Christmas Magic

by Alexandra Moody

  Sabia had now completely shifted into her panther form and was prowling around Dash who was bleeding from thick gashes that sliced down his arms and back. He was bleeding a lot, but he was still standing strong, like the wounds weren’t a hindrance to him.

  “Dash!” I yelled out, grabbing his attention. His eyes flicked toward me for a moment before he turned on the panther and pounced. He moved so fast that even the crowd let out a hoot in appreciation as he landed on the panther.

  He swiftly coiled his legs around her body and his arms around her neck. A growl ripped from the panther’s throat as she struggled to turn and bite him. Dash was out of her reach though, and Sabia’s sharp fangs got nowhere near her captor.

  When that didn’t work, she tried to clamber free of his arms, but Dash was far larger and far heavier, and the panther was starting to sink to the ground under his weight. She shifted back into her human form in an attempt to wriggle free from his grasp, but it was the wrong move. Dash pulled his arms in tight around her neck. It wasn’t long before Sabia’s eyes closed, her body fell limp, and she passed out. Dash released her, and she collapsed in a heap.

  When Dash jumped to his feet, the crowd roared around him. He didn’t celebrate or accept their adoration though, and his eyes were troubled as he looked down at the panther lying beneath him. She was still breathing, but I doubted that made him feel any better about hurting her.

  “Such prowess!” the referee started shouting into his microphone. “And so confident of his skills our snow leopard didn’t even have to shift. Who says we get him to stick around for another fight?”

  Shouts of approval rang through the air, but there was no way Dash was being pulled in for round two. Ignoring the referee, Dash made his way over to me, climbed through the ropes, and jumped down to my side.

  “It’s time to get out of here,” he growled, echoing my thoughts exactly.

  We’d barely taken two steps when Crow appeared before us. His upper lip was curled back like there was a bad smell under his nose, and he was eyeing us both with suspicion. “Where do you both think you’re going?” he asked. “I was promised a snow leopard, and you’re not going anywhere until I get one.”

  “We don’t owe you anything,” I replied. “We’ve given you your match, and now we’re leaving.” I went to walk past Crow, but he grabbed a hold of my upper arm, jerking me to a stop.

  “I can’t let you do that.”

  “Let go of me.” My voice was icy calm and commanding, but it didn’t seem to affect him as he refused to loosen his grip. His nails bit deeper into my skin, conveying his intention far more clearly than any words.

  Not waiting for him to get out his favorite set of manacles, I slammed my knee up into the krampus’s groin and shoved him away from me.

  I grabbed Dash’s hand and went to run, but the assembled crowd of dark beings formed a wall around us, barricading us in, refusing to let us out. They jeered and catcalled, enjoying our entrapment every bit as much as the fight they’d just witnessed. But I had no plans to stick around and see what happened next.

  “Dash…what do we do?” I asked, as the two of us hovered close to one another, searching the circle for a way out.

  “Remember the night I saved you in the alley?” he asked. “You use your magic. I’ll use my antlers.”

  I was pretty sure I’d been the one who saved him, but I knew what he was getting at, and I slowly nodded. “Okay. There’s a back door over there,” I said, pointing to the one the young elf had shown me. “I’ll light this place up, and then we make a run for it.”

  He’d barely nodded his agreement when I let magic burst from my hands, sending it flying above the dark beings that surrounded us. Blinding white light erupted over them, and screeches of confusion and pain echoed against the walls.

  Dash immediately shifted at my side. His magic was almost the same color as his amber eyes, and it swirled around him as his reindeer form appeared. Once his power dispersed, the reindeer jerked his head toward his back. I didn’t need telling twice as I launched myself onto it and hugged my arms around his neck. Dash’s fur was coarse and warm, but there was also a softness to it I hadn’t expected. There were traces of blood matted in it from his fight, and I hoped I wasn’t pressing down on any wounds.

  Dash took off like a rocket, springing forward and barreling through the crowd of krampuses who were shying away from the bright light. His head was down and his antlers were forward as he charged through any of the creatures who couldn’t get out of his way.

  Shouts and screams followed us like a trail, but Dash made it through the crowd quickly. He slammed into the door I’d pointed to earlier, and a frightened member of the kitchen staff jumped back as he raced past the kitchen counters and through an open doorway at the far end of the room.

  A staircase guided us back up to the street, and we emerged in a different alley than the one we’d used to enter the bar. Dash didn’t falter as he started down the darkened lane toward the brighter lights of the road beyond. His pace grew quicker now that he had an open path ahead of him, and I had to hold on for dear life as Dash skidded around the corner and onto the road.

  Thankfully, when we emerged onto the street, it wasn’t filled with humans. The lights in the bars and pubs had darkened, and it seemed like the drunks had all trundled home. There were a couple of humans lingering outside a service station a little way down the road, but they didn’t notice us as we charged along the footpath. Crow’s prisoners were up ahead of us, clustering together as they hurried to get away, and I yelled to Dash to aim for them.

  He came to a stop just before we reached them, and I launched off his back to check they were okay. Dash quickly shifted back into his human form and joined me. He was naked, but I barely considered it as I cast some magic at him, clothing him once more.

  “Tully, did you get everyone?” I asked the boy.

  He nodded with a proud grin on his face. “Yep, this is everyone.”

  “So, this is what you had planned…” Dash said.

  I chewed on my lower lip, not sure I wanted to respond to Dash just yet. I was too busy trying to figure out how we’d get away from the dark beings in the krampus bar. There had been so many creatures down there, and it was only a matter of time before they started chasing after us. Once Crow found his prisoners gone, I was quite sure all hell would break loose.

  “Clio?” Dash prompted. “Why didn’t you tell me what you were doing?”

  “Because there was no time and they were chained up. I couldn’t risk you saying no,” I replied. “But it’s done now, and we have to help them.” I wasn’t about to make excuses for doing the right thing. I knew we were supposed to be finding out about the elves, but once I’d seen the prisoners locked up, it no longer seemed as important.

  Dash let out a heavy breath. “I’m not upset with you,” he replied. “If anything, I’m proud. I just wish you would have tried to explain exactly what you were thinking. Perhaps we could have managed it without attempting to injure me in the process?”

  “You’re fine,” I replied before focusing on the elves. I quickly realized they weren’t all elves though. I noticed that one of the girls, who looked about my age, was a krampus, and there were also several other shifters in the group too.

  “Okay, I’m going to get you out of here.” They all looked so nervous, like they were only moments away from being caught and imprisoned once more. I couldn’t let that happen.

  We needed to get them far away from here as quickly as possible. But how? It’s not like we could all pile into Vixen’s car. We couldn’t do that, but there was an alternative. My eyes lit up as I smiled at the thought.

  “Dash, keep an eye out to see if we’re followed.”

  Threads of magic swirled around my wrists as I focused on the vacant street before us.

  My magic was weaker after throwing so much power into summoning sunlight into the bar, but I knew there was just enough juice left for what I had planned. The swir
ling lights of my magic expanded, growing larger and larger on the street in front of me.

  “Clio, they’re coming!” Dash’s voice invaded my senses, like an unwanted assault. Pressure was the last thing I needed when trying to commit a large summoning. I glanced in his direction and saw a few dark beings beginning to emerge from the alley next to the bar. I had to move quickly.

  Focusing on my bright swirling magic, I urged my power to move faster. It rushed out of me in a strong surge, and an explosion of golden light erupted on the street. The flash was large and bright, and I had to lift a hand to cover my eyes from the intensity of the sudden burst of light. As the glowing orbs of my magic began to disappear and darkness returned, I lowered my hand. A sense of pride filled me as my vision adjusted and my gaze fell upon the bus that had appeared in the street.

  “You summoned a bus?” one of the prisoners whispered with awe.

  “What the hell is going on?” Vixen yelled at the same time, running across the road with Blitz and Coop at her side. They were on foot, and Vixen’s car was nowhere to be seen. I guessed they’d left it and come to investigate when Dash shifted into his reindeer form. I didn’t have time for explanations though.

  “Quickly, everyone, get on the bus!” I focused my attention on the prisoners.

  They all started to clamber onto the vehicle, the terror in their eyes mimicking my own. I felt light-headed after using so much magic, but thankfully, I was still steady enough on my feet.

  I glanced over at Dash who had shifted back into his reindeer form once more and was standing alone as krampuses charged toward him. We’d managed to piss off the entire bar with our antics, and it seemed that they all wanted revenge. I could see some krampuses with bows and arrows while others were summoning larger weapons. Yep, one of them even had the flamethrower I’d considered arming myself with earlier.

  Vixen looked ready to race toward Dash and take on the entire bar with him, but I threw a hand against her chest to stop her. “I’ve got this. Get on the bus. And I’ll get Dash.”

  “But…”

  “Just get on the bus, trust me.” I didn’t wait to see if she would listen and turned to look down the street at Dash and the army of krampuses. I took several steps forward and threw my magic out once more. The wisps of sparkling golden power shot out of my fingertips and wrapped around the shifter. The krampuses were nearly upon him, but as the threads of my magic gripped hold of him, Dash vanished from sight and reappeared at my side.

  The reindeer let out a snort and turned his head to look at me. His own brand of light amber magic swirled around him as he moved and the majestic creature standing next to me was replaced by a fuming Dash.

  “What are you doing?” he yelled.

  “Saving your ass. Get on the bus!”

  His eyes widened as he finally noticed the bus behind me, but he got over his initial shock quickly when he glanced toward the charging crowd of krampuses racing toward us. He quickly followed my order and clambered on board, and I jumped into the vehicle after him. Vixen and the others had also followed my advice, and she was already stationed behind the wheel. As soon as Dash and I were both safely inside, she slammed her foot on the gas. The bus door was still open behind me, but Vixen didn’t seem to care as she accelerated down the street like she was running from the devil. This time, we pretty much were, so I was thankful for her crazy driving skills.

  I leaned out the open door, the breeze whipping through my hair, as I looked back at the krampuses. They had rushed out onto the street, and some of them had started shooting at the bus. I could hear the metallic twang as bullets struck the rear of the vehicle, and I pulled myself back into the bus.

  “Everyone, get down!” I shouted as one of the bullets pierced the back window, shattering it into a thousand pieces. Squeals of terror filled the air, and everyone covered their heads with their hands. I ducked down, gripping the nearest handrail firmly and squeezing my eyes tightly shut, as I heard another window shatter.

  My eyes flew open though as the bus suddenly shook. I watched in horror as a fireball landed on a car parked in the street ahead of us. Vixen swerved the bus out of the way, but the car exploded in a blast of flame and smoke. I was thrown to the floor as the impact rocked the vehicle again.

  “Hold on, everyone!” Vixen shouted. She pressed her foot down on the accelerator and slammed the bus through two parked cars that were in her way. A metallic screeching ran down the sides of the bus as she rammed the cars, but it stopped the moment we were free.

  Thick smoke surrounded us, but the bus was moving so fast that we only spent a few seconds in the darkened fog before we emerged into the clear night air.

  I was shaking as I risked another glance out the open door. The road behind us looked like a battlefield with burning cars and acrid smoke clogging up the street. I could no longer see the krampuses who were obstructed from view by the debris and smoke, but that didn’t mean they were done with us yet. I found myself relaxing back into the bus and breathing a little easier though. We were out of danger, for now.

  “Where are we going?” Vixen yelled over the roaring engine of the bus.

  “I know a place,” Coop replied, coming to Vixen’s side to give her directions. He made her turn off the main road and head down several more secluded streets before we ended up on a road out of town. The bus headlights were off, and no car lights could be seen behind us. It didn’t stop me from feeling nervous though.

  “Do you think they’re following, Dash?”

  “I don’t think they would have been able to get to vehicles quickly enough to follow,” he replied. “But then again, I didn’t think a claus could summon one so early in the season, let alone a bus.”

  My heart stuttered as he gave me a pointed look, and my hands began to tingle as my nerves brought my magic to the surface. Thankfully, my hands didn’t start to glow with power, but I was finding it difficult to subdue, and I knew I needed to calm down.

  “I guess it was adrenaline,” I said, trying to shrug the comment off.

  He didn’t look convinced. “We both know that wasn’t adrenaline. You’ve got some explaining to do. Maybe not right now, but I deserve some answers.”

  He turned to walk down the aisle of the bus, and a lump formed in my throat as I stared after him. I had no idea what I was going to tell Dash, but thankfully, he wasn’t pressing me for answers right away. Hopefully, I could come up with a valid excuse before the time came. If not, I was going to have to run. I couldn’t risk anyone knowing the truth about me.

  I started to follow him, but I stumbled as I tried to make my way down the aisle. I took another step but faltered again, my legs feeling weak beneath me. I crumpled to my side and gripped the closest seat for support.

  Dash turned and hurried back toward me. “Clio, what’s wrong?”

  “I think I’ve used too much mag—” I took in a breath as I tried to finish the sentence, but I could feel my body fading fast. “Crap,” I muttered. My eyelids fluttered closed as I collapsed to the floor and fell unconscious.

  Chapter Eleven

  “It’s not normal,” a woman said from nearby.

  “I don’t know many clauses, so maybe it is?” someone else replied.

  “I’ve never heard of any clauses using that much magic this early in the season…”

  I groaned, my arms heavy as I lifted my hands to rub my tired eyes. As I slowly blinked them open, the voices fell quiet. I was staring up at the ceiling of the bus, and I let out another moan as I began to realize how stiff my body felt on the floor. I pushed myself up, my head spinning from the movement.

  I grasped the side of my face as I waited for the whirling to end. “What happened?”

  Daylight streamed into the bus, highlighting the shiny red seats and the black ash that covered some of the windows. The prisoners and shifters were all gone. I was alone until a head popped inside the front door.

  “You awake, claus?” Blitz asked, grinning as he took in my dishevel
ed state. “You look hungover.”

  “Well, it was a pretty rough night. Where is everyone?”

  “Getting settled.” Blitz walked up the steps of the bus and down the aisle to crouch in front of me. “That was some display of magic last night.”

  I tried to remain calm at his observation, but it had my heart pulsing quicker and my mind whirring as I tried to think of an adequate excuse for what I had done. I’d told Dash that adrenaline had enabled me to perform such a powerful summoning, but he hadn’t been convinced. I couldn’t think of anything else that would explain the strength of my magic though, so I was going to have to stick with it.

  “Yes, well, I think it was mostly adrenaline. I’ve never done anything like that before, and I’m clearly paying for it now,” I said, rubbing my aching head and hoping I’d said enough to satisfy the curious reindeer.

  “Clearly,” he agreed, thankfully not pushing me any further. It was obvious the shifters suspected I was more powerful than a normal claus, but it was impossible to know if they had guessed the true extent of my magic. I’d have to be more careful in front of them from now on.

  He held out a hand for me, and I gripped onto it, allowing Blitz to pull me up. Once I was standing, I could see we were out in the countryside somewhere. A large green meadow surrounded the bus, and a pretty stream meandered through the tall grass.

  I followed Blitz back down the aisle, my eyes still staring out the windows as I tried to figure out our location. We could be anywhere, and I only felt more confused when I stepped off the bus and into the meadow. “Where are we? Is this place safe?”

  There was a small two-story farmhouse in front of me. It was made of large sandstone bricks and had a waft of smoke coming from the chimney. In the far-off distance I could see tall trees surrounded the entire edge of the property, but besides that, there was nothing but open grassland. Vixen had her back to us and was walking toward the house. I guessed that it had been her I’d heard talking with Blitz when I’d first awoken.