I rolled my eyes at him, deciding not to give him a response. Large, dark-haired shifters were exactly my type—well, at least one of them was—and Jack definitely didn’t need to know that. Neither did the shifter. Especially since Dash hadn’t so much as looked like he wanted to kiss me again after it happened in the Southern Realm.
I let out a breath, pushing thoughts of Dash from my mind. Instead, I focused on what Jack had said about how my magic smelled. He’d once told me that it didn’t smell the same as other clauses, and I suddenly wondered if that was why he didn’t like it. As I stared up at the endless night’s sky, my mind buzzed with the questions and uncertainties I had about myself and my powers.
After I’d healed Roan in the Dead Lands using powers I shouldn’t have, I’d begun to question everything I thought I knew about myself. I’d always known I was slightly different from other clauses, because I could use magic out of season, but I was beginning to realize that I was more different than I ever would have imagined, and I couldn’t keep pretending I was normal.
Jack certainly seemed to know I wasn’t a regular claus and, as I glanced down from the sky to look at him, I wondered if he knew the truth about why my powers were different. He was the only one who could smell I wasn’t a normal claus, and he’d hinted before that he could tell me the truth about why. The real question was: was I ready for the truth?
My hands started twisting nervously on my lap as I focused fully on the frost sat across from me. “Jack, when we were escaping Incarceror, you said I could trust you. That you knew the truth about me and could give me the answers I needed…” My voice was hesitant and uncertain. Even saying the words aloud, I still wasn’t sure if I was ready for his response.
Jack perked up and seemed more awake as he returned my stare. “I was wondering when you might bring that up.”
I’d been considering what he’d said ever since we’d left the prison. I hadn’t been alone with the frost until now though, and it wasn’t the kind of thing I could talk about in front of anyone else. I let out a breath before I continued. “Jack, what do you know about me?”
“You’re different to other clauses,” he said.
“But, I am a claus, right?” I’d been dwelling on the question ever since Roan had seen my strange powers and suggested that might not be true.
“You are,” he agreed. “But you’re also more than that.”
“What does that even mean?” I asked.
Jack let out a sigh and rubbed his face. “Part of your power smells like the magic of Incarceror, which means you must only be part claus.”
I shook my head, still not sure what he was getting at. “That doesn’t make sense.”
Jack let out another long breath and looked up at me like he wasn’t sure how to word what he was about to say. “Your magic has the rich smell of old magic,” he said. “The prison was made by gods and bound by the Christmas star, which was infused with their power.”
I shook my head again. “Jack, what are you suggesting?”
“I’m suggesting that your magic smells like a claus’s, but it also smells like a god’s...”
I swallowed and looked away from him as I tried to wrap my head around what he was saying. It was too much to take in all at once though, and I wanted to laugh at his explanation. He seemed so serious though, and Jack was rarely serious. All I could think was that there was no way I could have any of the gods’ magic in me.
“That’s not possible,” I finally said. “My parents were both clauses.”
“You sure about that?” Jack asked.
“Of course, I am,” I replied. “I think I would know if they weren’t. I’ve smelled my mom’s magic a million times before, and there was no hint of anything more than claus magic in her.”
“And your father?” Jack prompted.
I fell silent at the question. My father died when I was a baby, so I couldn’t say the same about him. There was no way he could have been a god though. My mother would have told me, and I refused to believe that she would lie about something so important.
“You smell just like the other young ones who were fathered by a god,” Jack continued.
“You’ve called me that before,” I murmured.
“Yes, because it’s the name given for the children of gods.”
I felt the blood rush from my skin. Adara had also called me a young one. Could that really be a coincidence?
I kept waiting for Jack’s face to light up in a smile and for him to tell me he was only joking. But his eyes were so intense as he looked at me, and there was no sign that his trademark grin was about to spread across his lips. “You’re serious, aren’t you?”
Jack nodded. “For once, I believe I am. It’s dreadfully hard work though.”
I pushed a hand through my hair and looked back up at the stars, wondering if what Jack believed could be true. Could my father have really been a god? How was that possible? And why wouldn’t my mom have said something? Was that why she was so protective of me for all those years? Was that why we hid from the Northern Realm for most of my life?
I didn’t want to believe it was true, and I didn’t want to believe that my mother would keep something so important from me my whole life. I shook my head one final time as I looked at Jack.
“You’re wrong,” I said. There had to be another explanation. There just had to be.
Jack shrugged. “Well, you can’t say I didn’t try. There’s a whole lot of sand out here, so be my guest if you want to bury your head in it.”
“Very funny,” I replied.
The neon sign above the door of the bar flickered off, plunging the area into darkness. I glanced over my shoulder and saw the last few stragglers from the bar making their way out to their cars. “I guess it’s closing time.”
“Finally,” Jack grumbled.
The two of us watched as Dash and Merik eventually emerged from the darkened bar. They walked toward us silently, and I could almost sense Merik’s nerves as they approached.
“So, will you help us?” I asked Merik, as he and Dash came to stand before us.
Merik flicked Dash a nervous look. “I haven’t exactly been given much choice,” he replied before focusing on me again. “I told Dash I’ll take you to a sleigh point close to the South Pole. There’s one inside the city, but I’m not taking that risk.”
I nodded. That seemed fair enough. Ideally, Merik would have taken us to the city, but I could understand why he didn’t want to. He may have only been half elf, but that didn’t stop krampus persuasion from working on him. He could lose all free will in the blink of an eye. And when the South Pole was a known hot spot for dark creatures, I could see why he was worried.
“Thanks, Merik,” I said.
“Yeah, well, don’t thank me yet,” he said. “You’re not going to be happy when you see where you’re going…”
Chapter Six
The cold hit me the moment we arrived at the sleigh point. While the North Pole was also cold, it was nothing compared to the icy breeze that cut through my clothes as we arrived in the Southern Realm. Merik wasn’t kidding when he said we weren’t going to like where he was taking us. We were high up on a rocky cliff face with no protection from the icy breeze that whipped around us and pulled at my clothes and hair.
Just like the last time I was in the Southern Realm, I could almost sense a consciousness on the breeze. It seemed curious at our appearance, but its interest appeared mostly focused on Jack who was getting buffeted more violently than Dash or me.
From where we stood, I could see far into the distance. The sky was covered in clouds, and there was a long drop over the edge of the cliff to a dark forest that spread across the valley far below. The thick canopy of leaves extended away from the mountain as far as the horizon.
I turned and looked upward. The mountain continued high above us, but the peak was shrouded in wisps of cloud. I could just make out the flicker of small lights glowing through the fog, and I knew in my gut
they were coming from the South Pole.
I didn’t like that we’d arrived in the darkness. Many dark beings were nocturnal, so I felt like it would have been far safer to come during the day. Merik seemed to be thinking the same thing because he was nervously looking around the small clearing we’d arrived in, and his body was rigid. He had one foot in the sleigh point like he was readying himself to disappear at a moment’s notice.
“That’s the way to the South Pole,” Merik said, pointing toward a narrow path that appeared to wind its way around the edge of the rocks. “The city is walled with no entrance in or out of it, aside from the sleigh point within, but I’m sure you’ll be able to find some way to get inside.”
“Thanks, Merik,” Dash said.
Merik’s lips formed a hard line in response. “You can thank me by never asking me to help you out again. I think we’re more than even now, Dash.”
“We are,” Dash agreed.
Merik nodded before he turned and disappeared in a swirl of green magic. I was certain that he was transporting back to his dingy bar, and I felt slightly jealous. The middle of the desert seemed a more appealing option than the side of a treacherous mountain, right beneath the center of the dark beings’ world.
“Well, I don’t know about you guys, but this place makes me feel right at home,” Jack said, his eyes bright as he looked up at the snow-covered peak. Meanwhile, I was starting to shiver, and I proceeded to summon myself a thick jacket. I didn’t normally notice the cold, but even I was affected by it here.
“Of course, it does,” I told Jack, as I put my coat on. “Are you warm enough, Dash?”
He nodded in response. He was only wearing a fitted T-shirt and jeans, and yet I couldn’t see so much as a goose bump raised on his skin. I guess reindeers ran a whole lot hotter than clauses did.
“We should get a move on,” Dash said. He took the lead and started up the path Merik had shown us. I followed directly behind him with Jack bringing up the rear. The frost was humming under his breath as we walked, and he seemed ecstatic to have arrived in such a cold and harsh environment.
The way up the mountain was steep, and the trail was little more than a goat’s track. There was a sheer drop over one edge of the narrow path, and I had to try really hard not to look down. The South Pole hadn’t seemed too far above us at first, but now that we were moving, it felt like we’d be trekking for hours to even get close to it. My legs were already tight and tired, and yet we’d barely started our journey to reach the city.
I was silent as we walked. It was partially due to the discomfort I was experiencing from our hike, but mostly, it was because I kept thinking about the conversation I’d had with Jack outside Merik’s bar. Despite what I had told him, I wasn’t sure what to believe about my heritage. My powers were different from regular clauses, and I had to wonder if his theory was correct. It would definitely help explain why I had magic throughout the year. If I had some godly powers within me, perhaps I wasn’t subject to the Christmas curse.
“You seem quiet,” Dash said to me as we walked.
I shrugged. “Just worrying about what’s ahead of us, I guess.” I didn’t like lying, but I wasn’t ready to repeat what Jack had told me. Not until I knew if it was true.
“How do you think we’ll manage to get an audience with the dark queen?” I asked.
“Same way we got an audience with the light royals,” Jack replied. “We force our way in.”
I frowned in response. “I’m not sure freezing or fighting every guard we come across is the best way to reach her,” I said.
“No,” Dash agreed. “We’ll find another way to get to her, but we’ll need to see what we’re up against first. Don’t worry though, Clio, we won’t be battling our way in.” Dash gave Jack a hard look to reinforce his words.
“None of you are any fun,” Jack muttered though I couldn’t have felt more relieved. I didn’t want anyone to get hurt even if they were dark beings.
We all fell silent as the route became steeper. I was struggling to catch my breath and even began to think that Vixen would have been a much better choice for the mission than me. I could just imagine her leaping up the mountain like it was nothing.
Dash only slowed down when the tall walls of the South Pole reared up ahead of us. Unlike the North Pole, the whole city was bordered with an imposing wall. The high peak rose up from the center of the city, and I could see lights from the town and castle wrapping around the summit of the mountain. There was movement atop the walls, so I knew the place was guarded. I could see no sign of any gateway to enter the city though. Merik was right; the city appeared to be completely sealed off.
“So, how do we get past the walls?” I asked.
“More like, how do we do it and remain unseen,” Dash replied. “It shouldn’t be too difficult to get over the wall, but I’m not sure how we can manage it without alerting the guards.”
I chewed on my lower lip as I considered the obstacle. Mist hovered over the open stretch of ground that separated us from the wall, and the visibility was poor but not so bad that we would be obscured from view. If the clouds were a little thicker though, it might just work in our favor.
“How do you feel about using your magic to create us a little snowstorm?” I asked Jack, who started smiling at the prospect.
“Do you even need to ask?” he replied. He stretched out his hands before him and cricked his neck as his light-blue magic lit up his palms. Jack’s power was only visible for a brief second before thick clouds appeared over his hands and started cloaking his magic from view. The clouds became darker and larger as they began to roll outward, expanding from small wisps into huge, bulbous puffs that quickly enveloped Dash and I.
I couldn’t see anything in the dense fog that surrounded us, and I let out a small gasp when Dash moved in close beside me so that our arms were pressed against each other. “Stay close,” Dash murmured.
I nodded in response, not that Dash could see. Jack’s magic continued to flow around us, and I was glad I wasn’t standing alone.
Jack’s clouds then began to ascend, drawing upward as they spread out above our heads. I could see a little better now, but then small flurries of snow started to fill the air. They lightly fluttered around us and settled on my jacket and hair as they fell from the sky.
It wasn’t long before the flurries became large pellets of snow that showered downward, shrouding the wall ahead of us from view. The wind picked up, and the snow started falling at a slant, growing heavier every second.
Jack’s face was lit up with joy as he relished in the storm he was creating. He was still feeding his magic into the air, and I began to worry he was going to take it too far.
“I think that’s strong enough!” Dash shouted to Jack, trying to be heard over the wind. Like me, he was bracing his body against the snowstorm. We’d soon have to find cover to protect ourselves.
“Are you sure?” Jack asked. “I can go harder.” Not a fleck of snow was settling on his body. His hair was being ruffled by the wind, but it was almost like a bubble had formed around him, and he remained almost entirely untouched by the storm he’d created.
“I’m sure,” Dash replied. “This will work.”
Jack nodded and lowered his hands. His bright magic disappeared and left the small area around him dark. Despite the fact Jack was no longer feeding the storm with his powers, it still continued to rage around us. As we made our way closer to the wall, Dash and I struggled with every step as we fought against the wind, but Jack was practically skipping toward the South Pole.
When we finally reached the stone wall that shot into the sky high above us, I exhaled with relief. I’d been worried that we’d get lost in the storm. It had grown so heavy that I could no longer make out the top of the wall and could barely see more than two feet in front of me.
“So, what now?” I asked. We’d reached the wall but were no closer to getting past it.
“If you summon us a rope ladder, I’ll f
ly it to the top of the wall so you can both climb over,” Dash said.
I shook my head though. “You barely managed to fly in Incarceror, are you sure you can do it now?”
“It’s not that far to fly,” Dash said. “And it was only a struggle because we were falling so fast and I had to carry your added weight. It’s close enough to Christmas now that I should be fine.”
I pursed my lips as I glanced up toward the top of the wall. I couldn’t see it because of the snow that fell above us, but I still wasn’t sure that Dash would make it.
“I think I know my own abilities, Clio,” Dash added when I was still hesitating.
“Fine,” I said with a nod. I trusted Dash, and if he thought he could do it, then I believed him. Sending out my magic, I summoned a long ladder made of rope into my hands. Dash, meanwhile, began to shift into his reindeer form. The scent of his magic was strong, and I was tempted to step closer to him as he shifted so I could smell it better. I really liked the hint of cinnamon I could smell when he used his powers.
As his magic dispersed, his reindeer form appeared, and I found myself a little in awe. I’d never really taken the time to appreciate what a large and beautiful reindeer he was. His antlers were huge and majestic, and his eyes were still the same shade of amber as when he was human. Dash tilted his head as he looked at me and caught me staring.
“Right, the ladder,” I said, quickly moving forward and placing it over his back.
Dash leaped into the air once the ladder was in place, and his magic swirled around his feet as he slowly started to rise. I chewed on my lower lip as I watched him, hoping that he’d be safe once he reached the top of the walls. There was no telling how many guards manned it, and I really hoped they didn’t catch him.
Dash disappeared into the blizzard, and my stomach tensed as I waited for the rope ladder to appear. The minutes stretched out, and I tapped my frozen fingers restlessly against my arm as I stared into the dense fog that covered the wall. I wasn’t sure what we would do if the guards caught Dash. We didn’t exactly have a plan B, but we’d have to work one out fairly quickly if the ladder didn’t appear soon.
Christmas Curse (Christmas Magic Book 3) Page 5
