\u201cOh no!\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Zoey\u2019s anguished wail echoed from the living room where all the kids had fallen asleep. Molly, sitting at the kitchen table with a cup of tea, watched the snow continue to fall outside and smiled. They\u2019d be coming in soon enough, she knew, as Lily\u2019s voice joined Zoey\u2019s.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
And sure enough, both girls came running in, followed by Jack and Schrodinger. \u201cMolly, what are we going to do?\u201d Lily said, tears threatening. \u201cIt\u2019s still snowing!\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u201cI know,\u201d Molly said, taking another sip of tea. She glanced outside. \u201cWe must have at least three feet out there, and WCOV says it\u2019s going to snow until tonight sometime.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u201cBut then how are we going to get to the retirement home to bring them their garlands?\u201d Zoey asked, her lip trembling. \u201cThey\u2019re expecting us!\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Schrodinger looked sharply at Molly. You have a plan!<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI do.\u201d She didn\u2019t get to say more, as the phone rang. Molly picked it up from the table and said, \u201cHello?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHey, beautiful, is the heat still on?\u201d Drew\u2019s voice flowed through the phone, wrapping around her like an extra blanket.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYou know it is,\u201d she said. \u201cDwarven generators don\u2019t usually break. How about at the Station?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cDwarven generators here too,\u201d he reminded her. \u201cSo the only difference is that we have to eat our own cooking.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cPoor you,\u201d she said. \u201cHowever are you surviving?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cBadly.\u201d He laughed. \u201cTake pity on me and invite me to breakfast?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAs if you need an invitation,\u201d Molly said, looking down at the faces in front of her. \u201cHowever, I\u2019ll make you a deal. If you can find a way to get me, Lily, Zoey, Schrodinger and Jack to the Carter\u2019s Cove Retirement Home this afternoon to deliver the garlands we made for them, I\u2019ll not only make you breakfast, but I\u2019ll feed you lunch and dinner too.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI will break a trail myself,\u201d Drew promised. \u201cThey\u2019re right there, aren\u2019t they?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cOf course.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThen I won\u2019t say any more, because I know Schrodinger and Jack have sharp ears. But yes, I think I can help you out.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Molly smiled down at the now-hopeful quartet in front of her. \u201cI knew you could! See you in about an hour?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cSounds good.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n She hung up the phone and said, \u201cSee? You have to trust in the magic, guys.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n And in devious people,<\/em> Schrodinger said, on their private channel. You had this all worked out.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Molly winked at him and then stood up. \u201cSo, since we\u2019ll have company for breakfast, I think we should do something extra-special. What do you think?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cFrench toast!\u201d Lily said eagerly. \u201cWith your special bread!\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t have any of my Texas toast at this point,\u201d Molly said regretfully. \u201cBut let\u2019s see what I do have.\u201d She led the way over to the refrigerator, and opened it, peering inside, knowing exactly what she was going to do. \u201cHow about cranberry orange French toast instead?\u201d she asked, pulling the loaf out. \u201cWith some bacon and sausage?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYes!\u201d Lily and Zoey chorused. \u201cHow can we help?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n She set them to scrambling eggs and cream together as she cut thick slices of the cranberry orange bread she\u2019d made the day before, and then heated her cast-iron griddle pan. Lily brought over the bowl and then retreated to the table, knowing to get out of Molly\u2019s way while she was working.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n By the time the door bell rang, Molly had a pile of bacon and sausage in the oven, keeping warm, and had just put the first pieces of cranberry French toast on the smoking hot griddle. \u201cSchrodinger, can you go let them in?\u201d she said, and the CrossCat hurried to the door.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Zoey watched as Schrodinger went to the door – and vanished.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhere did he go?\u201d she demanded. \u201cHow did he do that?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s a CrossCat,\u201d Molly said. \u201cThey can move through other dimensions. It\u2019s easier for him than opening the door on this side.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cBut how\u2019s he going to open the door downstairs?\u201d Zoey asked.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s a switch on the inside of the door,\u201d Molly told her. \u201cMrs. Collins had it installed this summer when she got the generator installed. It\u2019s much safer than hiding a key outside.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Zoey thought about that as they listened to boots climbing the stairs. \u201cI think that\u2019s really awesome,\u201d she said finally, just before someone tapped on the front door of the apartment. \u201cThe way magic is just sort of accepted here at the Cove. I don\u2019t think I ever want to move.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Most of us don\u2019t, Jack said, looking keenly at the door. Molly knew he was ready to protect them all if anyone other than Schrodinger or Drew came through first. You\u2019ll find that most Cove folk stay in the Cove.<\/p>\n \u201cDoes that mean I\u2019m Cove folk now?\u201d Zoey asked.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cOf course you are!\u201d Lily told her, and hugged her fiercely. \u201cYou just weren\u2019t born here. That\u2019s okay.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYay!\u201d Zoey said happily, and hugged her back.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cCome in,\u201d Molly called out, when another tap came on the door. \u201cIt\u2019s open!\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The door opened, and in came Schrodinger, Drew and someone Molly hadn\u2019t been expecting. He was a welcome sight, though.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cPavel!\u201d she said happily. \u201cYou\u2019re finally back!\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Pavel Chekhov, captain of the Roads ship The Heart\u2019s Desire<\/em>, doffed the woolen cap he\u2019d been wearing with a rakish grin. \u201cThat I am, and fair starved. The rations were thin, and when I dropped in to see my friend Drew and he mentioned your name and breakfast in the same sentence, well\u2026.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Molly laughed. \u201cYour cook will beat you if he hears that,\u201d she said, shaking a finger at him. \u201cYou don\u2019t look starved to me.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAh, but my cook isn\u2019t a kitchen witch, and isn\u2019t as young and beautiful as you,\u201d Pavel said, then turned to see who else was in the kitchen. \u201cBut if you don\u2019t have enough to feed a poor, hungry sailor, I understand\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYou scaliwag, you know I have plenty,\u201d she said, still laughing. \u201cAnd I\u2019m happy to see you. Just don\u2019t scare my other guests.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Pavel turned around and looked at Lily and Zoey, who were staring at him. \u201cAh, Miss Lily! So good to see you again!\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cBe careful around him,\u201d Lily whispered to Zoey. \u201cHe\u2019s a pirate.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cReally?\u201d Zoey asked, staring at Pavel in awe. \u201cHe doesn\u2019t look like a pirate.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n In truth, today Pavel looked like a lumberjack, as did Drew. They were both dressed in jeans, heavy boots, flannel jackets, knitted hats and scarves. But as Pavel shook his hair out (and Molly had to admit he had a lot of lovely hair), the gold in his ear winked in the lights of the kitchen, and under his flannel, he wore a white silk shirt that clung to him. A gold and crimson sash around his waist glittered as he moved.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cOkay, now he looks more like a pirate,\u201d Zoey said, and both Drew and Molly laughed. She looked up at Pavel. \u201cBut where\u2019s your ship?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Pavel leaned down and winked at her. \u201cWell, you know, Drew\u2019s kind of an official type now, so I have to keep that quiet. But you say the word, little lady, and I\u2019ll be happy to spirit you away to join my crew.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n She giggled at that. \u201cBut you just said the food was bad! Why would I want to do that?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cShe\u2019s got you on that, mate,\u201d Drew said. Once he\u2019d doffed his outerwear, he\u2019d gone over to the stove and put his arms around Molly, drawing her in for a quick kiss. Then he let her go, and got plates and other accoutrements from the cabinets. \u201cBesides, she\u2019s underage. Jamie would be after you so fast, you wouldn\u2019t know what happened.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Yeah, and we\u2019d come after you too!<\/em> Jack said, and Schrodinger nodded. No kidnapping our friends!<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI think I\u2019m outnumbered!\u201d Pavel dropped dramatically into one of the kitchen chairs. \u201cI surrender! Just please, feed me before you kill me!\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n They all laughed at that, and then settled into breakfast. While they ate, Pavel wove stories of the sea Roads that he and his crew traveled, to Lily and Zoey\u2019s delight. Schrodinger\u2019s too – Molly knew he dreamed of one day traveling the Roads the way that Pavel did.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Only if you come with me,<\/em> he said, stroking the side of his cheek against her leg. I wouldn\u2019t want to leave you behind.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Good, because I\u2019d miss you!<\/em> She picked him up and hugged him, something she rarely did with people around. He leaned against her and purred.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNow,\u201d Pavel said finally, pushing back his plate with a happy sigh. \u201cAfter that fine meal, I hear you have a delivery to make. It just so happens that I have some horses that need some exercise, so I think we can help one another.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cFor a small fee, right?\u201d Drew said, winking at Molly. \u201cI know how you work.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAnd what\u2019s wrong with making a small profit?\u201d Pavel asked, appealing to Lily and Zoey. \u201cAfter all, I don\u2019t see what\u2019s wrong with you parting with, say, a tin of cookies for my poor starving crew, in return for transportation? Do you?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Lily giggled, but Zoey frowned seriously. \u201cI don\u2019t know,\u201d she said. \u201cDo you really think it\u2019s right to take advantage of us? We have an important duty to fulfill. I think you should take us for free, and then, if Molly wants to, she can give you some cookies.\u201d She cocked her head. \u201cDon\u2019t you think so? It\u2019s Christmas, after all.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYou wound me!\u201d Pavel pressed a hand to his chest. \u201cDo you think that I don\u2019t feel Christmas? Of course I do! But I still have to make a profit!\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cEvery day?\u201d Zoey asked, her eyebrows raised in disbelief. \u201cEven from your friends?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYou are not thinking like a pirate,\u201d he told her. \u201cWe always look for profit. But since you won\u2019t do it for cookies, how about this – I\u2019ll take you to the retirement home, and in return, you come with me to make a special delivery.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cJust me?\u201d she said doubtfully.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNo, all of you.\u201d Pavel indicated the table. \u201cIt\u2019s a very special delivery.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Zoey looked at Lily, then Jack, then Schrodinger. \u201cI think we could do that,\u201d she said, after thinking about it for a few minutes. Then she looked at Molly. \u201cCouldn\u2019t we?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI think we could do that,\u201d Molly allowed. \u201cSo everyone needs to go and get dressed! Lily, you know where your extra clothes are – I think there are two sets, so Zoey has something clean too.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n It didn\u2019t take more than 15 minutes for them to get ready to go. Molly had packed up the garlands the night before, so Pavel and Drew brought them downstairs while the others got dressed. Then Molly locked everything up, and they hurried outside.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Pavel had brought his shiny black sled that she remembered from last year, with the black horses pulling it. The plows had been through, but with the snow still falling, the sleigh was definitely a better option.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThis is so neat!\u201d Zoey said, as Molly arranged the blankets over them. \u201cEvansville never had anything like this!\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Lily, who had ridden in sleighs all her life, blinked at her friend. \u201cReally? How did you get around in the winter, then?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIn a car,\u201d Zoey said.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cBut what about when the snow was too deep for the car?\u201d Lily persisted.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Zoey shrugged. \u201cWe stayed home.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHuh.\u201d Lily sat and digested that for a while. \u201cWeird.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNot everywhere is used to this kind of weather,\u201d Drew reminded her.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The trip to the bookstore was fast, and Molly hustled them inside. \u201cFast, remember?\u201d she told them, as she disabled the alarm. \u201cWe don\u2019t want to leave Pavel\u2019s horses standing for too long.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n They nodded at her and hurried over to the Advent Calendar as she gathered up the picnic baskets of cookies she\u2019d made the day before. Then she watched as Zoey searched for the 12.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n She found it lying against the flank of one of the horses pulling the sleigh and pressed her finger to the calendar, then stepped back.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Pavel whistled as the square melted and the snowflake drifted out. \u201cThis is truly the most wonderous Advent Calendar I have ever seen! What does the snowflake do?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIt tells us what the adventure for the day is,\u201d Lily told him. \u201cSometimes it gives us stuff. Sometimes not. So we have to watch.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n They all stared at the snowflake, and it spun in response. Then it changed, into a small iridescent dragon that blew a tiny gout of flame at them and then vanished.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cSo what does that mean?\u201d Pavel asked after a few moments of silence.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2026don\u2019t know,\u201d Lily admitted, and Zoey shook her head. \u201cIt\u2019s never done that before.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Schrodinger looked, not at the calendar, but at Pavel. That dragon looked an awful lot like Ember,<\/em> he said. Would that be an omen, maybe?<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Pavel shrugged, radiating innocence that Molly didn\u2019t believe for a minute. \u201cI do not know,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019m but a simple pirate.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t believe you\u2019ve ever been a simple anything,\u201d Molly said, and he laughed. \u201cAll right, guys, we\u2019ll figure this out later. I think our benefactors might know more about this than they\u2019re saying, but we need to get over to the retirement home.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n As the horses flew over the snowy streets (the plows had come through, but Molly was definitely glad they had the sleigh and not a car), Zoey said to Schrodinger, \u201cYou\u2019ve mentioned Ember twice. You really know a dragon?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Oh yes. Schrodinger nodded. Drew helped Old Man Winter rescue her last year.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Zoey looked at Drew, who flushed a little. \u201cSomeone had set a trap, using iron,\u201d he said. \u201cOld Man Winter couldn\u2019t touch the trap, so he asked me to help.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Molly hid a snort at that. The real story was a little more bleak, but the girls didn\u2019t need to know that.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhy couldn\u2019t Old Man Winter touch the trap?\u201d Zoey asked.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cBecause iron is deadly poison to spirits like Old Man Winter,\u201d Pavel told her. \u201cIron and magic do not mix.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n She frowned, and Molly could see her working it through. Zoey\u2019s worldview had taken a serious beating over the last two weeks since the Advent Calendar had come into her life, and Molly wondered if it was a testament to the resiliency of youth that she was fairly accepting of it.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cSo he\u2019s not just an old man,\u201d she said finally.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cRight,\u201d Pavel said. \u201cHe\u2019s Old Man Winter. He\u2019s the spirit of Winter in flesh.\u201d When she still looked confused, he added, \u201cHe IS Winter. The embodiment of the season.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cBut how can that be?\u201d Zoey said. \u201cA season is just a season. There\u2019s no consciousness.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAh, but that\u2019s where you\u2019re wrong,\u201d Pavel said. \u201cAnd I think this is where your modern science is having issues as well. Each season has a spirit, an avatar. And when the avatar becomes ill, or upset, the weather of the season reflects it.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIt was awful cold last winter,\u201d Lily told her. \u201cDad says it was because Old Man Winter was around so much.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThat, and because he had grown bitter,\u201d Pavel said. \u201cHis heart was as cold as the winds from the poles. If it hadn\u2019t thawed, who knows how cold it would have been this year.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n He is a good friend now,<\/em> Schrodinger said, and sounded just a bit smug about that. I hope we get to see him this Christmas.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIf nothing else, I heard that he was planning on attending the Snow Queen\u2019s Ball,\u201d Pavel said offhandedly. \u201cI might attend myself this year. I haven\u2019t ever been to one yet.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cBall?\u201d Zoey\u2019s eyes widened. \u201cYou have a ball here?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n It\u2019s amazing,<\/em> Schrodinger told her. The Snow Queen creates a ball room in the middle of a field, with no walls, and we dance until the early morning.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cReally?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYeah, but we don\u2019t get to go.\u201d Lily\u2019s face was sad. \u201cIt\u2019s only for grown-ups.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cOh.\u201d Zoey\u2019s face fell too.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Molly glanced at Drew, who winked at her. \u201cWell, don\u2019t worry,\u201d she said. \u201cThe Snow Queen\u2019s Ball has happened every year since the founding of the Cove. Soon enough, you\u2019ll be old enough to go.\u201d Then she changed the subject. \u201cLook, we\u2019re almost there!\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The sleigh had turned into the driveway of the retirement home, and the kids cheered, the Ball momentarily forgotten. They all piled out of the sleigh when it came to a stop at the front door, and Mrs. Dawson came out, smiling.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYou made it!\u201d she said. \u201cI was worried that you wouldn\u2019t!\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWe wouldn\u2019t have left you without your decorations!\u201d Molly replied, handing down the first box of garlands. \u201cAnd we brought muscles to help us hang them!\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAnd we have some help too,\u201d Mrs. Dawson assured them. \u201cSeveral of the nurses are eager to help.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n With so many willing hands, the garlands were quickly hung on the trees in the courtyard, and as soon as they went up, Mrs. Dawson invited them into the ballroom for hot chocolate and cookies. There was another surprise waiting for them: Declan and Starsha were there, with his harp, singing Christmas carols.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Pavel was in his element, flirting with nurses and residents alike, and Lily and Zoey were reduced to giggling at him. While he was amusing himself and them, Molly got a chance to talk privately to Drew.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cDo you know what this delivery is that he wants us to make?\u201d she asked, all the while watching the kids.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cMaybe.\u201d Drew grinned at her. \u201cWhat\u2019s it worth to you?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n She turned to give him a look. \u201cI\u2019m serious.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cSo am I.\u201d He laughed when she scowled at him. \u201cDon\u2019t worry, Molly. I can assure you that Pavel is on the up and up this time. He was pretty amazed at that calendar, though. It was spot on.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIt was, huh?\u201d Molly considered that. \u201cWhich means\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhich means don\u2019t worry so much, and enjoy the day.\u201d Drew gave her a quick kiss. \u201cHave fun.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI am having fun,\u201d Molly protested, but she finally smiled. \u201cI just want to make sure he\u2019s not going to get us in over our heads. He\u2019s good at that.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI can promise you that he\u2019s not going to,\u201d Drew said.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n And she had to be content with that.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n After the kids had warmed up, Pavel announced that they had to go. \u201cAfter all, I\u2019ve another delivery to make,\u201d he reminded them. \u201cAnd I don\u2019t want to be late!\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cCan you tell us where yet?\u201d Lily asked him.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNot yet,\u201d he said, leading them back out to the sleigh. \u201cYou\u2019ll see soon enough.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Once they were tucked back into the blankets, he turned to his driver and said, \u201cThe Gate station.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Molly looked at him, and he grinned. \u201cNo, I\u2019m not kidnapping you, Molly. Although the thought has crossed my mind a few times. But this time, I promise, is not one of them.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Zoey had never been to the Gate station, so she was scanning the horizon with great interest. \u201cAre we going in?\u201d she asked, after Drew pointed out the mansion that housed Carter Cove\u2019s land Gate.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNot exactly,\u201d Pavel said, winking.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThe sleigh and horses are too big to get in the normal door,\u201d Drew told Zoey. \u201cSo there\u2019s an entrance in the back that the larger vehicles, like this, use.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Molly had never been through that entrance either – all her travel had been on foot, through the front door. So when the sleigh pulled around to the back of the complex and into the stables, she watched with interest as they entered a covered tunnel that connected the stables to the main house. It was well lit, with wall sconces that were decorated for the season with holly and ivy swags, and opened into the main Gate room.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cOh wow,\u201d Zoey breathed, as she took her first look at the massive room that took up most of the interior of the mansion. \u201cIt\u2019s warm!\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n It\u2019s the magic of the Gate<\/em>, Schrodinger told her. The excess energy has to go somewhere when it\u2019s used.<\/em> In the Gate room, the entire roof was glass, like a greenhouse, and grass grew over much of the floor. And to one side, the great stone Gate stood, a simple arch, with a faint shimmering contained within it.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Molly and Drew waved to Mac, the Gate Station manager, as the sleigh came to a stop in front of the Gate itself.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhere are you off to, folks?\u201d Luke asked, coming up to the side of the sleigh.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Pavel gave him the coordinates, and he nodded, then went over to a computer terminal and typed them in. They hadn\u2019t sounded familiar to Molly, but Luke didn\u2019t seem worried, so that soothed her a bit.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Do you really think Drew would let him do something underhanded with the girls here?<\/em> Schrodinger said quietly.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Molly had to admit that he wouldn\u2019t, and she sighed, settling back as the glow between the walls of the arch intensified.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWill it hurt?\u201d Zoey asked. \u201cGoing through that?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Not at all,<\/em> Schrodinger assured her. If anything, it tickles.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re all set,\u201d Luke called. \u201cSafe travels!\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n They waved at him as the driver slapped the reins on the backs of the horses. The sleigh surged forward and through the Gate, and with a slight bump, they landed on a Road.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n See?<\/em> Schrodinger said to Zoey. Nothing to it.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThis is even better than flying!\u201d she said, her cheeks pink with cold and excitement.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Really?<\/em> Jack asked.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cReally!\u201d she assured him. \u201cFlying, you\u2019re in a plane. You can\u2019t feel anything. With this, you can feel it all.\u201d She spread her arms out as if hugging the wind that was flying past them.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n They raced down the Road, and Molly became aware of another scent on the wind: pines, lots of them. Wherever they were going, it was in the woods.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Another Gate loomed before them, and without missing a step, the horses charged through it, and they burst into a world of sunshine, snow and trees.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n I know this way!<\/em> Schrodinger said suddenly, sitting up. He looked at Drew. This is the way to the cottage!<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Drew nodded. \u201cWe\u2019ve been invited to lunch with some old friends,\u201d he said, grinning.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cBut then what\u2019s the delivery?\u201d Lily asked, turning to look at Pavel. \u201cYou said you were making a special delivery.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI am indeed,\u201d he said, echoing Drew\u2019s grin. \u201cAnd you are all going to be very well received indeed.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re delivering US?\u201d she squeaked. \u201cTo who?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cTo me,\u201d came a familiar rumbling voice, as the sleigh came to a stop in front of a tall man with a long white beard.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cOld Man Winter!\u201d Lily squealed in glee, and the sleigh had barely stopped moving before she was out of the blankets and throwing herself in his arms. \u201cI missed you!\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI missed you too!\u201d he said, enfolding her in his massive arms. \u201cI missed you all!\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s really him?\u201d Zoey whispered to Molly, looking at them. \u201cThat\u2019s Old Man Winter?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIn the flesh,\u201d Molly said. \u201cBut he\u2019s not the only one we\u2019re here to see.\u201d She pointed beyond him, to where a lovely green figure curled in the snow.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Zoey\u2019s jaw dropped, and she couldn\u2019t say anything for a moment. \u201cThat\u2019s\u2026that\u2019s\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n A dragon.<\/em> Schrodinger said, climbing out.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cA real dragon.\u201d Zoey couldn\u2019t even move until Molly nudged her.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cA real dragon,\u201d Molly agreed. \u201cWhy don\u2019t you come and meet them?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \u201cOh no!\u201d Zoey\u2019s anguished wail echoed from the living room where all the kids had fallen asleep. Molly, sitting at the kitchen table with a cup of tea, watched the snow continue to fall outside and smiled. They\u2019d be coming in soon enough, she knew, as Lily\u2019s voice joined Zoey\u2019s. And sure enough, …<\/p>\n