“It’s like looking for a needle in a haystack,” Aurora muttered, rubbing the back of her neck. “Except the needle’s probably wearing a Santa hat.”
Tegan leaned against the stand, her fingers drumming onthe edge of the counter. “Maybe we’re overthinking it. If he’s targeting the crowd, maybe we just need to wait until he moves.”
“That’s a dangerous gamble,” Salima pointed out, shaking her head. “If we wait for him to attack, we risk losing control of the situation entirely.”
I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose. “There has to be something we’re missing,” I said, glancing at each of them.
Before anyone could respond, my phone buzzed in my pocket. I pulled it out and glanced at the screen, Carnell’s name lighting up the display. I quickly answered, putting the phone on speaker. “Carnell,” I said, the urgency in my voice clear. “Please tell me you have something.”
“I do,” he said, his voice steady but serious. “I’ve been digging into Krampus’ lore and found something that might help. He can make himself look human, but only for short periods. It’s a masking ability. Think of it like a temporary glamour.”
The words hit me like a slap, and I felt a mix of relief and frustration swirl in my chest. “That explains why we haven’t found him.”
“Yes,” Carnell continued, “but there’s a catch. It takes a lot of energy to maintain the disguise. The longer he holds it, the weaker he becomes. And if he attacks someone while in disguise, it’ll drain him even faster.”
Aurora nodded, her expression sharpening. “So he’s hiding, but if he makes a move, we’ll likely see it.”
“Exactly,” Carnell said. “Be vigilant. He won’t stay hidden forever, and when he drops his glamour, you’ll need to act fast.”
“Got it,” I said, my grip tightening on the phone. “Thanks, Carnell.”
“Be careful,” he added before the line went dead.
I tucked my phone back into my pocket, looking at thegroup. “Alright, now we know what to watch for. He’s hiding in plain sight, but can’t keep it up forever. The second he moves, we strike him.”
Eve nodded, her jaw tight. “Let’s find him before he finds his next target.”
As I scanned the crowd, something dawned on me, a piece of the puzzle sliding into place. My breath caught, and I turned to the others, my voice sharper than I intended. “I know how he got away the first time,” I said, my eyes narrowing. “In the woods—he was the hiker. That’s how he evaded us. He shifted his form to throw us off.”
Eve froze for a moment, her eyes widening as she considered it. Then she nodded, her expression tightening with realization. “If he’s a demon shifter,” she said slowly, “then he’s constantly expending energy to maintain an alternate form. That would explain how he’s been hiding, but also means he’s burning through his reserves faster than we thought.”
I clenched my jaw, frustrated but also grateful for the revelation. “If I’d known that earlier, I could’ve stopped him. Damn it, I wish I had Dagna’s amulet. It would’ve ripped his glamour apart in seconds.”
Eve’s lips pressed into a thin line, and then her eyes brightened with a spark of an idea. “You might not need her amulet,” she said, her tone thoughtful. “I have another idea.”
I turned to her, my brow furrowing. “What kind of idea?”
She hesitated, her gaze flicking to the crowd before settling back on me. “Let’s just say… I might be able to disrupt his glamour another way.”
My chest tightened at the thought of Eve putting herself in harm’s way, but I also knew we didn’t have time to debate. “If you can pull it off, do it,” I said, my voice unflinching. “But you’re not doing it alone.”
She smirked, though the seriousness in her eyes didn’t fade. “I wouldn’t dream of it.”
I glanced around. “Whatever it is. We can’t do it here.”
Eve caught my eye and tilted her head to motion for us to follow. Without a word, we trailed behind her, weaving through the crowd and slipping behind a small brick building on the edge of the square. The noise of the gathering faded slightly, and the relative quiet wrapped around us like a thin shield against the chaos of the night.
When we were far enough from prying eyes, Eve stopped and turned to face us, her hand reaching for the silver locket she always wore. She held it up, the small oval pendant catching the soft light from the streetlamps.
“I’ve got an idea,” she said, her voice controlled but tinged with urgency. “This locket—it’s enchanted already, but I can layer a temporary spell on it. It won’t be as strong as Dagna’s amulet, but it’ll work the same way. It’ll disrupt any glamour or masking spell Krampus is using.”
“How?” Liam asked, his arms crossed but his expression curious.
Eve took a deep breath, her fingers brushing over the locket as she explained. “The spell will amplify the locket’s natural magic, creating a sort of pulse. Think of it as an EMP for magic. It’ll strip away his disguise and reveal his true form. The catch is that it won’t last long. Once I cast the spell, we’ll have maybe ten minutes before the enchantment burns out.”
I frowned, my gaze flicking to the locket. “And what happens if he’s not close enough when you activate it?”
“It’ll still pulse outward,” Eve said, “but the range is limited. He has to be within fifty feet, maybe sixty at most, for it to work.”
