certain I’d left my stomach somewhere back on the sidewalk by my house. I was so grateful I’d made it in one piece that I wanted to reach down and kiss the ground.

  As I looked around, I could see we were on the busy main street we’d driven down earlier that day. Now that it was dark, the place was buzzing with nightlife. Shop lights lit the street, and crowds of people spilled out onto the street in front of a pub nearby.

  You could drive through Bramblewood and miss it if you blinked. I’d never spent any time in Halton, but it was clear this place was far livelier than the town I currently called home.

  There was a pleased smile on Vixen’s face as she rounded the front of the car to join us. For the first time, I noticed how similar she and Dash looked. She flashed a smug grin identical to her brother’s and seemed to be very much enjoying how freaked out I was by her driving.

  “Are you crazy?” I asked her, feeling a little more confident about voicing my emotions now that her foot wasn’t near a gas pedal and I wasn’t at risk of throwing up all over myself.

  She shrugged. “Maybe a little.”

  “We could have all died!”

  “I had it under control.”

  I glanced at the boys to see if they were as rattled as me. They all seemed calm though, like we’d just taken a leisurely cruise through the English countryside rather than the joy ride through hell I’d just experienced. I threw my hands up in the air and paced away from them all, cursing them under my breath.

  Dash followed me and gripped hold of my arm before I could get too far.

  “Are you okay?” he asked.

  “Define okay,” I replied. “Because I just spent the entirety of that trip trying to figure out how I was going to bequeath all of my belongings to a ghost in my will. If that falls within your definition of okay, then sure, I’m okay.”