“Well, I could say it’s a joke if it’ll make you feel better, but I’d be lying.”
“Why would you want me to fight another shifter?” The words came out in a low growl. Wow, he really seemed angry.
“Because I need a distraction,” I said, keeping my voice quiet enough that we wouldn’t be overheard. “And besides, you told me you could take on anything in this bar.”
“Any krampus is what I believe I said, and that was before I knew there was a panther in here. Plus, you’re forgetting, I can’t exactly shift.”
“I’m sure you’ll figure something out,” I responded. “Come on. You’re a big strong boy. Can’t you take one for the team?”
“You haven’t told me what the distraction is for yet,” he pointed out.
“It’s complicated and I’ll explain later, but I think I’m on to something. Just trust me?”
Dash let out a sigh and rubbed between his eyes as though I was causing him great pain. It also seemed like he was giving in though, so I gave him a broad smile and clapped him on the back. “Thanks, champ.”
“I haven’t agreed yet,” he growled. “We’re supposed to be laying low and keeping our ears open. Fighting a panther is not laying low.”
“Well, plans change, and you’ve had no luck. Besides, you just said you haven’t agreed yet, which means you’re up for it.”
“I’m pretty certain it doesn’t.”
I let out an annoyed breath. “We can’t really talk this over right now, but that krampus I was talking to thinks you’re a shifter that I fight. It’s going to look strange if I refuse to fight you.”
Dash bristled, and I didn’t blame him. I was speaking about him like he was my property, but it was necessary in a place like this. “I thought you said I was a distraction,” he replied.
“Look, I wouldn’t ask you if it wasn’t important. And it’s important.” My eyes were pleading with him, and he must have decided to trust me because eventually he nodded.
“Fine,” he growled.
“Thank you,” I said. I glanced over my shoulder to check on Crow. The krampus was still in the same spot I’d left him, and he was watching me with calculating eyes. I didn’t like the guy, but the way he was watching me, like he was trying to figure me out, made me really uncomfortable. We needed to get this over and done with, and fast.
“Come on, let’s go. We have to go tell krampy over there the good news,” I said, downing the last of my beer and slamming the glass on the bar.
Dash’s expression remained dark as I jumped down from the stool, and he walked with me over to where Crow stood.
“He’ll do it,” I said as we approached the krampus.
“Excellent.” Crow grinned. “The crowd will be pleased.”
Crow flicked an appraising look over Dash, and he seemed impressed by what he saw. “It’s been a long while since I’ve encountered a snow leopard,” the krampus said to me. “I look forward to seeing him fight.”
“Prepare to be amazed,” I replied with a confident smile. At least, I hoped he would be. Dash was a big, badass reindeer, but I wasn’t sure how well he fought in his human form. I had my fingers crossed he wasn’t hopeless and my toes crossed he wouldn’t be forced to shift.
“We’ll put the two of them in the ring next,” Crow continued. “May the best krampus win.” His dark eyes were sparkling with excitement as he nodded at me and made his way past me toward the boxing ring.
“Doesn’t he mean the best shifter?” Dash asked.
I patted Dash on the shoulder. “Don’t let it get to you. It’s just semantics.”
“Are you saying that as my friend or my owner?”
“Dash, calm down,” I warned. Now was not the place to be getting worked up. Only Dash could be so touchy when we were only faking it. Crow wasn’t the first krampus I’d heard of who collected magical beings like they were property. It was seriously twisted but frighteningly prevalent, especially amongst the dark magic elite who lived in the Human Realm. I could only imagine how bad it was in the Southern Realm.
This was the first time I’d seen it for myself though, and the truth was that I was finding it just as hard to stomach as Dash was.
Anger flashed in his eyes, and I knew calming down was the last thing Dash wanted to do. He needed to get himself focused though, and quickly.
“Look, save your anger for the panther you’re about to fight,” I continued.
“That’s easy enough for you to say,” he grumbled. He let out a sigh though and rubbed a hand over his face before he eventually nodded. “Fine. Let’s just get this over with.”
Chapter Ten
A cheer rose up from the crowd as we started to move through it toward the fighting ring in the center of the room.
“And we have a winner…” a voice boomed over the speakers. I looked up and focused on the ring rather than the thickly packed bodies I was trying to maneuver between. An elf stood in the center of the boxing ring, his hands held high in the air. There was no celebration in his eyes, which purveyed a total lack of emotion. The poor creature was skin and bone, and a krampus had to come forward and help it from the platform.
It sickened me to see such a fragile creature being abused so callously. Everything about the krampus bar was wrong, and I worried about what I was getting Dash into by volunteering him to take part in the dark creatures’ games.
“That fight was pathetic!” a krampus yelled at the ring as I moved past him.
“I want to see some blood!” another called.
I glanced over my shoulder and saw Dash had stilled behind me. He was eyeing the two krampuses like he wanted to show them their own blood, so I quickly grabbed him by the wrist and forced him to keep walking. If things got out of hand with Dash, I would be in just as much danger as he would.
Once we got to the side of the ring, I pulled Dash in close to me. “Remember,” I whispered in his ear. “This fight is just a distraction. You only need to keep it going long enough for me to pull off my plan. Once I’m back here, you can end it.”
Dash frowned at my explanation. “Just be careful.” His face was grim as I nodded. He turned his attention to the center of the arena where an announcer was beckoning Dash to join him.
“Good luck,” I said, lightly touching Dash’s arm.
Dash grunted in response, and then with one powerful movement, he leaped into the air, easily sailing over the ropes that ran the perimeter of the ring. He landed lightly on his feet in a way that revealed his fighting prowess.
I could see anticipation flashing in Crow’s eyes as he watched from the other side of the ropes. He was staring at Dash in such a hungry, possessive way that it wouldn’t surprise me if Crow attempted to buy the reindeer from me before the night was through.
“Taking last bets for favors,” someone called out behind me.
The words caused me to spin around and search the crowd. Surely, I’d heard incorrectly.
“Don’t miss out on the biggest match of the night. Bet your favors now.”
My gaze narrowed on a weedy-looking woman who was making her way through the crowd. Her eyes fell on each krampus she passed as she enticed them to place a bet. She was carrying a hefty bag on one arm, and it sickened me to imagine what was inside—favors.
My mother had always warned me about the dangers of a favor, and I’d never once been tempted to give one. A favor made you beholden to whomever held your favor coin, and since the coin could be traded, there was no way of knowing whom you might end up owing a debt to. If you didn’t fulfill whatever request they made of you when they called in their favor, the magic that bound you would slowly start to kill you.
It was a serious transaction and one that should never be entered lightly. From what I could remember, there were limits to favors, like being unable to ask someone to harm themselves, but I didn’t know enough about them to be sure.
I watched as a krampus approached the woman. There was a frantic look in his eyes, and the woman
licked her lips as if she could sense his desperation as he came to stand before her.
“Three favors on the panther,” the krampus said, his left eye twitching as he made the deal.
“You have the favors already?” the woman croaked.
He shook his head and held his arm out to her. I watched in shock as the woman ran a dagger down his arm. Blood dripped from the wound, and she turned his arm to allow it to drip onto the three gold coins she held in her hand. The coins lit up brightly, and dark magic crackled around them. I drew in a breath, and even from where I stood, I could smell the strange mixture of blood and gold and pine.
When the coins began to dull and stopped shining with magic, the woman placed them in her bag before handing the krampus his betting slip. She continued through the crowd as though what had just happened was completely ordinary. I couldn’t have felt more different after witnessing the exchange though.
The man had just bet three whole favors. I suppose it made sense that the krampuses would trade in favors rather than coins. A favor was the one thing a krampus or claus couldn’t summon. What was the fun in betting something you could so easily steal for free? Still, I couldn’t believe what I’d just seen.
I turned back to the ring, suddenly feeling even more troubled about Dash’s fight. This place was dangerous, and the bad feeling I’d gotten when we’d arrived in the bar was growing stronger by the minute. These krampuses were dark and intense, and if they found out that Dash and I were light beings, I knew we’d be in serious trouble.
Dash was pacing along the side of a ring when another figure climbed over the ropes. My eyes widened as I saw that his opponent was a young woman. Her body was lithe and muscular, and she hadn’t been starved like the other competitors I’d seen tonight. There was a fierceness to her gaze that made my mouth dry, and her face held evidence of the many fights she’d already been in. Thick scars dragged across her cheek making her look more intimidating.
Dash caught my gaze and gave me a nod. His face was hard, and I could see in his eyes that he was determined to give the fight all he had even if he did have to fight a girl. Looking at the girl, I found I was more concerned for Dash than I was for her. Her movements were fluid, and the deadly way she prowled across her side of the ring made me worried. She was eyeing Dash like he was her next meal, and I was growing increasingly concerned that the panther would do whatever it took to win.
A krampus dressed in tight red leather came to stand in the middle of the ring. There was an overly large whistle around his neck and a microphone in his hand. I guessed that he must be the referee.
“Dark beings of Bar Anti-Claus, I give you the contenders for our third fight of the night!” the krampus shouted into the microphone. “Back tonight, she’s one of our crowd favorites and the undefeated champ. I give you the one and only Sabia the Destroyer!”
A roar filled the room as the woman lifted her arms toward her audience.
“And fighting for a chance to make a name for himself, we have a newcomer competing for our top spot,” the referee continued over the sounds of the buzzing crowd. “Built like a bulldozer, I give you the first snow leopard to fight in this ring—Bulbous the Brave!”
The room filled with catcalls and boos. Any other time, I would have laughed at the ridiculous name Dash had been given, but worry was eating at my gut. What had I gotten him into?
“Now, I want this fight dirty,” the referee said. “I want this fight mean. But most of all, I want…”
“Someone to go down!” the crowd shouted, finishing what I assumed was the referee’s catchphrase.
I looked around me, feeling sick to my stomach. How could I let this happen to Dash? Maybe if he could shift he would have a chance. But even if he could turn into his reindeer form, could he really beat a panther? Panthers were hunters; reindeer were not. Sure, they could be mean-ass fighters, but their fighting was all about defending their herds, not trying to kill others.
The referee blew his whistle, the shrill sound ringing through the air and making the hairs on my arms stand on end. The krampus leaped back as the panther threw herself forward, her hands already partially shifted into long, pointed claws. Her movements were fast, but Dash seemed just as quick as he dodged out of the way as she slashed at him.
My heart was racing as I watched the panther continue to attack. Each movement segued into another, and each blow she aimed at Dash was enough to ground the strongest of fighters. Dash was on the defensive, but he was moving smartly and not expending his energy at the same rapid rate the panther was.
“Show me your claws,” Sabia growled in a taunt.
But Dash didn’t rise to her goading, and his eyes didn’t move from her hands. I desperately wanted to keep watching him, but I knew I had to slip away while the fight was happening, or I’d miss my chance.
With one last look at Dash, I fell back into the crowd, allowing myself to disappear among them. The cheering and chanting were like a chorus as I made my way through the rabid beings, and the room was filled with a cacophony of noise that seemed to resound off the walls around me. I had to squeeze my way past the hot and sweaty bodies that were pressed together until I finally reached the back of the mob.
Every eye in the room was on the fight that was taking place on the stage. While they were all focused on Dash and the panther, I hurried across to the far wall, where I’d seen the magical creatures chained up. When I reached them, I blanched. They were all in far worse shape than I’d thought when I’d first seen them from across the room.
I crouched down beside the first elf, a teen boy probably only a year or two younger than me. Large manacles bound his wrists, and a chain connected him to the wall. I focused all my attention on the shackles and attempted to summon them away from his wrists with my power.
Magic swirled in my hands, and a set of manacles appeared but, unfortunately, not any of the ones belonging to the prisoners before me. I must have accidentally summoned them from somewhere else.
“What are you doing?” The elf opened his eyes and shuffled back against the wall, shying away from me.
“I’m trying to get you all out of here,” I replied, lifting the cuffs in my hand to show him.
“Why would you help us?” the girl next to him asked. She was also an elf, although one even younger than the boy. My eyes were drawn to the large bruise that covered the side of her face. Where was Crow stealing these children from? And was he really fighting kids so young?
“Because none of you should be imprisoned here. It isn’t right,” I replied. I glanced over my shoulder as low gasps ran through the crowd making my blood run cold. A series of boos and catcalls resumed shortly after, so I hoped that meant Dash was okay.
“Here, let me try again,” I said, focusing on the chains once more.
The boy started shaking his head at me though. “They’ve done something to them so magic won’t work. The cuffs stop our powers, and they always have to open them with a key.”
I swore under my breath and lifted his hands toward me so I could get a better look at the cuffs. They might be magic proof, but that didn’t mean the key to them was. I closed my eyes, focusing my magic on the key connected to the lock I wanted to open. I knew it was a long shot, but I had to try something to free the helpless young creatures who cowered in front of me.
As a key appeared in my hand, another cheer erupted from the crowd. “Sabia! Sabia! Sabia!” The krampus mob began to chant in unison, and I felt like I was going to throw up. I kept my focus on what I was doing though and refused to check over my shoulder.
“Please work,” I whispered as I pushed the key into the lock. I swiftly turned it and let out a sigh of relief as I heard a resounding click. My eyes darted up to look at the boy who was staring down at the open manacles in shock. He wrenched them free from his wrists and started rubbing the chafed skin gingerly with his fingers.
“Quickly, do my sister,” he whispered, nodding at the girl.
I fit the key in
the lock on her cuffs, and a moment later, the girl was free too. The siblings wrapped their arms around each other, happy tears running down their sad and grimy faces. There were still at least ten other prisoners locked up though, and I was beginning to worry about how much longer Dash would be able to hold out in the fight. From the sounds of the cheering, it was still going, but I had no idea how he was faring.
“What’s your name?” I asked the boy.
“Tully,” he replied. “And this is Tabby.”
I gave them both a warm smile. “Tully, Tabby, do you think you can help me undo everyone’s chains? I want to get you all out of here together, but I have to go get my friend.”
Tully looked around nervously, like he suddenly realized he was at risk of being caught without his chains on.
“It’s going to be okay,” I reassured him. “I’m going to take you away from here, and we can go and find your family, okay?”
Tully slowly started to nod though he kept glancing nervously toward the cheering crowd of krampuses.
“Is there a back way out of here?” I asked.
He pointed toward a door that stood not far from where the prisoners were being held. “Through there.” The door was in the back corner of the room and far enough away from the crowd that Tully and the other prisoners shouldn’t be noticed sneaking out.
I handed him the key. “Start freeing the others and get out of here using that back entrance. Okay?”
“Where are you going?” he asked.
“I’m going to get my friend, but I’ll come find you. I promise.”
Tully tilted his head as he listened, as if he were unsure of me. He probably found it hard to trust anyone after spending time in Crow’s clutches. But when he looked down at the key in his grasp, he nodded and turned to wake the older elf who was passed out at Tabby’s side.
I quickly started back toward the ring, my heart in my mouth as I pushed through the crowd. It took everything in me not to cry out in concern when I finally got to the front and saw the state Dash was in.
Christmas Magic Page 11