A sob shook his shoulders, his head curling all the way over until it knocked into Dee’s.
“I’m sorry.” He sniffed. “I will try harder to be the man you all deserve.”
“Just be the Santa we love. That’s all we want.” She hugged him, instantly easing the tension in the group, the delighted murmurs lighting the air. You could see how close Dee and Santa were, why she seemed to be the only one to reach him. It was pure friendship built on trust and respect.
Santa was back, Nick receding, overshadowed by love and friendship.
“Wow,” Hare muttered next to me. “Anyone else find that awk-ward? Like the time I found out I had sex with a cousin.”
“What?” I cringed down at him. “Ewww!”
“Don’t judge. It was a distant-ish cousin… Hey, I’m a rabbit! I have thousands of cousins. This whole damn realm I’m probably related to in some way. As if you haven’t made that mistake before?” he snorted.
“I haven’t.”
“Aren’t you Miss Perfect.”
“That’s a low, low bar.”
“Easier to step right over.” Hare smirked and bounded forward. “I’m hungry.”
Food sounded excellent. And mead. It had been a long couple of days. The endless nightfall added to the feeling it was all one long-ass night.
“Well, isn’t this cozy.” A voice resounded over the plot, icing my heart. My lungs froze, my throat closing in on itself. “This little reunion is so sickly sweet. I feel ill.”
Oh. God. No. My heart slammed in my ears, wanting to jump out of my throat. Swinging around, my eyes clarified what I already knew to be true.
Jessica.
The Blood-Red Queen had found us.
She wore black pants, heeled boots, and a long white rabbit fur coat, her red lips the pop of color in her icy appearance. Not looking much different from when we left her on earth.
A chill seemed to grow in the air. Toy soldiers stood in formation behind her. Far too many to fight when all the weapons we had were in the carts. Next to her.
Blitzen leaned on one of the carts, a malicious smirk dancing on his face as he looked upon his old comrades.
Gasps and cries rang out through our group as they crowded closer together in protection. Shrieks as most eyes in the group went to Blitzen, their tormentor, and the queen who ordered their demise.
“Mr. Scrooge! Ms. Alice!” Pen cried out, waddling frantically to us. Scrooge guided him to hide behind us as he moved in next to me, Rudy taking up my other side. Hare leaped in front of me. We stood together as a team, creating a barrier, protecting those behind us.
How did she even find us? How did we not hear them approach?
I couldn’t stop myself from glancing over at Frosty, his expression held no surprise.
“You,” Scrooge growled at the snowman, his body leaning toward him, ready to attack. “You led her here.”
“No, I did—”
“Thought you could hide from me forever, my dear husband?” Jessica sliced off Frosty’s response, her eyebrow curved up, focusing on the man standing on the deck, ignoring the rest of us. “As usual, you underestimated me.”
“I may have at one time not appreciated you as I should, but I will never again underestimate the level you will go to.” Santa walked to the railing; his chest puffed up. “Ever.”
“Finally. That took how many centuries?” Jessica’s cruel smile hung like a threat. “The stupidest animal in the world could learn decades before you did.”
“What do you want?” Santa cut right to the heart.
Jessica took a few steps, her hand gliding over the rail of the large wagon filled with weapons. “Hmmm. I will be taking these. Can’t let them fall into the wrong hands.”
Blitzen, dressed like Rambo-deer, leaped up on the other wagon, picking up one of the candy cane guns. Stroking it, his eyes locked on his ex-reindeer friends, stopping on Vixen, his tongue sliding over his black lips. He got off on this kind of threatening dominance. Causing others fear made him feel tough and powerful.
Pen’s flippers wrapped around my calf and Scrooge’s, humming “Do You Hear What I Hear?” coating me in a strange calmness.
“Then I think I’ll take the little girl standing next to you.” Jessica’s lids narrowed on Dee. “Match the other side of her face.”
Blitzen sneered, his glinting eyes landing on Dee with hunger.
“You will not touch her.” Santa’s hand unconsciously went to Dee’s shoulder, pulling her into his side.
“Ah.” Jessica derided. “I see being bad with you keeps her on the good girl list, huh?”
“You are disgusting.” Santa’s cheek twitched. Nick was brushing against the surface. “I will not even dignify that with a response.”
“Of course, you won’t,” she scoffed. “Another thing I am so glad I don’t have to deal with anymore. You prearranged our extremely lackluster sex nights, which happened maybe three times a year. And it was far too many with you.”
“I really don’t want to hear about this,” Hare groaned quietly. “Not an image I want to live with.”
“Thank Claus I don’t need a man to have really satisfying sex.” The queen laughed, winking at the appalled faces staring back at her. “They make toys for that.” Her attention landed on the man next to me, a spark of heat glowing in her ice-cold blue eyes. “Or they create playthings like him.”
“Get to it, Jessica.” I pushed slightly forward, physically dwarfed by the men surrounding me, but I held the power she wanted, which made me tower over the group. Plus, the last thing I wanted was to hear about her and Matt’s relationship. The one she tricked him into believing they had. “You’re not here to chit-chat or talk about your sex life.”
“Think someone is a bit jealous.” She poked at me.
“She doesn’t need to be,” Scrooge replied calmly, every nuance telling Jessica exactly what he meant. “Believe me.”
“Can we get to the capture and torture part?” Blitzen jumped down off the cart, motioning for a few soldiers to pull it away. “That will get me more in the mood.”
“Patience.” The queen patted his arm. “All in good time.”
“You are not hurting one person here.” Santa’s deep voice rocketed from the porch. “You have hurt enough people, Jessie.”
Shit. I could see it instantly, her whole attitude shifting. Her backbone snapping into a rigid line, her jawline straining.
“Do. Not. Call. Me. That.” I could have sworn fire puffed from her nose. “I’m not the dutiful little wife who was at your beck and call, who’s greatest ambition was to dote on you, stuck in a house where you thought cooking and cleaning for you should bring me endless joy. No more a pet, a servant, a hostage. But that was what I was designed for, right?”
Grief passed over Santa’s face while rage consumed Jessica’s.
“I was never a person who could have their own hopes and dreams outside of yours.” Wrath vibrated her body. “Now the world will know the man they idolize is a chauvinistic masochistic pig.”
“Jessie—” His voice broke at the end, his head falling forward. “The pain I caused you. What I turned you into. It is all my fault. I will never be able to forgive myself.”
“Good,” she seethed. “You will die with your crimes and the deaths of all those who perished in your name. You’d think the weight of that would have crushed a soul that’s supposed to be so pure.”
“It did.” Santa’s chin lifted, and his eyes filled with grief.
“But here you are.” She waved to him. “Still love yourself more.”
“I’m only here because of the love and belief of others. Not myself. I was too weak. I did give up.” He rolled his shoulders back, squeezing Dee’s shoulder, knowing her love and dedication was a big reason his soul was back. “I will admit centuries of being idolized changed me. I got caught up in it. I have a lot of work to do to get back to the man I once was. I will always struggle, but every day I will try to be a better pe
rson. The person they all deserve.” He indicated to the group before him.
“Anyone else want to throw up?” Jessica’s eyes fluttered with annoyance.
“Actually, I agree with her on that.” Hare leaned back into me, muttering.
“That was so mushy, my dear Nicky, I’m positive you stole it from Hallmark. Makes me itchy and want to do things like this.” The queen took a few steps closer, raising her arm, her posture intimidating. “Attack!”
The surge of movement rushed through both groups like an ocean wave, crashing two opposing currents into each other. Adrenaline thrummed in my chest, my hand grabbing for the knife still in my waistband.
Scrooge hunched over, widening his body, knife in hand, growling as the toy soldiers marched for us. I could hear the Whos screaming as the reindeer and elves advanced forward to fight.
“Kill everyone except Santa or her.” She pointed at me. “I need one of them alive,” Jessica ordered her men. She only needed one of us to close the door for good.
The toy men reacted to her command, getting in formation. Blitzen was already advancing for Rudy, death blazing from his gaze.
“No!” Santa screamed, his voice getting lost in the commotion. “Stop!”
“Ready.” The soldiers lifted their guns, the general ordering their movements. Fear pounded my chest, and anguish tore through me. All the people I loved. How long before we were all dead. We were weaponless against the troop. Easy prey. They were hunters plundering defenseless animals.
“Ms. Liddell,” Scrooge said my name, our eyes meeting. Would this be the last moment I had with him? His blue eyes so full of life right now... would they be in a few moments? Every noise, every smell, the acid coating my tongue, every sense was heightened, but all I could see was him. The idea of losing him crushed me into shards.
“Aim.”
“No!” Santa cried, his boots pounding down the steps.
“Fir—”
“STOP!” Santa leaped between the groups, his hands up.
Her general looked at Jessica with panic. I don’t think he even liked the idea of gunning down Santa Claus execution style.
“Hold fire,” Jessica commanded her troops, her lips turning down.
“Take me.” Santa swallowed, his arms still up in surrender. “It’s me you really want anyway.”
“But killing them will cause you pain.” Jessica traveled closer to her husband. “That gives me joy.”
“Jessie—Jessica,” he corrected himself, his hands lowering until they clasped together in a plea. “Please. All of this is because you want to get back at me. Then take me. Kill, torture, do what you need. Just leave them out of it.”
“No!” I could hear Dee cry behind me. Dum grabbed his sister, holding her back from running to Santa.
“This is about you and me.” Claus didn’t flinch, keeping his attention on Jessica. “No one else.”
“I adore you think this is a negotiation.” Jessica placed herself a foot anyway from him. She was short compared to him, but in their body language, she held all the power. “I had you anyway. They…” She gestured behind him. “They are what you used to say, ‘Just the whipped cream on cocoa.’”
“Please.” Desperation lowered him to his knees in front of her, his head bowed before her. “I know somewhere in there is still my Jessie. The kind, loving woman I once knew. Please. I beg you. Leave them be.”
Her ego lapped up his defeated position. Santa Claus on his knees before the queen.
“You killed that woman a long time ago.” She started to walk around him, as she had done to Matt and me, the shark circling her prey. “She was weak and only pleased others while no one thought once about her except to mend the elves’ outfits or bake treats. I could have been a robot built in your shop.”
“And for that, I will always live with regret and sorrow.”
“Awww. Poor Santa,” she mocked. “Good thing you won’t have to live with the torture much longer.” She came back around, taking a deep breath. “You know what? I will let them live tonight. Because once I behead you in front of thousands of onlookers, those who still love you will lose all hope and die a horrible death when I close the door for good on this place. Shooting them here would be the generous thing to do. But stripping them of hope, belief, love, and joy will be so much more fun to watch.”
She twirled her hand for her men to grab him.
“Wait. What?” Blitzen snarled, showing off his lower front teeth, which seemed to have been sharpened into points. “No.”
“I’m sorry?” Jessica blinked at him. “Are you questioning me?”
“Yes!” He sneered, his bloodlust crawling over his skin, his chest heaving as he looked to Rudolph, then jumped to Vixen, licking his lips again. Rudy instinctively shifted closer to Vixen as if he wanted to put himself in front of her. “You promised me I could play with them.”
Jessica walked up to him, cool and in control. “You do not ever question your queen.”
“I wan—”
“Stop! Unless you want to be another decoration on my wall like your buddies. You are nothing but another man who has stepped out of his place.”
Blitzen’s jaw rolled, his nose twitching with rage, but he kept his mouth shut.
“Because you have been so good at your job and have pleased me until this moment, I will let you take one for your enjoyment.”
Blitzen swung back to his old colleagues, a vile smugness tugged at his mouth, his eyes stopping on each one. “Eenie meenie.” He passed over Comet, Donner, Cupid, and Dasher. “Miney.” He wiggled his finger between Rudy and Vixen, pausing on each one for a punishing time.
“Me.” Rudy stood tall. “Take me.”
Blitzen smirked, his wicked gaze dropping back to Vixen. “Mo.”
“No!” Rudy scrambled in front of her, shaking his head. “Don’t do this. This is about us. You finally have me. Take me!”
“That’s why I will take her.” Blitzen wiggled his eyebrows. “To know what is happening to her because of you.” He curled his finger at Vixen.
Her head held high, she squeezed Rudy’s hand and stepped around him, dressed in tight-fitting cargo pants and a white tank. She stood tall and emanated sexual appeal and strength, her name fitting her perfectly. In half-human form she was curvy but extremely fit. Her movements were elegant and dainty, though her brown eyes burned with grit and might.
“Vix! No.” Rudy grabbed her arm, trying to stop her.
A sad smile ghosted her mouth, her antlers twisting to her friend. If I thought Rudy was a work of art, she was breathtaking, almost unreal in her graceful beauty.
“If anyone can challenge Blitzen in reindeer games, it’s me.” Her voice was low and calm, full of power and confidence.
“Something might happen to you. If you die…”
“You’re not the only one who sacrifices for love.” She looked him dead in his eyes, her meaning stabbing me in the chest with utter clarity. She was in love with him. She marched forward, leaving Rudy gapping and dumbfounded.
Toy soldiers hustled around Santa, clamping tinsel cuffs around his wrists and neck, tying him and Vixen to one of the carts like cattle.
Jessica wanted to humiliate and break him down even more. I hoped Nick would take over and protect Santa, though if he did, there might not be enough of Santa left to ever return.
One jolt of the cart and Santa, leashed like a dog, jerked forward, stumbling, while Vixen held her head high, prancing behind the wagon.
“No.” Scrooge stepped forward. He was ready to dive between the hundreds of soldiers and cut Santa free. Jessica whipped around, her eyes narrowing on him.
With a bellow, Scrooge grabbed his head, flinching in agony. Her magic was twisting his mind into a pretzel.
“Can you hear them? Crying out for you?” She sneered.
“It wasn’t me Belle was crying out to.” Saliva spit from Scrooge’s mouth, his glare locked on her. “It was to you.” His fingers dug into his scalp, his
legs bending, a roar shaking the air.
“Stop it!” I cried, grabbing Scrooge, holding him up, but Jessica’s attention didn’t even flutter to me.
“So… you finally found out about your dear, sweet Belle.” Jessica laughed. “How fast she gave you all up. Threw you all on the chopping block. And yes, my Knave. You too. She was so sure I would help your dying son she didn’t even hesitate to surrender your life. Her husband. The supposed love of her life. Not even a blink.”
“If it had just been my life, I would have been okay with that.” He grunted; his back hunched over.
“So self-sacrificing. I will miss you the most when I close the doors for good. Look around. I hope you like the view because this is your tomb.” She cackled, turning away, motioning for her soldiers to move forward.
Scrooge’s shoulders slumped, and he inhaled deeply, with the release of her hold on him. Instantly he stood fully up, lurching for the group.
“Scrooge!” Santa looked back at him, shaking his head. “Don’t.”
“I can’t let this happen.”
“Yes, you can. You have to. You have no weapons. All their lives are depending on you now. It would be suicide.” Santa’s gaze burrowed into him and then me, his words slow and precise. “Take the sleigh down on a lovely trip behind the Milky Ways.”
O-kay. Curious.
The cart yanked him forward, the queen yelling out orders as fog and dark hazed around them until they disappeared over the hill, leaving as soundlessly as they came, the wind encasing them in silent movement.
As panic and commotion commenced around us, Scrooge, Hare, Rudy, and I stood in the same place, our eyes still on the dark horizon.
It was then I realized the warning wind was silent. Wrapping Jessica’s army in an airtight seal. Not a footstep could be heard. That’s how they had approached us without anyone hearing them.
“The wind is on her side?” I uttered. “This whole time?”
“The wind is on no one’s side.” Scrooge cracked his jaw. “It’s only connected to other things mother nature has influence over: things made from water, air, fire, or earth.”
“For example, frozen water? Like three scoops of it?”
“Exactly.” Scrooge’s entire body snapped to the side, where Frosty had been.
Ascending From Madness Page 29
