Claus

Fifteen

         "She's already here." A muscle in Aurelius's jaw ticked. "You have to hide."

         Peter was on his feet before either Faryn or Cassian. "Why? I'm friends with Perchta."

         "But she hates Faryn."

         Cassian looked at her and finished Aurelius's line of thought. "She's a symbol of broken tradition."

         It was a good thing she hadn't taken one bite of her food. Just one thought of the Perchtas of old was enough to turn her hands and forehead clammy.

         Throughout history, Perchta had been the guardian of traditions and punisher of those who broke them, and Faryn was a walking, breathing symbol of a broken marriage vow. The Santa and Mrs. Claus bond was one of the greatest traditions in both her world and the human one. She might not be the one to have broken it, but she was the only one Perchta could punish without repercussions.

         Aurelius's throat bobbed. "While our current Perchta may not slit her open and stuff her with straw, she won't hesitate to take her prisoner." His eyes darkened as he spoke to Peter. "And curse her."

         Faryn scanned the room, searching for someplace to hide while trying to squash her growing terror. Perchta cursed those who broke tradition with bad luck, and while Faryn lately wound up in shitty circumstances far too often, she also kept managing to get out of them. She didn't need to trade that good luck for the bad kind.

         Aurelius strode to the nearest wall and pressed his hand against it until the paint rippled as if it were wallpaper before thinning into what appeared to be a screen. Through it could be seen another room, private with couches and paintings all viewed hazily through the magic of the screen. One portion of the screen faded entirely, leaving a doorway into the room. Aurelius motioned them through it.

         It was clear Aurelius hadn't been expecting Perchta, so why when the two were sworn enemies, would she show up unannounced? It was unlikely Perchta would launch an attack on Krampus, not without the support of other court members.

         As Faryn passed through the not-quite-doorway, she glanced back at the table. Was there time for their dishes to be hidden? They were a damning piece of evidence that Aurelius had not been alone.

         Aurelius placed his hand against the screen, and it rippled before solidifying until she could no longer see him on the other side.

         Both Peter and Cassian stood, bodies braced as their magic began to swirl around their feet. It was a relief she had her mother's dagger, but what would it do against Perchta who had strong magic of her own?

         "Aurelius," a voice ground out on the other side of the wall. Faryn held her breath. Perchta was Fae. How well did a magical wall do at concealing scents?

         "Perchta," Aurelius purred.

         Though Faryn had never seen her in person, she'd seen plenty of images of her. Perchta was beautiful, her skin a rich deep brown, and hair that was long and glistening, the color of mahogany. She'd heard somewhere that she used magic to keep her hair in a kind of suspended enchantment, one where it flowed in a phantom wind around her. Not as if she were underwater, but rather as if she walked on air.

         A chair scrapped against the floor.

         "And what might I do for you on this cold winter's night?" The bastard actually managed to sound pleased to see her.

         "You can start by feeding me." Perchta's voice was heavy, tired.

         "Why else do I exist but to serve you?"