Desmond didn’t have much of a choice as Jack tugged him through the entrance hall toward the large doors that led outside. Dash and I followed closely after the two of them, and my palms grew sweaty as I wondered how Jack intended to explain to the elf how the new sleigh point came into existence. I really hoped he wasn’t going to reveal my part in its creation.
We walked down the grand staircase out the front of the castle and headed toward the large water feature that was still frozen after Jack’s last visit. As I neared the sleigh point, a waft of peppermint magic greeted me. But there was also another subtle scent that was distinctly like my own. It was almost like I’d magically branded the sleigh point with my power when I created it.
“This certainly wasn’t here when I was last at the castle,” Desmond said, awe and confusion making his voice soft as he stared at the sleigh point.
“Nope,” Jack replied with a smug grin on his face. “Great, isn’t it.”
Desmond was opening and closing his mouth, a little like a blowfish, unable to comprehend the sleigh point’s sudden appearance.
“It’s better if you don’t overthink it,” Jack said, giving him a rough pat on the shoulder. “Now, Kuttura, did you say?”
Desmond nodded, but he was still wide-eyed and staring at the sleigh point like he’d seen a ghost. “How is this possible?” he asked.
“I guess it was magic,” Jack replied with a wink.
Desmond frowned at him, but Jack dragged the elf along to the sleigh point before he got a chance to argue. “Come on, Des, we haven’t got time for questions. Let’s get this show on the road. I’m sure you can ask your pal, the queen, all about the new sleigh point on her front doorstep when you get back. You are an expert in these things, after all. If anyone can figure it out, I’m sure it’s you.”
“Yes, I suppose so,” Desmond said. “I do know more than anyone about sleigh points.”
The elf was insufferable, and I would be glad once we were rid of him. All you needed to do to get him on your side was throw a few compliments his way.
Desmond stepped into the sleigh point and motioned for us all to join him. “If you could each place a hand on my shoulder, please, I’ll have us in Lapland before you can say hei.”
Jack rolled his eyes and winked at me before he reached out and touched Desmond’s shoulder. Dash and I followed his lead. Light-green magic rose up around us, and with a swift tug, we disappeared from the castle grounds.
Chapter Eleven
I opened my eyes to darkness. We’d arrived in a dense and shadowy forest, and it took several moments for my senses to adjust to the lack of light. I slowly turned on the spot as I tried to get my bearings. The trees and ground were covered in snow, and there was no sign of any village nearby. It was night, but the moon was out, and it reflected off the snowy ground, so at least I could be thankful it wasn’t completely pitch-black.
“Welcome to Kuttura,” Desmond announced, waving a hand at the forest. He looked extremely pleased with himself, but I felt as though we could have been anywhere.
“You said there was a village,” Dash responded, turning his head to look through the trees.
“There is,” Desmond replied. “Well, at least, there should be somewhere around here. Don’t ask me which way it is though. I’ve only ever seen pictures of this sleigh point before.”
“So you’ve never been here?” I asked.
Desmond scoffed. “I memorize the sleigh point locations from pictures. I don’t actually visit them.” He made it sound like I’d just suggested the most ludicrous thing he’d ever heard. “Besides, I don’t believe it’s the village you are after. The coordinates themselves are somewhere in the forest.”
“Well, that’s super helpful,” I said.
Desmond beamed like I’d just paid him a compliment. Clearly, he didn’t get sarcasm. “Well, I best be getting back. I’m sure the queen will wish to speak with me about the new sleigh point.”
I imagined the queen had far more pressing things to do than to talk with Desmond, but I smiled politely and nodded, if only so he would leave quicker.
“Thank you for your help,” Dash said.
Desmond puffed out his chest once more. “Anything for our queen,” he replied before disappearing through the sleigh point once more. The green magic briefly lit up the forest around us before we were plunged back into darkness.
“There just aren’t enough Desmonds in the world, don’t you think?” Jack said, as he stared at the place where the elf had just been standing.
“People named Desmond or people like Desmond?” I asked.
“Both,” Jack replied. “It’s not often I get to be in the presence of someone who truly does not believe they have any faults. It’s refreshing.”
I shook my head at the frost, uncertain whether he was joking or being serious. Knowing Jack, he was probably serious. He had a very strange way of looking at life.
“So, any idea which way we need to go?” Jack asked.
Dash began pulling a map from his back pocket, but I suddenly thought of a much faster way to find the location we needed. My golden magic sparkled along my fingertips as I summoned a handheld GPS. I smiled as it appeared and wiggled it in front of Dash and Jack so they both could see.
“Brilliant,” Dash said, tucking the map back in his pocket and giving me a smile as he walked up behind me.
I punched in the coordinates we needed, and the device lit up as a digital map appeared. “It looks like the location we’re after is about an hour’s walk from here,” I said, looking up from the bright screen to Jack and Dash. I didn’t like the idea of walking through a cold and dark forest for an hour, but at least it wasn’t farther.
I slid my fingers over the screen, making the view zoom out so I could see more of the map. We were truly in the middle of nowhere, and it made me wonder what exactly we were headed toward.
I didn’t believe for one second that the star would simply be waiting for us when we reached the coordinates. It would undoubtedly be protected in some way, but I had no idea how. When I thought of the trauma I went through to obtain the second star, I had to push down a shudder. I really hoped I wasn’t about to face the kind of challenge I met at the palace ruins in the Dead Lands.
“Well, we better get walking then,” Jack said, waving a hand for me to take the lead.
The snow in the forest was fresh and so deep that it was difficult to walk through. It came up almost as high in my knees in places, which slowed our progress. It was cold, and I was grateful I still had the jacket I had summoned myself in the Southern Realm. I pulled it in close around me as I walked but found that I started to work up a sweat as I struggled to trudge through the snow.
“Do you want me to shift?” Dash asked when he saw how much I was laboring. “You could ride on my back. It would be no trouble.”
I shook my head though, uncomfortable with the idea. We needed Dash to preserve his strength, especially considering we had no idea what we would come up against when we reached our destination.
Jack seemed to be enjoying showing off as he walked. He was completely in his element, and with each step, he looked to be floating across the top layer of the snow. I could see tiny spurts of magic under his feet as he moved, and I hoped he wasn’t using up all of his power.
“How much further have we got to go?” Dash asked when we’d been trekking for almost an hour. We weren’t making progress as quickly as I’d hoped, and our target still seemed impossibly far away.
“It’s still a way off,” I said, taking a moment to pause and catch my breath. Dash stopped with me and crossed his arms over his chest as he looked at me with disapproval.
“Clio, I know how much you’re struggling. Why won’t you let me help you?” he asked.
“I don’t want you tiring yourself.”
“I already told you, it’s no trouble, and the way you’re going, you’ll be completely exhausted by the time we get there. I’m not the only one who has to reser
ve my energy. We need you. And besides, your legs are far shorter than mine.”
“That is true,” I replied. “Okay, fine, you can carry me. But only for a bit.”
Dash shot me a grin before he started undressing so he could shift.
“Oh, so you don’t always just tear through your clothes and expect me to summon you some new ones?”
“Not usually, no,” he replied. He didn’t seem at all bothered that I was watching him undress; I, on the other hand, grew a little flustered and quickly turned away as he took his pants off.
I sensed his magic stir behind me and turned to see his reindeer form had appeared. It still left me slightly speechless whenever I saw Dash after he shifted. He had such a strong and commanding presence as a human, and it was no different when he was a reindeer. He was a beautiful creature, and I felt a little in awe of him—not that I’d ever admit it aloud.
I reached down and picked up his clothes for him, and he tilted his head toward his back, gesturing for me to get on. I felt awkward clambering on top of him. It wasn’t exactly easy without a saddle. I tried to imagine the look on his face if I summoned him one and snorted. He turned his head at the sound, and I shook my head.
“Sorry, just trying to imagine how you’d react if I put a saddle on you
Dash grunted as he exhaled in response, which made me smile. I patted him on the back, reassuringly. “It’s okay, I wont do it.” The thought sure was tempting though.
We made much quicker time now that I was on Dash’s back. Plowing through the heavy snow seemed effortless for him, and it was far easier for me to keep an eye on the GPS and direct him where to go.
The three of us slowed when we finally neared the coordinates, and I slid down from Dash’s back. He immediately shifted back into his human form and put on his clothes before we continued.
“Do you guys see that?” I murmured as we walked. It was still so dark in the trees, but I could just about make out a light up ahead. I glanced down at the GPS and it indicated that we were practically on top of the small dot that denoted our destination.
Dash and Jack were both nodding when I looked up at them. “That must be where the Christmas star is,” Dash said.
A trickle of nerves ran through me at the thought. The Christmas stars were such powerful objects, and the thought of going near another one filled me with fear. Of all the stars, the third one affected light beings and dark the most, and I suspected it would be the most powerful Christmas star of them all.
My heart was racing as we continued forward, and I wondered what obstacles would lie between the star and us. I’d nearly died trying to retrieve the second Christmas star, and I seriously hoped I wasn’t going to be risking my life again.
The trees thinned as we crept closer to our destination, and I came to a sudden halt when it was finally revealed up ahead. A large log cabin stood in the clearing before us. Snow coated the roof, and smoke was billowing from the chimney. There were fairy lights, similar to the multi-colored ones humans used, hung across the front porch and soft light could be seen peeking through the gaps in the curtains that hung across the windows. There was a welcoming, homey atmosphere about the place, and, given how the lights were on, I got the feeling that whoever the cabin belonged to was home.
“Do you think someone lives here?” I whispered.
“Looks like it,” Dash replied as he came to a stop beside me.
“So, what do we do?” I asked. “Do we just knock on the front door?”
“That’s a great suggestion, Clio, why don’t you go do that?” Jack said.
I couldn’t tell if he was being serious or sarcastic, and when I turned to look at him, he nodded at me eagerly, like he really thought I should go.
“Clio and I will go in through the front door,” Dash said, ignoring Jack’s suggestion. “Jack, why don’t you go around the back and see if there’s another entrance. If there’s a problem, I want to make sure we’ve got some serious firepower for back up. Well, ice power,” he added, as he looked at the frost.
Jack nodded. “I am great backup,” he agreed. “If I find a way in through the back, I’ll meet you in there; if not, I’ll come back around the front and follow after you.”
“Sounds like a plan,” I said.
“Just be careful,” Dash said, looking between the two of us. “We have no idea who or what is inside the cabin. I want both of you to be ready for anything.”
I swallowed nervously and Jack gave an affirmative nod. The frost then turned and disappeared back into the forest as he began to work his way around the outside of the small clearing to get to the back of the cabin.
“You sure about this?” I murmured once Jack was gone.
“About as sure as I can be,” Dash replied. “Let’s go.”
Chapter Twelve
We crept across the clearing toward the cabin, leaving a trail of footprints behind us in the snow. There weren’t any other tracks around the cabin, so it didn’t seem as if anyone had come or gone from there in a while. The snow on the ground was fresh though, so it was difficult to tell.
A bad feeling settled in my stomach as we drew closer to the front door. Something about the whole situation felt off to me. I wasn’t sure if it was the fact we were getting closer to the Christmas star that had me on edge, but the place looked too inviting. The cute cabin and festive lights were straight out of one of the horror movies Alfie was obsessed with. There was also a stale scent in the air that I kept catching tiny whiffs of. It was probably nothing, but something about the smell made my heart beat a little faster.
I just wished I knew what we were walking into. After the shocks I’d experienced in the Dead Lands palace, I knew all too well how securely the Christmas stars were guarded. I really hoped we weren’t about to face something equally as terrible.
I lifted my hand to knock on the door when we reached it, but Dash grabbed hold of my wrist to stop me. He gave me one of his most disapproving frowns. “I thought you were joking about knocking. We’re not announcing our arrival,” he hissed at me.
“Oh,” I whispered as I lowered my hand back to my side.
Dash shook his head before he reached out a hand toward the door handle. His fingers had barely brushed against the burnished golden knob when the door cracked open a slither and slowly started to creak open.
Dash and I both froze as we watched it open. There was no one standing in the doorway, but that didn’t settle my racing heart. The door had opened without being touched, and I couldn’t dismiss the feeling that whoever lived in the cabin knew we were here.
“Well, I guess we’ve come this far,” I murmured to Dash before I stepped through the open door.
Magic tingled at my fingertips as I entered the cabin. The walls were all made from long wooden logs, and a rug ran down the corridor that greeted us. It was warm inside, making me feel too hot in the jacket I wore, and there was a light on in the hallway, which convinced me we weren’t alone.
Dash entered right behind me, and together, we started moving deeper into the house. I kept my senses alert, listening and watching for any indication that someone was home. I couldn’t hear any sign of life within the cabin though, and silence saturated the air making my every breath and movement sound too loud. I could definitely smell magic, and the scent seemed to surround us. It was sweet and fragrant but also rich and full. I’d never smelled magic quite like it before, and the discord of different scents made me curious as to what type of being called the cabin home.
Power seemed to brush against my skin, making the hairs on my arms stand on end, as we crept deeper into the cabin. The power was strong, but it didn’t pack the same raw energy of the Christmas stars I’d encountered before.
As I came to an open doorway, I paused. The power I sensed seemed to be coming from within the room. I looked over my shoulder at Dash, who nodded for me to go ahead. Taking a deep breath in, I stepped forward and peeked around the corner.
My eyes widened as I caught my f
irst glimpse of the huge room beyond. It must have taken up the greater part of the cabin, but it wasn’t the size that surprised me most. From floor to ceiling, the place was cluttered with different objects. It was so full of junk that at first I wasn’t really sure what I was looking at.
All manner of toys and electronics lay scattered across the floor. They were piled like a carpet made of clutter, and I could barely see one clear space on the ground. The walls weren’t much different. Shelves reached all the way to the ceiling and were groaning under the load of the junk that weighed them down.
The only space that was slightly less chaotic was the long workbench that ran down the center of the room. But even that had an array of broken gadgets and shattered figurines that were discarded among the many tools that lay atop the table.
It was quite a sight to behold, but there was an odd kind of beauty to it too. Lots of the toys and gadgets emanated colorful lights that lit up the room in a soft glow.
As my gaze wandered over the many objects in the room, I drew in a sharp breath when I saw something I recognized against the far wall. A large golden arch that reached all the way up to the ceiling stood opposite us, and the gilded metal featured an intricate design that was undeniably familiar. It looked almost identical to the archway that acted as a portal to Incarceror, but it also reminded me of the arch that had marked the entrance to the cavern that held the second Christmas star in the Dead Lands.
Unlike the other gateways I’d encountered, I couldn’t see anything through it. Instead, some golden liquid stretched beneath the arch, like a barrier. It was the same glinting color as the metal that encased it, and the gentle movement of the liquid reminded me of the soft undulation of the ocean on a calm day. It had to be some kind of portal, but there was no telling where it went. I had a feeling we’d have to walk through it if we wanted to find the final Christmas star.
Christmas Curse (Christmas Magic Book 3) Page 11
