“But it needs to be done and I’m fine. I’m working at my own pace, not trying to out-do anyone.”
“Trying or not, youareout-doing everyone. Are you trying to get Keir’s attention on you more? Do you think you’re better than us?”
All I could do was shake my head.
Lunchtime arrived. I didn’t rush out along with everyone else. Clea and Drake left together. When the room was empty, I stood and stretched my legs. Keir hadn’t said where we would meet.
I glanced up at the big screen on the wall. It showed a live shot of the sleigh. It was a gorgeous piece of equipment, bright red with gold trim, the runners gleaming. In the hangar, the sleigh sat on a raised dais, the crowning glory of all of Santa’s Village. There was a separate team that saw to the sleigh’s physical upkeep, repairing, cleaning, polishing as needed. It always looked brand new, sparkling, pristine.
The dashboard of the vehicle had its own network which could be monitored and corrected from Control. But there was something extra. The Santa magic allowed it to actually fly without engines or wings, all on the power of eight flying reindeer. No one understood how that happened. It had nothing to do with nav or cloaking or time continuums. It had everythingto do with the kind of being Santa was, separate from shifters, elves and humans.
I loved the mystery. What a thrill to be part of what most humans on Earth called a myth.
“You look deep in thought,” said a voice behind me.
Keir stood about six feet away, hands on his hips, smiling. That smile sent a shiver of pleasure through me.
“Just looking at the sleigh.”
“It’s incredible, isn’t it?”
“Yes, sir—um, I mean Keir.”
“You didn’t leave for lunch with the others. I looked for you and then I realized I hadn’t told you where to meet me.”
“I was about to text you.” As the boss, we all had access to him in many ways. Email. Text. In person.
Keir gestured at the screen. “Would you like to see the sleigh close up again? We can get our lunch to go and eat in the hangar.”
Weeks ago, I had sat on that sleigh’s cushy seat, the dash right in front of me. But I’d been so overwhelmed by everything, especially Clea’s shocking remarks, that I remembered none of it. My brain had shut down.
“Can we really do that?”
“Sure.” He gestured with his head.
I followed him out of Control to the cafeteria. I couldn’t help but glance about, nervous that I might see Clea. Why did I let her get to me? She was one person. But she was also above me. Technically in charge when Keir wasn’t around. She had the power to recommend or cause strife. I wasn’t too sure how much power she had, but I feared she could cause me to lose my job if she was unhappy with my work.
Luckily, neither Clea nor Drake were within view.
Keir and I both got our food in bags, grabbed parkas and scarves, and he led me out of the building and down the darklane where candy-cane streetlights lit the way. It was December now. The long nights were dark and, when storms cleared away, the night sky was nearly white with the blaze of faraway galaxies. The constellations were like white swirls above us.
“Beautiful,” Keir said under his breath. “We can only hope for a night like this on Christmas Eve.”
“Weather never deters Santa, though. At least, that’s what I’ve heard,” I said.
“No, but it can interfere and make our job harder behind the scenes. We have to be prepared to send him changes in data and fixes on command. We make it look perfect if we can, but it’s not.”
I chuckled. “I love this job.”
“The stress of Christmas Eve will be a test. You haven’t been through it yet.”
“But knowing we can help. It’s wonderful.”
Keir laughed. “Spoken by someone born to do this work.”
“I love equations. Each challenge is a chance to write a new one and hope for a good outcome.”
We got to the hangar in minutes. As we entered, a gush of warm air nearly knocked me over. More lights came on as we entered. The spotlight on the sleigh remained the brightest light in the building, framing it in a golden glow.
