“What do you want?” I screamed at her. “You have all you want. Santa’s in your dungeon. Scrooge and I at your feet.”
“You brought this on yourself, my dear. You placed this fight on my doorstep. I’m just defending myself. My people.” She motioned around to her staff, some nodding their heads in agreement and some staying quiet in the back. “Now sit back and watch the show.” She gestured out to her gardens. Rows of soldiers marched across the lawn, the red glowing lights painting them in a putrid grayish color.
“On your mark!” The general called out. Like machines, the soldiers all moved as one, their weapons pointed on their targets.
I could see Cupid holding up her hand in a hold motion. What was she doing? They were all about to be shot down.
“Get set.”
“Hold,” Cupid ordered.
“Fire!
“Now!”
As the soldiers fired straight at the targets, our troops dropped to the ground, shooting at their legs. The real bullets shredded through the wood, dropping dozens and dozens of soldiers to the ground. At the same time, a cluster of our rebels rushed from the trees, Dee leading them, attacking from the sides.
Dee. Seeing her, fear leaped into my throat, my body instantly lurching to go to her, but the guards yanked me back, forcing me down to my knees.
The toy soldiers had been designed for old school combat. Order and rules. Straight on fighting, not guerrilla type of warfare. But there were still a hundred times more of them.
All that could be heard were bullets cracking through the air along with screams of death. Both their side and ours. A cry bolted through my lips as I watched Cindy Lou’s father get stabbed through the stomach with the spear at the end of a candy rifle.
A weapon he had probably made himself.
“No!” My body thrashed against my keepers. It was the worst kind of torture to watch those you care about fighting and dying before your eyes, and you couldn’t do a damn thing.
Please. Please. Help me. Help us! I begged in my head to whatever magic might hear me, but no vial or cookie appeared before me.
Bodies and wood chips decorated the lawn as more and more dropped, red blood soaking into the snowy ground.
I spotted Dee jumping on a sentinel, taking him down, not seeing his friend coming to his defense.
“Dee!” I bellowed, terror scraping my throat as I watched the comrade draw up his rifle, the javelin end of the gun narrowing in on her back.
Dum dived for his sister, trying to knock the spear away. The toy swiveled; the spike set on its new target. I couldn’t hear it, but I felt it in my bones as I watched it slice through Dum, impaling him to the ground.
Oh. God…
“Nooooooo!” A wailed cry tore from my soul, tears strangling my throat, the pain feeling like a tsunami. I only got a glimpse of the soldier tugging out his red soaked harpoon before they were lost behind moving forms.
“Jessica. Stop,” Scrooge bellowed, pain leaking through his tone, yanking my head to him. His body fought against the dozen guards who tried to hold him back.
“I thought this was what you wanted.” She waved her wrist at the battle as though she were watching kids playing in a park. “Die for what you believe in. Sounds better when you foolishly believe the ‘good guy’ wins. But you should have known better. There is no good or bad guy. Just a losing side.”
My head dropped, grief sucking any hope from my veins. This was how it would end. A tragic tale no one would know about.
Boom! Boom!
The earth jolted violently, explosions ripping up the ground, the force flinging us back with a painful crunch. My backbone slammed into the wall of the fortress, and I crumpled down with a thud.
Hundreds and hundreds of toy soldiers flew into the air, their forms combusting, showering the castle with dirt and bits of wood. I tucked my head in as spikes of timber sliced at my skin. After a moment, only the sound of clumps of dirt trickling down patted the ground like snow. Blinking, I looked up to see the destruction from the grenades.
It looked like a war zone, but one side had been almost wiped out. Most of Jessica’s army was sprinkled over the snow, leaving a handful of bewildered soldiers to carry on with her orders.
There was another moment of shocked silence before the world surged with chaos. Screams and cries gushed into the air. Jessica’s servants scurried around like rats, climbing over each other to survive, to save themselves from another bomb.
I could hear Jessica squawking through the cloud of debris, but it was all noise as my eyes searched the space for my friends.
“Scrooge! Hare?” I cried out, climbing to my feet, my bones aching, blood trailing down my head.
“Alice?” From the wreckage clinging to the sky, billowing around like cocoa powder, a silhouette emerged, the red lights outlining his huge figure.
“Scrooge!” I yelled, hobbling for him.
Our bodies crashed together, his arms wrapping around me. “Thank Claus… you’re okay.” He gripped me tighter, needing to feel me as much as I needed to touch him and know he was whole.
Alive.
He was covered in blood and cuts, but he was all right. That’s all that mattered.
“Hare?” I leaned back.
“Right here.” Hare hobbled over; his good leg wounded at his knee. “Though for a moment I thought I was going to be a rabbit kabob.”
“Do what I say!” The queen’s wail broke up our reunion, all of us turning to her voice.
“Are you kidding?” Blitzen roared. “She could kill us too!”
“She won’t. Not when her youngster’s life is on the line. She will do what I say!”
“You are a fool.”
“Do not address your queen in such a manner. Release her! Now!” She demanded, her tone wobbling with panic, her strong façade crumbling around her. “Let out Jabberwocky!”
“Fuck.” Scrooge’s muscles tightened, his throat bobbing.
“What?” I scanned the area, seeing our army hacking down what was left of Jessica’s. All her servants and friends beelining for the hills, showing how fair-weather they were to their queen.
“This is really bad.” Scrooge grabbed a candy gun off the ground, swiping another one nearby and tossing it to me.
“What?” I cried again, looking to him and Hare. “What is a jabberwocky?”
“That’s not what it is. That’s her name.” Scrooge rolled back his shoulders, his gaze forward, searching the sky. “Be concerned about what it is.”
“What is it?” Fear sank into my stomach.
“A very pissed off mother.”
Right then, a roar assaulted the sky, echoing from the far side of the castle, shivering the ground as if it knew what was coming.
“What. Was. That?” I gulped, terror beating my heart as fast as a hummingbird’s wings.
“Our executioner.” Hare’s cheek pinched in a grimace. “Yorkshire pudding… we are fucked.”
I didn’t have to wait long to understand why we were screwed.
Another roar came from the side of the castle, piercing my eardrums. My heart leaped from my throat, and I jumped, seeing a creature the size of a four-story building stomp down, shaking the ground.
“Double hot toddy.” I blinked, my jaw unhinging. “What the shit is that?”
“Remember the cave we stayed in after the gremlin attack? And you laughingly asking me if Abominable Snowman used to live there?” Scrooge kept his focus up.
“Yeah?”
“Well… one did. With her young.” Scrooge pointed at the beast coming around the fortress. Her white fur appeared more a dirty yellow color. Dark red stained her mouth, and she had teeth the size of elephant tusks. Razor claws were on her paws and feet. “If you think mother bears are known to protect their young at all costs, you have no idea what an Abominable Snowman will do to defend theirs.”
And if Jessica was using the baby to control the mom? She would have no qualms to butcher us all to get to h
er young.
A shrill bellow sent chills down my spine, the ground wobbling with each step it took closer.
She reminded me of the cartoon version of the Abominable Snowman, but instead of being kind of goofy and sweet once you knew it, this monster was anything but. Fury snarled her face, her arms and legs swiping everything in its path. She was like King Kong without the sweet side.
“Jabberwocky!” Jessica’s voice was strong and commanding, jerking the beast’s head to her. “Kill them, and you will get your baby back. The feast awaits you, my pet.”
Jabberwocky’s nose wrinkled at the queen, but she still turned in the direction of our group, letting out a thundering bellow before lunging for the tasty appetizers just out of her reach.
“Retreat!” Cupid yelled, barely leaping out of the way of the snowman’s claws. Guns cracked, shots bombarding the beast. She grunted in annoyance, batting the onslaught of bullets away as if they were flies, her lids narrowing on the attackers. Growling, she swiped down at a few elves taking a last stand, their figures flying into the air like beach balls, blood spurting from the gashes her claws sliced into them.
Jabberwocky would kill what was left of our side in moments. My weapons, including a grenade, had been stripped of us below in the dungeon, and I knew if our troop had any left, they’d be using it against this thing.
The need to do something beat against my ribs, moving my feet without thinking. We had been so foolish. Untrained and scared, our tiny army tried to fight against impossible odds. But I would fight ’til the end. Stand with my friends until my last breath.
“Have you lost your mind?” Scrooge called, his feet pounding behind me.
“Most certainly.”
Scrooge shook his head but didn’t try to stop me, picking up weapons as we ran for the beast. Hare tried to keep up. Loaded with all the weapons we could find still intact, I cried out in battle, running toward the furry creature, spearing her leg with a javelin. I understood she was doing what she needed to be with her family, but I wouldn’t let her take mine in the process.
Jabberwocky belted out a cry, and her large claws reached for me. I leaped back, falling on my ass, barely missing the sharp daggers.
“Alice, move!” Scrooge shouted.
Glancing up, I now saw the beast’s foot coming down for me, wanting to squash me like a bug. Hurtling my body, I rolled away just as its heel crashed into the snow, sending a squall up into the air, half burying me under the powder.
Scrooge and Hare shot coal bullets at its knees; her legs dipped in pain. Jabberwocky’s face scrunched in rage, pounding her fists into the earth, trying to hit the guys like whack-a-mole. She staggered, falling to her knees with force; the impact flung us back. Sailing through the air, my bones crunched as I struck the ground, rolling across the turf, knocking the wind out of me. Pain exploded through each nerve, my lungs gasping for breath, my muscles locked in place like I was making snow angels.
The Abominable Snowman’s claws came into view, and with a snarl, they plunged for me. Shouldn’t she be called a snowwoman instead? Or was snowman universal for both sexes? Funny, the thoughts that came into your head moments before death.
I couldn’t breathe or move as I watched the hammer drop.
“Jabberwocky! Stop!” A man’s voice chimed in the air like a bell, clear and strong, stopping the beast in place, her white brows furrowing, her head jerking to the voice. “Jabber, my old friend, you will not hurt these people… or anyone else. They are not the ones keeping your baby from you.”
All heads turned to the speaker, silence descending upon the fortress.
Santa Claus, wrapped in what appeared to be a curtain, stood on the highest step, slightly above everyone, Rudy and Vixen next to him, pointing their weapons at Jessica and Blitzen.
My heart thumped with joy at seeing my friends alive. For a moment Rudy’s gaze found mine, his head dipping, a twinkle in his eyes, before he snapped them back to the queen.
Santa took a step, power and command radiating off him with such intensity, the draw to his power was almost painful. I had seen different forms of Nick and Santa Claus, but nothing came close to this man holding court.
His magic pulsed off him, everything dark and ugly scuttling for a place to hide.
“You are not her pet or her slave. Take your baby and go back home in peace.”
On cue a smaller wail bayed from the side of the fortress, twisting Jabberwocky’s head toward the noise, her eyes widening, a soft wail called from her. She took a few steps toward the cry. A baby snowman, the size of a car, came running out.
A heartbreaking yowl came from Jabberwocky, who loped toward her baby. The young cried, moving toward its mom, leaping into her arms, nuzzling her face and neck. A purrlike noise escalated from both as they united.
My heart broke for her. Even if a moment ago, she was seconds away from killing me—it was hard to hate something that was just trying to protect her child. She endured the pain and agony of being kept apart and being used to fight in hopes of saving her young. No wonder she was willing to slaughter everything in sight. Any mother would.
“I am sorry for what you went through here.” Santa kept his eyes glued on Jabberwocky. “You are free.”
The beast huffed, keeping her cub close to her chest. She stood up, bowed her head at Claus, turned, and slipped into the forest behind, the vibrations of her footsteps gradually diminishing.
“How. Dare. You,” Jessica hissed. “How did you even get free? I spelled those chains.”
“A magical key.” Santa winked at me as I rose to my feet. “It unlocked much more than the chains on my wrists.”
The key. Holy shit. The Christmas fairies weren’t totally bonkers. They had sent me exactly what I needed. The key to free Santa. And it liberated him from more than just the binds physically around him. His magic had fully returned, no longer fighting with his demons or his fears. Santa Claus was back in the driver’s seat.
“Her? How did she free you? You were still chained when I took her away.”
“You have always underestimated the power of love. It liberates you from the chains inside. The ones really holding you back. I was the one stopping my own magic this whole time. Not you. Me. I began to doubt myself. Doubt what I meant to the world. I had a visit from a spirit, and I was shown what our future would be if I didn’t wake up. Change my ways. That I am much stronger than I thought myself capable of.”
“Oh wonderful.” Jessica folded her arms. “How I have not missed your psychological crap.”
“Again, I am sorry for how I hurt you.” Santa closed his eyes briefly. “But turning your hurt and rage for me onto others? Killing and destroying because you were mad at me? That I cannot forgive.”
“I wasn’t looking for your forgiveness,” she replied, anger bristling her shoulders. “I’ve had enough of this. Get him,” she ordered Blitzen.
Not a single muscle flexed on the Rambo-deer—a bug trapped in the glorious power that was Santa.
Lids narrowed, she glanced around, ready to order someone else to restrain him, but she found herself completely alone. Not one of her staff, even Pepper Mint or Everly Green, were left standing next to her, not one of her soldiers was still alive.
“I ordered you! You useless animal,” she shouted at Blitzen again.
He was in her face in a blink; his hand wrapped around her throat.
“I’m useless, huh? For decades I’ve been silent, knowing what I was working for. The end game. I may have worked with you, but let’s get this straight, I never worked for you. Your throat was next on my list after this was all over. You were just a means to an end for me too.”
She jerked in his hold, his wrath dripping off every word.
“Step back.” Rudy’s gun went to the back of Blitzen’s head. “The game has been played out, and you lost.”
“You say that now because Santa’s standing behind you.” Blitzen whipped around, the muzzle of the gun landing on his forehead. “B
ut we both know you are a feckless coward. Always was and always will be. Something Clarice realized about you… and soon she will too.” Blitzen nodded toward Vixen.
“I don’t feel killing, torturing, and bullying makes me a real reindeer. Only those lacking…” Rudy’s gaze dropped to Blitzen’s pants. “…feel the need to put others down to make themselves feel good.”
“If that’s what you want to believe.” Blitzen chuckled as Rudy grabbed him, shoving him to the entrance of the castle.
Santa stepped down, moving to his wife, his chin held high, looming over her figure.
“What are you going to do to me?” She folded her arms, her voice bored, but I could see sparks of panic flash in her eyes. “You wouldn’t kill me. Santa Claus couldn’t possibly do something so sinful.”
“No.” He shook his head. “I don’t have it in me to kill.”
A smug smile tugged at her mouth.
“What I have planned for you is far worse.” Nick’s attitude bloomed out, a glint in his eye. “You’ll be wishing I had just killed you, Jessie.”
“Like what?” she whispered.
“Somewhere you will be forever tortured by those you have murdered. Haunted by the lives you took.”
Her eyes widened in terror, her head shaking, understanding oozing from her pores. “No, you wouldn’t. Santa Claus is not capable of cruelty.”
“No, Santa’s not…” He winked. “But Nick sure is.”
Chapter 44
Death was strewn across the earth, but I kept my back to it as I stepped forward, following Santa, Rudy, Vixen, and Scrooge into the castle with the prisoners. I couldn’t look, my heart not ready to find the truth of who I would find among the dead.
“Hare, find who you can.” Scrooge dipped his head toward the field, not looking either.
“But-but…” Hare shook his head.
“Hare. Please. I need you here.” Scrooge’s voice dipped low, stopping Hare in his tracks. Scrooge didn’t mention Pen, Dum, and Dee, but they were written all over his face. The sorrow that awaited us, the people we lost. It was an unopened box. You knew something was in it, you just didn’t know how much grief was inside until you actually peered in. The silence from the garden hinted at the worst, only a few moans and cries.
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