Jack ignored the lavish interior and headed for the staircase at the end of the corridor. Dash and I followed after him, and we all crept through the house with silent footsteps. The yelling and chaos from the fighting in the square echoed around us, and through the broken windows, I caught glimpses of the conflict that still raged.
Magic lit up the battle as a host of different colored sparks of power blasted through the air. The light beings seemed to be effectively containing the dark beings to the square, but more of the dark creatures kept materializing in the sleigh point. We were far from safe in the house, and my body was tense as I tried to focus on following Jack.
He continued up the staircase, ascending two flights before we reached the top floor of the house. I glanced around nervously, knowing that the protectors had been basing themselves in the houses that surrounded the square. We’d already experienced their trigger-ready fingers when we’d nearly been shot with arrows upon arriving at the sleigh point. They didn’t seem to worry about whether the beings were light or dark. Their strategy appeared to be shoot first and don’t bother checking later, and I wasn’t particularly keen to come across any of the protectors at close quarters.
Jack led us through one of the rooms to a window that looked down upon the square. I sucked in a breath as I looked down at the devastation. The battle below ravaged the square, but it was the sheer number of dead bodies that shocked me the most. They littered the ground, and the once white snow was completely covered in blood.
The ancient tree that stood at the center of the square had been damaged as well. The outer branches were all singed with fire, and many of the long limbs had snapped and were hanging at awkward angles. I’d been so focused on survival when I’d been in the square that morning I hadn’t realized the death and destruction was nearly so bad.
“So, what are you planning?” I whispered to Jack. Despite the deafening noise of fighting in the square below us, I still didn’t feel comfortable speaking any louder.
“This,” Jack replied. He pushed out his hands, and magic buzzed down his fingertips before swirling out in front of him. Ice started to form on the edge of the window frame, and then the magic extended out into the air beyond. The threads of power swirled into the open air above the square, and the thick ice followed the magic in a smooth and narrow sheet. It curved up a little at the sides, and it was only as it started to descend into the square below, ending right at the entrance to the sleigh point, that I realized Jack had created some kind of icy slide.
“You want us to go down that?” I exclaimed, forgetting to lower my voice.
Jack grinned and nodded. “I thought it was rather genius, really.”
“Centuries bound to a prison has really affected your understanding of genius,” I replied. “Crazy is probably a better term.”
“That too,” Jack said, like I’d just paid him a compliment.
He didn’t wait for any approval before he climbed onto the windowsill. He sat on the edge of the slide and immediately pushed himself off. He let out a whoop and put his hands in the air as he slid down the sharp descent into the square. I still thought this was a really terrible idea.
“Ladies first,” Dash said, waving a hand toward the slide as he indicated for me to go next.
“Surely you’re not going on that?”
Dash shrugged. “Better this than trying to battle our way through the square.”
Jack was now standing at the bottom of the slide, having a blast as he defended his position from the attacks of nearby creatures. His magic swirled all around him as he hurled it toward any dark being that came close, instantly turning them into statues of ice.
“You would think that,” I grumbled back at Dash. “You can fly, so you won’t end up like a pancake on the ground if the ice breaks.”
Dash lifted an eyebrow at me. “The ice is thick, and it’s not going to break. Now, quit stalling and get on the slide, Clio.”
“No need to get your antlers in a tangle, I’m going,” I replied. I clambered onto the icy slide, and the cold shocked me from the moment I sat down on it. I couldn’t believe I was putting my trust in a slide of ice to get to the ground, but I supposed Dash was right, and it was better than fighting my way through the melee below.
“Clio…” Dash prompted when I still hadn’t moved.
I shot a scowl over my shoulder at him but then took a deep breath and let go of the window ledge, allowing myself to plummet down the slide. Wind pulled at my hair and made my eyes water as I quickly descended. I gritted my teeth the whole way down, and I was fairly certain I’d left my stomach back on the third floor of the building. Arrows and fireballs flew right past me, and my heart was racing as I sped down the slide.
The ground was coming in fast as I reached the end of the quick descent, and I flew off the slide, landing in a jumbled heap on the bloodied snow that covered the square. The peppermint smell of the sleigh point surrounded me, and Jack clapped as I slowly started to push myself back to my feet.
“I give that dismount four points,” he said. “You didn’t look nearly happy enough, and there was a serious lack of artistry in your form.” He stopped joking with me as he hurled another ball of blue magic at a dark being that came too near. Jack was already building an impressive collection of frozen statues around us, and he seemed to be enjoying himself immensely. He might not have been put in Incarceror for being a criminal, but the frost certainly fit the bill.
I looked over my shoulder at Dash as he descended the slide. He was almost to the bottom when a flicker of light caught the corner of my vision. I turned just in time to see a huge ball of fire heading straight for him. I didn’t hesitate as I threw my own magic at the object. It was moving fast, but my powers were quicker as I tracked the projectile and summoned it to me. The ball of fire disappeared from the air above the slide before it reappeared in a golden swirl of magic and hovered over my hands. I could feel the intense heat of the ball against my skin, and I knew I needed to get rid of it fast.
I caught sight of a panther attacking a light elf nearby, pinning it to the ground, about to deliver a killer blow. With one huge effort, I flung the ball toward the shifter. My magic guided the flaming projectile through the air, and it slammed into the huge panther, sending the creature hurtling off the elf.
Dash landed on the ground beside me, looking far more graceful than I had as he came off the slide.
“You get a six,” Jack said, tapping his chin as he assessed Dash’s dismount.
“Less scoring and more getting out of here,” I said when Dash gave Jack a questioning look.
Dash nodded and reached out a hand to touch the two of us. With a jerk of magic, we were transported away from the Northern Realm and appeared moments later under a dark and starlit sky. Complete silence welcomed us, and I let out a breath now that I knew we were safe.
I looked around at the sleigh point we’d arrived at. We were back in the Australian desert, but it was impossible to see the red dirt as the blue sky I remembered from our last visit was nowhere to be seen. It was pitch-black except for the lights of Merik’s bar that I could see a short distance away. The neon sign that hung above the door was lit up, and there were several cars parked outside that hadn’t been there last time we visited.
“Well, this is a change in scenery,” Jack said, as he scanned our new location. “The North Pole was far more fun though. Are you sure you guys don’t want to go back?”
“Quite sure,” I replied. I’d avoided that place for years, and now I only felt I had more reason to stay as far away from it as possible. I might have grown up training for battle, but I wasn’t really much of a fighter anymore.
Dash started making his way toward the bar, and Jack and I followed him. I hadn’t thought too much about Dash’s suggestion of getting Merik to show us the way to the South Pole, but now that we were here, I was reconsidering it. Merik was a half-caste dark elf and wanted nothing to do with his homeland. It had taken a lot of convincing be
fore he agreed to take us to a sleigh point outside the barrier of the Southern Realm the last time we’d visited him. I could hardly imagine he’d jump at the opportunity to go into the heart of the land he hated so much.
The sounds of talking and music could be heard as we approached the rusted shack Merik liked to call a bar. When we opened the front door, I was surprised to find that the place was packed with people. The bar wasn’t big, so it didn’t take much to fill out the room, but there must have been at least twenty humans inside. How Merik managed to get so many people to visit his shack in the middle of nowhere was beyond me.
A cheer spread around the room as we entered, and every human eye turned to look at us.
“Fresh meat!” one of the revelers called, lifting his beer in salute to us.
“How’s it going?” several of the men closest to the door said in greeting.
I looked around, feeling unsettled by the reception. I couldn’t see Merik anywhere and, despite the fact we were strangers, it seemed like the humans were happy to see us. They were looking at us like we were old friends, and that just didn’t happen in the bars I was used to.
“Dash! Clio! You survived!” Merik exclaimed, as he walked into the room and spotted us through the crowd. His face lit up in a grin as he closed the distance between us. “I honestly thought I might not see you guys again. I hope you’re here for that drink I offered.”
Dash looked like he wanted to object, but with so many humans around, he could hardly start talking about the South Pole.
“Yeah, the beer sounded so good we couldn’t resist,” I said before Dash got a chance.
Merik smiled in reply. “Who’s your mate?” he asked, nodding at Jack, who had picked up someone else’s beer from a table and was eyeing it curiously.
“That’s Jack,” Dash said.
Merik looked the frost up and down, and from the way his eyes swept over him, it was clear Merik knew Jack wasn’t a regular kind of magical being.
“Come on, I’ll pour you all a pint,” Merik said, slowly pulling his gaze away from Jack. “I want to hear how your adventures went.”
We followed Merik over to the small bar in the corner of the room, having to edge our way through the bodies that were crowded nearby as they waited to get a drink. There might have only been around twenty humans in the bar, but it seemed like a lot because the place was so small and there was almost no room to move. A few of the humans continued to watch us as we followed Merik, but thankfully, most of them had already lost interest and turned back to their beers.
“You certainly get quite the crowd in here,” I said as Merik went to start pouring the beers out of the tap.
Merik shrugged. “I’m the only bar within a hundred-kilometer radius,” he said. “And it’s a Friday night, so it’s a little busier than normal. How’d your trip go?”
Dash let out a long breath before he responded. “We got what we were after.”
Merik frowned down at the beer he was pouring. “Why don’t you sound happy about it?”
“Probably because these two unleashed all hell when they returned with it,” Jack said as he caught up with us. The crease on Merik’s forehead grew more pronounced as he placed the beer on the bar. Jack immediately grinned and picked it up, ignoring the concerned look Merik was giving him. The glass frosted over as his hands clamped around it, and he lifted the beer up into the air. “This looks great. Cheers,” Jack said before he started to curiously sip at the beer.
“What’s he talking about?” Merik asked, his eyes darting between Dash and I.
“We can’t really talk about it here,” Dash said, nodding toward all the humans in the bar. “But, unfortunately, we’re not here for the beer. We need your help again.”
Merik’s shoulders slouched, and he was shaking his head as he looked down at the beer he was pouring. “Why do I get the feeling I’m not going to like this?”
“Probably because you won’t,” Dash replied.
Merik nodded and started drinking the beer in his hand. He didn’t come up for air again until he’d downed the entire pint. He placed the empty glass back on the bar with a heavy thump. “I’m probably going to need at least five more of those before I’m ready to hear what you’ve got to say.”
“I don’t blame you,” I murmured, earning a warning look from Dash.
“Are you free to talk now?” Dash asked as he focused on Merik once more.
Merik’s attention had turned to the crowd of humans behind us though. “I’ve got to keep an eye on the bar. You guys make yourselves at home, and we can chat once most of the crowd has cleared out.” His voice had turned serious, and the ease he’d greeted us with was long gone.
“I appreciate it,” Dash said.
A human man waved his hand at Merik as he tried to order a drink. Merik gave Dash a nod before he walked over to the customer, and the three of us stepped back from the bar, letting him get back to his job. Dash pointed at a free table on the far side of the room, and Jack and I followed him over to it. It might be a while before we got a chance to talk with Merik, who no longer seemed quite so happy to see us. He’d been adamant about never returning to the Southern Realm the last time we saw him. I just hoped that we could change his mind.
Chapter Five
Jack was drunk—and not just a little bit. He was slurring and swearing like he was a pirate as he made tiny ice sculptures on our table. It wouldn’t have been such a problem except for the fact we were surrounded by humans and he was openly using his powers. Oh, and there was also the minor problem where we needed to get to the Southern Realm to try to stop Belsnickel from obtaining the final Christmas star.
“You’ve had three pints, Jack. Three,” I said. “How can you be so drunk?”
“I like the beer,” Jack slurred, seemingly ignoring my question. He proceeded to make another ice sculpture. It was a remarkable likeness of me, and he had even given it a disapproving expression that was identical to the one I currently had plastered across my face.
“Very clever, now would you stop that?” I asked, picking up the ice sculpture and dunking it into his drink to try to conceal it.
Jack giggled. It was probably the most unnerving sound I’d ever heard come from his mouth. An ancient being should never giggle.
“I miss the snow,” Jack said. “Should I make it snow?” He lifted a hand up, and power crackled over his fingers. I quickly grabbed hold of his hand and pulled it down before he could unleash his magic. His fingers felt like ice and made a shiver run down my spine.
“No, you should not make it snow!” Jack was like a three-year-old, and I couldn’t risk taking my eyes off him for one second.
“Dash,” I hissed. The reindeer was sitting back in his chair and staring up at the ceiling, completely ignoring what was going on right in front of him.
Dash glanced down at me. “What is it?” he asked.
“Well, I understand that you’re really busy and all, but I’m afraid our frosty friend is getting out of hand.”
Dash turned his gaze on Jack, who was now making miniature snowmen on the table.
“Why don’t you take him outside?” Dash suggested. “I can wait and speak with Merik alone.”
The bar was still full and didn’t look like it would be slowing down anytime soon. “Why don’t you take him?” I countered. I was already having a hard enough time trying to babysit the frost.
“Because Merik will listen to me, and you seem to be doing a great job looking after Jack.”
I was hardly looking after him, but Dash was right about Merik. “Fine,” I grumbled. “But you totally owe me.”
“I do, do I?”
“Yes,” I said, standing from my chair. “And if Jack turns the desert into a snow dome while I’m out there, I’m not to blame.”
I took Jack by the hand and led him from the bar. The frost brought his drink with him but kept glancing over his shoulder like he didn’t want to leave.
“Why are we out here?” J
ack asked once we were outside.
“Because you’re making a spectacle of yourself. You can’t use your magic in front of humans.”
“Why not?”
“Because you just can’t!” I exclaimed.
“Spoilsport,” Jack grumbled. His hands lit up with magic again, and small flurries of snow started to float from his hand onto the red dirt. The snow came in faster and harder as he continued to allow his magic to flow onto the ground. It built up around him, creating a large mound of snow, before it started to morph into the shape of an icy chair. Once the chair was complete, Jack’s magic winked out of existence, and he slumped into it with a big huff.
I glanced over my shoulder, to make certain no humans were watching, before I summoned a chair of my own. It appeared in a swirl of golden magic, and I lowered myself into it. I wasn’t sure how long Dash would be in the bar, but it was still packed when we left, so he could be a while.
Jack’s head tilted to the side as he started to nod off. He was taking deep breaths in and out, so I knew he was asleep. It was quiet in the desert with only the soft hubbub of the bar behind us, but I enjoyed sitting back and looking up at the stars. It was usually so cloudy in England that it wasn’t often I got to admire the night’s sky.
We sat for at least an hour before I decided to summon myself a mince pie to eat. For some reason, the ones I summoned were never the same as the ones I got in the Northern Realm, but they weren’t too bad.
Jack screwed his nose up and opened one eye to scowl at me. “I don’t like the smell of your magic,” he said.
I shrugged and took a bite of the fruity pie. “I don’t particularly like the look of your face, but you don’t hear me complaining.”
“My face is beautiful,” Jack replied as he stretched and sat up straight. His eyes were clear and sober now, so I was guessing he was no longer feeling the effects of the alcohol. “And you clearly have no taste. You probably like large, dark-haired shifters…”
Christmas Curse (Christmas Magic Book 3) Page 4
