Christmas Magic

by Alexandra Moody

  Now, I just had to get him back to my apartment. And then? Well, I wasn’t sure I wanted to know what came next.

  Chapter Three

  My apartment always smelled like curry because of the restaurant downstairs, but I was so used to the scent that I barely noticed it as I made my way through the front door. The shifter was still slumping heavily on my shoulder. It was lucky the guy had been able to stumble here with my support, or I would never have been able to get the tall, dark, and still naked stranger back to my place. His body was becoming heavier with each step, and I was worried he was on the verge of passing out again.

  I helped him into the living room, flicking the light on as I entered. The room was sparsely furnished with no paintings on the walls and only the ugly furniture my landlord had left for me. I went straight toward the hideous orange sofa and lowered the reindeer down onto it. His eyes were still squinted tightly, and he let out a grunt in pain as he lay back.

  I proceeded to check his wound. Blood was still slowly seeping out, and the injury was taking a long time to heal. If it was closer to Christmas, then it would have closed by now, and the shifter probably could have been the one to carry me up the stairs after our skirmish.

  The wound was healing, and I felt assured he was going to be fine, but I still didn’t need blood all over my couch, so I tightened the bandage once more to help stop the bleeding.

  “I think you’re going to make it,” I said, looking down at him. The man’s face had slackened though, and he was breathing heavily. His expression was soft and almost innocent as he slept, and I could see none of the intensity I’d noticed earlier in the bar.

  I let out a sigh, knowing it was probably for the best he was sleeping. It hopefully meant he’d recover quicker and be out of my hair just as fast. I grabbed a rug off the end of the couch and draped it over him, making certain to cover as much of his naked body as possible.

  I really did attract trouble of the worst kind. Who else would end a night of drinking by being attacked by dark elves and rescuing a naked reindeer? Alfie was never going to believe me. I wasn’t even sure I believed it had all happened myself.

  What I did know was that the events of the night had me worried. It couldn’t be a coincidence that I’d been attacked by elves. Not when they’d been waiting outside my house. I’d moved to Bramblewood for the sole reason that there were no Christmas beings anywhere nearby, and after my encounter with the elves, I knew I couldn’t stay.

  If there was one thing my mother had drilled into me over the years we’d been hiding in the Human Realm, it was that I needed to protect the secret of my powers at all costs. I couldn’t be sure if the elves knew the truth, but staying in Bramblewood was too risky now they knew I was here.

  I was going to have to move again—as much as I didn’t want to—and the thought made me sadder than I would have expected. I’d only been here a short while, but I’d started to settle in. I wasn’t ready to pick up my life and move again.

  I left the shifter to sleep and wandered into the kitchen, rubbing my eyes tiredly as I turned the light on. My exhaustion quickly faded and was replaced by horror when I found that my kitchen was a mess. Food was scattered over the countertops and pots and pans were strewn across the floor.

  “What the hell, Tomi?” I yelled, stalking into the center of the room. Like my day hadn’t already been bad enough.

  I looked around for the little beast, but he was nowhere to be seen. He was probably hiding.

  “Tomi, I swear to the yule gods, if you don’t come out here this instant, I’m not bringing you mac and cheese for a month.”

  I heard a grumbling noise coming from the corner cupboard and I didn’t hesitate as I walked over and wrenched it open. Inside, I found my tomten sitting in a pile of Cheerios, happily munching away while throwing me a scowl.

  I folded my arms over my chest and scowled right back at him. “Are you going to tell me why you decided to tear the kitchen apart?”

  He didn’t respond. He simply kept eating.

  I grabbed him by the back of his jacket and pulled him out of the cupboard. Tomi looked like one of those little garden gnomes people kept in their front yards. He had a massive gray beard and wore a pointed red hat and a deep green jacket. I always thought garden gnomes looked like such happy little things. Tomi—not so much. He was a terror and one I was stuck with for life.

  I placed him down on the counter, and he made himself comfortable. He seemed quite content to sit amongst the pools of milk and scattered breadcrumbs while he continued to eat the armload of Cheerios he was still cradling.

  “You look like shit,” he said between mouthfuls.

  I folded my arms over my chest and scowled down at him. “And you are a little shit. Seriously, why the mess?” I asked.

  “You didn’t bring me my food.” His voice was deep and filled with annoyance.

  “There was food here,” I replied. Not mac and cheese, albeit, but the cupboards and fridge were stocked with everything else.

  He shrugged.

  “So this was retribution?”

  A grunt was all the answer I got from him. Tomtens never said much, so it wasn’t much of a surprise, and my familiar was known for being particularly difficult.

  With a shake of my head, I focused on a small square of the countertop that wasn’t covered in food. Soft, golden lights of magic swirled in the air, and a packet of mac and cheese appeared.

  Tomi’s gaze fixed on the package, but I snatched it up and held it to my chest before he got a chance to take it. “Clean this up and you can have your mac and cheese.”

  Tomi’s scowl grew darker, but he turned and started clearing the stuff on the counter away while muttering darkly under his breath. I overheard a few choice insults about me, but I wasn’t too bothered by them. It’s not like he hadn’t been angry at me before.

  I left him alone in the kitchen and went to the bathroom to clean myself up. My clothes were covered in shifter blood and grime. The buzz of the alcohol had more than worn off by now, and exhaustion had taken its place.

  I stared at my deep-green eyes in the mirror as I pulled my hair back into a messy bun so I could wash my face. I looked as tired as I felt. My eyes seemed dull, and my skin had taken on a pallid tone.

  A clatter sounded from the kitchen and I sighed. It was probably too much to hope that Tomi would finish cleaning his mess before getting bored with it. Even the promise of his favorite snack wasn’t enough to inhibit his destructive nature. He was the worst roommate you could ever ask for, but I could hardly evict him. He might be impossible to live with, but he always looked out for me, and I’d grown fond of him—not that I’d ever tell him that.

  Most tomten were shy and agreeable creatures. I’d never met another like Tomi before. Not that I’d met all that many. Not all clauses bonded with a tomten, so it was rare to see a relationship like the one I had with Tomi. I was only five when we first encountered one another. I’d been playing in the forest near my home in the North Pole when I found him watching me from where he sat on a tree stump. He’d looked exactly as he did now, and I could still remember the deep connection and sense of familiarity that had resounded through me as our eyes met. It was like I’d found a part of myself I hadn’t known was missing.

  He must have felt it too because he’d hopped off his tree stump and followed me home that day like he’d always been doing it. Some of the older clauses in our neighborhood told me that bonding with a tomten was a sign from the yule gods that I would have great luck in life. I wasn’t feeling particularly lucky right now though.

  I finished washing my face before making a quick change into some clean clothes. I would have given just about anything to take a shower, but there was no way I could do that while there was a strange shifter in my house.

  I walked back into the living room to check on the reindeer. He was still out for the count, and if his deep breaths were anything to go by, it would be a while before he woke up again. I stared at
him, hoping that I was wrong and his eyes would open. I really wanted to send him on his way—even if he was pretty easy to look at. The staring became weird after a few minutes though, and I let out a defeated breath. I guessed he was staying the night.

  “Who’s the shifter?” Tomi asked, as I walked back into the kitchen. It didn’t look like he’d made any progress with the cleaning. He was frustratingly stubborn.

  He was currently sitting on the counter sipping from a bottle of beer that was only just shorter than he was. I took the bottle from him, knowing full well what a lightweight he was. If he drank more than half the bottle, he’d be slurring and swearing like he was a pirate, and I wasn’t in the mood. I poured the rest of the beer down the sink.

  “You’re really trying to get on my nerves tonight, aren’t you?” I said.

  He shrugged. It was a miracle that we had managed to put up with one another all these years. I started picking the pans off the floor. How could such a small creature make such a large mess?

  “So, the shifter?” he prompted.

  “He saved me from some dark elves that tried to attack me earlier tonight. He was injured so I brought him back here to recover.”

  The only reaction I got from him was a raised eyebrow. “What did you do to piss them off?” he said. I sighed and shook my head. There was absolutely no concern in Tomi’s voice about my health after the encounter.

  “Nothing,” I shot back at him. “Why do you always assume I’m the one who’s done something wrong?”

  “Because I know you,” he replied.

  I huffed out a breath and focused on returning the pans to the cupboard. My body was so lethargic after all the magic I’d used that I could barely lift them off the ground. I was fading fast, and if I didn’t put myself to bed soon, I knew I would just collapse on the spot.

  Deciding to leave the mess until morning, I turned to Tomi. “I need to get some sleep. Can you watch the shifter for me?”

  He grunted, which I decided was an affirmative response.

  “Thanks, Tomi,” I said before setting off for my room.

  As much as Tomi could be an ass, he was also highly protective, and I trusted him to look out for me. Not that I thought he’d need to tonight. I didn’t feel any immediate danger from the shifter. If it hadn’t been for him there was every chance I wouldn’t have escaped the elves. I pushed down a shudder at the thought and climbed into bed. Despite the fact there was a stranger in my house, and my mind was racing after the fight with elves, the moment my head hit the pillow I passed out.

  I didn’t wake again until my room was bright with morning light. I rarely slept through the night, which only proved how much I’d overextended my powers. I groaned and pushed myself up in bed, slowly blinking my eyes open.

  My gaze fell on the still naked shifter standing in my doorway watching me.

  “What the hell?” I jumped back in my bed, slamming my body against my headboard. My gaze didn’t move from the man who I noted was no longer injured. He was staring at me with such intensity that I felt slightly nervous. It didn’t help that the daylight did nothing to detract from how gorgeous he was. If anything, he looked better. I swallowed and tried to ignore my traitorous thoughts. This shifter was an unknown, and I needed to be on guard, not admiring his good looks.

  “Tomi!” I shouted.

  “What?” he yelled back at me from the other room.

  “You let the shifter in my room?”

  “I’ve been watching him like you asked. Quit your bitching!”

  The man lifted an eyebrow. “The shifter can hear you,” he said. “And he would very much like to know who you are and why you’re being targeted by dark elves.”

  I frowned as I kept my focus on his face. I did not need to be looking any lower. How could he be so comfortable when he was in a stranger’s house and completely naked? And didn’t he realize it was way too early to be talking about elves? I was not nearly awake enough for any of this.

  “Didn’t I leave you with a blanket?” I asked, ignoring his questions.

  I didn’t bother waiting for a response as I flung my magic at him. But instead of the jeans and T-shirt I’d been hoping would clothe his body, only low-slung jeans appeared. He was still shirtless. Damn my subconscious.

  The shifter barely blinked at my magic as he stepped into the room. My bedroom was small, and he was so big that he seemed to take up almost all the free space in it. “So, the elves…” he said.

  I shook my head at him and held up one hand, stopping his approach. “Hold it right there, buddy. One: no elf talk before coffee. And two: no entering my bedroom when I don’t even know who the hell you are.”

  A small smirk lifted the corner of his mouth. Ignoring my warning, he came to stand at the side of my bed, holding out one hand like he wanted me to shake it. “My apologies. I’m Dash,” he said.

  I pushed his hand away. “I never actually said I was interested in knowing who the hell you are.”

  “I didn’t say you were.”

  I rolled my eyes at him and got out of bed, using the other side of the mattress. I didn’t want to get anywhere close to the reindeer. He was already asking too many questions. I didn’t like it.

  “So, are you going to tell me your name?” he asked, as he followed me from the room. I was still in my pajamas, but changing out of them wasn’t a priority. I needed coffee.

  I let out a sigh and turned to face him. Ignoring him apparently wasn’t going to get rid of him any faster. “It’s Clio,” I replied.

  His eyes lit up like he’d somehow won in gaining that small insight, but I turned and walked off before he could try to get any more information out of me.

  I went into the kitchen, surprised to find the pans had disappeared from the floor and the bench was free of crumbs. “You cleaned up,” I said to Tomi, who was sitting next to the toaster playing with his iPhone. It was almost as big as he was, but somehow, he made it work.

  He shrugged, not taking his eyes off the screen. “I was bored.”

  I smiled at him, my heart warming a little. Tomi looked up and rolled his eyes when he caught my reaction. Without another word, he vanished with a pop, taking his phone with him. He probably wanted to play whatever his latest game addiction was in peace.

  “Are we going to talk about last night?” Dash asked, coming up behind me.

  “You’re still here?”

  “Obviously” he replied. “So, why did those elves attack you?”

  “Give me a sec,” I said, waving his question off. Seriously, he needed to calm his hooves. I put on the kettle and got the coffee out of the cupboard.

  “You want some?” I asked. It felt weird having a stranger in my house, and I was kind of surprised he was still there. But, I wasn’t going to be a complete monster and deny the man coffee even if I wasn’t exactly a morning person.

  “I’m good.”

  He sat down at the kitchen counter, making himself at home. His gaze took in the short pajama shorts I’d worn to bed before focusing on my T-shirt. It was one of those slogan ones that read “I’m on the naughty list, and I regret nothing.” Yes, I was somewhat obsessed with stupid human holiday shirts. I’d always found them kind of funny.

  “I have one that says ‘Horny AF,’” he said, catching me by surprise.

  “Seriously?”

  “Yep.”

  “Please tell me there’s a picture of a reindeer beneath it.”

  “Of course.” He chuckled.

  The guy had a sexy laugh, and the sound made my stomach clench. Like he didn’t already have enough going for him. He was hot, had rescued me from dark elves, and liked holiday shirts—if he weren’t so irritating, I might have been impressed.

  I finished making my cup of coffee and went to stand across from him on the opposite side of the kitchen counter.

  “So, what’s a horny reindeer doing in a backend town like this?”

  “I thought I was the one asking the questions.”

&nb
sp; “Nope. Seeing as you’re in my apartment, I think I get to ask a few first. What are you doing in Bramblewood?”

  “I would have thought that was obvious after last night.” His chiseled face suddenly turned more serious as he spoke.

  “The elves?”

  I frowned as he nodded in response. “A group of dark elves have been killing magical beings, and I’ve been tracking them for a couple of weeks. You’re lucky to be alive.”

  “I’m pretty sure I had it handled.”

  “That’s not what it looked like to me,” he replied.

  I frowned into my mug of coffee, deciding to ignore his opinion on the whole situation. “Why are you the one pursuing them? It’s not exactly reindeer territory.”

  “True,” he replied. “But I do a little work for the protectors here and there. They brought my herd on board when they realized they needed tracking skills. A reindeer was murdered by the same group about a month ago, and I’ve been running the case ever since.”

  I looked back up at him as I tried to figure out what it all meant. Protectors were the law enforcement in the Northern Realm, but generally, clauses were the only magical creatures who had the job. There were some other beings that worked for them, but I found it strange they’d just hand a case over to a reindeer.

  “And they just let you take over the entire case?” I asked.

  He smiled knowingly at me. “Let’s just say I have some pull in the Northern Realm.”

  “Like that explains it,” I muttered. The reason Dash was assigned to the investigation was the least of my concerns though. “Do you know why they killed the reindeer?”

  “No.” Dash shook his head. “And he wasn’t the only one. You’re the first victim that’s managed to get away though. I’ve never been able to stop them before, so I was hoping you’d be able to enlighten me.”

  I tried not to react as his eyes bored into mine. “I know as little as you do.” My answer did nothing to alleviate the scrutiny with which he was watching me. He was staring at me with an intensity that made me feel like I was being x-rayed. “Do you think they’ll come back for me?” My voice came out a nervous squeak, but right now I was more worried about Dash asking probing questions than I was about another elf attack.