My sleigh remained in perfect, magical suspension above the rooftop, nine magical reindeer breathing soft clouds of vapor into the frozen night.
The weight of centuries of tradition settled onto my shoulders. Just me. Alone. Delivering Christmas magic.
“That was perfect, Neve.”Rudy’s voice filled my mind.“We’ll be right here waiting.”
The nine bonds pulsed through me, and my racing heart settled a fraction.
“Okay,” I whispered to myself. “Living room. Next house. I can do this.”
I closed my eyes, focusing on the image of a cozy living room in the house next door. A bubble of magic enveloped me,and when I opened my eyes, I was staring at the back of a man in boxer shorts, frozen with a pair of nose hair trimmers. His face was contorted into what had to be the least dignified expression in human history.
“Oh, fuck me with a candy cane.” I slapped a hand over my mouth.
I had clearly focused on “inside” and not “living room.”
I squeezed my eyes shut again, concentrating with painful specificity on the living room of this house. The Christmas tree.
The magic swirled, and I materialized in what was, thankfully, the correct living room. An elegant tree stood in the corner.
I flicked my wrist, focusing on the wrapped presents appearing under the tree. As they materialized, my elbow knocked a glass ornament, sending it swinging precariously.
I lunged forward, grabbing for it and nearly toppled the entire tree. A glass star tree topper went flying off.
“Shit, shit, shit!”
Time might have been frozen, but physics apparently still had a sense of humor.
I cast a desperate freezing spell, halting the star’s descent three inches from the hardwood floor. I returned it to its perch and backed away from the tree as if it were an armed explosive.
I needed to find the cookies, take the ceremonial bite, and get out.
On the mantel sat a plate of the most suspicious-looking oatmeal raisin cookies I’d ever seen. They were the sad, health-conscious type that were probably made with applesauce instead of butter, with raisins that looked mummified rather than plump.
I picked up the least offensive one and reluctantly took a small bite.
“Oh, sweet baby reindeer.” I gagged, barely able to swallow the dry, tasteless lump. I could have magicked away the milk, but my palate was desperate for liquid, so I took a large gulp.
Unfortunately, it was almond milk, and while I had enjoyedthat before, it now tasted like liquefied cardboard with a hint of tree bark.
With the ritual complete, I concentrated on the next house.
The veil shimmered ahead, welcoming us home. We’d made millions of deliveries, and somehow I’d managed not to traumatize any children or pets.
My sleigh glided alongside Dad’s as we passed through the ethereal boundary between the mortal world and the North Pole. We descended toward the castle stables, the massive wooden doors swinging open as if greeting us.
As we landed, I slumped back against the sleigh’s seat, limbs feeling like they’d been replaced with jelly. Every nerve ending in my body buzzed with a mixture of exhaustion and exhilaration. I’d actually done it. I’d helped deliver Christmas.
My dad met my eyes from across the stable. “How do you feel, Snowflake?”
I let out a sound somewhere between a laugh and a groan. “Like I’ve been run over by nine very muscular reindeer, then peeled off the ground and stuffed into a stocking.”
The stable filled with the distinctive shimmer of magic as my team transformed back into their human forms, clothing materializing as their bodies shifted. Rudy reached me first, his large hands encircling my waist as he lifted me from the sleigh with effortless strength.
“You were magnificent.” His deep voice rumbled through my bones as he set me on my feet, steadying me when my knees threatened to buckle.
The others surrounded me in a circle of warmth and pride, hands reaching to touch any part of me they could.
Pierce pressed his lips to my temple. “Our Christmas queen delivered her first holiday.”
