This is a “what-if” – basically, it’s a little bit of off-canon fanfiction of my own stuff.  Fun to write.  Not safe for work.

Nikki and Jack Frost have to find a missing Earth Lord before the Winter Solstice, or the spells that keep the World Walls from failing completely won’t be completed.

You can either read it here, or download the PDF: SNOW

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

“Lucia?”

His deep voice hung on the still air, a dissonance vibrating through the silent rooms of the cottage as he pushed open a door that should have been locked and wasn’t. Fear iced his heart as he stepped inside; the air in the little house was cold, as cold as outside, where snowflakes tucked another layer of white around the neatly-trimmed hedges in the dark Arctic night. It almost looked like New England, not the North Pole.

“Lucia?”

She wasn’t there; he knew that subconsciously, even as he searched the empty rooms by the glow of a single magelight, looking for any clue to where the owner of the house had vanished to. Each room lay exactly as he remembered from the last time he’d been there, as if Lucia had simply walked out the door to run errands or visit a friend. But he knew she hadn’t. It had been six long months since they’d seen each other…

Raphael remembered the last message he’d received from her, just weeks before. Her voice played in his head, excited, but with an underlying worry that left a rotten taste in his mouth, even now. “I’ve a lovely surprise for you. I can’t wait to see your face when I share it.” And now, she was gone. With no word.

Dust lay in a thin shroud over all the furniture; the water in the sink had shards of ice covering the abandoned dishes. No one had been here in days, it seemed…and that boded ill for the missing Earth Lord he’d come to see, even now.

Especially now.

He half-expected to hear her low voice laugh from behind him at any moment, admonishing him for his fears. “It’s Christmas, Raphael,” she would say, slipping her slim arms around his waist and laying her soft cheek against his back. “The Solstice Covenant protects us all – even were they to discover you here, the Council could do nothing to you. No Elemental Lord would dare break that law.”

But you’re gone, Raphael thought, standing by the frozen sink and looking out the kitchen window. And while there are no signs of a struggle, there’s no note either. No reason. Just absence. And that’s not right.

For ten days surrounding the Summer and Winter Solstices, the Walls thinned, and Raphael and Lucia were able to spend time together, politics forgotten as they lay entwined in each other, usually in her bed. She would never have left without telling him, not now. But where is she?

He walked through the cottage again, hoping he’d missed something. Laying a hand on her soft flannel sheets, he shivered as the ghost of her magic whispered along his veins, the barest memory of the gentle Earth Lord held in the threads. Who would have taken her, in defiance of the Covenant? Who would want to harm her? As far as he knew, Lucia had no enemies…

And then Raphael stiffened as another thought struck him. Maybe it wasn’t Lucia they were really after…

The window over her bed looked out over a frozen winter wonderland; if not for the snowflakes falling gently from a grey sky, he’d be able to se the faint shimmer of the magical shield that protected the valley to the south of the little cottage. Another Earth Lord lived there, but it was his wife to whom Raphael’s thoughts turned. Julietta Kringle had plenty of enemies, garnered through a long life of protecting her husband and the Spirit of the Balance they served, but to get her, they’d have to lure her from the valley. And it was well-known that Lucia was friends with the Kringles…

Maybe you’re overreacting, he told himself. Maybe she’s gone to visit them and forgot to tell you? It was unlikely, but possible. Unfortunately, he couldn’t just waltz into Winterfjord and ask – Julietta had the habit of shooting Chaos Lords first and asking them questions later, and Raphael wasn’t about to trust the Solstice Covenant to stop her. And it would be very, very difficult to search for Lucia if I were dead…

But I do know someone who can ask them.

He closed the front door but didn’t lock it, not wanting to change anything from what he’d found, then hurried down through the snow in the front yard, already reaching through the thin Walls for the Power to bring him back to his own land. I only hope Jack hasn’t vanished too…

Behind him, the cottage turned empty eyes to watch his footprints stop in mid-step as he walked through the Walls and into the mist.

Distance in the World between the Walls was deceiving – it took only moments for him to walk from Lucia’s cottage to the huge, glowering castle perched high on its icy ocean cliff, despite the many miles between them on Earth. Raphael wondered again why Jack needed such a large place to live when he had no servants and no mistress. Then he shook his head – the bigger question was why Jack was able to live on Earth, when he was as much a Chaos Lord as Raphael himself. Does it matter? Raphael asked himself, stepping back through the Walls into the snow- covered courtyard without breaking stride, heading for the entrance. Jack Frost has always lived here, and most likely always will. Despite how many people he pisses off by doing so, in defiance of every law of magic known.

The door was locked, as always. Jack liked his privacy. Raphael banged on the large oak door with his fist, taking his anxiety out on the wood.

“Dammit, Jack, where are you?” he muttered when there was no answer, and raised his fist to pound on the door again. The force of the blows rattled the door in its frame and the booms echoed in the courtyard, the only sound other than the hush of falling snow and the crash of the waves below. “Where are you?”

“Right behind you,” said a dry voice, and Raphael jumped. He scowled as he turned to see the other Chaos Lord standing in the outer doorway into the courtyard, half-lit by the golden magelight torches scattered on the walls, arms crossed over the front of his Fair Isle sweater and an inquiring frown on his handsome face. “Mind explaining why you’re trying to break down my door, Raphael?”

A dozen different replies flitted across his mind, but only one found its way to his tongue. “Lucia’s missing,” he said, and Jack’s frown deepened as he stepped into the light. “There’s dust in her cottage, and the front door was unlocked. And…”

“And?” Jack prompted him when he faltered.

“There’s no magic there,” Raphael said. “None. As if her very essence had been sucked away.”

They stood looking at one another for a long moment, and the shadows in Jack’s hazel eyes grew as he pondered Raphael’s words. “You’re sure she didn’t just go to visit someone for a few days? Winterfjord, for instance?” Jack said finally, and Raphael shook his head.

“She wouldn’t. You know how limited our time together is.”

“Are you sure?” Jack pushed by him to unlock the door. “Positive?”

“Not without walking into Winterfjord to check, no, but I value my skin too much to do that,” Raphael retorted, following him down the hall into the castle. “Solstice Covenant or no.”

Jack shot him a darkly-amused glance over his shoulder as they entered his study. “Afraid of Julietta’s prejudices?”

“Hell yes,” Raphael said, shaking his head when Jack offered him a drink from the crystal decanter on the sideboard. “I know what her opinions of Chaos Lords are. Besides, I’ve no reason,” and he couldn’t keep the bitterness from coating the word with venom, “to be asking about an Earth Lord. I’m a filthy Chaos Lord, remember?”

Jack chuckled mirthlessly and saluted him with the glass of whiskey he’d poured for himself. “Well, from one filthy Chaos Lord to another. What do you want me to do?”

“Ask Julietta and Kris if they’ve seen her? If they know what happened? You’re part of the ritual – they’ll talk to you. And you have a valid reason to know…if Lucia is gone, this close to Christmas…”

“Then the circle is incomplete, and the ritual will fail,” Jack said, setting down his now empty glass. “Yes, that’s a valid reason. And I was actually going to go over to Lucia’s later today…to ask her about the ritual, idiot,” he said, when Raphael’s face darkened. “Don’t be an ass. She’s like a little sister to me, and I needed to make sure she had everything together for her part, and she hadn’t returned my phone call yet. So if she’s gone…” He didn’t finish the sentence, but walked over to the desk, picked up the phone and dialed a number.

Raphael waited impatiently.

“Hi, Paul, it’s Jack. Is Kris there?” Jack’s voice was pleasantly innocuous, and Raphael could hear the faint bass rumble of the Kringles’ butler over the line. “Yes, I’ll hold.” He picked up a pen in his other hand and shifted the phone to his shoulder as he looked for a notepad in one of the desk’s drawers.

The silence stretched on, an agony for Raphael, who could only watch as Jack pulled out a notepad and laid it on the top of the desk. “Hi, Kris? Jack. Sorry to bother you, but I’m looking for Lucia, and her cottage was empty. I didn’t know if she was down there, and I’d rather not antagonize your lady by showing up unannounced.”

Kris’ reply was inaudible to Raphael, but he knew it wasn’t good news by the way Jack sighed. “Okay, thanks. Any idea on who else might know where she is? It’s only the 16^th, but if she’s not back by Christmas Eve…” He paused, listening. “Damn. Well, it’s worth a shot. Let me know if you hear from her, okay? Thanks. See you in a few days.”

He hung up and turned to Raphael. “You’re sure she wasn’t just gone for a day or so?”

“The house was cold, Jack.” Raphael’s mouth thinned. “There was ice in the sink. What’s more, there were dirty dishes in the sink, and we both know Lucia would NEVER leave her house like that. Someone has taken her. In violation of the Covenant.”

“It’s only a violation if she’s dead, and if they killed her by magic,” Jack said, and Raphael’s teeth clenched. “And if she’d died, we would all know by now. The Spirits do not tolerate that kind of behavior. We’ll find her. And if we can’t, I’ll call Shanna.” Jack crossed the room and clasped Raphael’s arm. “I promise you, Raphael. We will find her.”

But will we be in time? Raphael tried to squash that thought as soon as it entered his mind. Of course they would find her. It was Christmas, after all.

And Lords weren’t allowed to die around Christmas. He only hoped that whomever had taken his Lucia remembered that rule.

**

The phone rang just as Nikki Jeffries came in the kitchen door, her arms piled high with shopping bags. She dropped the entire mess on the island, stripped off her gloves and dug her cell phone out of her pocket, frowning at the number that flashed insistently at her. “Damn, what now?”

She flipped open the phone. “Please tell me I don’t have to kill someone this week for you. It’s Christmas!”

“You know, I don’t call just to have you kill someone,” came the swift retort.

“You don’t?” Nikki tried to recall the last time the StarChild had called to just talk. “Really?”

“Really,” Shanna Greystone said firmly. “Besides, it IS Christmas, and you’re bound by the Solstice Covenant just as much as anyone else, Horseman.” There was a subtle rebuke in her rich voice, but Nikki ignored it. “I do have a job for you, though.”

“I knew it,” Nikki said, but there was no rancor in her tone, just resignation. “Who’s done what now?”

“Missing Earth Lord,” Shanna said, sighing. “I need you to find her before Christmas Eve, with a minimum of bloodshed and angst, and no breaking the Covenant. If you do, even I won’t be able to protect you from the consequences.”

That made Nikki pause for a moment. “Why me?” she asked. “If you need someone subtle, wouldn’t Justin be better suited?”

“You need to learn subtlety, Nikki,” Shanna said. “You may be the Horseman Death, but that doesn’t mean you have to ram that down everyone’s throat when you deal with them. Consider this your latest homework assignment. Besides, if you can’t find her by Christmas Eve, you’ll be able to take her place in the ritual, and then you can keep looking for her.”

“Great.” Nikki couldn’t argue with Shanna’s logic – her ability to use all three major spheres of magic had come in handy often enough. “Where am I going now? Someplace warm maybe?”

“Sorry.” Shanna didn’t sound sorry at all. “But that reminds me – you’ll want to pack warmly. You’re heading to the North Pole.”

“The North Pole,” Nikki repeated, wondering if she’d heard the StarChild right. “Seriously?” We have Earth Lords in the North Pole?

“Yes.”

“Who am I looking for, Santa Claus?” Nikki joked, running her fingers along the edge of the island. This is too bizarre, she thought. What am I going to do at the North Pole?

Shanna’s tone, deathly serious, seemed all the more ridiculous considering her next words. “No, thank the Light. If Kris was missing, I’d be sending you out with no restrictions and the Covenant be damned. Luckily, his wife keeps a good eye on him.”

“I was kidding,” Nikki said. I can’t believe we’re having this conversation.

“I wasn’t,” Shanna said bluntly.

Nikki blinked. “Shanna, Kris Kringle is a myth. Everyone knows that.”

“Everyone thinks the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse are myths too, and that hasn’t stopped you breathing yet, has it?” Shanna’s voice was dry and Nikki flushed. “Trust me, Kris Kringle not only exists, he’s alive and well and one of the most important Elemental Lords you’ll probably ever have the privilege to meet. What’s more, he’s going to be your first contact when you get there. He knows Lucia, and knows everyone else up there. Trust him. He and Julietta are probably the only ones I don’t suspect right now.”

“Julietta?”

“Mrs. Kringle,” Shanna said. “Any questions?”

“You’re seriously sending me to the North Pole to help Kris Kringle find a missing Earth Lord named Lucia two days before Christmas,” Nikki said. It wasn’t a question.

“Is there a problem with that?”

The slight edge in Shanna’s voice reminded Nikki that she was talking to the one person who could destroy her without blinking an eye, should she so chose. Pissing off the StarChild is not a good way to start the day…watch it, Jeffries. Just because she’s been nice before doesn’t mean you get a free ride for your mouth. She’s the boss, after all. “Nope,” she said out loud, before the silence stretched too long. “Just making sure I heard you correctly. I assume I should head out as soon as I’m packed?” And the groceries are put away, she added silently, looking at the bags piled on the island behind her.

“Yes. And Nikki?”

“Yes?”

“One more bit of advice.” Shanna paused, making Nikki wonder just exactly what was going on in the redhead’s mind, and how much more there was that Shanna wasn’t telling her. “Don’t believe everything everyone tells you, and remember the season.”

“I won’t break the Covenant,” Nikki said, wondering why Shanna felt she had to belabor the point. Her ever-helpful mind dredged up several images of buildings disintegrating and bodies falling over and she sighed. “I promise.”

“That’s not what I meant,” Shanna said. “Remember the season.” And with that enigmatic statement, the StarChild hung up.

Nikki stood in the bright kitchen, looking at her cell phone and frowning. Remember the season? What was Shanna referring to? I give up, she thought, slipping the phone into the pocket of her jeans and tackling the groceries. Once the food was put away, Nikki ran upstairs to her rooms and pulled a pair of large black leather saddlebags from her closet.

As always, the sight of the bags sent a shiver down her spine – the supple leather held the odor of horseflesh and time, an ancient incense of blood and ritual. They had shown up attached to the saddle of the great black horse Cerberus on the night she’d discovered just what she really was.

A myth, she thought slowly now, running her fingers over the worn leather. One myth, going to help another myth find an Elemental Lord named after a Catholic saint. Of course, with my luck, she IS the Catholic saint.

My life has gotten SO weird in the last year.

Her thoughts raced as she packed the bags, which held more than she’d ever thought possible. There had to be more than just a missing Earth Lord, she decided, no matter what Shanna had said. Not that the StarChild would have lied to her – on the contrary, not even Shanna was omniscient, and if she didn’t know the whole story, she could hardly tell Nikki. Then again…

She doesn’t usually send us on simple search missions. The job of the Horsemen is to protect the integrity of the World Walls, Nikki thought to herself, shoving socks in one bag. And what ritual was she talking about? I’ve never heard of a Christmas eve ritual. Then again, my training has been pretty much confined to “learn this and then stop it or the world ceases to exist,” so that’s not surprising. Why is an Earth Lord so necessary to it, though? Is it a Balance ritual maybe? Shanna’s last words beat an insistent tempo inside her head. “Remember the season.” What did that mean?

“Well, maybe she’s hoping for peace on earth,” Nikki said out loud, fastening the ties on her saddlebags.

“Aren’t we all?” came an amused voice from the hall, as one of her housemates paused in the doorway to her bedroom. Justin Greystone’s hazel eyes twinkled, reflecting the playful grin on his face that flickered and died as he took in the black bags laying on her bed. “You’re riding? Now?”

Nikki nodded, kicking off her sneakers and reaching into the closet for the tall black boots she normally rode in. She sat on her bed and pulled them on, then reached for another sweater to go on top of the one she was already wearing. The Shadow Lands were colder than Earth, even now, but they were the fastest way she knew to travel. Especially over long distances.

“Does Shanna know?” She heard the concern in his voice and grinned.

“Who else has the authority to send me anywhere?” she asked, standing up and slinging the bags over one shoulder. “Don’t worry, I’m soloing this one. Shanna says I need to learn how to solve conflict without killing people.”

“And did you remind her that you’re Death?” Justin said, following her as she went down the stairs. “It’s a rather large part of the job description, after all.”

“She then reminded me of the Solstice Covenant,” Nikki said, and he chuckled.

“So what does she have you doing, if not killing people?”

Nikki paused for a moment, wondering if she should tell him. Shanna hadn’t said anything about it being a secret, so she shrugged. “She’s got a missing Earth Lord.”

“She’s sending her senior Horseman to find a missing Earth Lord?” Justin’s eyebrows climbed his forehead and disappeared into his sandy brown curls. “Who’s missing?”

“Someone named Lucia,” Nikki said, and he cocked his head. “Up at the North Pole.”

“Shanna’s sending you to Kris?” Now Justin looked really concerned when Nikki nodded. “Well, now, that makes more sense. This Earth Lord must be part of the Reweaving.”

“The what?”

“Reweaving,” Justin said, running his hand through his hair absently. “The ceremony done every Christmas Eve to strengthen the Walls.”

“Huh.” That did make more sense. “Let me guess – you need three Lords: one each of the Earth, Dawn and Shadow variety?”

“Not exactly.” Justin frowned. “If I remember correctly, you need a minimum of six Lords.”

“Six?” Nikki blinked. “A double set? Why?”

“Shanna didn’t tell you about the Reweaving?” he asked, and she shook her head. “Oh.”

“Why?”

He got up without answering and left the room. Nikki waited, knowing he was probably going to get a book. Justin had a book for everything. She often wondered what would happen if he ran into something that wasn’t detailed in a book. Not nice, she chided herself. He’s pulled your ass out of the fire more than once – be nice.

“And of course I can’t find it now,” Justin complained, coming back in the room a few minutes later and looking completely disgusted. “There’s something about the Reweaving I can’t remember – something important about the types of Lords involved. I’ll look for you. Taking your phone, right?”

“Always.” Shanna had given all the Horsemen special cell phones that worked in any of the realms of magic, and just about anywhere on Earth – powered by their own magical abilities, the phones connected Nikki and her siblings no matter where they ended up.

“Good. I’ll do some research here, and if I don’t have all the information I need, I’ll head to Alenya’s. Between her and Kith, they should have something on the Reweaving. But basically, it’s a ritual done on the Solstices to strengthen the Walls Between the Worlds.”

“Interesting,” Nikki said, and then sighed, reaching for the gloves she’d discarded earlier. “I’m surprised the Horsemen aren’t involved.”

“I think it’s there so the Horsemen don’t have to be,” Justin reminded her. “Since the Horsemen are only supposed to be summoned when the Balance is broken irreparably and all, you know.”

Nikki waved one hand. “Details. Oh well, I was looking forward to a quiet Christmas for once. Guess I should know better.”

“Stay warm,” Justin said, giving her a quick hug. “We’ll be here when you get back.”

“Thanks.”

He didn’t follow her outside. A light snow had fallen the night before, and the front yard glistened in the pale winter sunshine. Standing in front of their gate, pawing impatiently on the frozen ground, Cerberus seemed created out of the Shadows that had birthed Nikki herself. The great black stallion snorted and tossed his head as she came out to him, obviously ready to be off.

“You need your saddle and bridle first,” Nikki told him, coming down the walk. He snorted again, his green eyes glowing, and Nikki felt Power surge around him. Bridle and saddle appeared in place and he stomped again, the message clear. “Okay, okay, I get the hint!”

Once the saddlebags were affixed to the saddle, she pulled herself on Cerberus’ back. The horse was moving almost before she had settled into the stirrups, running swiftly along the road. Nikki drew in a deep breath and pointed one gloved finger ahead of them, murmuring the Gate spell softly.

A dark spot appeared before them, onyx petals of Shadow unfolding like an exotic orchid, peeling back pieces of the Walls to create a doorway into the Shadow Lands. Nikki felt Power slide over her skin, an icy sheath announcing their entrance into the realm of Darkness. The snow under Cerberus’ hooves vanished, replaced by the skeletons of leaves long dead, rustling in the endless autumn the Shadow Lords dwelled in, and the whispering of a chill breeze murmured to her, a familiar sound. Nikki smiled and leaned into Cerberus’ smooth run.

Time and space bent: the black horse raced along a forgotten dirt road, between bony trees that raised bare arms towards a bloated pale moon that floated in a sky of eternal twilight. Nikki had no idea how far it was to the North Pole, but Cerberus seemed to know where he was going, so she settled into the saddle to enjoy the ride.

You do know where we’re headed, right? She asked him silently.

Winterfjord, Cerberus said serenely. Shanna told me.

Shanna talks to you? Nikki blinked, startled. Really?

Shanna talks to everyone, he said.

Oh. Nikki digested that. Okay. How long will it take to get there?

About ten more minutes. You won’t need to open anything – there’s a permanent Gate set up in Winterfjord.

Of course there is.

Ten minutes passed quickly as Cerberus ran, his black body cutting through the chill air cleanly. Nikki leaned into the wind, noticing the bite of winter growing around them, frost crackling along with the leaves on the dirt road. The first sparkles of snow glittered in the air around them, and the dead trees gave way to evergreens. Ahead of them, the dirt road gave way to cobblestones, and Nikki saw a solid stone arch rising out of the pine forest. She expected Cerberus to slow, but he continued at a steady pace towards the Gate, which began to glow a dark green.

Earth magic. Nikki identified the glow automatically. She said Kris was an Elemental Lord – I guess it makes sense that he’s an Earth Lord. The Elemental Lords of Earth were the ones charged with keeping the Earth Balanced, a meeting ground of the other realms of magic through a synthesis of Power and grounding. They were also the only Elemental Lords to live on Earth permanently – Shadow Lords and Dawn Lords needed to spend most of their time in the Realms of their birth, recharging their connection with the Power that ran through their veins.

Three spheres of magic. Three types of Lords. Nikki wondered what Justin had been referring to about the Lords involved – she wondered if there were more types of Lords that she hadn’t been told about. The only other option that presented itself made her skin crawl. There wouldn’t be Chaos Lords at a Christmas ritual! Especially not one to strengthen the Walls Between the Worlds! Damn, this is making my head hurt.

Cerberus leaped through the Gate, and the temperature dropped like a rock, ripping Nikki’s breath from her lungs with icy, possessive fingers. Snow swirled around them as Cerberus swiveled in place, fighting to keep his footing on the slick ground, and Nikki was suddenly glad of both the gloves and the extra sweater she’d put on. When he recovered and came to a stop, she looked up, awestruck.

The portal had opened out on the top of a hill covered with snow and darkness. Above her, a thousand different colors lit the sky and diffused the grey storm clouds glowering overhead; she could hear the howl of the winds as they whipped around the edges of what had to be a shield, although she’d never heard of one so large. She turned in the saddle and looked down the hill: the tiny town that was nestled into the valley was nearly buried under snow, but still twinkled with brilliant Christmas lights, and even through the cold she could smell the bright scent of evergreens.

“This is the North Pole?” she murmured, shivering a bit as snowflakes drifted down around her. “Wow. I never dreamed this actually existed.”

“Not what you were expecting, Horseman?”

Cerberus turned slowly to face the voice, an amused baritone that seemed to float through the snowfall, and Nikki found herself looking down at a tall man dressed in a plaid flannel coat and wool pants, with heavy boots and what looked like a handmade woolen cap pulled down around his ears. A large meerschaum pipe stuck out from the neatly-trimmed auburn beard and mustache that dominated his face, and his blue eyes twinkled merrily up at her. “Welcome to Winterfjord,” he continued, holding up a hand to help her down. “We’re glad you’re here.”

“You’re Kris Kringle?” Nikki asked, accepting the hand and sliding down off Cerberus’ back, thankful for the steadying hand as her feet sank into the fresh snow. “Damn, that’s one illusion blown to hell.”

Kris grinned at her. “Would it help if I looked like this?” His form shimmered: the tall, solid man shrunk a little, gaining a rounded shape as his clothes turned red and white, sprouting fur. His beard and mustache silvered and lengthened as wrinkles lined his face. “Better?”

“Yes, and no.” Nikki shook her head. “I just never thought I’d be standing here talking to Santa Claus. Especially not after I turned eight or so.”

Kris changed back, chuckling. “Don’t feel bad. Most people don’t.” He gestured down the hill, and Nikki saw a shoveled path winding down towards the lights below. “If you’ll follow me, I’ll explain why you’re here.”

“You’ve got a missing Earth Lord,” Nikki said, as she and Kris started down the path, Cerberus following behind them. “And if we can’t find her before Christmas Eve, I’m to take her place in the Reweaving ritual. Right?”

“So you’ve been told about the Reweaving? Good.” That seemed to take a load off of Kris’ shoulders. He straightened a bit.

“Only a very little bit,” Nikki admitted. “I know it’s a ritual done on the Solstices to strengthen the World Walls, but that’s about it.”

“That’s a good start,” Kris said. The path had widened into a cobblestone road as it wound through the outskirts of the small town; they were passing the first houses now, the night lit by old-fashioned iron lampposts with pale magelights dancing in the glass, and Nikki looked at the brightly-painted shutters and doors, each with an evergreen wreath hanging from a silver hook on the front, with red and white berries woven into the branches. “The ritual isn’t that complicated, really – it’s simply using all the energy generated when I go on my ride that night to weave closed the Walls again. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but they get thin around the Solstices, and millions of children believing in me raise enough energy to close those holes that are opening.”

“What do you do for energy in the summer?” Nikki asked, and he flashed that grin at her again.

“You’re not pagan, are you?” When she shook her head, he laughed. “Trust me, Midsummer Eve gives us plenty of energy too – just of a different kind.”

Her eyes widened and she flushed as she realized what he was talking about. “Oh. Yeah.”

Luckily, he didn’t tease her about her reaction, and she continued hurriedly, “So you have three Lords that take the energy and weave the Walls back together?”

“No, we have six Lords – one of each type.” When she stopped and looked at him, Kris also stopped, cocking his head. “What?”

“There are SIX types of Lords?”

Kris nodded. “Shadow, Earth and Dawn in the World Outside the Walls. Chaos, Dream and Abyss in the World Between the Walls.” As she gaped at him, he said, “Didn’t anyone teach you that? I thought it was common knowledge.”

“My magical training was a bit spotty,” Nikki said, turning that revelation over in her mind. “Came into it late, you could say.”

Kris, to his credit, didn’t say anything to that other than, “I see. Well, you’re welcome to look at the library here if you get a chance, once we find Lucia. Julietta, my wife, has quite an extensive collection of books on all sorts of magical subjects.” They’d come to the town square by now; at least, Nikki assumed it was, and she paused, charmed. An elaborate fountain dominated the space, carved entirely of ice and with a steady stream of light spilling from the outstretched hands of the nymphs that raised their arms to the sky. Four large houses fronted the square, each with windows decorated with Christmas lights and evergreen boughs. Lit candles flickered in the upper windows, with greenery twined around their bases, and she was struck once again by how normal the scene looked. There weren’t any elves running around, nor any reindeer strolling through the streets. If she hadn’t known better, Nikki would have thought she was back in New England. The only thing missing were all the cars – the only sounds were the muted howls of the storm beyond the shield, and, somewhere farther on, the faint sound of bells. It was like walking through a Currier and Ives print, she thought, bemused despite herself.

“Nikki?” Kris said, breaking the spell, and she blinked. He was standing at the edge of the square, and she shook herself and rejoined him. “Not much farther now – and I know Julietta is expecting you.”

There wasn’t much she could say to that, so they walked in silence up the lane, out of the town and towards a lone house that sat upon a smaller hill than the one the Gate stood on. It had a huge picture window on the front, and Nikki could see the lit Christmas tree that stood in what had to be Kris’ living room, colored lights twinkling against the dark green background. A stable stood behind the main house, with a paddock connecting it, and Nikki saw several large reindeer standing in the snow. Childish delight welled up in her, and for the first time, she really believed she was in the company of the man she’d written very earnest letters in crayon to when she was a child. “So you really deliver toys to all the good little boys and girls on Christmas Eve?”

“Oh yes.” Kris waited while she got her saddlebags off Cerberus, and then pointed to the stable. “There’s a groom waiting down there for you, Cerberus.” The great black horse bobbed his head in thanks, nuzzled Nikki briefly and then trotted off along another shoveled path. Nikki followed Kris in the door, into a large, warm hallway where a polite man stood waiting to take her bags.

“Then I want to know one thing,” she said, stripping off her gloves and the two sweaters she was wearing and handing them to the butler. Then Nikki turned to Kris and put her hands on her hips. “How come I never got that Barbie house? I must have written you eight or nine letters that year! And I was good too!”

Kris looked at her for a moment, then burst into laughter.

“It’s a valid question,” said another voice, and both Nikki and Kris turned to see a vision descending the staircase. Nikki’s mouth went dry as she saw what had to be the most impressive creature she’d ever seen: long silver hair glittered in a thick braid that fell over one shoulder, glistening against the dark wool sweater she wore. Her pale, aristocratic face framed blue eyes that seemed to look through Nikki as if she were glass, and Power gathered around her, adoring fans murmuring in the background. Shanna had said Kris was one of the most important Lords she’d ever meet, but Nikki wondered if she’d just forgotten to mention that he paled beside his wife, because this had to be Julietta Kringle.

“I’m sure it was an oversight,” Nikki managed to say, finally finding her tongue. “Or maybe I wasn’t as good as I thought I was.”

Julietta came the rest of the way down the stairs. “That’s certainly a possibility,” she said, and Nikki heard the suppressed laughter in her voice. “But you didn’t come all the way out here to discuss doll houses, Horseman.”

“No, I didn’t.” Nikki shook herself mentally. “I came to find a missing Earth Lord.” Although why you called me when you put me to shame magically I don’t know.

Julietta put her hand on Kris’ arm and then turned to Nikki. “Come into the kitchen – I’ll make lunch while we talk. We can fill you in there.”

Nikki nodded; there wasn’t much else she could do. As she trailed behind them, she wondered again just what Shanna had left out, besides the extraordinary Julietta. And just why they needed her here.

**

“She sent Death?”

Raphael stared at Jack, aghast. “But why? What’s the point of sending a Horseman?”

“I don’t know,” Jack said patiently, privately wishing now that he hadn’t stopped by to tell Raphael anything. But he felt he owed the Chaos Lord, and he could see the pain of Lucia’s loss etched on Raphael’s face. He reminded himself how difficult it was for Raphael – the days of the Solstice were slipping away, and there was no sign of the Lord he loved. “But I’ll find out.”

Raphael turned away from him, and Jack read defeat in every line of his body. “She’s going to find nothing but a body, I know it.”

“We don’t know that, Raphael,” Jack said, shooting a despairing glance at the third Lord in the room, hoping she’d come to his aid and calm her brother down. “And the Horseman has just as much Power, if not more, than Julietta, without her prejudices.” I hope. “She’ll find Lucia. Alive.”

“It’s been a full week, Jack!” Raphael banged both fists on the windowsill. “A week of nothing! I can’t do anything – I sit here and twiddle my thumbs, while she’s either dead or dying out there somewhere!”

“Calm down, Raphael.” Iolanthe’s cool voice rose over Raphael’s. “You’re doing Lucia no good by getting hysterical over her absence.”

“And what would you have me do, darling sister?” Raphael snarled, swinging around and glaring at her as she sat in an armchair beside the fireplace, a small book cradled in her thin hands. Iolanthe stared back at him, and Jack saw just how alike they looked and yet how different: same dark blonde hair, thick and lush, but her eyes were a pale blue-green, a shining contract to the steely grey of her brother’s. “Perhaps I should walk into Winterfjord and demand to know what the Horseman has found, is that it? Then I would be out of your hair permanently and you wouldn’t have to bestir yourself out of this house for anything!”

Anger and tension crackled in the room as brother and sister faced off and Jack wished he were anywhere but the small sitting room.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Iolanthe said finally, standing up and shaking out her dark skirts. “But…”

“You know exactly what I’m talking about,” Raphael interrupted her. “Don’t deny it, little sister – you never liked Lucia.”

“Liking her has nothing to do with it,” Iolanthe said, her tone cold and even. “She’s a lovely girl. She’s just an Earth Lord.”

“So what?” Raphael said, biting the words off as if they tasted sour in his mouth. “She’s the woman I love.”

“She’s not right for you!” Iolanthe’s calm finally evaporated. “Chaos Lords and Earth Lords have no business being together! You’re on different sides of the Walls – did you really expect her to wait for you? You get what, twenty days together a year? I’m not surprised she left you without saying a word – what else would any self-respecting woman do?”

Raphael’s face had gone from red to white as she ranted, and when he spoke, Jack flinched, even though the rage wasn’t directed at him. “Get out.” When she stared at him, he repeated, “Get out. You are no longer welcome in this house.”

Iolanthe gaped at her brother.

“I mean it. Get out now. I’ll have Carlton pack your things. I don’t want to see you again.” When she didn’t move, his jaw clenched. “Move now, Iolanthe, or I’ll remove you myself.”

“You cannot kill me.” Iolanthe’s voice quivered just a bit. “And this is my home too. You cannot…”

“You live here because I allow you to – the house is mine,” Raphael said quietly. “And I will not break the Covenant, but I will make sure that your exit is as painful as possible if you don’t leave now, Iolanthe. This is your last warning.”

“You’ve chosen her over me, your own flesh and blood.”

He nodded, and Jack held his breath, waiting for her explosion.

It never came. She stared at her brother for another long moment, then her eyes narrowed and she said, “So be it.” And then she vanished.

The silence stretched on: Raphael and Jack continued to stare at the spot Iolanthe had occupied, each lost in their own thoughts. Jack finally said, “Was that wise?”

“Does it matter?” Raphael shrugged, and turned back to the window. “She’s hated Lucia since the day I told her about us – it’s best if she’s not here.” He bowed his head. “I appreciate you telling me about what is going on in Winterfjord, Jack, but please go now. I need to be alone.”

Jack nodded, even though Raphael’s back was turned to him, and left. He walked slowly down the path from the modest house, lost in thought.

“You shouldn’t be feeding his delusions, you know. She’s not coming back, and he has to accept that.”

Iolanthe’s sharp voice pulled him up short. He looked over – she stood swathed in mist, her hands on her hips and a cross look on her pretty face. “Because if she were able, Lucia would be with him, and you know that,” Jack told her, and her lips thinned. “You’ve seen them together – if that’s not true love, I don’t know what is. Why do you have such an issue with him and Lucia, anyways? They’re happy together.”

“When they’re together,” Iolanthe said. “It’s unnatural, Jack, and you know it. The Walls are in place for a reason.”

“The Walls are in place to keep the Worlds from mixing, not the Lords,” Jack said mildly. “There’s nothing wrong with Raphael and Lucia.”

“Then why the secrecy?” Iolanthe demanded. “Why is he not going to Kris and Julietta now?”

“Because he’s not stupid,” Jack said, frowning at her. “He knows as well as you do what Julietta’s prejudices are – and that Kris isn’t strong enough to stop his wife when she’s on the warpath. Besides, what’s to prevent them from suspecting him of doing away with her?”

“Nothing, and that’s my point,” Iolanthe said, twisting her fingers in her skirts. “Chaos Lords shouldn’t be dallying with any but their own. Or at least those Lords who live within the Walls.”

“And that attitude is why Raphael and Lucia could never tell anyone about their relationship,” Jack said to her, and she flushed.

“It’s practical,” Iolanthe insisted. “My brother needs to get his head out of the clouds and realize that.”

“Love isn’t always practical, but that doesn’t mean it’s wrong,” Jack said, and then started walking again. “Not at all.”

He could feel her eyes boring into his back as he continued down the path, but Iolanthe made no move to follow him, which suited him just fine. Jack had no desire to break the Covenant, even to defend himself.

Then something pinged on his senses – a small explosion of energy, nothing serious, but Jack paused, trying to figure out where it came from. Then he realized – someone or something had tripped one of the wards he’d set around Lucia’s cottage.

Damn. Now what?

**

Nikki stood in front of the small cottage, her arms crossed over her breasts as she considered the situation. Cerberus had set himself up at the gate, a black sentry stark against the white snow, and she was certain he’d keep anyone out who wasn’t supposed to be there. There had been a brief flash of energy when they’d ridden up – someone had put a ward on the property, and it hadn’t felt like Earth energy – more like Chaos energy.

Which was weird. Not to mention disturbing. Could Julietta have been right?

Then again, this whole damn thing is weird, Nikki grumbled to herself. Lunch had been a surreal experience – both Kris and Julietta had opinions on where Lucia might have gone, or who might have taken her, and neither agreed with the other. Kris had held out hope that she’d gone to visit someone, mentioning that she often seemed busy around the Solstices. Julietta had hinted darkly that there had been a lot of loose Chaos Magic in the air just before the Covenant had started, and it was her thought that someone was trying to sabotage the ritual. Nikki had spent a lot of time studying Julietta during the meal, and had finally realized why she’d felt so familiar.

I don’t know how, but she’s a StarChild. The realization had hit her like a shovel to the back of the head. Can you have a former StarChild? How does a StarChild retire anyways? Nikki had always wondered how Shanna had become the current StarChild; was there a passing on ritual, or were they born the StarChild? She had made a mental note to ask Justin the next time she saw him.

Not that it matters now, she mused, letting the scene sink into her senses. Doesn’t really have anything to do with the job I have to do, at least not that I can see. I’ll worry about it later.

The cottage was dark and cold, the windows frosted over on both sides of the glass. Nikki had conjured pale green magelights that burned to either side of her in the dark Arctic winter afternoon, and they cast an unearthly glow over the entire scene as she pondered her next move.

Julietta seemed certain there was a Chaos Lord involved, Nikki mused, walking down the path to the front door and frowning as she heard the broken snow crunch beneath her feet. Crusted snow…disturbed snow?

Julietta has more prejudices than most, Cerberus said softly, distracting her from her thoughts. Nikki’s eyebrows rose. Normally, her mount confined his comments about others to brief, bland statements of fact, but his mental voice had held the faintest note of something…scorn? Disapproval? She wasn’t sure.

Well, she’s right about one thing. This place is awash in Chaos Energy. Nikki put her hand out and touched the front door, which swung open obediently. There was another odd note, just the littlest edge of discordance that grated on her nerves as she stepped inside. Lucia had painted her entrance in soft sage and dark gold, a soothing combination that spoke of quiet, classic elegance. The Walls are thinner here than I’ve ever felt them, but leakage from the World Within the Walls can’t be the only reason for all this energy to be congregating here. I’d almost suspect a Chaos Spirit or two, but why would they be hanging around an empty house? Or an Earth Lord’s house, for that matter? It doesn’t make sense. Do you think maybe there’s a Chaos Relic here somewhere?

Possibly, he replied. But that begs the next few questions…

How did an Earth Lord get her hands on a Chaos Relic, and why isn’t it shielded? Nikki finished Cerberus’ sentence, nodding her head. And there’s another odd echo that I just can’t place. It’s almost Blood Magic, but not quite. Which means someone might have broken the Covenant.

Or she’s been gone longer than any of us thought. That thought chilled Nikki more than the still air inside the house. As she prowled through the silent rooms, looking for clues to Lucia’s disappearance, Nikki felt like she was investigating a tomb.

She explored each room, constantly tasting the magical signatures that hung in the air like forgotten shrouds. Chaos wrapped around her; if she hadn’t been told this was an Earth Lord’s house, she’d’ve never known. And that bothered her even more.

Nikki ran her hand over the sheets on the bed and shivered a bit: there was a ghost of Earth Magic captured in the threads, woven in with sex, but overlying it was the ever-present Chaos. And there was another signature – almost a mix of the two, as if a Mage had been here. Had Lucia been entertaining a Chaos Mage? Or a Blood Mage? She pushed those thoughts aside and teased out the image of the Lord who lived there.

An image of bright green eyes came immediately to mind: eyes full of life, mirth and curiosity about the world around her, and Nikki realized that no matter what else she found out about the missing Earth Lord, that curiosity was going to be Lucia’s main identifying characteristic. That made the relic theory gain more credence in Nikki’s mind, but didn’t answer the other questions: where did she get the relic? From the other unknown Mage? And where was it now? What was it?

Cerberus, do you have any ideas?

The great horse didn’t answer, and Nikki’s skin crawled. Cerberus?

When he didn’t answer again, she pushed open the front door and looked out to find him barring the way into the yard, a dark shadow illuminated by the light of the moon above. He wasn’t threatening the Lord who stood just beyond the front gates, not yet, but he was very definitely not letting him any closer. Nikki’s lips thinned for a moment as she recognized the magical signature he projected: Chaos. Of course. I wonder if he’s the other half of that sex signature.

He was tall, with silvery hair that failed to make him look old, and his eyes first narrowed and then widened in surprise when she stepped outside. “Horsemen come in nicer packages than I remember,” he said, his baritone voice carrying easily through the yard. There was none of the underlying malice she’d come to expect from Chaos Lords, only frank admiration, and it threw her for a moment.

“I’m the improved model,” Nikki said slowly, coming down the walk. “Who are you?”

“And they say progress is bad,” he replied, giving her an appreciative sweep from head to toe and grinning. Nikki couldn’t help it; she grinned back. “You’re a lucky guy, Cerberus.”

“You know my horse?” Nikki blinked.

The Lord nodded. “Although the last time I saw him, the circumstances were not as pleasant.” His hazel eyes darkened for a moment, then lightened. “But that’s the past.”

“Indeed.” Nikki cocked her head at him. “You didn’t answer my other question, though. Who are you?”

“Jack Frost,” he said, and chuckled when both her eyebrows popped up into her hairline. “In the flesh.”

“Jack Frost is a Chaos Lord,” she said, rolling the words around in her mouth. “And Kris Kringle is an Earth Lord, and Mrs. Kringle is a StarChild, somehow. And yet none of you knows where one missing Earth Lord is, and the StarChild had to call me in to find her.” She looked up at him, not bothering to hide the accusations in her eyes. “What are you doing here, Jack? What’s your connection to this?”

“I’m a friend of…Lucia’s,” Jack said, and Nikki noted the pause without acknowledging it. “I’m the Chaos Lord in the Reweaving.”

You’re also the Lord who set the ward I triggered, Nikki thought privately, finally recognizing his signature. Which tells me why you’re here now. But you aren’t the Lord who was in the house last, were you? Or were there more than one of you? How many Chaos Lords are around here, anyways? Out loud, she said, “When was the last time you saw Lucia?”

“We were supposed to meet on the 16^th,” Jack replied. “To go over part of the Reweaving – she’s the Earth Lord, and since we do it on this side of the Walls, she’s the anchor point. I wanted to make sure she had everything she needed.”

“And when you found the cottage empty?”

“I called Winterfjord – she’s a good friend of the Kringles, but I don’t like to just drop in unannounced down there. Julietta doesn’t like me.”

“Shocking, that,” Nikki murmured before she could stop herself, and watched his eyes ice over a little. “Considering she was a StarChild once and all.”

“Not every StarChild feels the way Julietta does about the denizens of the World Between,” he said coldly and Nikki chided herself silently. Then his voice softened a bit. “Most don’t hold the actions of a few against the whole.”

Nikki leaned against the gate, noticing that Cerberus hadn’t made a move towards Jack; indeed, once she’d come out, he’d moved away from the gate and had gone back to keeping watch, apparently not worried about the Chaos Lord. “Sorry,” she said finally. “I’m still trying to get used to the idea that there’s more than one StarChild.”

“There’s not, actually,” Jack said, leaning on the other side. “Julietta gave up being the StarChild to marry Kris.”

“I didn’t know retirement was an option.”

“They’re a special case,” he agreed. “But both Spirits agreed that Kris needed to continue his work. And that he needed someone to protect him, and really, who better?”

“So she’s a former StarChild?” Nikki asked.

Jack nodded. “The only one you’ll ever meet.” Then he chuckled. “Kind of like you.”

“Kind of.”

They stood in silence for a few minutes, each mulling over their own thoughts as the cold deepened. The stars twinkled overhead and Nikki realized how comfortable she felt, despite the fact that she was standing next to a Chaos Lord in the midst of the endless night of an Arctic winter. What did Shanna say? Don’t listen to everything everyone’s said to you, but trust your instincts. Her instincts were currently telling her that the Lord on the other side of the gate was going to be more help than anyone in Kris’ community.

“Jack, what’s really going on here?”

She heard him draw a deep breath. “Are you sure you really want the answers to that question?”

“I don’t have much of a choice.” She tried without much success to keep the tartness from her voice. “I’ve got a job to do.”

“Even if it shatters your illusions.”

Nikki laughed a little bitterly. “I’m a Horseman. I don’t have any illusions left to shatter. Besides, I’ve got an Earth Lord to find.”

“I almost wonder if it might not be better if you don’t.”

She almost missed the soft comment. “What?”

Jack heaved another sigh. “Look, it’s cold out here. Come back to my house and I’ll tell you what I know.”

“I’d rather not stay in the World Between the Walls,” Nikki said.

“You won’t have to.” She looked over at him in surprise. “I’m not like most other Chaos Lords.”

“Nobody up here is what they seem,” Nikki grumbled, and Jack chuckled.

“Now that is the truest statement I’ve ever heard,” he said, and offered her his arm. “Shall we?”

“Oh, why not?”

He waved his hand and opened a Gate. They stepped through into the World Between the Walls, Cerberus following, and strolled along a granite path, bordered by short hedges that randomly changed color as they made innocuous small talk. Jack was a charming companion, and Nikki was almost disappointed when he opened another Gate and escorted her through.

His house, though, made Nikki blink. “A castle?” she asked, stepping into the neatly-swept courtyard. “Why a castle?”

“Because I’ve delusions of grandeur,” Jack quipped, grinning, and Nikki laughed. “Actually, it’s more because it gives me enough room to indulge all my whimsies. I like to have room.”

“I guess.” Nikki looked up at the towers rising above them. “You could put an army up here.”

“Probably,” Jack admitted, unlocking the front door and ushering her inside. “But I like my privacy.” When she paused, watching Cerberus walk away from them confidently, he added, “I do keep a groom and a nice stable. He’s in good hands, don’t worry.”

I’ll be fine. Jack knows how to act the host. I’ve been here before, after all.

Cerberus’ reassurance made her eyebrows go up. “My horse has been here before?”

“Oh yes.” Jack sighed. “This place was one of the few places we could hold strategy meetings and not be overheard during the Shadow Wars. All four Horsemen were here at one point or another.” Nikki heard a note of pain in his voice and dropped the subject; no veteran of the Shadow Wars that she’d met had wanted to talk about the last time the Elemental Lords clashed among themselves.

She tasted Chaos in the air again; unsurprising, considering it was Jack’s home. But the levels were very close to what they were in Lucia’s. “Jack, how thin are the Walls up here right now?” she asked, as he led her down a hall and into a cozy sitting room where a fire roared in an ancient stone fireplace.

“Tissue paper,” he said, motioning her to take one of the armchairs as he set two mugs out. “By Christmas Eve, we’ll be able to step through to the World Within the Walls without a Gate. Cider?”

“Thank you,” she murmured, sinking into the overstuffed chair and curling her stocking feet beneath her in an attempt to warm her frozen toes. “So the amount of Chaos energy at Lucia’s could be leakage.”

“Maybe,” he said, bringing over a steaming mug and handing it to her before settling in the other chair with his own cup. “But it was full of Chaos Magic on the 16^th too, and the Walls weren’t as thin then.”

“Tell me what you found when you went to see her,” Nikki said, sipping her hot cider as she listened, trusting that he wouldn’t stoop low enough to try and poison her. He didn’t seem to be the type.

Jack shrugged and sipped from his own mug. “Dust,” he said. “I found dust and frozen water and darkness. And no Lucia.”

“Which tells me she’d been missing a few days,” Nikki said, and he nodded. “When did you last see her?”

He frowned, thinking. “It had been a while. I tend to keep to myself, but I know she was there on the 12^th, because she called me and asked if I could come over around the 16^th.”

“To go over the Reweaving,” she said, and Jack nodded. “But she could have called from anywhere.”

“I suppose,” he said. “But why have her call if she wasn’t going to be there?”

“To throw us off,” Nikki said. “You’re sure it was her?”

Jack hesitated, then admitted, “It sounded like her. Whether it was or not, I can’t say with certainty.”

“When did you actually last see her?” Nikki asked, and he paused, thinking.

“About three months ago,” he said finally. “I hadn’t realized it had been that long, but I went over for Halloween – she held a Samhain ritual and invited all the local Lords.”

“You, Kris and Julietta…”

He shrugged, stretching out his legs. “Let’s see. Duncan was there – he’s the local Shadow Lord. There were three or four Earth Lords – I think her sister Fiana was there, as well. No Dawn Lords – I believe she invited Jarrod and Ivy, but they didn’t attend.”

“No other Chaos Lords besides you?”

“No.” Jack shook his head. “The Walls aren’t that thin during Samhain, and neither she nor I was going to start anything by inviting them.”

“So there are other Chaos Lords living in this general area,” Nikki said, watching him over the lip of her mug. His mouth tightened.

“Technically, yes. They live Within the Walls, but they are within the area. Raphael and his sister Iolanthe, and Shoshanna, a Dream Lord, live within easy travel distance.”

“Is Shoshanna part of the Reweaving?” Nikki asked, and he nodded. “What about the Abyss Lord?”

“Who knows where she lives.” Jack shrugged and set his mug aside. “The Abyss Lords have never had much to do with anyone else, and I’ve never seen Zahra outside of the Reweaving.”

Nikki stared into the flames, turning everything over in her mind. There had to be something connecting the random facts, but if there was, she couldn’t find it. Massive amounts of Chaos energy. Dust on everything and frozen water in the sink, but no water on the floor, so no frozen pipes, which meant someone had turned the water off. And no one had seen Lucia in person in nearly a month and a half, which was the last time she’d been in Winterfjord, per Kris and Julietta.

“There was an odd undertone to the Chaos energy,” she said finally, breaking the silence. “I thought it might be Blood magic, but I dismissed it at the time, because I thought she’d gone missing after the Covenant came into play. But if no one’s seen her for weeks…”

“Then she could be dead.” Jack’s voice was flat, toneless, but she caught the undercurrent of pain.

“I have to consider that.” Nikki cradled the empty mug in her hands. “I need to get back to that cottage and do some magic. I’m wondering if I can find out who the last people there were, or if the Chaos energy has wiped it all out.”

“I’ll go with you,” Jack said, and she looked up, raising one eyebrow. “What, you don’t want an assistant?”

Nikki started to answer, then paused. He might be useful, she thought to herself, eying the handsome Lord. And then I wouldn’t have to worry about where he was. Doesn’t eliminate him as a suspect, of course, but makes it a bit easier for me to keep an eye on him. She opened her mouth again, but the only thing that escaped was a yawn.

“Maybe after you sleep,” Jack chuckled, and she blushed. “It’s easy to lose time when you don’t see the sun.”

“I should get back to Winterfjord,” Nikki said, and then yawned again.

“I do have guest rooms, you know,” Jack said. “And I can even call Julietta and let her know.” He gestured and a cordless phone appeared in his hand. “Or you can, if you’d like. But I think you’re too tired to be going anywhere else tonight.”

Nikki sighed, knowing he was probably right but not sure she wanted to stay. “You call – I don’t know the number.” She leaned back as he called, falling back into her thoughts.

Who would want to take Lucia? That’s the one question no one seems to be able to answer, she thought, his voice rumbling in the background. To disrupt the ceremony? Seems stupid – there are other Earth Lords who could take her place. Which means she was either embroiled in something that no one else knew about and got in trouble, or someone’s trying to get to someone else through her. Julietta? Or Jack? She remembered the pain in his voice from earlier. Were they lovers?

That would press quite a few buttons, she knew. Most Lords didn’t enter into long-term relationships, in her experience – they came together to propagate their species and that was it. Alenya and Kith, the Shadow Lords who had trained her, were considered oddities by their peers for their devotion to one another. And if it were an Earth Lord and a Chaos Lord…

I wonder if Julietta knows. As soon as the thought crossed her mind, she knew the former StarChild didn’t. She’d never allow it to continue. Never mind that it’s really none of her business.

“Nikki?”

Jack’s voice jolted her out of her thoughts, and she jumped slightly. “What?”

Jack was holding out the phone. “Julietta wants to talk to you.”

Oh lord. Nikki accepted the phone gingerly. “Hello?”

“Are you sure you want to stay there?”

Definitely a StarChild. No mincing of words at all. I wonder if they’re all like that? Nikki sighed. “I’m exhausted, Julietta.”

“Kris can come and get you if you need,” Julietta said. “I’m just…concerned.”

“Why?” Nikki decided to be blunt. “Because he’s a Chaos Lord? Or because I’m young and single and he’s damn sexy?” She heard Jack choke a bit on that one. “Don’t you think I can take care of myself?”

“I have no concerns about you,” Julietta said stiffly, and Nikki heard the lie in her voice. “I just don’t think it’s appropriate for you to stay in the same house as your prime suspect.”

“My prime suspect?” Nikki said, raising her eyebrows. “Who told you he was my prime suspect?”

“He has to be,” Julietta said. “He’s the only Chaos Lord with access to Lucia.”

“So what?” Nikki retorted, starting to see what Cerberus had meant. “I have a lot of suspects, Julietta. If I went by that logic, I’d be sleeping in the snow curled up with my horse.” She heard Julietta draw in a wounded breath and knew her shot had hit home. “Look, I’ll call you tomorrow and let you know what I’ve found. Good night, Julietta.” And she hung up before the former StarChild could respond.

“So I’m still a suspect?” Jack said, as he took the phone from her.

“Everyone’s a suspect,” Nikki said, pulling herself out of the chair. “Welcome to my world.” She swayed in place. “Now, about that bed?”

**

“I don’t know what you’re cooking, but it smells amazing.”

Jack turned to see Nikki standing in the doorway, rubbing sleep from her dark blue eyes and yawning, and grinned. “Come on in,” he invited, already reaching for a mug. “Coffee or tea?”

“Tea,” Nikki said, stretching once and then coming into the brightly-lit kitchen. Jack put three teabags in his coffee machine, filled it with water and turned it on, then returned to the island in the center of the room. She’d taken one of the high-backed stools that clustered around the island, looking around her with sleepy curiosity. “This is an odd kitchen for a castle.”

Jack chuckled. “What, you were expecting me to cook on a fire in a Dutch oven, maybe?” He looked around the gleaming kitchen proudly. “I could, if you wanted to, but it takes a bit longer, and it’s a little cold outside.”

“Mm.” Nikki took a sip of the orange juice that he put in front of her, and then watched as he started assembling omelets. “I just didn’t expect to find a gourmet chef hidden up here in the wilds of the Arctic. I mean, where do you get your food?”

“Same place Julietta and Kris do,” Jack told her, whisking cream into eggs. “Kroger’s.”

“You have a Kroger’s up here?” Nikki blinked. “Really?”

“The one in Anchorage has an online ordering system,” Jack said. “I can go and pick it up when it’s all together.”

“Convenient.” The coffeepot gurgled to a stop and he swiveled around to pour two mugs out.

“Darjeeling,” he told her, bringing them back to the island and setting one in front of her. “Cream and sugar?”

“No, thanks. I like it black.” She took a deep breath, inhaling the fragrant steam. “This is lovely.”

“Thank you.”

They sat in companionable silence while Jack stirred the omelets again and poured them into a skillet. He added in a mixture of sautéed vegetables: mushrooms, shallots, zucchini and summer squash, then laid several slices of provolone cheese down on top. Then, while the eggs cooked, Jack knelt down and pulled a tray of bacon and sausage from the oven and laid it on an unused burner. He retrieved a loaf of challah from the bread box and cut several thick slices from it, then slipped them into the warm oven to toast while he finished the omelets.

“Will you marry me?” Nikki asked, digging her fork into the plate he put in front of her, and Jack laughed. “I’m serious.”

“Yeah, that wouldn’t go over well,” he said, hooking his foot around another stool and dragging it over to sit on before starting in on his own plate. “Too many old prejudices would doom us before we got started.”

“The way it doomed Lucia?” Nikki asked casually, and Jack flinched, although she didn’t seem to notice. “So tell me, Jack, what Chaos Lord was feeding Lucia’s curiosity?”

“What do you mean?” Jack asked cautiously, as his brain whirled. Can she know? What did she find at Lucia’s? I thought I cleaned everything of Raphael’s out!

“I thought about it after I went to bed,” Nikki said, putting her fork down and picking up a slice of buttered toast. “You’d said the level of Chaos energy was the same on the 16^th when you first went there as it was yesterday. So it couldn’t have been all leakage. I found another magical signature there when I went looking – an odd sort of Chaos signature. Not a Lord’s, though – it was mixed with something else – Earth, somehow. Which tells me Lucia was entertaining a Chaos Mage there. But you didn’t mention any Chaos Mages around – in fact, you didn’t mention any non-Lords at all. So it must have been someone that you didn’t know about. Or you didn’t want to tell me about him.” Her blue eyes focused on him. “So which is it? Who are the Chaos Mages around?”

“I don’t know any Chaos Mages around here,” Jack said honestly. “There are a few in Anchorage, but I doubt any of them would come up here. And none of them would have brought anything to Lucia.”

“She wasn’t involved in any sort of Chaos research?” Nikki said, and he shook his head. “Are you sure? Nothing involving any relics?”

“Lucia isn’t interested in relics,” Jack insisted. “If it doesn’t breathe in some way, she’s not interested.”

“Really.” Nikki chewed on her toast, obviously lost in thought, and Jack took the opportunity to study her as she pondered something. Shadows danced in her dark blue eyes, echoes of the Power that she carried like a royal mantle on her slim shoulders. Her long black hair was currently pulled back into a simple pony tail and her skin was pale, nearly translucent in the bright lights of the kitchen. Not what he’d been expecting at all.

The pale face of the last Death he’d known rose in his mind: dark eyes, like holes into an endless night, full of nothing but duty and Power, and skin stretched taut over a bony face, smeared with the blood of those unfortunate enough to try and stand against him and his brothers. Jack had stood behind them as they rode, a swath of sheer destruction in their wake, and been chilled to the bone. He wondered how the Horseman coexisted with the beautiful young woman who sat across from him, and shivered.

“What do the others in the community think of Lucia?” Nikki asked him suddenly, and Jack blinked, the memory shattered by the sound of her voice.

“What do they think of her?” he repeated. “They like her, I suppose. I don’t know of anyone who doesn’t…” Jack broke off as Iolanthe’s voice snapped through his head like a rubber band, and Nikki raised one dark eyebrow.

“I don’t think you’re telling me everything, Jack.” There was the faintest hint of dark warning in her voice, and Jack knew without a doubt that no matter how pleasing the package, the soul that lived within was the same bloody Horseman he’d fought beside in the War. Suddenly, he felt he had to leave. Before he gave Raphael up.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said, getting up and putting his plate in the sink and pushing his emotions down hard. He turned back to her and gave her a smile, not as warm as before, but not unfriendly, and handed her a key. “I’ve got a few things to do today, but you’re welcome to stay here. Here’s the key to the front door. There’s all sorts of food in the fridge. I should be back later tonight.” He was babbling, and he knew it, but he couldn’t think of anything else to say.

“Thank you,” Nikki said. “Where are you going?”

“To see a friend,” Jack said, and fled.

**

It was so dark. She pulled the blanket tighter around her, trying to warm herself, but the chill in her bones wasn’t caused by the temperature. No mere blanket could hope to keep Death’s cold touch from her. Lucia knew, deep in her heart, that the darkness she waited in was simply a prelude to the eternal night she was headed to. They couldn’t let her go now. It was only a matter of time.

A single magelight flared into existence, hurting her eyes and she moaned in protest. As always, her captor stood in shadows, as if she didn’t know who had betrayed her.

“Why do we go through this?” she demanded, turning her head from the pale light. “Let me go.”

“You know I cannot.” The voice was thick with Power and contempt. “You carry an abomination within you.”

Lucia’s hands fell to her lap. “I do not.”

“You do.” The hatred in those words stung. “You know you do, and since you refuse to take care of it, I must.”

“You disgrace yourself,” Lucia whispered, tears running down her cold face. “The Spirits will never forgive you for breaking the Covenant.”

“I haven’t, and won’t,” the voice said. “There are many ways to kill that do not break the Covenant. And the Spirits will thank me for ridding the world of the horror you created.”

The light went out, leaving Lucia to weep alone in the darkness.

**

“He’s lying to me, Cerberus.”

Nikki strode into the middle of Lucia’s living room with a broom in her hands, a green magelight burning at her shoulder and a frown on her face.

I agree.

“But I don’t know about what,” she continued, starting to sweep. The dust rose in a great cloud around her and she sneezed. “It’s screamingly obvious that Lucia was involved with someone, and he either knows or suspects who it is.”

Or he’s the one, Cerberus said, but Nikki shook her head.

“His signature is on the top of everything here,” she said. “The Chaos Mage we’re looking for has a different signature.”

If he is a Chaos Mage.

“I suppose it could be a Lord,” she conceded. “But it’s not Jack. So who is it?”

Cerberus didn’t answer her, and Nikki sighed. She propped the broom up in the corner and pulled a few small bottles and a glass bowl she’d taken from Jack’s well-stocked kitchen from her jeans pocket. “I’m getting too reliant on spilling my own blood to power these spells,” she muttered to herself, mixing anise, bay leaves, celery seed, cinnamon, salt and mint together in the bowl with her fingertips. Then she pulled out a small flask and sprinkled the mixture with rum. Once it was mixed completely, Nikki sprinkled it in an incomplete circle around her. Taking the final handful out of the bowl, she set the container down on one of the end tables and retreated to the circle. She closed it with the last bits of the mixture and then, taking a deep breath, called the Shadows of her birth to her.

Mint and anise tickled her nose as Nikki fed Power into the herbs at her feet, using the magical essences to strengthen her spells. She murmured under her breath, “Grant me a vision of the past, show me those who lived here before. They have gone, but I remain, and I desire now to know more.”

The air in front of her wavered, like heat rising from pavement on a late summer day, then solidified and lit up like a movie screen. Nikki recognized the room at once – it was the one she stood in, only it was awash in late afternoon sunlight. A fire burned in the fireplace, and a young-looking woman in a pale green oversized sweatshirt and jeans stood near the table with a phone in her hands. As everything came into focus, Nikki heard first a buzzing in her ears, then a soft voice saying, “I understand your concern, but really, there’s no reason for you to worry.”

There was a pause, and then Lucia continued, “I know what I’m doing. There’s nothing wrong with it, I promise you.” Another pause, and Nikki wished she could hear the other side of the conversation. “Now you’re just being stupid, Jack. No one is going to hurt me, honest. Don’t you trust me?”

She listened a moment longer, then shook her head. “This conversation is over, and I don’t want you to bring it up again, Jack. All right? I’ll talk to you later.” Lucia hung up the phone, and her shoulders slumped down. She took a box from the table, looked at it and then shook her head. “So silly. I can’t believe he did that.” Nikki stifled a gasp as the Earth Lord pulled a large sapphire ring out of the box and slipped it on her finger. “As if I could wear this and not have it be noticed.” She took it off again and replaced it in the box, then went up the stairs.

When she returned a few moments later, her hands were empty. Lucia came in the room and then gasped at something and turned towards where Nikki stood. Her green eyes widened. “What are you doing here? I thought…”

A shadow flashed through the image, and Lucia gasped, then everything went dark as the spell shattered. Nikki stood frowning, lost in thought, only half-aware of the thunder rumbling above her.

So she was talking to Jack, who was trying to talk her out of something…what? I knew he was lying about knowing what she was involved in, but how to get him to tell me? Nikki chewed the inside of her cheek. Any ideas, Cerberus?

Not really, the great horse admitted. But I don’t think he had anything to do with her disappearance.

Me neither, Nikki said. Shanna said trust my instincts, and dammit, they tell me he’s not the kidnapper.

The vision showed autumn sun, Cerberus said. And that means…

She’s been gone a hell of a lot longer than three weeks. Nikki nodded and swept an opening in the circle of herbs at her feet. I need to find that ring.

Nikki bounded up the stairs to the upper floors, searching for the small box that she’d seen Lucia carrying in her vision. The room she was headed to was in the back – Lucia’s own bedroom. And there, on the nightstand…

**

“Did the forecast say anything about thunder today?” Raphael asked, pulling the collar of his coat closer to his neck as the two Chaos Lords stepped from the World Between the Walls.

“No.” Jack looked up at the clouds roiling overhead, blinking away snowflakes that dropped into his eyes. “Then again, this close to Christmas Eve, the weather always gets odd. You know that.” He tasted the magical scents on the biting wind: Chaos, of course, but something else, something darker, and that could only mean one thing. “I’ll bet our little Horseman is up to something.”

“What is she like?” Raphael asked, trying to sound casual, but Jack wasn’t fooled.

“She’s…odd,” he admitted, kicking the snow at his feet. They stood outside the gate to Lucia’s cottage, far enough away that Cerberus was only a darker blur in the endless evening. “I keep looking for the Horseman I knew during the War, and he’s there, but so deep that I don’t see him most of the time. And it doesn’t help that she’s too damned cute for her own good.” He laughed suddenly. “She’s not afraid of anyone, though. She basically told Julietta to go to hell last night.”

“Oh?”

Jack told him about the conversation as they waited, the thunder rumbling a bass counterpoint to his story, and Raphael smiled. “So she has spirit.”

“In spades,” Jack said. “In fact…” The front door opened and he paused. Nikki came out, not even acknowledging their presence as she walked into the front yard. Cerberus moved towards her, nuzzled her hair, and then walked over to the two Lords.

My Lady suggests you move back and put a shield up over yourselves, he said politely, and then positioned himself between them and the slim girl who stood with her head bowed over her cupped hands.

“Why?” Jack said, and Raphael’s eyes widened. “What is she doing?”

Something dangerous, Cerberus said simply. Be ready.

Jack opened his mouth and closed it again, and then spun his shields around himself, feeling Raphael do the same. Then they waited.

It didn’t take long. The air rippled, a heaviness that washed over Jack’s skin like thick sludge as it flowed towards the girl, and he tensed. Nikki’s head came up slowly, and he heard the thunder, louder and more demanding somehow. She looked up at the clouds roiling overhead, and he swore she smiled, just once.

Then she raised her arms, and whatever was in her hands sparkled. Power exploded out from Nikki, knocking Jack and Raphael to the ground and making even Cerberus stagger backwards. The reaction, if that was what she’d been looking for, was swift and brutal.

Lightning slashed down, raining death from the clouds above. She didn’t even try to avoid it: the deadly bolt slammed directly into her uplifted hands, pulling her from the ground and throwing her down with enough force to raise the snow up around her. As soon as the aftershocks died down enough for him to stand, Jack rose to his feet and raced over to her, Raphael right behind him.

She lay unmoving against the stone front step of the cottage, steam rising from skin too pale for Jack’s peace of mind. Dropping to his knees beside her, Jack slipped one hand under her and lifted her motionless head. Somehow, she was still breathing, and after a moment, she opened those marvelous dark blue eyes.

“What the hell did you do that for?” he demanded, fear making his voice hoarse.

“I needed to find her.” Nikki’s reply was a whisper that Jack barely heard over the angry clash of thunder.

“But you could have been killed!”

She smiled up at him, a sweet smile at odds with the dark spirit he knew lurked deep in her soul. “I’m a Horseman,” she reminded him. “We’re nigh indestructible. Didn’t you know that?”

“I missed that memo.” Jack helped her to sit up, shifting to prop her up against him. The step was cold beneath him, but he barely registered that as she leaned back, shivering a bit in reaction to the electricity that had coursed through her. Then she looked up, saw Raphael and he felt her straighten.

“Lucia’s lover,” she murmured, as if to herself, and Jack caught his breath. How did she know? Then she said, loud enough so both Lords could hear her, “Are you going to introduce us, Jack, or do I have to guess that this is Raphael?”

Raphael blinked. “How did you know?”

“You’re a Chaos Lord, and the only male that Jack mentioned when I asked him about the Lords in the area. Elementary, my dear Watson, as Sherlock would say.” Nikki paused and Raphael nodded. “And your signature is all over the ring I’m currently holding in my hand, which tells me Lucia wasn’t involved a Chaos Mage, but a Chaos Lord. Which begs the question, why didn’t you tell me sooner, Jack?”

Jack heard the dangerous edge in her voice as she asked the question. “Because it wasn’t my secret to tell,” he said finally. “For obvious reasons.”

“Because I would suspect him first?” When she felt him nod, Nikki sighed. “Do you really think I would be as blind as Julietta? And that Shanna would have sent me if I was?”

“I…”

She didn’t let him finish. “It’s not important,” she said, turning her face to Raphael. She stretched out her hand. “You did give this to her, didn’t you?”

The sapphire ring lay dark against her pale skin, and Raphael flinched as he reached for it. “I did,” he said. “Where did you…”

“Upstairs,” Nikki said, letting him take the gem. “She kept it beside her bed, knowing she couldn’t wear it but unable to give it up.” Jack watched the pain on his friend’s face and his heart ached. “Something you had to have known when you gave it to her.”

“And yet I couldn’t not give it,” Raphael said. “Someday, we would have been happy.”

“She’s still alive, Raphael,” Nikki said gently, and his head came up suddenly, eyes wide. “I felt her, very briefly.”

“Can you rescue her?” The pleading note in his voice caused Jack to sigh.

Nikki nodded. “But I need more power,” she said, frowning. “And a plan. I can’t just go in guns blazing – if I do, whoever is holding her might do something drastic.” She paused. “I don’t want…” Then apparently she changed her mind. “I don’t want to do anything too quickly. I need to plan. And I need to go to Winterfjord.”

“Why Winterfjord?” Jack asked, wondering what she’d been about to say.

The steel in her voice chilled him. “I need to talk to Kris and Julietta.”

Jack was suddenly very glad Nikki didn’t need to speak to him. That voice boded ill.

**

“Have you found her?”

Nikki shook her head and picked up her tea mug. “Not yet,” she said blandly, wondering why she was so loath to bring Kris and Julietta into her confidence just yet. “But I think I’m getting close.”

“Oh?” Julietta said, setting a tray of crackers and cheese on the table and then joining the other two. “What have you found?”

Nikki avoided the question with one of her own. “Do you know if Lucia was seeing anyone?”

They both shook their heads, and she persisted, “Say, a Chaos Mage? Or a Chaos Lord?”

Kris shook his head again, but it was Julietta that Nikki watched over the edge of her tea mug. The former StarChild’s blue eyes darkened and a bitter, hateful look ran quickly across her expressive face before she could stop it, and Nikki wondered again about the odd resonances she’d felt around Lucia. Jack’s and Cerberus’ words mixed in her head, forming an ominous warning. Could she have had something to do with Lucia’s kidnapping? Nikki hoped not, for Kris’ sake. And, practically, for her own.

Could I take her down? Probably. Do I want to go toe-to-toe with a former StarChild who’s been practicing her defensive skills for more years than I’d like to think about? No. Not even for fun.

“I hope not, for her sake,” Kris was saying, and Nikki dragged her mind back to the conversation at hand. “It would make her life very difficult.” He didn’t look at his wife. “There are those who wouldn’t…accept…her choices. And it would so hard, because they couldn’t be together that often.”

“Do you think that’s why she was taken?” Julietta asked her sharply. “Because of her involvement with a Chaos Lord?”

“I don’t know,” Nikki said honestly. “But I found enough evidence that leads me to believe that she was intimately involved with someone.” She looked at Kris. “What did you mean by they couldn’t be together that often?”

He shrugged. “Really, the only times the Chaos Lord would be able to pass through the Walls to see her would be at the Solstices. The Walls just aren’t thin enough at any other time unless he Gated in, and we’d all know then. Gates aren’t quiet.”

“Unless it was Jack,” Julietta said. “Was it?”

“He says no, and I believe him,” Nikki said.

“Hmph,” was Julietta’s reaction to that, and Nikki raised one dark eyebrow.

“Are you saying that I wouldn’t know if someone was lying to me?” Nikki asked mildly, but there was a bite to the words that was unmistakable, and she let just a bit of Power shine through her shields. Julietta flushed and rose, murmuring something too quickly for Nikki to catch, and left the room. There was an awkward silence.

“Don’t judge her,” Kris said, breaking the tension, and Nikki looked over at him. Pain etched lines on his face – pain and sorrow and a kind of resignation that she’d never seen before. “She’s harsh, but that’s because she’s spent years defending us from Chaos Lords.”

“Not all Chaos Lords are bad apples,” Nikki said, smiling faintly as she heard Jack’s words come out of her mouth. “Why judge the entire race for the actions of a few?”

Kris nodded. “I know. I’m trying. But don’t judge her too harshly.”

“I do not judge yet,” Nikki said, pushing back from the table and rising. “I don’t have enough facts to, and the Covenant still binds me, as it binds all of us. But soon…” She let her voice trail off, then turned and left. Kris didn’t try to stop her.

Outside, the shield cast a pale glow over new-fallen snow, and Nikki paused to consider her next move. Julietta’s response had been what she expected, and she wondered how widespread the attitude was. Cerberus was waiting for her; she pulled herself up on his back and pulled out her phone.

“Run,” she said, and he leaped forward. “I need some privacy.”

The big black horse jumped through the Walls, and Nikki realized Jack had been right. Tissue paper indeed. She dialed Justin’s number and waited impatiently as Cerberus walked through the dead autumn leaves of the Shadow Lands.

“How’s it going?” Justin’s voice filled her ear, cautious and hopeful at the same time, and she smiled.

“It’s going.” Nikki sighed. “My illusions have all been shattered though.”

Justin laughed. “It’s called growing up.”

“Gee, thanks,” she said. “So when were you going to tell me about the other Lords? Or did Shanna tell you not to?”

“She didn’t want you prejudiced one way or the other,” Justin said. “And you have to admit that it would have.”

“Probably,” Nikki said. “But now I need some straight answers. How much wiggle room do I have within the constraints of the Covenant?”

“What are you planning?” She heard the note of worry in his voice and grinned despite her worries.

“I can’t tell you yet. Just answer the question.”

“Not a lot,” he admitted. “The Spirits have very little tolerance for any Lord or Mage who break their Covenant. Even Horsemen.”

“So if I need to raise a lot of Power tomorrow…”

“What do you need Power for on Christmas Eve?” Justin interrupted. “You’re not…”

“Trust me, Justin, I’m not going to break anything or anyone, but I need a large amount of Power. What are my options, since I can’t open a vein?”

She heard him sigh. “Well, do you have anyone you can trust to help you? If so, there’s always sex magic. Barring that, you could always try and tap into the Realms and drag Power from one of the nodes in either the Shadow Lands or the Dawn Lands, but that’s…”

“A pain in the ass,” Nikki finished, nodding. “Sex magic, huh?”

“Probably your best bet, and it’s easy.”

“Then all I have to do is find a partner.” Her mind presented her with Jack, and she sighed. “I’ll see what I can do. Next question.”

“Shoot.”

Nikki paused, trying to find a neutral way to ask. “Are there any spheres of magic a StarChild can’t use?”

“No, not really,” Justin replied slowly. “Why?”

“What about a former StarChild?” Nikki asked, and heard his sharp intake of breath.

“Do you really think Julietta had something to do with this?” he asked.

“I don’t know,” she admitted. “I suspect everyone at this point. You know me, guilty until proven innocent. And she has motive.”

“What motive?”

Nikki shifted the phone to her other ear. “Lucia’s involved with a Chaos Lord, and if Julietta thought said Chaos Lord was using her to get to Kris…”

“She’d take whatever steps she thought necessary,” Justin finished. “Damn.”

“Agreed.” Nikki sighed. “The good news is that I found Lucia. I just need to pull her out of her prison. Once she’s safe, I can deal with the person or persons responsible.”

“Well, if you need help, holler.”

“I will. Thanks.”

Nikki tucked the phone back into her pocket and patted Cerberus on the shoulder. “Let’s head back to Jack’s. I need to talk to him.”

Luckily, Jack was in the courtyard when she rode in, pulling firewood from a sheltered pile next to the castle wall. She watched him lift the load in his arms, enjoying the play of muscles along his shoulders, and privately admitted that sleeping with Jack wouldn’t be all that much of a hardship.

“Can I help you?” he asked without turning around, and she sighed.

“I think I’m beyond help,” she admitted. “But I’m definitely enjoying the view.”

Jack turned around at that, eyebrows raised, and Nikki grinned. “What?”

“You heard me.” She swung down off Cerberus and sent the great black horse off to the stable with a smack on his rump. “Can I help?”

“Not necessary, but you can get the door.”

Once they were both settled back in the sitting room and Jack had fed the fire, he sat in one of the armchairs and cocked his head at her. “So how was your meeting?”

Nikki made a face, then sighed. “I’m not sure. I really don’t want to accuse Julietta, but if she’d found out about Raphael, I can see her flipping out.”

“And taking it out on Lucia?” Jack said skeptically.

“If she couldn’t get to him, maybe. Especially if she thought it might be a threat to Kris and Winterfjord.” Nikki shifted in her seat. “But I can’t accuse her on a maybe.”

“No.”

“Besides, I think there’s something you haven’t told me yet,” Nikki continued, watching him. “Who else had an issue with Lucia and Raphael?”

Jack squirmed, but she wasn’t about to let him off the hook and he finally gave in. “Iolanthe,” he admitted. “Raphael’s sister.”

“A Chaos Lord,” Nikki said, and he nodded. “And you didn’t think to tell me this?”

“I…” His voice trailed off for a moment. “I couldn’t, not without giving away Raphael before. And I wasn’t going to accuse his sister in front of him. Even if he’s thrown her out of the house for talking against Lucia.”

“Anyone else you failed to mention?” she asked, and he shook his head.

“Honestly, I can’t think of anyone.”

“What about Lucia’s family? The sister?”

Jack shrugged. “Your guess is as good as mine,” he said. “I’ve only met Fiana a handful of times.”

They were both silent for a moment, and then Nikki said, “The good news is that Lucia’s still alive. And if I can raise enough Power tomorrow, I can bring her out without her captor knowing I’ve got her until it’s too late.” She looked over at the Chaos Lord. “And that’s where you come in. I need your help.”

“What do you need?” Jack asked.

“A few things.” She ticked them off on her fingers. “One, a place to hide Lucia until after the ritual tomorrow night. I don’t want to tip anyone off that we’ve rescued her. Two, I need you to tell Julietta she needs to find replacements for Lucia and you for tomorrow.”

“Easy,” Jack said. “Iolanthe can take my place – she knows the spells, as she used to be the Chaos Lord before I took over.”

“Good.” Nikki chewed her lower lip for the moment. “Suggest that Fiana be her sister’s replacement.”

Jack gave her a look. “Why Fiana?”

“Because I want all my suspects in one room,” she said. “That way I don’t have to go looking for them later.”

“Okay. Anything else?”

Nikki looked over at him and, to her intense disgust, blushed. “I need your help to raise enough Power to pull Lucia from her prison.”

His hazel eyes widened, and then he gave her a slow, wicked grin that made her blush even harder. “Indeed?”

“Stop that,” she said. “I’m serious.”

“You’re blushing,” Jack pointed out.

“Thanks for the newsflash,” Nikki grumbled. “I’m sorry, I’m not used to propositioning sex for the purpose of magic.”

“You aren’t a virgin, are you?” Jack asked, looking worried suddenly. Nikki shook her head and he relaxed. “Well, then, you’ve nothing to worry about. I won’t hurt you.”

“I’m not worried about that,” Nikki said. “It’s just not something I’m used to.” She hurried along, “Now, what about a place to hide Lucia.”

“Even easier.” Jack stood up. “Let me show you.”

**

“Oh lord, it’s perfect.”

Nikki reined Cerberus in on the cliff’s edge, enchanted by the idyllic scene spreading out below her. The clouds had rolled away and the moon was full: it washed the small, half-circle bay silver, the waves lapping softly on a sandy beach. Rising up from the sand was a small lighthouse, the glass gleaming in the pale light. She felt Jack’s arms tightened around her as Cerberus pawed the ground, shifting beneath them.

“Don’t worry,” she murmured. “He’s never dropped anyone, or so he says.”

“So he says.” His breath was warm against her cold cheek. “And you believe him?”

“He hasn’t lied to me yet.” She turned to look at him. “How did you find this place?”

“I built it, actually.” Jack grinned at her expression. “Sometimes I like to impress people.”

“I guess.” She turned back around and urged Cerberus forward, down a small winding path to the beach. “And we can lock this down?”

“Yes.” He slid from Cerberus’ back and touched his hand to the door. Nikki slipped off as well and followed him into the tower.

Jack took her through the small building, beaming with pride as he showed off the amenities he’d built into his love nest. The top room, instead of housing a light, was filled with a large bed. Nikki laid down on it and stared up at the full moon. “This is amazing,” she murmured, as Jack slid in next to her.

“Thank you.”

“Did you call Julietta?”

Nikki felt the bed shift as he nodded his head. “Everything’s set. She didn’t seem surprised though, for some reason.”

“She has to know I’m planning something,” Nikki pointed out. “As a former StarChild, she knows what the Horsemen are and aren’t capable of. And I all but told her point-blank that you were the only Lord around here I don’t suspect at this point.” She grimaced. “I’m sure I’m not on her nice list at this point, but oh well. I’m not really here to make friends.”

Jack chuckled. “You know, when I first saw you, I wondered what had happened to the Horseman I’d known before. You seemed too…I don’t know, nice maybe, to be that Horseman. And then you say something like that, and I hear him again. He didn’t care for Julietta and her prejudices either.” He lapsed into silence for a moment, and then said, “You don’t have to go through with this, you know.”

“I have to get Lucia.”

“There are other ways to raise Power, even now,” he said, and she shrugged.

“I’m open to other suggestions.”

“Well, we could call your sibs…”

“No.” Nikki cut him off. “They’re all doing other things, and if Shanna had wanted me to have their help, she’d have sent all of us.” She rolled over and looked down at him, adding impishly, “Besides, then I’d’ve had to fight my sister for you, and she fights dirty.”

The look of sheer astonishment on his face was priceless, but Nikki only had a moment to savor it before Jack said softly, “Then I guess it’s only fair if I prove that I’m worthy to be fought for.” He reached up and cupped his hand behind her head, pulling her face down to his.

It was a feather-light kiss, the barest chill whisper of pressure on her lips, but Nikki shivered as she felt the Power implicit in his touch. And this is only the beginning, he continued silently, his hand sliding down to caress her cheek. I have so much to show you…and I promise, you’ll enjoy learning it, my lady Horseman.

Nikki broke the kiss, blushing hotly at the image he sent along with that thought, and Jack laughed. “I can’t believe you’re blushing again!” he said, putting his hands behind his head. “I’m beginning to think you really are a virgin.”

“No, just hopelessly middle-class, white bread American,” Nikki admitted, trying without success to cool her cheeks down. “Sex? No problem. Sex to raise magical energy? That’s a little kinkier than I usually get.”

Jack cocked his head at her. “But why? Didn’t your parents ever teach you about the various ways to raise Power? I mean, aren’t they…”

“Mages?” Nikki finished for him, when his voice trailed off. “Yes and no. My birth parents, yes, they were both Mages. But due to circumstances beyond anyone’s control, I was raised by mundane adopted parents. I didn’t even know I was a Mage until about a year ago. And I still don’t know as much as I should.”

“Huh.” Jack continued to look at her. “I’d wondered where they’d hidden you lot when we first heard about you, but I’d just assumed it was because we were a bit isolated up here.”

Nikki sighed. “Remind me to tell you the entire story sometime. When we have a month or so.”

“Does this mean you’ll be back?” Jack asked, leaning up on one elbow, so their faces were inches apart.

“Do you really think you could keep me away?”

This time, it was Nikki who leaned in, capturing his lips with hers, letting just the slightest bit of her Power seep out to mingle with his. As the kiss deepened, he mentally asked her, Are you sure you’re ready?

As ready as I’ll ever be, Nikki replied, and felt the bed shift as he sat up, not breaking their kiss as he did so.

Then let me show you, Jack said, his hands coming up on either side of her head and tangling in her dark hair. The first rule of sex magic is simple: don’t hold back.

If I don’t, you might not survive, she warned him, shivering slightly at the thought.

“I’ve danced with darkness before,” he murmured against her lips as they both came up for air. “And tonight, the ride is worth the danger.” He drew back briefly, and Nikki saw Power and lust shining in his hazel eyes before he kissed her again. No gentle touch this time: his lips were commanding, demanding, and she only hesitated briefly before surrendering. As she melted against him, Nikki felt his magic reach out to the glass lamps at the four cardinal points and sent tendrils of her own twining along with his. Light flared and then died as they fed Power into the lamps, bringing up the first series of magical shields.

You’re a fast learner, he said approvingly, and she glowed. Now to bring up the second set. He broke the kiss to let his mouth trail along her neck; Nikki let her head fall slightly back and closed her eyes again, sensing the fire he was building within her.

So what’s the second rule? She moaned as his fingers stroked her back.

Don’t let the magic rule you,, he said, and Nikki opened her eyes to look at him. Keep yourself together, or you can destroy the world.

But you said don’t hold back.

There’s a difference. She felt him deepen the link. Let me show you.

Nikki felt him slip into her mind, and then she saw what he was trying to say. An anchor, holding her to her task even as the currents of Power rose within her.

Good. She felt him inspect her work. Now lift your arms.

She did so, and he pulled her tee-shirt over her head. Then his mouth was back on her skin, even as he slid the bra straps off her shoulders. Every touch of his lips made her shiver, adding another butterfly to the crowd fluttering in her stomach. Nikki drew in her breath sharply as Jack nipped teasingly at her belly button, then opened her eyes and pulled him back up. As she claimed his lips, she poured more energy into the shields. Above them, she could feel the weather start to turn and hoped they were making enough noise to distract anyone in the neighborhood.

They can probably hear this in Anchorage, Jack told her, and she felt his amusement ripple along the link.

I hope so, Nikki said, breaking the kiss and pulling his shirt over his head. I want people to be so overwhelmed by the sound that they don’t see what I’m actually doing.

Then I suppose we should make it a little louder. This time, when he kissed her, he pulled her closely against him. His skin was cool, and Nikki could feel the Chaos that had created him seething just below the surface. It called to the Shadows within her and she let them go to intermingle. The fire grew, and Nikki rode it like a surfer, rising to the top. She knew, even as his fingers moved over her body, removing the remainder of her clothing, that the lighthouse was now glowing with Power.

Nikki felt something else ping against her consciousness, and reached out to find it. There was a moment’s surprise that wasn’t her own, and then amusement. Enjoy yourself, Horseman, the unknown Lord said, and withdrew her magical probe. Nikki froze, astonished at the touch, and then felt Jack’s chuckle against her skin.

Yes, we’ve definitely got everyone’s notice, he said, and Nikki felt a heat of a different sort wash over her. Well, what did you expect them to do, just ignore it without investigating? Silly girlchild. The question is, can you continue knowing they’re watching?

I have to, she said, forcing her embarrassment aside. Make me forget them, so I can find Lucia.

Your wish is my command.

Jack was as good as his word – as he moved up against her, skin to skin, Nikki forgot about anyone else who could be watching them. His skilled mouth played with her, drawing moans of pleasure from her and coaxing her into a haze of pleasure. “Now we come to rule three,” he whispered, rolling over with her and looking down.

“And what’s that?” she asked, trembling slightly, her nerves afire.

“Rule three is, don’t waste this.” Jack leaned down and swirled his tongue around her right nipple, and Nikki gasped at the sensation. “This is a gift. Use it all.”

“Then help me,” she said, reaching for him. “Make me fly.”

She arched up against him, inviting him in, and Jack didn’t hesitate. As he slipped inside her, Nikki felt herself spiral up and surrendered to the Power around them. Her anchor tugged at her consciousness and she let it steady her within the maelstrom. Then, even as she felt Jack begin to move against her, she called up her Horseman from the dark depths it normally resided in.

It was an odd, fracturing feeling: one part sliding easily into a rhythm with Jack on the bed, feeding the Horseman that now reached out into the night, looking again for the spark of life that was Lucia.

She searched for the Earth Lord, focusing on the magical signature from the ring she’d taken from Lucia’s house, the ring she now wore on her right hand. The night was dark and cold, but Nikki ignored it. A brightness, a shining star, caught her attention and she plunged into Chaos, reaching for Lucia.

A howl of rage ripped around her, stealing the Earth Lord back, but Nikki screamed defiance, pulling even more Power from Jack as she ground her hips against him. High above the lighthouse, clouds began to swirl as Power raged, and Nikki found herself standing in the sky, watching a storm collect around her.

You cannot have her! The words scratched at Nikki, tearing at her concentration. She has broken the Laws!

That is not for you to decide! Nikki shouted back, dodging the bolts of lightning that shot from cloud to cloud. You do not have that right!

It is my duty! We must protect the Balance!

Not at the expense of innocent life! Nikki sprayed Power around her, attempting to calm the storm. Beneath her, she felt Jack falter a bit and Nikki realized how hard she was pulling on him. Dammit, don’t die on me!

Nikki didn’t dodge the next lightning bolt; she let it hit her dead-on, the electricity cascading over her and down her link into Jack, feeding the Chaos Lord a bit of what she’d stolen from him. Then she turned her attention back to Lucia. The unknown voice had wrapped her in darkness, but Nikki was first and foremost a child of the Shadows, and the dark was her natural environment.

You cannot hide her from me, she said, tearing the darkness to ribbons. Not in darkness. The star gleamed again, and Nikki wove Chaos and Shadows into a lasso that she threw towards the brightness. She felt Lucia grab the rope and prayed that Jack could hold on a bit longer. Now!

Her world exploded around her: Jack thrust up hard, bringing her body over the edge, and the lightning leaped at her. Nikki yanked, feeling something tear, and then she fell into the darkness.

“Nikki? Nikki?”

The voice was frantic, worried – and vaguely familiar. Nikki swam upwards, out of the black fog, and opened bleary eyes to see Jack leaning over her. His haggard face lit up when she smiled at him, reaching up with one hand to caress one pale cheek. “Is that always the way it is?” she whispered, and he chuckled, relief evident in every line of his body.

“No, love,” he said tenderly, leaning down to press his lips to her forehead. “I’ve never had an experience like that one. You’ve spoiled me for anyone else.”

Nikki sighed, feeling the ache in every muscle. “I think it’s mutual,” she said, and then moved her hand down to his chest. It took her a moment, but she pushed and heaved him off of her. “Come on, handsome, we still have work to do.” She sat up with a groan. “Is Lucia here?”

“You mean you didn’t feel her land on the bed?” Jack asked, and Nikki shook her head. “Wow, you were out of it.”

“Obviously.” Nikki looked at him. “How is she?”

Jack opened his mouth, then closed it, and Nikki watched a shadow of fear cross his face. “Get dressed,” he said finally. “You can come and see for yourself.”

Six hours later, fortified with food and filled with an icy rage, Nikki kicked open the door to Winterfjord’s casting hall and stomped inside. She’d waited until the Reweaving was done, taking the time to grab a nap and some food before she faced the combined Lords of the North.

Heads turned at the sound of her bootheels on the marble floor, and Nikki let their shocked whispers slide off her. She’d gone to full Horseman mode: all black, from her high boots to the Shadows that clung to her shoulders, a living cloak of magic. The black silk of her shirt echoed the storm clouds in her dark blue eyes, and she stuck her hands in the back pockets of her jeans as she surveyed them, contempt written in every line of her body.

Julietta was the first to recover. “Welcome, Horseman,” she said formally. “How may we assist you?”

“You can stay where you are,” Nikki said, and her Shadows flowed out, tinged with green and amber, to surround the hall. “None of you are leaving until I get some answers.”

“You cannot hold us here,” another Lord said, pushing forward. Nikki turned and raised one raven eyebrow, and he faltered under her icy stare. “The Covenant…”

“Only prevents me from using magic to kill you,” she said. “That leaves me plenty of leeway.”

He shrank back, his rich blondness paling in shock at her bluntness. “You wouldn’t…”

“You have no idea what I’m capable of, Dawn Lord.” Nikki bit off the words. “The StarChild sent me to find her missing Earth Lord.” The temperature in the room dropped a few degrees as she looked over them again. “You’ll all be delighted to know that Lucia has been recovered.” She allowed them to murmur for a few moments before continuing. “Now the only thing I want to know is how many of you were involved in the plot to kill her.”

The room erupted into denials. Nikki let them shout for a few moments and pulled her hands from her pockets and pointed in the center of the group. Crimson flames exploded and the Lords scattered, screaming.

“You’re children,” Nikki sneered, watching them. “Did you really think I wouldn’t find out all about your dirty little secrets?” She strode into the center of the circle and whirled around to face them as she leaned back against the altar. “I’m sure you’ll all be thrilled to know that Lucia is alive and well.”

“She is?” A Lord in dark green robes looked up, and Nikki saw both hope and fear in her brown eyes. “Can I see her?”

“In good time,” Nikki said. “Once I’m sure you won’t use that dagger at your waist to finish what you started, Fiana.”

The Earth Lord raised her chin defiantly. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. Lucia is my sister!”

“And in love with a Chaos Lord,” Nikki said, and heard another gasp run through the room like a wildfire. “Something you disapproved of.”

“Only because she was so desperately unhappy!” Fiana said. “Wouldn’t you be? If you only saw your beloved twenty days out of the year?”

“Who is the Chaos Lord?” A new voice entered the conversation, and Nikki turned to see a Lord in dark blue robes looking at her. The deeply resonant tones echoed in the small room.

Nikki started to reply, but another voice, bitter and hateful, cut across her. “Raphael.”

Everyone turned to look at the pale Chaos Lord who glared at Nikki. “My besotted brother.”

“Even so, Iolanthe,” Nikki said, nodding. “Your brother.” She looked back at Fiana. “And your sister.” She spread her hands. “And only the two of you knew their darkest secret.”

“What secret?” Julietta demanded. “That they were lovers?”

“No,” Nikki said, watching the two Lords. “That she was pregnant.”

This time, her words dropped into a pool of stunned silence.

“A child?” Julietta was the first to find her voice, and even then, it was a whisper. “Light bless us.”

“Not a child,” Fiana snapped, recovering. “An abomination. A mixture of Balance and Chaos.”

“This child is no abomination!”

Everyone turned to the doorway. Lucia stood framed by splinters of wood, Raphael and Jack behind her, her face pale and resolute. “No abomination,” she repeated. “A gift.”

“A demon!” Iolanthe shrieked. “A threat to everything you are supposed to hold dear, Horseman! You cannot let this creature destroy the Walls!”

“No, I can’t,” Nikki said, and that quiet statement drew a second shocked silence. She looked at Lucia and Raphael. “But I am as bound to the Covenant as anyone in this room. And unlike certain others, I have no taste for innocent blood.”

“So what will you do, Horseman?” Julietta said into the silence.

Nikki smiled, a smile filled with daggers. “I’m going to let someone else make that decision. Even I answer to higher authorities.” She turned to the altar and laid her bare hands down on it, reaching deep within herself. A kaleidoscope of Power, every color of the rainbow, burst from her, and she felt the Lords shrink back from the mixture of Balance and Chaos that she produced. Nikki poured her prayer into the stream, hoping it would be answered, and not sure what she would do if it wasn’t.

For several moments, nothing happened, and Nikki felt her heart sink. Please don’t make me make this decision alone, she begged in her heart. I can’t kill an innocent. Not even to save myself.

Silly child, did you really think we would force you to do that?

The rage flowed from her, replaced by an almost unearthly peace. Nikki opened her eyes and watched in awe as two pale children stepped from midair, hand in hand. Even now, having been in the company of the Spirit of the Balance before, Nikki felt awkward, and she knelt, not sure what else to do.

Get up, Horseman. None of our children should kneel before us.

She looked up. “I can’t,” she admitted. “I have failed you.”

Oh? There was quiet amusement in the choral voice. And how have you failed us, Horseman?

“I have failed to protect the Walls,” Nikki said. “I will not kill the child. I cannot, and live with myself. No matter what the consequences.”

That is not failure, Horseman. The children turned to Lucia. Not at all. One of the pale figures gestured. Come here, Lucia and Raphael.

The two Lords drew closer, and the children each laid a hand on her belly, just now beginning to swell with the life inside.

“Do you love her, Raphael?” The child on the left asked him, in a soft voice. “Enough to forsake everything for her?”

“I do,” he said. “Enough to die for her.”

“And you, Lucia?” the other child said. “Do you love him enough to forsake everything for him?”

“I do,” she whispered. “I would do anything for him.”

“Anything?” the child pressed, and she hesitated only a moment.

“Anything, except give up our child.”

The children smiled. “Good.” They looked at one another, and then looked out over the assembled Lords. “When we created this ceremony, it was with the understanding that the Walls were to keep the elements of Balance and Chaos separate, not the Lords who dwell in those elements. You are all our children, and you seem to have forgotten that. Perhaps this child will remind you.”

“But how?” Lucia asked. “Where will we live?”

The Spirits shook their heads. “Do you not trust us? There are always rooms available for those who need them. We will create a Realm for you – one that your child will grow healthy and strong in, and we will send teachers to help you.” They looked out at Fiana and Iolanthe, who each shrank back. “Although your motives appeared noble, we have doubts as to whether they truly were. However, it is still Christmas.” They turned to Nikki. “We will not require you to spill blood to defend our Walls today, Horseman.”

“Thank god,” Nikki said, sitting back on her heels, and they smiled at her. “So what are you going to do with these two?”

The smiles turned a little hard. “This child will need protectors. And since they have proven so willing to protect our Walls, we’re sure they will bring that same zeal to this job.” The Spirits turned to the two Lords. “Won’t you?”

Nikki was certain she was going to hell for the pleasure she took in watching them stammer.

“Good.” The Spirits raised their hands. “Be well, children. Do not forget this.” And then a brilliant light filled the room, blinding everyone. When Nikki could see again, the Spirits were gone, and so were Raphael, Lucia, Fiana and Iolanthe. Julietta was staring at Nikki, her face paler than normal, and Nikki wondered just what the Spirits might have said to her.

Not that it really matters, she decided, feeling exhaustion turn her limbs leaden. Although it would be nice for Jack to not have to worry about her as much.

As if her thoughts had summoned him, Nikki felt Jack’s hands around her arms, helping her to her feet. “Nicely done, Horseman,” he murmured, and she looked up to see his hazel eyes twinkling at her. “Ready to blow this pop stand?”

“Oh yes.” Nikki swayed slightly. “Definitely.”

**

“So tell me, Nikki – are you happy with the way it turned out?”

Nikki paused, turning to look at the redhead who sat perched on the stool across from her. “I don’t know,” she said finally, and Shanna raised her eyebrows. “I mean, I guess so. Raphael and Lucia get to stay together, and I didn’t have to kill anyone.”

“But?” Justin prodded her.

Nikki sighed. “I don’t know,” she repeated. “I just wish…honestly? I wish I was nine years old again, and still thought Santa and Mrs. Claus were perfect. It would be nice to have at least some illusions left.”

Both Justin and Shanna laughed at that. “We’re not allowed illusions,” Shanna said, when she could speak. “It’s in the job description.”

“I figured,” Nikki said, shaking her head. “But honestly, I wish the world would grow up.”

“If it did, you’d be out of a job,” Justin said. “And then you’d be bored.”

A vision of pale hazel eyes flashed through Nikki’s mind, and she smiled. “Oh, I’m sure I could find something to occupy my time.”

THE END