“And it’s safe for you?” Salima asked, her tone cautious.
Eve smirked faintly. “As safe as any spell is when you’re messing with magic this potent. I’ll be fine.”
I looked at her, studying the determination in her eyes. She wasn’t hesitating—she never did when it came to magic. She’d already made up her mind, and I knew arguing with her would be a waste of breath.
“Do it,” I said, my voice firm. “We don’t have time to waste.”
Eve nodded, stepping back and clutching the locket tightly in her hand. “Stay close,” she said, her gaze flicking to the rest of us. “When this goes off, we’ll have to move fast. If he’s anywhere near that tree, he won’t stay there once his glamour drops.”
Eve looked up from her locket, her eyes narrowing slightly as she glanced at Salima. “You’re wearing a silver locket too,” she said, tilting her head toward the pendant hanging from Salima’s neck. “I can enchant that one as well.”
Salima blinked, her hand instinctively going to the locket resting against her collarbone. “How did you know it was spelled already?” she asked, her voice tinged with surprise.
Eve smirked, her fingers still wrapped around her own locket. “I can feel it,” she admitted. “It’s faint, but there’s definitely magic woven into it. Something protective, I’d guess?”
Salima hesitated for a moment, then nodded slowly, her expression a mix of curiosity and caution. “It was my grandmother’s,” she said quietly, her fingers brushing over the smooth surface of the locket. “She gave it to me for luck.”
Eve held out her hand, her expression softening slightly. “Then let’s give it a little extra kick. Between the two of them, we might double our chances of catching Krampus off guard.”
Salima hesitated, her fingers lingering on the chain for a moment before unfastening it and handing it to Eve. “Becareful with it,” she said, her voice steady but laced with a hint of vulnerability.
“I will,” Eve promised, her tone unusually gentle as she took the locket. She held it alongside her own, the two pendants glinting faintly in the dim light. Closing her eyes, she murmured the spell, her voice low and melodic, the ancient words wrapping around us like a tangible force.
The air grew heavier, and a subtle hum vibrated through the surrounding space. I watched as Eve’s fingers glowed, the magic pulsing through her and into the lockets. The light flickered briefly, almost like a heartbeat, before fading back into the pendants.
When she opened her eyes, she handed Salima’s locket back to her with a small, satisfied smile. “There,” she said, her voice tinged with pride. “It should work just like mine. A single pulse to disrupt his glamour and reveal his true form.”
Salima took the locket, her expression thoughtful as she refastened it around her neck. “Thanks,” she said quietly, her fingers lingering on it for a moment before she looked back at Eve. “I didn’t know you could do that.”
“There’s a lot you don’t know about me,” Eve said with a small smirk, though there was no malice behind it. “But we can talk about that later. Right now, we’ve got a demon to unmask.”
I nodded, my gaze flicking between the two of them as the magnitude of what we were about to do settled over us. “Let’s hope those lockets work,” I said, my voice low. “Because if they don’t, we’re going to need a hell of a backup plan.”
Eve’s smirk widened slightly, her confidence unwavering. “They’ll work,” she said simply. “Now let’s find Krampus and ruin Dagna’s little Christmas chaos party.”
We split into two groups, the urgency of the situation pressing down on us like a stone. Eve came with Liam andme, her fingers brushing the enchanted locket around her neck at regular intervals as we moved. Salima led the others in the opposite direction, her own locket ready to expose anything that wasn’t what it seemed.
Our steps were quick but measured as we weaved through the decorated streets, scanning faces and watching for anything out of the ordinary. Eve touched her locket again, the faintest shimmer of magic pulsing outward. It wasn’t enough to draw attention from the crowd, but I kept my focus sharp, hoping for any sign of Krampus.
As we turned down the next block, I caught a flicker out of the corner of my eye. A man’s image wavered, like a heat mirage on pavement, his edges blurring for a split second before snapping back into focus.
“There!” I hissed, pointing toward him. Without hesitation, we broke into a run, the sounds of the village fading as adrenaline took over.
He bolted as soon as he saw us, weaving through the crowd with an unnatural speed. We followed, pushing past families and couples who barely had time to step aside. My pulse pounded in my ears, and I could feel the chase tightening my chest.
Then, just as I was closing the distance, he turned and shoved a little boy directly into my path. The child stumbled forward, hitting the ground hard with a startled cry, his little hands scraping against the cobblestones.
I tried to stop, but my momentum carried me forward, and I tripped over him, landing awkwardly on my side. Pain shot through my arm, but it was nothing compared to the sound of the boy’s wails.
Eve and Liam caught up a second later, but by the time we regained our bearings, Krampus vanished like smoke in the wind.
“Damn it,” I muttered under my breath, crouching downto check on the boy. His face was streaked with tears, and his little hands were red from the impact. “Hey, hey, it’s okay,” I said, my voice softening as I gently lifted him to his feet. “Let’s get you back to your mom, okay?”
He sniffled, nodding shakily as he clutched my hand. The others stayed behind, scanning the area for any trace of Krampus, but I had no choice. I guided the boy back toward the tree lighting, weaving through the crowd as he clung to my side.
When we reached the square, he spotted his mother near the edge of the crowd. She ran to us as soon as she saw him, her face pale with worry. “Thank you,” she said breathlessly, pulling him into her arms.
I nodded absently, my eyes already scanning the crowd again. The tree loomed ahead, its ornaments glinting in the soft glow of the lampposts, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Families, couples, and children were laughing, utterly unaware of the danger.
