Claus

Forty

Her nerves felt like ice prickling down her back—not from the doing of any magic. She looked to her mother. "Jack's here."

Nick yelled, and her grandfather closed the door, completely cutting off Nick's voice. The white wall appeared in its place.

"Cassian's going to try to slow him down."

"No." She clutched the phone. "Stop him. You all have to get away."

"Faryn—"

"If we're all captured, then who's going to save us?"

"You don't think you'll get away." It wasn't a question.

"Please, Peter, tell him."

"Okay." He let out a sigh. "Please be safe, Faryn."

She ended the call and from up above she heard footsteps. There hadn't been a crash. He'd somehow entered quietly. 

         Her nostrils flared as the scent of pine and fresh snow filled them. Jack. She didn't recognize the other scents. There was the underlying scent of pumpkin spice in one. Based on the smells, there were at least half a dozen Acurials. Probably more.

         Magic swirled around her grandfather and mother. She had no idea how to tell her magic that was what she needed it to do.

         There was a heartbeat of silence before Jack appeared in the doorway, arms crossed and sneering. "Protecting and abetting a criminal, Aunt?"

         Clora's magic flared. "She's my daughter. You can't actually believe she did something to Nick."

         His lips flattened. "Between the two of you, I prefer that it was her." His eyes shifted to Father Winter. "Grandfather, I'm sad to see you're caught up in this as well."

         "Caught up in what? My granddaughter only arrived minutes ago. You don't know what our plans for her were."

         Jack didn't know that Nick was here. If she told him, would he let her go free? Cassian and Peter would no longer be suspects.

         Could she do that to her mother though?

         "Winter can decide what your intentions were," Jack says. Father Winter's magic surged forward, a blur of ice, that stopped inches from Jack, his eyes now wide. He took a step back.

         Behind him appeared a man who Faryn quickly identified as the source of the pumpkin scent. They'd met before. Cipriano, the Headless Horseman. Right now, his head was thankfully firmly attached to his body. His glowing blue eyes took in the three of them at the bottom of the stairs before he inclined his head. "Father Frost, Mrs. Claus, I'm sorry it's come to this, but you're under arrest for sheltering Faryn Morozko and for the suspected kidnapping of Nicholas Claus." His eyes landed on Faryn, and she thought she could see regret there. Maybe he didn't think she was guilty. "All three of you will be taken to the Spirit Court."

         Frost began whipping around Clora's feet, and Jack's power formed, ready to meet hers if need be. Their current charge wasn't as bad as it would be if they found out her mother had actually taken Nick.

         "You both have allies in The Frozen City." Cipriano took a step down the stairs, and four Elves appeared in the doorway. "It's best you're held in more neutral territory."

         Could she do it? Could she condemn her mother? Despite Clora letting Faryn take the fall, she was still her mother. Faryn shared her dream where it was the two of them and her father. But if Faryn, her grandfather, and Clora were taken, no one would know where Nick was. He'd starve behind that wall and then her mother and grandfather would be charged with murder.

         Someone must have sensed the words forming in her throat. Must have seen her eyes drift to the wall hiding Nick because a gust of wind barreled into her, and she slammed into the wall adjacent from Nick's. The back of her head hit it with what sounded like a crack—the last thing she heard before her world dissolved into an ink black night.

It gives me so much joy that the Headless Horseman smells like pumpkin spice, even if that's only in my imagination. Speaking of the Headless Horseman, next week I'll have a bonus chapter being released about him and Sleepy Hollow. I hope you'll be able to check it out!