Her eyes glittered as she looked at me, waiting for a response. When I stayed silent, she continued, her voice dripping with smug satisfaction. “Krampus thrives on fear and punishment, two things this quaint little town has in abundance. He’s drawn to those who’ve wronged others and broken the fragile morality of the mundane world. I thought he’d find plenty to work here, starting with you, Faith.”
My jaw tightened, but I didn’t respond, watching her closely as she reveled in her own twisted explanation.
“But the best part,” Dagna said, her smile growing, “is that Krampus doesn’t just punish the guilty. He punishes anyone who stands in his way. And that makes him… unstoppable.”
I raised an eyebrow, unable to stop the bitter laugh that escaped me. “Unstoppable?” I repeated, my voice dripping with disbelief. “You think you can control Krampus? You’re an even bigger idiot than I thought.”
Her smile faltered for a split second, but she quickly masked it, her gaze narrowing. “He follows the rules I’ve set for him.”
“No, he doesn’t,” I said sharply, taking another step toward her. “Krampus doesn’t follow anyone’s rules, not even yours. He’s a rogue demon, Dagna. He doesn’t take orders. He takes what he wants. And he’s coming for you when he’s done wreaking havoc here.”
For a brief moment, I saw something flicker in her eyes—fear, maybe, but it was gone as quickly as it appeared. She sneered, brushing off my words like they meant nothing. “We’ll see about that,” she said coolly, but her voice lacked the confidence it had carried just moments ago.
I shook my head, my grip tightening on the hilt of my blade. “You’ve unleashed something you can’t control and are too arrogant to admit it. But when Krampus turns on you, and he will, don’t expect us to clean up your mess.”
Dagna’s eyes narrowed, and for a moment, she looked like she might lash out. Instead, she threw her head back and cackled, the sound grating and abrasive, slicing through the quiet night like a jagged blade. It wasn’t just laughter; it was something darker, something that sent a shiver down my spine despite my best effort to stay resolute.
“You think I made a mistake?” she sneered, her voice dripping with mockery as her piercing gaze locked onto mine. “Well, you’ll learn the truth soon enough. When they do the tree lighting.”
Her words hit me like a slap, the casual way she said them making the warning feel even more sinister. My chest tightened, my mind racing as I tried to piece together what she meant. The tree lighting? The big, local event that most of Mystic Falls would attend?
“What are you talking about, Dagna?” I demanded, taking a step toward her, my grip tightening on my blade. “What did you do?”
She only smirked, the glint in her eyes brighter than the damn Christmas lights lining the nearby streets. “Oh, Faith,” she purred, her voice laced with faux sweetness. “I guess you’ll just have to wait and see.”
I clenched my teeth, the frustration boiling under my skin as her laughter echoed in my ears. She was playing games, toying with me, knowing she’d planted just enough doubt to make my heart race and my mind whirl.
CHAPTER 12
Without thinking, I lunged at Dagna, my blade slicing through the air with a precision born of instinct and rage. But instead of meeting flesh, the blade passed through her like she wasn’t even there.
My momentum carried me forward, and I stumbled slightly, whipping around to face her. Or what was left of her? The form I had been so ready to destroy flickered, shimmering like heat rising off the asphalt. It started to break apart, gradually disintegrating into wisps of shadowy light that dissolved into the air.
Dagna’s mocking laughter echoed around me as her form vanished entirely. “Oh, Faith,” her disembodied voice purred, “you’ll have to try harder than that.”
I clenched my jaw, my breath coming in short, uneven bursts as I stood there gripping my blade like it might still be of some use. “Coward,” I spat, scanning the empty space where she’d been. Her laughter lingered, faint and fading, before the night fell silent once more.
“Holy shit,” Liam said behind me, his voice low and incredulous. “What was that?”
I turned to him, my hands still trembling with adrenaline. “Magic,” I said flatly, my voice sharper than I intended. “That was an astral projection. A cheap trick to keep herself out of harm’s way while she watches us like a damn vulture.”
Liam stared at the spot where Dagna had been, his wide eyes reflecting both shock and something else—curiosity. “So… she wasn’t really here?”
“No,” I said, sliding my blade back into its sheath. “She was somewhere safe, probably laughing her ass off while we chased shadows.”
His gaze shifted to me, his brows furrowing. “She can just… do that? Spy on people like it’s nothing?”
“Welcome to the world of dark witches,” I muttered, glancing around the empty park, the pit in my stomach growing. “Tricks, traps, and enough ego to fill a stadium.”
Liam shook his head, his face pale. “That’s insane.”
“Yeah,” I said quietly, my voice tightening with frustration. “But it’s also what we’re dealing with. And if she’s using Krampus, there’s no telling what she’s got planned.”
I turned toward him, meeting his gaze. The fear was still there, but so was persistence. And I needed both of us to hold on to that if we could come out of this in one piece.
I yanked my phone from my pocket, my fingers shaking slightly as I scrolled for Eve’s number and hit call. My thumb hovered over the speaker button before pressing it, the phone ringing loudly in the stillness of the park.
She picked up on the second ring. “Faith? What’s going on?”
