I didn’t need telling twice and snatched one off the plate without hesitation. I took a bite and groaned as the warm, rich flavor burst into my mouth. The mince pie made me feel like I was in heaven. The pastry was the ideal thickness, and the fruit mince filling was the perfect combination of rich and sweet. The mince pies in the Southern Realm were just as good as the ones from back home. If it weren’t for the fact that they had terrifying beasts roaming the forest and that clauses were mostly reviled by dark beings, I’d probably never want to leave.
“I spoke with Agatha about the ruins we’re searching for last night,” Dash said, as I reached for another pie. He hadn’t touched them yet, but if he wasn’t going to dig in, then I wasn’t going to say anything. It meant there was more for me.
“They’re a couple of days journey from here,” Agatha explained.
“A couple of days?” I said with my mouth still full. I didn’t like the sound of that. I had guessed that the Southern Realm would be just as large as the Northern Realm was, but I’d really been hoping we were closer to the ruins than that.
She nodded. “The Dead Lands are beyond the edge of the forest and tricky to navigate. You’ll need help getting to the ruins.”
I swallowed down the rest of my mince pie before I spoke again. “Where are we going to get help from?” I asked Dash. Agatha had already done a lot to help us, but she didn’t look prepared to ditch her treetop home and go trampling through the forest for days.
“Agatha says her grandson can show us the way.” Dash gave the elf a grateful smile.
“And he doesn’t mind?” I asked, turning to her.
Agatha shook her head. “Roan will jump at any excuse to leave the village, and I know he will be happy to help,” she said. “And Dash has promised us some Northern Realm pine in return for his assistance.”
I frowned and glanced at Dash before focusing back on Agatha. “Why do you need pine?”
“We use pine to hide ourselves because of the way it masks our magic. It is rare in the Southern Realm though. It doesn’t grow here, and because of its unique magical properties, us elves can’t create it and the krampuses can’t summon it. It’s very valuable.”
“Huh,” I replied. “Well, if Dash is happy to get some for you, then that sounds fair enough to me. Just so long as I don’t have to go near it.” The Southern Realm was starting to sound better by the second. A place with no pine was a place I could call home.
“When do we leave?” I asked.
“Don’t you think you should rest some more?” Dash asked, folding his arms over his chest. “Your skin is still pale.”
I shook my head. “No, I’m fine, and we don’t have time to waste.”
“I wouldn’t advise waiting either,” Agatha added. “Most dark beings are nocturnal, and you’ll be safer traveling during the daylight hours.”
Dash’s arms remained folded over his chest, and he kept his concerned eyes on me, looking at me like I was about to faint. Despite what Agatha had said, he still didn’t seem convinced.
“I’m going to be fine, Dash.” If I was honest, it still felt like my brain wanted to explode from my head, but we really couldn’t afford to delay our journey while we waited for my head to stop pounding.
Dash slowly started to nod. “If you insist,” he replied. “We can go as soon as Roan gets here.”
“He should be here any minute now,” Agatha added. She started clearing away the mince pies, and it made me sad to see them go. I was completely full, but that didn’t mean there wasn’t always room for one more. I wondered if I could convince her to pack some for our journey.
The thought of the trek that lay ahead made me sigh. I couldn’t believe it was going to take days to reach the palace ruins. It was going to be a while before I returned home again. “Do you think Melody’s doing okay back in Bramblewood?” I asked Dash.
“She has Tomi. I’m sure she’s fine,” Dash replied. “Plus, Alfie said he would go and talk to her yesterday. He would have come back if anything was wrong.”
“I guess.” I didn’t like that she’d been worrying over me though. She’d only just settled in Bramblewood, and I felt like I needed to be there for her. It was hard to believe that only a night had passed since I’d last seen her at the sleigh point in the North Pole. Or was it two? Jumping through all these time zones was really messing with my body clock. I’d only had one night’s sleep though, so I was pretty sure about one day had passed.
I heard movement in the room next door and turned as an elf came barreling into the kitchen. He was tall and slender with gorgeous golden hair and the kind of looks a supermodel would sell their soul for. His skin was flawless, and his features were all in exact proportion. I wasn’t into that kind of perfection though. It was just unnatural.
He was wearing a loose woven shirt and shorts, and he looked like he belonged on the beach rather than in the forest. He brought the sickly sweet candy-like smell of elf magic with him into the room, and his green eyes lit in a mischievous way when he saw Dash and I standing there.
“There you are, Roan,” Agatha said. “I’ve been waiting all morning.”
“Sorry, Aggie, I just wasn’t sure if you were joking.”
“Don’t call me that,” Agatha warned. “And have I ever joked with you?”
“Well, no, but it’s never too late to start.” Roan turned and analyzed Dash and me. His head tilted as he examined us, and I went rigid under his inspection. Did he have to stare so much?
“This is Dash and Clio,” Agatha introduced us.
Roan didn’t give us any greeting though. Instead, he glanced back at Agatha. “They don’t look like light beings.”
“Well, we are,” I replied, sending a burst of magic to my fingertips. It sparkled gold, proof that I wasn’t a dark being. “Is this enough evidence for you, or do you need a full DNA history too?”
Roan laughed and shook his head. “No thanks, lightie, I think that will be enough.” He leaned back against the wall, folding his arms over his chest. “So, you want to go to the palace ruins?”
“Yes,” Dash replied. “Agatha said you can take us there. Do you know them well?”
Roan shrugged. “I know where they are. I wouldn’t say I know them well. I wouldn’t say anyone does. Most beings avoid the place like the plague.”
“Why?” Dash asked.
“Because they’re a magical minefield,” he replied. “One that nobody’s stupid enough to enter. Well, except for you two, it seems.”
I flicked Dash a worried look out of the corner of my eye. What the hell had I gotten us into? His eyes clouded with concern for a moment, but he quickly pushed any worry aside as Roan continued speaking.
“Why are you so interested in going there?” Roan continued.
“You don’t need to worry about that,” Dash replied. “Are you ready to leave?”
Roan waved toward the door. “I’m ready whenever you are.”
“Great.” I turned to Agatha and gave her a warm smile. “Thank you for all your help.”
“It was nothing,” she replied. “It’s not every day light beings stumble into your village, so I was happy to help. You lot just be careful, and make sure you stay off the ground come nightfall. Look after Roan. He’s a handful, but I want my grandson home in one piece.”
“Aggie!” Roan groaned.
“We will,” I replied.
I turned to Dash and found he was watching me. “You ready for this?” he asked.
“A trek through the forest toward a bunch of ruins that all beings avoid like the plague? Sure, I was born ready.”
Dash smirked and shook his head at me. “Well then, lead the way.”
Chapter Twelve
I was not ready for the kind of expedition Roan was leading. If anything, I was completely unprepared and was quickly puffing and sweating as I trailed behind Dash and Roan.
The two of them seemed set on proving who was faster as we made our way through the thick undergrowth o
f the forest that seemed to go on forever. I felt no need to prove myself, and I kept thinking back to when Dash had offered to let me rest a while longer before we left. Why had I said no? Why was I so eager to leave? I was really beating myself up for making such a silly mistake.
There wasn’t an easy path to follow like there had been on the way to Roan’s village, and we had to plow through ferns and weave around trees as we delved deeper into the forest. How Roan knew where we were going, I had no idea.
I staggered to a stop when we’d been going for about an hour. My legs were burning, and my heart felt like it was beating from my throat, which was never a healthy sign. I leaned over and braced my hands against my knees. Even if I’d been training for a marathon, there was no way I could have kept up with these boys. I wasn’t sure how long they planned to continue going at such a rapid rate, but I was already at my limit.
“Guys?” I called out. I’d only just stopped, but already they were disappearing in the dense forest ahead. Knowing my luck, they’d disappear for good and I’d be lost out here.
Dash turned at the sound of my voice and bounded back to me, slamming through the bushes like he thought I was in trouble.
“What’s wrong?” he asked when he reached me. He was looking me up and down as though he was checking to see if I was injured. The only thing injured right now though was my pride.
“You’re both going too fast,” I said. “I’m never going to make it if we keep going at this pace.”
Roan had come up behind Dash and lifted one disapproving eyebrow at my comment. Dash, at least, seemed concerned. He turned to Roan, scratching his forehead as he considered my predicament. “How long until we reach the edge of the forest?”
“Tonight, perhaps, if we keep running,” he replied. “Otherwise, not until tomorrow.”
“You want to run through the forest until tonight?” I asked.
Roan chuckled in response, clearly enjoying my shock.
“What about after the forest?” I asked. “Do you expect me to run all the way to the palace ruins?”
Roan shook his head. “No, this is the only part we go on foot.”
“So, you have some kind of other transport to get us there?” I asked. “Like a car?”
“Yes, I have other transport, but we have to make it out of the forest first.” He smiled.
I didn’t trust his condescending smirk though, and it made me feel like he was laughing at me. Still, it was a relief to know we wouldn’t be running the rest of the way. I just had to keep reminding myself that tomorrow I’d be in the comfort of a car.
“So, we can slow down without putting us too far behind schedule?” Dash asked.
“We might be able to make up time once we’re out of the forest, so that should be fine,” Roan said. “We can camp overnight in the trees and walk the last stretch in the morning. The little lightie’s legs are much smaller than ours, after all.”
“Well, I’m glad somebody finally noticed.” I shot Dash a glare. He should’ve realized much sooner that I wasn’t coping. Perhaps if he hadn’t been so busy competing for who had the most testosterone with the elf, he would have known.
I summoned myself a bottle of water and downed the entire drink in one long gulp, before wiping a hand across my mouth. “Okay, we can go now.”
Roan smirked in response and set off again, taking the lead. Dash motioned for me to go next, which at least meant I wouldn’t be left behind this time.
“I didn’t notice any krampuses in your village back there,” I said to Roan as we walked.
“And you shouldn’t have,” he replied. “There are hidden elf villages all over the Southern Realm.”
“Why?” I asked.
He looked back at me and lifted an eyebrow. “I would have thought that were obvious.”
“Oh,” I said, finally getting it. “You don’t want the krampuses to use their persuasion on you.”
“Bingo,” he replied. “Unlike the Northern Realm, there are no laws here that restrict persuasion, and krampuses are known for abusing their powers over my people.”
He talked about it so casually, like it was simply a reality he had to live with. I could hear a hint of irritation in his voice though, and I wondered if he ever dreamed about what this realm would be like if there were laws in place that protected his people.
“So, we all tend to live in remote locations as far away from the South Pole as we can get,” Roan continued. “We also try to get our hands on pine as a fail-safe. It’s the only way to ensure our safety. It’s hard though when it doesn’t grow in our realm.”
I felt a rush of sadness at his words. It must be horrible to feel so vulnerable. Roan was far from weak though, and it seemed his people had flourished in the forest.
“So, the South Pole, is that where most of the krampuses are?” I asked.
Roan nodded. “Krampuses hate the forest. They prefer the lavish lifestyle in the city, so it’s rare to see one outside its walls. The South Pole is the heart of our realm and where our royals live, so the krampuses are very drawn to it.”
“Have you been there?”
“No,” Roan replied. “But Agatha grew up there and says it’s beautiful. The city is perched at the top of a mountain with the royal castle in the center of it all. Apparently, you can see the entire realm from the South Pole walls.”
His eyes were distant, and his voice softened as he spoke about the incredible view. He seemed wistful, like he would do anything to see the city.
“Would you ever consider visiting the South Pole?” I asked.
“No.” Roan immediately started to shake his head. “Elves are practically slaves in the city. Even out of season, when krampus persuasion doesn’t work on us, my people are locked in chains and abused. Most elves who visit the South Pole never come back.”
I hated how sorrowful Roan’s voice was and how resigned he seemed to his people’s fate. We were so lucky that a treaty had been signed in the Northern Realm to ensure that light elves couldn’t be subjected to such hardships. The elf treaty had come about a century ago and was a result of the different magical beings in the Northern Realm banding together. They pressed the royals for restrictions over claus magic, and the realm has been better for it ever since. I wished the same would happen in the south.
We fell silent as we continued through the forest. It felt like it must have reached midday, but it was impossible to tell. It seemed as though twilight always reigned in the Southern Realm. I wasn’t sure if the darkness was because of the dense undergrowth or because it was a dark and stormy day. I would have been able to tell if I could see the sky, but it was constantly blocked from view by the heavy canopy of leaves overhead.
By the time darkness started to descend on the forest, and the chill of the oncoming night entered the air, I was ready to collapse. When Roan announced we should make camp for the evening, I flopped to the ground in a heap.
“I’m never moving again,” I groaned. “There are parts of me hurting that I didn’t even know existed.”
I caught Roan grinning at me again before he looked up at the trees surrounding us. I really didn’t like how much the elf was enjoying my pain.
Dash squatted down at my side. “You did well today.”
“You’re just being nice.”
“Couldn’t be that, I’m never nice to you,” he said, making me laugh. “I’m serious though. We walked for miles through difficult terrain. You’re made of sturdy stuff, little claus.”
“Maybe, but all my sturdy parts are definitely now broken.” I looked at my legs as they quivered with exhaustion. “There’s no way I’ll be able to walk so far tomorrow. I’m not even sure I can stand up right now.”
“Well, I sure hope you can,” Roan said, dropping his gaze from the trees around us to look at me. “Because you can’t sleep down here tonight. Not unless you want to get eaten.”
I laughed at his comment, but my amusement quickly disappeared when I saw how serious he was. He wa
sn’t joking. “What the hell is going to eat me?”
I was answered by a moaning howl in the distance that sent a wave of cold shivers down my spine. It was the same noise that had caught the attention of the beast we’d hidden from the day before. I wasn’t sure if the panther-like creature was the same type of animal that made the howling call, but if it was, then I hoped it wouldn’t come any closer.
Roan’s eyes went wide, and he started looking frantically around at the trees.
“Roan?” I asked uncertainly.
He closed the distance between us and roughly pulled me up by my elbow. “Quickly. We have to go,” he said. There was none of the normal confidence in his voice, and it was strange to see him so frantic,
“Roan, what’s wrong?” I asked.
“We have to get into the trees. If there are yule cats nearby, it won’t take them long to catch our scent.”
I felt the blood drain from my skin. “Well, what are we waiting for?”
We started hurrying through the undergrowth, following Roan as he searched for a tree we could climb. Most of them were huge though, and their branches were up so impossibly high there was no way we’d be able to climb up and reach them.
“There!” Roan said, suddenly pointing to a tree ahead of us. It was in the middle of a small clearing and much shorter than the other towering giants. Its branches were several meters up off the ground, which seemed to be what Roan was looking for. I let out a breath in relief, but the air had barely left my lungs when another howl echoed through the night.
The piercing noise was far closer than before, and I looked nervously over my shoulder into the undergrowth behind me as we ran. It hadn’t echoed like the other howls did, and my legs were shaking as I tried to keep up with Roan. He was leading us toward the clearing with Dash right behind him. They’d both pulled ahead, and several meters separated us as I struggled to get my legs moving as fast as I needed them to. The distance was growing bigger with every step they took, and I gritted my teeth as I tried to catch them. Bushes and leaves whipped at my legs and arms as I ran through them. I could barely breathe, but I knew I couldn’t slow down and I couldn’t stop—not when there was a terrifying beast prowling through the dark forest behind me.
Christmas Chaos (Christmas Magic Book 2) Page 13