Christmas Chaos (Christmas Magic Book 2)

by Alexandra Moody

  Dash grew rigid at my side, and I glanced at him to find his jaw was tense and his eyes were sparking with anger. He seemed to be visibly growing larger as fury rolled off his shoulders, and the muscles in his arms swelled as his figure became even more imposing than normal. I worried that if the king didn’t let his herd go Dash would shift and we’d all have to deal with one extremely angry reindeer.

  “My father won’t be happy you are holding reindeer against their will. There are no charges laid against them,” Dash growled.

  “Your father answers to me,” the king replied. “And you would do well to remember that you do too.”

  “Why won’t you release them?” I asked, interrupting the two of them before Dash decided to grow antlers.

  “Because Dasher here needs some incentive,” the king replied. “He will take you to Incarceror and get the information we need to repair the barrier. I’ll be keeping his herd here until we are satisfied.”

  I held up a hand to interrupt the king once more. “Dash doesn’t need incentive. Are you kidding me? He was the one trying to stop Crow from unleashing the power of the Christmas star to begin with.”

  “Perhaps,” the king replied. “But he refused to retrieve you until I forced his hand. I’m not taking that risk again.”

  My heart warmed at the fact that Dash had tried so hard to protect me, but I was really beginning to hate the king. Was he really the man who ruled our people?

  “Well, I refuse to go to Incarceror until his herd are released,” I said.

  The king smirked. “You think you have a choice in this?”

  I folded my arms over my chest. “Yeah, I do.”

  “Guards!” the king shouted with a piercing cry that sent shivers down my spine. Ten men and women dressed in golden armor appeared through two side doors at the far end of the room. I glanced behind me and saw the guards who’d been stationed by the entrance had also stepped into the room. We were completely surrounded.

  “Seize the red-haired one,” the king said, nodding toward Melody.

  The guards stepped forward, but I didn’t hesitate as I moved in front of Melody. Power sizzled at my fingertips, and the guards paused. In a flash of magic, Dash shifted into his reindeer form at my side and went to protect Melody from behind. Adrenaline was pulsing quickly through me, and with Dash’s support, I felt my resolve strengthen.

  “Melody isn’t going anywhere with you,” I said.

  The guards all drew their swords as they eyed the golden magic swirling around my fists and the reindeer at my back. They looked ready to cut me down as soon as their leader gave the command, and it seemed like they were just waiting for the order to advance on us. I wasn’t nearly skilled enough to fight them all off, but I couldn’t let them take Melody. I couldn’t let her be a prisoner again.

  “Enough of this!” The queen lifted her voice above us all. She wasn’t yelling, but her words were powerful and filled with authority. The guards all hesitated, glancing between their two rulers. They seemed conflicted about whose orders they should follow and looked to the king for answers. The king didn’t object though, and his lips tightened as if it pained him not to argue with the queen. As I eyed the royals, I began to suspect it was Queen Ciana who bore the true power in our kingdom.

  “Lower your weapons,” she said. “There will be no fighting here tonight.”

  The guards immediately sheathed their swords. The warriors still looked ready to pounce on us, but at least they’d backed off slightly. I allowed the magic at my fingertips to extinguish, but I didn’t feel safe just yet.

  The queen eyed each one of us closely before she spoke again. “Dasher’s herd will be released. He has fulfilled his promise to bring the clauses to us, and we will not break our word.” She nodded at one of the guards who left the room. Hopefully he was off to retrieve Vixen, Coop, and Blitz.

  “Clio, you stepped forward the moment I said what the nameless one wanted in exchange for his help fixing the barrier,” she continued. “I trust it was because you want to do the right thing—that you don’t need an incentive to go to Incarceror and retrieve the solution we so desperately need.”

  I nodded though my eyes were still nervous and my body was still tense. “I know there will be chaos if it’s not repaired,” I replied. “If I’m the only one the nameless one will speak with, I don’t really have a choice. I have to go to him whether or not you hold our friends hostage.”

  She smiled at my response. “Yes, I can see it in your eyes. You care.”

  It was definitely the first time I’d heard anyone say that about me before.

  The queen nodded to herself as if she were satisfied with what she saw in me. “The three of you can go. Dasher, your herd will be waiting out in the entrance foyer for you.”

  I drew my eyes away from the queen and saw that Dash had shifted back into a man once more — a very naked man at that. He didn’t seem too bothered that the king and queen of the North Pole could see his goods. He bowed his head low in gratitude to the queen before shooting the king a dirty scowl. Clearly, I wasn’t the only person who didn’t think very highly of the ruler.

  The three of us turned to leave, but the queen called my name just before I reached the door. I paused and looked back at her.

  “Thank you for doing this, Clio,” she said. “I look forward to your speedy return.”

  I nodded and huffed out an uneasy breath before turning to leave. There had been so many unsaid words permeating that one sentence, and I felt every one of them like a weight upon my shoulders. “Come back quickly or our world will be destroyed” was what the queen had meant to say.

  “No pressure, Clio,” I muttered to myself as I left the elaborate white and gold room and followed Dash and Melody into the corridor beyond. “No pressure at all.”

  Chapter Four

  Dash was still naked as we walked down the corridor that led from the king and queen’s audience room. He always seemed to tear through his clothes when he shifted, and as we walked, I had to wonder what he did when he shifted and I wasn’t around. Judging by how comfortable he was when naked, I suspected he didn’t hurry to get dressed again.

  I let out a sigh as I summoned him some clothes. It really was a shame to have to clothe someone who looked so good naked. Dash glanced over at me as if he could sense my thoughts. The corner of his lips had lifted in a smirk, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. There was still seriousness in them, like he couldn’t yet shake off what had happened with the king and queen.

  “What?”

  “I’m just trying to figure out why you’re always dressing me.”

  “Uh, because you’re always naked,” I said. “Most people would say thank you.”

  “I’m not most people,” he replied. “I’m not bothered being naked. But it clearly bothers you.”

  I rolled my eyes at him. “Fine then. No thank you, no clothes. Just don’t come crying to me when you’re attacked by girls who are drooling all over your naked body next time you shift.”

  That finally brought a real smile out of Dash, and the tension that had been gripped around my heart following our meeting with the royals eased a little at the sight.

  “So, you think girls would drool over me?”

  “Stop searching for compliments. You know you’re hot.”

  “Not hot enough for a phone call.” He folded his arms over his chest as he stared at me. I’d been wondering if he’d bring up the fact he’d given me his phone number and I’d been too chicken to call him. I hadn’t had to wait very long to see him again though.

  I smiled and shrugged my shoulders. “You told me it was for emergencies. There haven’t been any.”

  “I’ll remember that for next time,” he said, his eyes suddenly thoughtful. I really hoped he wasn’t considering setting fire to my house just so I’d call him.

  We emerged from the corridor, arriving back in the huge entrance hall we’d come through earlier. Coop was pacing between two pillars while Vixen and
Blitz were both seated on the bottom two steps of the wide staircase that led to the upper levels.

  Vixen and Blitz jumped up when we entered the room, and all three shifters shared similar looks of relief as Dash, Melody, and I made our way over to them.

  “You came back fast,” Coop said as we stopped in front of the three shifters. “We were worried you might have taken longer.”

  “Yeah, we barely even had time to sweat,” Blitz added. “I thought you’d hold out on us at least a day.”

  “And why would I do that?” Dash asked.

  Blitz shrugged though his gaze noticeably flickered in my direction. “I just figured you might have a few mixed feelings about it,” he replied. “You really didn’t want to go and fetch the clauses.”

  “Well, I did. Where did they hold you?” Dash moved quickly past Blitz’s queries.

  “A bedroom in the east wing,” Coop replied.

  “With only one bed,” Vixen added. “Blitz stole the mattress and spent most of the evening sleeping. You know how I hate it when he snores.”

  Blitz grinned at Vixen. “What? I was bored, and it’s not like you were going to entertain me…”

  Vixen’s gaze darkened as she returned Blitz’s coy look with a scowl. “Do you see what I’ve been trapped with?” she said, focusing back on Dash. “You couldn’t have gotten here quick enough!”

  Dash was rubbing his forehead, clearly too tired to be dealing with Blitz and Vixen’s bickering. He was probably starting to wish we’d just left them locked in the palace.

  “What did the royals want with the girls?” Coop asked, interrupting before Vixen and Blitz could continue having a go at each other. They’d probably been at it for hours and poor Coop had been stuck in a room with them for the entire time.

  “We’ll talk about it when we get home,” Dash replied. “For now, let’s just get out of here.”

  It was a relief to leave the palace, but I didn’t feel quite at ease again until we were in the car and far beyond the towering castle walls. It had been strange to return there after so many years, and my interaction with the king and queen had left me with a lot to think about. I worried about the fact the king had recognized I was different. I wasn’t even sure what he had meant by that, and I hoped he hadn’t sensed the strength of my powers. I was just glad we left before he could become more curious about me.

  For now, the royals needed my help with the barrier. But what about when I returned? Would they question my magic further?

  I didn’t know the answer, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to consider it. For the moment, I was free of the castle, and I had other things to concern myself with. Specifically, facing the nameless one again.

  I sat silently in the car, stewing over what the creature wanted with me. I feared he was ready to call in his favor. But a part of me also hoped for it. I hated feeling beholden to someone, and I wanted to fulfill the favor as quickly as I could. I didn’t want to live my life with the shadow of a debt looming over my head.

  Dash didn’t drive us back to the sleigh point. Instead, he skirted around the city and took us deep into the forest to his cabin. It was tucked away among the huge pine trees, and I could see light emanating from the windows of the house as we came up the snow-covered driveway. The place looked so cozy and appealing after the long night we’d endured. I hoped the fact we’d come to Dash’s cabin rather than heading straight for Incarceror meant that I’d be getting some sleep tonight.

  We all got out of the truck and followed Dash inside. The cabin was warm despite the fact there was no fire burning, and my eyes started growing heavy as I entered the living area. As I walked past the kitchen, I noticed four bowls of half-eaten food lying on the table. It looked like the reindeer had left the cabin in a rush when they’d been called to the castle.

  “Leave the house quickly?” I asked, turning to look at Dash.

  He nodded as he fell onto one of the couches. “My father came over around lunchtime,” he replied. “He told me the royals had received a response from the nameless one and that they wished to speak with us.”

  “He forgot to mention that the royals also planned on jumping us and locking us away though,” Blitz added as he went to sit next to Vixen on the couch opposite Dash. “I guess we can thank you for that,” he added, glancing in my direction.

  “What do you mean?” I walked over to join the group. I leaned against the arm of one of the couches, a frown creasing my brow as I waited for Blitz’s reply.

  “Well, they wanted to know who the claus was that went into the prison with us,” Blitz responded. “And Dash refused to give you away. The king thought he needed ‘motivation.’”

  I was still frowning as I considered his answer. The king had said something similar when we’d been in the audience room of the palace. I could understand why Dash lied to the king, but what I didn’t get was why Dash hadn’t told us the full story when he came to fetch us.

  “Why didn’t you just tell us the truth back in Bramblewood? The royals certainly weren’t asking either of us for our side of the story like you said.”

  Dash lifted his exhausted eyes to meet mine. “Because I couldn’t risk that you wouldn’t come with me.”

  “You really think I would have abandoned your herd if I’d known the truth?” I asked, failing to stop the hurt I was feeling from edging my voice with sadness.

  “I’ve seen how nervous you are about the North Pole,” Dash replied, his eyes becoming hard. “And I’m not stupid. I know you are hiding out in the Human Realm for a reason. Not to mention that visiting the nameless one, to whom you owe a favor, is the last thing you should be doing. Why are you surprised I’d be concerned about that? I didn’t want to drag you into this if I didn’t have to, but I wasn’t left with a choice.”

  I took a step backward from him, surprised by the passion in his voice. I couldn’t tell if he was angrier with me or with the royals who put him in this position.

  “I know you haven’t told us everything either, Clio. You have secrets you don’t want to share. And that’s fine. But I couldn’t risk my herd for them.”

  My heart was racing, and I could feel every eye in the room was on me. They were waiting for me expectantly, and despite what Dash had said, I felt like they wanted me to spill every dark piece of my soul to the group.

  “Leave her alone,” Melody said, coming to stand at my side. “It doesn’t matter if Clio has secrets or not; she’s done nothing but help you shifters, and you need to show a little more gratitude. She’s the reason the royals let the herd go and why I didn’t join them in confinement.”

  I smiled warmly at Melody, finally able to breathe again now that someone had come to my defense. She was right. I didn’t have to tell these shifters anything, and they were the ones who owed me right now. Not the other way around.

  “I wasn’t trying to upset you,” Dash said. My eyes darted back to look at him once more. “I was just trying to explain why I was worried.”

  He sounded sincere but also exhausted, and I gave him a simple nod in response.

  “When will we leave for the prison?” I asked, trying to move past his accusations.

  I didn’t like that Dash and the other shifters thought I was keeping secrets from them, but they were also right. There was more to my powers than I had let on, and I’d never told them that my magic was the reason I’d had to leave the North Pole. I didn’t feel ready to reveal the whole truth about my abilities though. I was still too scared of how they would react.

  “In the morning,” Dash replied. “You and Melody can sleep in the spare bedroom tonight.”

  I nodded and glanced at Melody. “Well, I’m stuffed, I’m going to hit the sack. You coming?”

  She nodded and followed me toward the bedroom I’d slept in when I was last at the cabin. I hesitated when I reached the door and looked back over my shoulder at Dash.

  The other reindeer were heading out, saying their goodbyes as they went to leave the cabin. Dash remained
on the couch though, staring up at the ceiling.

  As I watched him, I could see how the weight and pressure that rested on his shoulders affected him. He looked so tired and a little lost. I found I didn’t blame him for getting so angry with me before. Nothing had gone to plan tonight for him, and it certainly hadn’t gone to plan for me. I might have avoided getting chained up in the royal dungeons for being the magical freak that I was, but that didn’t mean I wasn’t in trouble.

  I let out a breath and entered the bedroom. Hopefully, tomorrow would go a little better for the two of us.

  I woke before daybreak the following morning. Melody was still fast asleep at my side, but I felt a strange pulling sensation beckoning me toward the living area. Making certain not to disturb Melody, I slipped from the bed. I inhaled a sharp breath as my feet hit the freezing floor and quickly summoned a pair of slippers, which appeared on the ground in a swirl of my golden magic. I slid my feet into them before creeping out of the room.

  Closing the door silently behind me, I walked out into the living area. The room was dark, but the sky was beginning to lighten outside with the deep blues of early morning. I pulled my arms in close, pressing down a shiver as I looked out the window and into the snow-covered forest beyond. I wasn’t ready for the day to begin and I wasn’t certain how it would end.

  I’d tossed and turned all night thinking about returning to the prison. I knew the dangers that waited there for me, and my gut told me that the nameless one would be calling on his favor today. It was something I wasn’t looking forward to but something that needed to be done. I knew the price I was paying when I promised him a favor, and now, I had to face the consequences.

  Pushing down another shudder, I got the feeling that I wasn’t alone. I slowly turned and crept into the middle of the room, looking for any sign of company. I could hear Dash’s deep, sleeping breaths through his bedroom door, and Melody was the only other person in the house. I couldn’t shake the sense that there was another presence in the cabin though.