“Anything?” I asked, my voice clipped.
Eve shook her head, her expression tight. “Nothing. The tree lot was clear, and the rink was packed, but no sign of Krampus or anything unusual.”
“Same here,” I said, leaning back in my chair, trying to fight the frustration bubbling under the surface. “We hit every shop on the main street, checked the alleys, and even scoped out the square. Nothing.”
Aurora frowned, glancing toward the window where the massive Christmas tree loomed, its decorations reflecting the surrounding light. “If Dagna’s planning something, she’s hiding it well.”
“She’s always hiding something,” I muttered, my fingers tapping against the table. My gaze flicked to Liam, who sat beside me, his jaw tight but his expression calm. He hadn’t said much during the search, but I could tell the significance of it all was pressing down on him.
Salima broke the silence, her voice level but serious. “So what’s next? If she’s targeting the tree lighting, we need to figure out how.”
“We’ll find Krampus,” I said, though the doubt gnawed at me. “We have to.”
But as I glanced out the window at the peaceful village, the families laughing and sipping cocoa, I couldn’t shake the feeling that we were running out of time.
Liam leaned back in his chair, his arms crossed, his brows furrowed in frustration. “How does an ugly demon like that hide in plain sight?” he asked, his voice tinged with disbelief. “He’s huge. Horns, hooves, the whole nightmare package. There’s no way he’s walking around here without someone noticing.”
I sighed, rubbing a hand over my face. “He’s not,” I said. “Not like that. Demons like Krampus know how to disguise themselves. It’s not perfect, but it works—especially in a place like this where people are distracted by holiday cheer.”
“But Krampus isn’t exactly subtle,” Liam pointed out, his tone sharp. “The guy feeds on fear. You’d think someone would’ve seen something.”
“He’s probably using a glamour,” Salima said, her voice thoughtful. “Or something similar. Demons like him don’t have magic like witches, but if Dagna were involved, she could’ve helped him. Give him a spell or an amulet to cloak his true form.”
“Of course she did,” Liam muttered, his jaw tightening.
Eve nodded, glancing out the window at the bustling village. “Glamours aren’t permanent,” she said, more to herself than anyone else. “They take energy to maintain, and the more powerful the creature, the harder it is to hide. Krampus might look like anyone right now—a parent, a vendor, hell, even Santa—but that kind of disguise won’t hold forever.”
“And when it fails,” Liam said, his voice firm, “we’ll be ready.”
I turned to him, catching the stubbornness in his eyes. Despite everything, I felt a flicker of hope. “Yeah,” I said, my voice steady. “We will.”
But even as I said it, I couldn’t shake the feeling that Dagna had more up her sleeve. Whatever she’d given Krampus wasn’t just a disguise, but a delay. A way to keep us guessing while she set the stage for whatever chaos she was planning.
I pulled my phone from my pocket, my fingers still chilled from the cold air outside. I scrolled through my contacts until I found Greyson’s name. I hit the call button and set it to the speaker, holding the phone out so everyone could hear.
The line rang twice before his voice came through, grounded and calm. “Hey, sweetheart.”
“You are on speaker. I should have called sooner. It’s been one hell of a night…”
“What happened?” he asked.
“It’s Krampus,” I said, leaning forward, my elbows restingon the table. “We are at the Christmas Village. We’re trying to track him, but we’re hitting walls. Dagna’s involved. She set him free.”
There was a pause on the other end, and I could almost hear the gears turning in his head. “Dagna,” he said finally, his voice tight. “That explains a lot. No leads on her, but I’ll start looking. If she meddles with Krampus, she won’t be hiding long.”
“Good,” I said, relief threading through my voice. “Because right now, she’s throwing chaos grenades and leaving us to clean up the mess. Anything you know about Krampus that might help us track him?”
Greyson exhaled, the sound heavy, like he was bracing himself for the bad news. “Krampus won’t work for anyone, Faith,” he said. “Not even Dagna. He’s not the kind of demon you can boss around. He doesn’t take orders. He follows his own rules. Punishment, fear, and chaos. That’s all he cares about.”
I frowned, leaning back in my chair. “Then why is he working with her?”
“He’s not,” Greyson said firmly. “If Dagna got him here, it’s because she needed a weapon. But trust me—she can’t control him. If Krampus gets even a hint that she’s manipulating him, he’ll go after her just as quickly as he’s going after everyone else.”
Salima leaned forward, her brow furrowed. “So she won’t be anywhere near him.”
“Exactly,” Greyson said. “She’ll stay as far away from the village as possible. She knows what he’s capable of, and she’s not stupid enough to stick around.”
I shook my head, frustration bubbling under the surface. “So she sends him here to stir the pot and watches the chaos from a safe distance. Typical.”
