Vix threw his hands up. “They looked way sturdier than they were!”
“You brought down half the display,” Don added quietly.
“Minor details.” Vix waved dismissively. “The point is, I might not be welcomed back with open arms.”
“Or at all,” Dash muttered.
My head swiveled between them as they continued discussing Vix’s apparent banishment from this Reinberg place. My breathing quickened as reality sank in. They were serious. They expected me to pack up and leave with them to some winter wonderland I’d never heard of.
“Neve would love the winter market.” Dane grinned, his eyes bright with memories. “There are those little star lanterns they hang between all the booths, and the ice rink in the town square is better than any indoor facility.”
“Reindeer sleigh rides are a tourist favorite, but we could arrange a special one for her.” Cole rubbed his hands together as if he were plotting already.
“Hot spiced wine at the Frostbite Inn.” Pierce’s eyes softened slightly as he licked his lips. “Definitely need to go there.”
“Then there’s the enormous gingerbread village Snowshoe Bakery builds every year.” Kip clasped his hands under his chin, and it would have been cute if their talk about Christmas wasn’t grating on my nerves.
“Don’t forget the music you can hear throughout the town and the carolers in the evening.” Don’s voice was full of nostalgia.
“The highlight is the thirty-foot tree they light up on the first night of the festival.” Blitz went to my tree, gently touching an ornament.
I felt like I was suffocating under an avalanche of Christmas cheer. Each suggestion hit me like a physical blow, my anxiety climbing with each festive image they painted. Ice rinks. Carolers. Gingerbread. Sleigh rides. Everything I’d spent years avoiding.
The temperature in the room dropped dramatically, but no one seemed to notice as they continued their enthusiastic planning of my Christmas kidnapping.
“I could probably sneak into Reinberg if I wear a hat,” Vixmused. “Oh! I could grow a beard. If it’s long enough, I could even hang miniature ornaments on it.”
“It’s been a while since we stayed in the cabin by the lake during the winter. The stone fireplace is so cozy and perfect for decorating.” Dash rubbed his hands together as if he could already feel the fire.
“Stop,” I whispered, but no one heard me.
“—massive kitchen where we can bake cookies?—”
“STOP!” I shouted, but my voice seemed to fade as something strange happened.
Everything slowed. The animated gestures of the men around me decelerated until they were hardly moving. Blitz’s excited bouncing turned to an almost-still hover. Dane’s hand, reaching for a chip, hung suspended in the air.
The sound died too, their voices stretching into long, distorted drones before fading into silence.
Only Rudy seemed different, his eyes widening slightly as he stared directly at me through the frozen tableau.
I spun in a circle, taking in the scene. This wasn’t like creating snow or ice or making hot chocolate explode. This was different. This was...
I looked down at my hands, which were glowing with a soft blue light. Time. I was controlling time.
As panic began bubbling over, the frozen moment shattered. Everyone jolted back into motion, voices and movements resuming at normal speed. Several of them blinked in confusion, looking around as if they’d momentarily lost their train of thought.
“What the fuck was that?” I jumped backward and nearly tripped over the coffee table. “Did I… did you all…”
The blue glow intensified, spreading up my arms like veins of electricity. The surrounding air crackled with energy.
“Neve.” Rudy took a step toward me, his expression uncharacteristically urgent. “Calm down.”
“Calm down?” I shrieked, watching as frost patterns spiraled out from beneath my feet. “I stopped time! I stopped fucking time!”
Nine pairs of eyes stared at me as I backed toward the hallway, my entire body trembling. Their faces all seemed to swim together in my vision as the blue light pulsed from my skin. I could feel frost crackling under my socks with each backward movement. The air around me grew dense with cold, like I was generating my own personal winter storm.
“I can’t control it!” My voice sounded strange even to my own ears, wavering and distant.
