“What are you saying, Clio?” he asked, his voice now a low whisper. “You want us to start a war?”
“The war’s already started,” I replied. “And I think it’s time we stopped hiding from it and brought the battle to him.”
Dash started shaking his head. “He’ll be expecting it. And there’s no defeating him when he can see the future.”
“Just because he can see the future doesn’t mean he’ll win the fight,” I said. “He’s powerful, but he can’t be that powerful if he needs an army of dark beings to take over the world. He wouldn’t have bothered with the final Christmas star if he could do it without them. If we can take down his army, he’ll have no choice but to give up.”
Dash pursed his lips. “Perhaps,” he agreed. “There’s still no guarantee we’ll win though.”
“There are never any guarantees,” I replied. “But the Christmas curse has been destroyed, and it won’t be long before both light beings and dark beings have their powers return in full. If we strike now, while both our species still have weaker magic, we will have the advantage. Clauses have been training for battle our entire lives, both with and without magic.”
Dash opened his mouth as if he wanted to object, but I quickly continued before he could try to argue. “You saw what happened in the center of the North Pole. The dark beings kept coming, but no matter how many of the creatures came through the sleigh point, the light beings managed to hold them off. We’re stronger fighters than they are.”
Dash looked deeply into my eyes as he considered what I’d said. I wondered if he could tell I was hiding something from him, but I didn’t have a choice.
“Many beings will die if we do this,” he eventually said.
“Many beings have already died,” I replied. “And many more will die if we don’t try to stop Belsnickel.”
Dash finally started to nod. “You’re right,” he said. “We have to try.”
I let out a breath of relief now that Dash was on board with the plan.
“We need to speak with the royals,” he added.
A new bout of nerves started running through my veins. “Do you think I need to be there?”
Dash nodded. “You don’t need to be afraid. They’re not angry with you about the final star. I told them that we were tricked. That we never had a chance.”
“What if they don’t believe we have a chance with this either?”
“We’ll make them believe,” he replied. “Just tell them what you told me, and they’ll know it’s our only option.”
The royals weren’t very receptive of my plan. The king, queen, and Lilli were all stone-faced as Dash and I stood before them and explained how the light beings needed to take action. It might have been less of a challenge if I could have explained that starting a war in the Dead Lands was merely a distraction and that I had even bigger plans, but I knew there was no way I could so much as hint at it. My whole strategy for defeating Belsnickel relied on the element of surprise, and it could easily be ruined if anyone found out what I was thinking.
The royals all held concerned gazes as they watched me, and I could see that they were wary of agreeing to any idea I put forward. I had let these beings down, but this was my one chance to make it right—even if I did have to lie for the most part.
No one wanted to wage a war against a god, but I really hoped the king and queen realized that we had to make our move now before it was too late.
“The claus army has been trained for centuries for exactly this purpose,” Queen Ciana slowly said, after I had finished outlining my plan. “Our people are strong, and if we strike while Belsnickel’s army is still weakened and before all Christmas magic is completely unleashed, we might just have a chance at victory. I don’t want to start a war, but now all the stars are destroyed, it is only a matter of time before the war comes to us.”
“Are you sure this is wise?” King Devin asked.
Ciana’s expression was hard as she nodded. “We have to protect our people and our way of life. This is the only way.” She then turned to Dash and me. “We will use all means necessary to start and finish this war. The army will leave in the morning. I want Belsnickel dealt with before he becomes too powerful for anyone to stand in his way.”
She waved a hand in the air to dismiss us, and Dash and I bowed before we left the room. Starting a war was what I wanted, but the nervous worry that was firmly wrapped around my heart only seemed to magnify now that it was actually happening. It felt like I was responsible the lives of every being that would fight in the coming battle.
“Do you think this will work?” I asked Dash, as we made our way through the corridors of the castle.
“It was your idea; don’t tell me you’re having doubts now.”
“I just don’t want anyone to get hurt.”
“We’re all doomed anyway if we don’t at least try to fight,” Dash said. “What do you think will happen to light beings, and human beings, if Belsnickel is allowed to rule the entire world?”
The evil god had no power of persuasion over light beings, so I could only imagine the horrors that would be inflicted as he attempted to control them. The Human Realm would surely be destroyed. “You’re right,” I said. “We can’t sit back and do nothing. How are we going to get an army to the Dead Lands though?”
“We can use the sleigh point in the mari lwyd meadow,” he replied. “With the barriers down, it won’t be a problem to access it. I will take a group of scouts there who will be able to memorize the location and bring the army across.”
“That will take forever though,” I said. “They’ll only be able to bring a handful of fighters across at a time.”
Dash shook his head. “I’ve seen them practice maneuvers like this before. They have highly skilled clauses who are able to bring across whole platoons at a time. It won’t be like the disorganized chaos you saw from the dark beings when they tried to access the North Pole.”
“I hope so,” I murmured. If Belsnickel foresaw where the battle would take place, there was every chance our people would be slaughtered if we couldn’t bring enough of them across at once.
I blew out a long breath as we reached the end of the corridor. I needed to focus less on the war we were starting and more on my own secret mission. I couldn’t afford to think about all the lives that were at risk or I’d become overwhelmed.
“I’m going to the barracks to find the head of the claus army,” Dash said. “I need to show the scouts the sleigh point if this is going to work.”
He looked like he was going to leave, but he paused and turned to me. We were standing close enough that electricity seemed to zap between our bodies, and I could feel the heat radiating off his skin despite the fact we weren’t touching. I tilted my head as I looked up at him, and so many unsaid words seemed to pass between us as we looked into each other’s eyes.
I could see a mixture of concern and longing in his gaze. He was still angry at me for having disappeared on him, but he was also relieved that I was back again. I didn’t want him to notice any of the fears I had about the task that lay ahead of me, or rouse any suspicion in him that I had other plans for dealing with Belsnickel, so I quickly glanced away, breaking the tense look between us.
Dash lightly touched my chin though, lifting it up so I was looking at him once more. “I don’t know if I’ll see you again before tomorrow. And I can’t go into battle without doing this one thing…”
He seemed hesitant and unsure as he looked at me, but then his resolve seemed to strengthen, and he lowered his lips to mine as he pulled me in for a kiss.
Sparks far more powerful than any magic radiated through me. The kiss was gentle but intense, and I felt like I’d just been given a taste of the sweetest kind of drug. It was just as good as our first kiss, and I felt my addiction to his lips only growing as the seconds passed.
When he finally broke away, we were both breathing heavily. Our kiss had been brief, but it had rocked me to the core.
/> “Our armies will leave at first light,” he said staring deep into my eyes. He looked like he wanted to say more, but he slowly shook his head and stepped away. “I’ll see you at the sleigh point then.”
With that, he turned and started down the darkened corridor, leaving me reeling from the kiss. I was flooded with emotion as he walked away, and my heart ached as the distance grew between us. The kiss only amplified the connection I felt to him, and I knew the challenges that lay ahead of us were going to be far more difficult to endure than I first realized. I didn’t know what tomorrow would bring, but I knew I wouldn’t just be worrying about myself when the sun rose in the morning; I’d be worrying about him too.
Chapter Nineteen
Morning in the North Pole dawned bright and clear. The Northern Realm’s army stood amassed on the frozen ground before the castle as the sun peaked over the horizon. They stood in perfect lines that started at the sleigh point I’d created and fanned out as they continued all the way back to the makeshift campsite on the castle grounds. Their golden armor glowed softly in the early morning light, and it was an awe-inspiring sight. The dark beings would be no match for the army, but once under Belsnickel’s persuasion, they would be relentless and difficult to stop.
Looking beyond the claus army, my heart lurched as I realized that masses of other beings also stood in line, waiting for the battle that was to come. It wouldn’t just be trained claus warriors who took part in the war. Every manner of being, from fairies to elves to snowmen and reindeer, were ready to fight. Everyone wanted to protect our way of life, and I was overwhelmed to see them all willing to lay down their lives for the cause.
“It will be quite a battle,” Vixen said, coming up beside me. I was standing at the top of the steps in front of the castle, and I turned from the army to face her. Her expression was hard, and there was a hint of uncertainty and fear in her eyes. “Do you really think we can take down a god?” she asked.
“I don’t know.” I let out a sigh, wishing I could give her a more definitive answer. “But I think this plan is giving us the best chance of beating him.”
She slowly nodded, but I got the impression my words hadn’t made her feel any more confident. I turned as light-green magic sparkled in the air near the fountain, and Dash appeared in the sleigh point surrounded by a host of claus scouts.
As if he sensed my stare, Dash glanced in my direction and gave me a tight smile before he turned and followed the scouts over to the army.
“He really cares about you, you know,” Vixen said, having seen the interaction. “He’s never been great at expressing his feelings, but I can see they are there.”
I wasn’t sure what to say in reply, so I kept watching Dash as he met with the leader of the claus army.
Vixen continued speaking though. “When this war is over, please don’t break his heart.”
I glanced up at her, surprise lighting my eyes. Her voice had been soft, and I could hear how much she genuinely cared for Dash and wanted me to do the right thing by him. I would have expected her to be dismissive of any relationship between her brother and me, but she actually sounded like she was okay with the possibility.
She wasn’t the only one who was surprisingly okay with the possibility. When had I stopped being so irritated by Dash and started liking him? It seemed to have crept up on me, and when I thought of the kiss we’d shared last night, I knew I was in way over my head when it came to the reindeer.
Before I could respond, she turned away and headed down to the army that waited below. I wasn’t sure why she’d decided that now was a good time to discuss my relationship with her brother. Maybe it was a way of distracting herself from the battle that lay ahead. I felt as thought it was far more likely that Dash would be breaking my heart, but I’d have to cross that bridge when I came to it.
“Are you sure you know what you’re doing?” someone asked over my shoulder.
I glanced back to find Jack walking up behind me. His eyes searched my gaze and flicked to the bag slung over my back. The knowing look on his face made me worried he had worked out what I was up to.
“I hope so,” I replied softly.
Jack slowly nodded. His lips creased, and I could see he wanted to say more but didn’t dare push me further. Jack was far smarter than he was given credit for, and I suspected he knew that Belsnickel could have foreseen this very conversation.
“Well, this sure is an adventure,” he said. “Good luck in the battle today,” he added, giving me a wink as he started down the stairs.
I turned my attention back to Dash. He was talking heatedly with the leader of the claus army. I had no idea what they were debating, but they must have come to some agreement, because Dash gave a final nod and turned to make his way back to the scouts who were waiting for him by the sleigh point.
He huddled the group of eight clauses together as he spoke with them. His eyes were solemn, and there was a grim set to his mouth that concerned me. Whatever they were discussing down there, it was serious.
When Dash finished speaking, he stepped backward and waved for the scouts to go ahead. One by one, they entered the sleigh point. As soon as the scouts stepped inside, they turned to the closest soldier, who was only a step away. The lines of soldiers ran right up to the sleigh point, and I was only just beginning to understand why.
Once the eight scouts were ready, the soldier at the front of each line placed their hands on one of the scout’s shoulders. The motion set off a ripple effect, as each soldier placed their hand on the shoulder of the being in front of them in line.
I’d never seen a sleigh point used in such a way before, and I wasn’t even sure it would work. But as the leader of the army shouted out his command to move forward, light-green magic exploded out of the sleigh point and rippled down each line that stemmed from the scouts. It swirled and danced across the army as it flowed over each being, and the air became infused with the smell of peppermint. In the blink of an eye, the whole army was gone, and the snowy land before me lay barren.
The only ones who remained behind were Dash, his herd, Jack, and Melody. I tensed up when I saw Melody standing with the others, dressed and ready for battle. I knew there was no way I could stop her from going. It was her battle to fight, just as much as anyone else’s.
I rushed down the steps as the group made their way over to the sleigh point to follow after the rest of the army. Dash’s expression was still grim, and I couldn’t help but feel something was wrong.
“What’s the matter?” I asked, as I met the group by the sleigh point.
“The army of dark beings has already amassed and is waiting for us in the meadow of the mari lwyd,” Dash replied. “There are thousands of them.”
I could feel the blood draining from the surface of my skin as I processed the bad news. We’d known it was a possibility that Belsnickel would foresee our decision to attack. I’d been hoping he wouldn’t have had the time to gather all of his forces though.
Seeing my worried expression, Dash’s eyes softened. “It’s probably better we face them in the meadow than the Dead Lands. We would have lost many fighters trying to get through those deadly swamps.”
I let out a breath and nodded. He was right; hopefully, this was for the best.
“We better get going,” he continued, as he went to stand in the center of the sleigh point. Jack, Melody, Vixen, Blitz, and Coop surrounded him, and each one of them touched a hand to his shoulder.
I hovered at the edge of the sleigh point. I wasn’t going with the group, but I couldn’t tell them that either. “You don’t need to take me to the meadow. I already know where I’m going,” I said.
Dash nodded though a flicker of doubt crossed his eyes, and I wondered if he suspected I was up to something.
“I’ll see you soon. You need to go,” I added before he could decide to question me.
Dash continued to stare deeply into my eyes, and worry for him and my friends caused my heart to skip a beat. Once he disa
ppeared, they would all be facing a battle unlike any that had been seen in centuries. I wanted to go with Dash, to try to protect him and the others. But I knew well enough that wasn’t my future.
He gave me a small sad smile, and with one look, I knew he’d figured me out. He knew I wasn’t coming with them because I was going somewhere even more dangerous. He didn’t try to argue with me or stop me. Instead, he continued to stare into my eyes as the green magic of the sleigh point started to swirl around him and the others. It was only when they disappeared from sight that we lost eye contact. I was left standing alone outside the castle. I felt like a part of my heart had disappeared with him.
Tomi appeared, popping into existence at my side once the others were gone.
“Are you coming with me?” I asked.
Tomi shook his head. “This is as far as I can guide you. The rest is up to you.”
I kind of wished the little guy could have been on my shoulder as I went to seek out Belsnickel, but I was mostly glad that he’d be staying safe in the Northern Realm.
“Don’t get yourself killed,” he said before popping out of existence once more.
I huffed out a breath and then chuckled. The laughter was partly out of pure fear and partly in disbelief at what I was about to face. I didn’t like my chances of fulfilling Tomi’s request. I looked back at the empty sleigh point and knew I couldn’t wait much longer. The battle had started and every moment I delayed could cost another life.
“Well, here goes nothing,” I murmured.
I stepped into the sleigh point and dug deep within myself to draw up my creation powers. I imagined the spot in the Dead Lands near the ruins where I’d created the cure for Roan and healed his injuries. I pictured the flowers I’d caused to grow up through the stone slabs on the ground. My magic slowly flowed out of me as I imagined the peppermint magic of the sleigh line extending to the spot and focused on my deep desire to stand among the flowers.
Christmas Curse (Christmas Magic Book 3) Page 19