Miss Frost Braves the Blizzard

by Kristen Painter

  She gave a little shrug. “Once in a while, he can predict the future, but generally, he’s just right.”

  “Did you guys just move here?”

  “He did. I’ve lived here awhile. When I told him how much I loved the town and how great a place it is for supes, he moved too. He loves working at Mummy’s. He loves people, and it’s a great way for him to put his skills to use.”

  Birdie walked out.

  “We’re actually headed over to Mummy’s now.”

  Druzy turned to Birdie. “Everything zipped up?”

  “Yep. I put her back in and closed the locker.”

  “Thanks. Tell my dad I said hi.”

  “Will do,” Birdie said.

  We walked back to the elevator, all of us quiet. Thinking, I guess. Unless Sin was being quiet because he was tired.

  I studied him, trying to figure out how much the use of his magic had worn on him. “You want me to drive?”

  He chuckled. “I’m just a little tired, but I can drive. Thanks.”

  “I can drive, you know.” Not that well, but I could.

  He winked at me. “I know.”

  For all his lightness, I could see the lines around his eyes were a little deeper. I knew the kind of toll magic could take. Fortunately, Mummy’s wasn’t that far.

  It was, however, busier than I’d expected, but what I’d thought would happen, had. People were getting cabin fever from being in their houses for so long. Word had spread about Mummy’s being open and people had flocked in. That meant people would be noticing the massive ice fort in Balfour Park. Supernaturals, anyway, if the witches’ magic was holding.

  I hoped it was.

  Arty waved us through. “I’ve got a four-top clearing in the back corner.” He leaned to see better. “Actually, they’re getting up. Head back there now and snag it. I’ll send Timmy to bus it ASAP.”

  We did as we were told, sitting down at the cluttered booth just as the busboy arrived with his gray tub. He stripped the table down with surprising efficiency, coming back seconds later to set us up with clean silverware, place mats and menus.

  Arty was right behind him. “Hiya, peeps. What can I get you?”

  Birdie tipped her head toward Sin. “He needs a Coke immediately.”

  I held up my hand. “And your daughter says hi.” I figured I’d start with that and everything else could follow.

  He smiled. “You met Druzy, huh? I guess I know where you’ve been. Better wash your hands, kids.”

  He walked away laughing, but I felt a little icky.

  Birdie pulled a plastic bottle of hand sanitizer out of her purse. “Here.”

  I squeezed out a copious amount and gave it back. “Thanks.”

  Arty returned with the Coke and placed it in front of Sin. “There you go. Now, what else can I get you guys? And give me your drink orders, too.”

  Birdie took the lead. “Water for me. And cheese fries.”

  “Waffle or regular? You want waffle. Loaded? Of course you want loaded.” He scribbled the order on his notepad, then looked at me.

  “Is that what I should have too?”

  “Definitely. With a Dr Pepper.”

  “I’m in.”

  He looked at Sinclair. “How about you?”

  “Grilled ham and cheese. Regular fries.”

  “You got it.” He took our menus. “Back before two shakes of a lamb’s tail.”

  We all kind of leaned in as he left. I spoke first. “Do we need anything special to access Myra’s safe-deposit box?”

  Birdie nodded. “Yes. It’s tricky. We’d need a court order, or another signer on the account, which probably only had one—Myra. However, in the case of her death, Nate should be able to get in without too much fuss.”

  Sin had already downed half of his Coke. “You need to bring him in anyway if he’s going to help you close the portal.”

  Birdie pulled out her phone. “I need to call Hank. This is going to take a team.”

  While she did that, I checked the snow globe in my purse. I should have done it in the car, but I’d been too worried about Sinclair passing out behind the wheel. The snow in the globe was swirling like crazy.

  I hugged my purse to my side and got up. “I’ll be right back.” I slipped away to the bathrooms. I figured it wouldn’t be that weird to be talking to someone if I was in one of the stalls. People would just think I was some nutty woman using speakerphone in a public bathroom.

  Thankfully, the bathroom was empty at the moment. I took the farthest stall from the door, then pulled out the globe and answered. “Hey, I’m here.”

  My dad’s face appeared and I knew instantly what was going on. His hair was whipping around and I could see clouds behind him. “Honey, we’re on our way.”

  “You’re in the sleigh, aren’t you?”

  “Yes.”

  “Who’s we?”

  “Tempus, me, and your uncle.”

  Oh. Boy. “And you’re coming here?”

  “Where else would we be headed?”

  “Right.” Snowballs. “When do you think you’ll arrive?”

  “I’d say in about an hour and forty-five minutes.”

  Birdie had been more right than she’d realized. It was going to take a team. And they were about to show up. “Great!”

  I went back to the table, happy to see the drinks and food had arrived. I slipped into my seat and stared at my cheese fries. They looked delicious, but I had more than food on my mind. I should have mentioned Myra’s real name to my father, but that could all be handled when he arrived. I picked up a fry, not wanting them to go to waste.

  “What’s up?” Sin asked. The sugar had apparently done him good. He looked much more like himself again.

  “Let me put it this way. Santa Claus is coming to town.”

  After scarfing our food down, we paid our bill and got moving. Birdie headed to the station to fill the sheriff in. They would take on the jobs of getting Nate into town, explaining things to him, and retrieving the contents of the safe-deposit box, namely the snow globe instructions Eustace had written up.

  Sin and I would handle my family, setting Tempus up with whatever he needed to send the yetis to dreamland, and the logistics of getting all those yetis back to the portal.

  Good thing Balfour Park wasn’t far from Myra’s.

  Sin drove me back to the warehouse, and we went up to my apartment to wait for my incoming family. Which really just gave me time to stress out some more. Because while I knew he’d met my mom and aunt and been soundly approved by them, I was still a bundle of nerves about him meeting my dad.

  My dad. And my uncle. The two harshest critics of the men in my life. I could have put off this introduction to another day and been very happy.

  Further complicating things was Tempus Sanders, the Sandman, master of sleep, king of dreamland, and a guy who generally considered himself the universe’s gift to all things supernatural.

  I didn’t care what he thought about Sinclair, but he still had to be kept happy so he didn’t suddenly decide not to help us with the yetis.

  He wouldn’t do that, would he?

  I wanted to eat sugar and go to bed. I wanted to eat sugar in bed. With the door locked, my phone turned off, and Spider on my pillow.

  “Wow.” Sin was sprawled out on the couch. “You’re completely freaked out.”

  “What makes you say that?”

  “You’re wringing your hands, for one thing. You’re also walking a path in the floor, for another.”

  I stopped pacing and dropped my hands to my sides. “You don’t understand—”

  “I think I do. Your dad and your uncle aren’t going to be as accepting as your mom and your aunt. How was that?”

  “Nail on the head.” I sighed and leaned against the kitchen counter. Which put me next to the box of eclairs. I helped myself to one and took a big bite. I needed the sugar and it gave my hands something to do.

  “You want me to get out of here altogether?
Or pretend like I’m just here to drive you guys to the park?”

  “No, and no,” I mumbled around a very soothing mouthful of yumminess. “And for the record, I’m not ashamed of you or anything like that. I’m really very proud of you and everything you’ve done for me.” He smiled. “I’m just nervous. This is the first time my dad and my uncle have been here since I took over the store.”

  I realized suddenly that had a lot to do with it. I wanted them to be happy with the job I was doing, which I knew they were, but having them here kind of put a finer point on things.

  “I get it.” He shrugged. “Parents.”

  “Especially ones you’re in line to take over the throne from.”

  He laughed. “Right. That’s more pressure than I’ve had experience with.”

  “But you know what? They’re going to like you. How can they not? You’re amazing. And because of you, we have a way to shut the portal down.” He’d risked his life for me. On more than one occasion now. And yet, somehow, I was pacing again.

  “If Nate cooperates.”

  That stopped me. “You think he might not?”

  “It’s going to take some thoughtful explaining. He’s about to find out all sorts of new things about himself. Things that might rock his world a bit. Imagine if someone told you your great-aunt was actually your mother?”

  I ran that through my head. “I’d be knocked off-center.”

  “For sure. Letting Nate settle into that might take a minute.”

  “True.” This could be a real shock to him. “Good thing Birdie is getting Titus involved. She said he and Nate went to school together. Seeing a familiar face like that might inspire him to feel some compassion toward his hometown. Remind him that there’s a reason to help.”

  “I hope so.” He tipped his head to look around me and pointed at something behind me. “You’re getting a call.”

  I turned around to see the snow globe I’d taken out of my purse had a raging storm going on inside it. I’d put it on the kitchen island to keep an eye on it. I answered. “Hello?”

  My dad appeared. “We caught a tailwind. We’ll be touching down in less than twenty minutes.”

  “Oh. Great!” That might have been a little forced, but I really was glad they were here. Better to move things along. “I’ll see you up there.”

  We hung up. I grabbed my jacket off the dining chair where I’d thrown it. “Let’s go.”

  “Where?” Sin asked.

  “The roof. That’s where they’ll land.”

  He stood up, smiling. “Are they really coming in Santa’s sleigh with eight tiny reindeer?”

  “Yes and no. The reindeer aren’t tiny and they’ll probably only have two or three pulling the sleigh. Christmas Eve is the only trip my uncle uses all eight for. Otherwise, a smaller team is plenty when the sleigh isn’t loaded with gifts.”

  His smile turned into a bright, shiny grin that would have looked perfectly at home on a child’s face.

  I laughed. “You feel about seven years old right now, don’t you?”

  He nodded as he came around the coffee table. “I can’t believe I’m about to meet Santa Claus.” He stopped short. “Is there really a naughty and nice list?”

  “Oh, yes.”

  “Am I on it?”

  “Everyone’s on it. And I can see we’re going to have to take a trip to the NP very soon.”

  His brows practically wiggled. “That would be amazing.”

  He pulled his jacket on, and together, we raced up the steps to the door to the roof. Which was frozen shut.

  I slapped my forehead at how dumb I’d been. “Of course the door is frozen. There’s probably a ton of snow piled up on the other side too. How on earth are they going to land if I can’t get it cleared?”

  “We’ll get it open. How did you get the warehouse door open?”

  “I absorbed the cold.” I pulled my sleeves back a little. “And I can do it again here, but I have a feeling this is going to be tougher. There’s more ice built up.”

  “What can I do to help?”

  Well, that was an offer I couldn’t refuse. “Keep me warm?”

  “That I can do.” He put his arms around me, fitting my back to his front. “How’s that?”

  “Good.” I wiggled a little. “Nice bracing too.”

  “I’m multipurpose.”

  With a laugh, I stretched out my hands and planted them on the door. It was frigid to the touch. I took a breath and worked my magic.

  Having Sinclair’s arms around me really did help, but even I had a limit for how much cold I could handle. After another few seconds, I dropped my hands. “There. That’s all I can do right now.”

  Sin gave me a hug. “I’m sure it’s plenty.” He eased me out of the way, then put his shoulder down. “Here goes.”

  He rammed forward, blasting the door open. Snow exploded out and up in a shower of white and he disappeared into it.

  “You did it!” I ran out after him, still chilled, but pumped full of adrenaline from his success. Until I saw how much snow still covered the roof. “Ugh. Look at this. Hey, where are you?”

  “I’m here.” Sin was still digging himself out of the nearly shoulder-deep drift that had cushioned his entrance onto the roof.

  I gave him a hand and pulled him out. “You might want to stand back for this.”

  “Are you sure I can’t help?”

  “I…well…maybe.” I gave the problem a few seconds of thought. “I think you can help. Hang on.”

  “I’m hanging.” Actually, he was brushing snow off himself.

  I fired up my magic again, this time forming a plow blade from ice.

  “I like it.” He nodded. “Fighting fire with fire. Or ice with ice, as the case may be.”

  “Yep.” With the stubbornness of the yeti-created snow, an old-fashioned plow was going to be faster and more efficient than my magic. The snow in my apartment had shown me that. “We’ll each take one side and clear a path.”

  “You got it.”

  We got our grip and went at it, proving I was right. With our supernatural strength, we were able to clear half the roof in about ten minutes. It took us a little longer to decide where to put all that snow. Splitting it up seemed the best idea, so small amounts went over each wall, except for the one that faced Main. That way we wouldn’t block the alley or side streets.

  We were widening the landing area when Sin stopped sharply and whirled around.

  “What’s wrong?” I asked.

  “Nothing,” he said, smiling. “But I hear bells.”

  The grand red-and-gold sleigh appeared out of the clouds like a fairy tale, which in a way, I guess it was.

  Wearing their everyday tack (which meant no bells—the ones Sin had heard were on the sleigh itself), four reindeer came dashing toward us, snorting steam from their glowing noses and tugging at their harnesses. Four made sense seeing Tempus Sanders in the backseat. The man was a mountain. A blobby, marshmallowy mountain, but still.

  My dad was in the passenger seat up front. He smiled when he saw me. My uncle was beside him at the helm. He stood up and waved as the sleigh descended. “Hullo, Jaynie!”

  I waved back. “Hi, Uncle Kris!”

  Sinclair nudged me. “I thought only Rudolph’s nose glowed.”

  “Human myth. The truth is tinker Rudolph Pringle developed a balm for the reindeers’ noses to protect them from the cold when they’re flying. He added a little magic to make the balm glow and give the reindeer a little extra light to see by.”

  Sin shook his head. “You learn something new every day.”

  They were closing in now. Uncle Kris wound the reins tighter in his hands and called out, “Halt, you beasts.”

  The reindeer landed, digging their hooves into the snow. The sleigh set down behind them, skidding a little as the gleaming gold runners found purchase.

  “Prancer!” I ran forward to hug the closest reindeer. He grunted hot breath onto my neck and nuzzled me as I spo
ke to the three men in the sleigh. “I’m so glad you’re here.”

  “Us too,” my dad said.

  I kissed Prancer’s downy cheek and stepped back to make introductions. “Dad, Uncle Kris, Mr. Sanders, this is my boyfriend, Sinclair Crowe.”

  My uncle was the first one out of the sleigh and the closest to Sin. He extended his hand. “Pleasure to meet you, son.”

  For all his mastery of death, Mr. Crowe looked mighty star struck. He shook my uncle’s hand. “Pleasure to meet you, too, Sant—um—sir.”

  My uncle put his hands on his prodigious stomach and laughed the loud, booming laugh he was famous for. “Call me Kris.”

  My father was next, his boots crunching through the snow as he approached Sinclair. “And you can call me Jack.”

  I tried to see my father through Sin’s eyes, with his wild spiked mop of dark blue hair, his thick arched brows and tall, willowy form. Swirls of frost and tiny snowflakes danced around him as he moved forward. He was showing off his magic. A little demonstration for Sinclair’s sake, I was sure.

  They shook hands, then my dad stepped to one side as Tempus came around.

  The Sandman was dressed pretty much as he was every time I saw him, in a loose tunic and matching loose pants. It was his uniform, and the best description I could give the outfit was fancy daytime pajamas. Given who he was, the uniform made sense. Today’s pj’s were a deep, dusty blue. His hourglass, his most prized and protected possession, dangled from the silk cord at his waist.

  I didn’t know what sort of mood he was in, but I figured a little flattery couldn’t hurt. “It’s so nice to see you again, Tempus. And it’s so gracious of you to help the town of Nocturne Falls this way.”

  He stared down at me, hands on the waist of his tunic where the silk cord sat, and smiled.

  Relief went through me.

  “I’m happy to help, Princess. You were kind to host me when I was promoting my book.” His voice, which was already deep and melodious, lowered even further as he leaned toward me. “And you took good care of me during the unpleasantness that followed.”

  You bet your sweet dreams, I did. But those words never left my lips. Instead, I smiled graciously (royal upbringing at its best) and touched my hand to my heart. “It was my honor.”