“We’ve reached a decision regarding your punishment.” Dad squared his shoulders, every inch the Santa Claus the world believed in. “You will be exiled to Klarhaven, stripped of all authority and status at the North Pole. You will have no contact with young reindeer and no position of influence.”
Silven’s face drained of color, and for a fleeting moment, I almost felt sorry for him. Almost. The same wayyou might feel a twinge of sympathy when someone who’s been horrible gets exactly what they deserve.
But then his mask was back in place, and he looked at Rudy, sneering with bitterness before his attention turned to me.
“Your power will consume you like it did before. You aren’t built to contain it, just as he…” He jerked his chin toward Rudy. “Isn’t built to lead.”
Rudy stepped forward, his body vibrating with tension. “If you ever come near her again, if you ever try to manipulate any member of my herd, we will make Klarhaven feel like paradise compared to what follows.”
The guards moved forward, preparing to escort Silven away.
“Klarhaven’s about to get its very own Grinch.” I folded my arms across my chest, watching Silven’s face twist with rage at my flippancy. “Hopefully, someone will knit you a heart.”
The escort led Silven away, his back rigid with defiance. My mom, who had been silent throughout the whole confrontation, stepped forward.
A wave of shimmering silver magic burst from her hand, striking Silven squarely between the shoulder blades. He stumbled, gasping as his form rippled and shifted. Before our eyes, enormous antlers sprouted from his head, magnificent and gleaming in the winter light.
My jaw dropped.
Silven turned, his eyes wide with shock and something like hope.
Mom’s face had transformed. The gentle, smiling woman was replaced by something ancient and fierce—a mother protecting her young.
“There is no greater punishment than getting back what you’ve yearned for, only to find it useless.” Her voice had a steely edge that sent shivers down my spine. “Your antlers have returned, but they will never lift you from the ground the way you desire. You will never fly with another herd or lead a sleigh again. Especially not a sleigh flown by a Claus.”
Silven’s eyes reflected pure anguish.
“Enjoy your time in Klarhaven.” Mom stepped backnext to my dad, her silver hair lifting slightly in a wind that seemed to touch only her. “Perhaps one day you’ll realize how wrong you’ve been about leadership and strength, and about what truly matters.”
The elves resumed their escort, leading a stunned Silven away. His new antlers caught the light as he disappeared into the trees, leaving nothing but hoofprints in the snow.
Dad stared at Mom with a mixture of awe and admiration. “Glim...”
“No one hurts my family.” Mom smoothed down her cloak, the fierce goddess fading back into my cheerful mother before my eyes. “Now, shall we go back inside? I believe we have an antler competition to prepare for.”
Rudy’s hand found mine, squeezing gently as we followed my parents back toward the castle.
“Are you okay?” I whispered, feeling the tremors of emotion running through him.
His eyes met mine, stormy but clear. “For the first time in a long time... I think I might be.”
I sat in the center chair at the judges’ table, still not believing they’d been serious about having an antler competition. The grand hall had been transformed into what I could only describe as a pageant arena, complete with a runway, spotlights, and a panel of judges that now included me.
“And next, we have Bruce!”
A heavily muscled reindeer with a dappled coat pranced down the runway. The crowd went wild as he shook his massive rack adorned with what appeared to be an entire winter village, complete with a miniature train that chugged around the circumference of his left antler.
I leaned toward Tinsel, the elf judge to my right. “Is that an actual working model train?”
Tinsel didn’t take her eyes off the spectacle. Her pencil scratched furiously across her scorecard. “Bruce is known forhis mechanical innovations. Last year, he had a gondola system that carried tiny hand-carved elves between antler points.”
“Of course he did.” I sipped from my hot chocolate, which someone had helpfully spiked with peppermint schnapps. Three drinks in, and the absurdity had become genuinely entertaining rather than mortifying.
My dad sat in the front row next to my mom, looking more animated than I’d seen him since arriving at the North Pole. Color had returned to his cheeks, and his hearty laugh boomed across the hall as Bruce showed how the tiny inhabitants of his antler village popped out of their houses when he tilted his head a certain way.
My herd occupied the row behind Dad, having been eliminated in the first and second rounds.
“Now for our next contestant, Don!”
