“Um, where are we going?” I shouted over to Rudy, who had been stuck in his head since we’d left. “The castle’s that way.”
Rudy pointed in the direction we were headed, and Cole continued his descent. There was an open field beside asprawling stable complex. The structure was beautiful, with a series of interconnected domed buildings that had light spilling from windows and doorways.
We landed, and Cole lowered his body, allowing me to slide off before stepping away. I watched in fascination as he transformed, the shift from reindeer to man still bewildering even after seeing it multiple times.
“Why aren’t we landing at the castle?” I gestured toward the distant building, its turrets gleaming.
“Flight restrictions. Only Santa’s sleigh team can land in the central courtyard.” Rudy’s hand found the small of my back. “How do you feel?”
“I don’t feel like destroying anything, so that’s a plus.” I adjusted the straps on the backpack I’d insisted on carrying myself. It had the blanket from Barbara and the ornament tucked safely inside. Plus, a few cookies.
Okay, a lot of cookies.
Kip pulled open one of the large doors. “Are you coming? The stables are heated, and I’m freezing my balls off out here.”
“Such a delicate flower.” Dane smirked, already moving toward the door.
I lingered, taking it all in. The air here felt different, and it tingled against my skin. The veil and Northern Lights danced together so seamlessly I couldn’t tell where one ended and the other began. It was as if they were welcoming me home.
Was this truly where I belonged? This place I couldn’t even really remember?
Cole stepped closer, his tall frame blocking the wind that had picked up around us. His eyes, usually so guarded, softened as he studied my face. “Overwhelming?”
The wind abruptly stopped, and I nodded, swallowing against the tightness in my throat. “I thought I’d feel... I don’t know, something more definitive when we arrived. Like a burst of recognition or my memories flooding back.”
“That’s not a bad thing.” Blitz took my hand and tugged me forward. “Getting overwhelmed isn’t good for you or your magic.”
I shivered as we entered the stables, the sudden heat making my frozen cheeks tingle. The space inside was far more elaborate than I’d expected, with polished wooden beams arched overhead, stalls lined with plush bedding, and what appeared to be heated water troughs running along one wall.
“Why do you need stables if everyone shifts?” I looked around, confused at seeing reindeer in the stalls.
Don reached over a door and rubbed a reindeer between the eyes. “Most reindeer aren’t shifters. These are regular reindeer; like workhorses for the North Pole.”
“Regular reindeer.” I blinked, taking in this information. “So there are normal animals coexisting with magical shapeshifting ones, and everyone’s cool with that?”
“People ride them instead of horses here.” Pierce grabbed a handful of feed and threw it into a stall. “The climate’s better suited for reindeer than horses.”
Dash wandered over, sighing longingly as he watched a reindeer getting some kind of hoof treatment in a corner stall. “Sometimes shifters like to spend more time in reindeer form too. I come here for spa treatments sometimes.”
I stopped walking to stare at him. “Reindeer... spa treatments?”
“Don’t knock it till you’ve tried it.” Kip’s smile was wicked. “I wish they did antler rubs on shifters, but that was outlawed years ago.”
My magic stirred inside of me at the thought of someone putting their hands on any of their antlers, and I crossed my arms. “Good, because the only person who will be rubbing those is me.”
A few groans came from the men, and a few of the reindeer in the stalls made grunting noises. With a quick glance, I could instantly tell they were shifters. Their eyes held too much intelligence, a depth no normal animal should carry.
Vix moved to stand beside me, throwing a heavy arm over my shoulders and pulling me against his side. “Kip is just pushing your buttons. Most of us just get hoof treatments. Itmakes them all shiny and smooth, and if I’m feeling a little wild, I’ll get them painted.”
My mouth dropped open. “You’re telling me you come to the reindeer spa to get... pedicures?”
“Hooficures.” Vix was being completely serious. “The hot mud pack for the shoulders is also incredible. Really helps with the post-flight tension.”
I burst out laughing. The North Pole had reindeer spas. Of course it did. What other ridiculous things was I about to discover?
A woman with golden-colored hair looked up from where she was polishing tack, her eyes widening as they landed on me.
“By the bells,” she whispered, dropping her cloth. “It’s?—”
