![\"snow-full\"](\"https:\/\/vg-ford.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Snow-Full.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nSaturday, December 3<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cMom, we\u2019re going to the bookstore today, right? I gotta get there!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Kiaya laughed a little bit at that. Gideon was standing next to their front door, his coat in his hands, with only one sock on and missing his pants. \u201cDon\u2019t you think you\u2019re missing a few things, bud?\u201d she asked him, holding out the pair of pants he\u2019d left on his bedroom floor. \u201cIt might be a bit cold to go out without these.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cOh, right.\u201d He dropped his coat and came over. \u201cI was too excited!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI can tell.\u201d She waited while he put the pants on, and then handed him his missing sock. \u201cDon\u2019t worry – they won\u2019t start without you.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cMaybe you can help us today, Mom,\u201d Gideon said, tugging on his sock. \u201cI wonder what the castle is going to have us do!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know,\u201d Kiaya said. \u201cAnd maybe I can help. I\u2019ve got to write too. Go find your boots, please.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n He waved his hand airily as he went to where his boots stood next to the door. \u201cYou got this book, Mom. I have faith in you.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThanks, bud.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n The walk to CrossWinds Books took them by The Chocolate Coffee Bean, where they got some of Katarina\u2019s special hot chocolate to warm up from the walk, and give them the energy to get to the bookstore. Gideon didn\u2019t really need the sugar boost, but Kiaya felt like she did. The book was giving her some fits, and the fact that she had a deadline staring her in the face was disheartening at the moment, rather than inspiring.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cYou look tired,\u201d Mick said, his gentle Scottish brogue making her smile. \u201cLong night?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cDeadlines,\u201d Kiaya said. \u201cThis story isn\u2019t cooperating.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cAh, I see.\u201d He nodded. \u201cBe right back. I have the fix for that.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Kiaya raised one eyebrow, but waited, since Gideon was watching Katarina cut homemade marshmallows for his chocolate. Mick went into the back room and came back with a small paper bag that he pressed into her hand.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWhat is this?\u201d she asked, peering inside.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cEspresso beans,\u201d Mick said. \u201cSoaked in Chambord and then dipped in dark chocolate.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Her eyes widened. \u201cReally?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cYes. House special.\u201d Mick winked at her. \u201cGuaranteed to help with stories that aren\u2019t behaving.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n She grinned and tucked the small bag in her pocket. \u201cThank you. I\u2019ll have to try it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cYou off to the Bookstore?\u201d he asked.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cYes, Gideon\u2019s helping with an Advent calendar,\u201d Kiaya said. \u201cAnd it\u2019s a good place to write.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cAye, it is,\u201d Mick said. \u201cCan you give Molly a message for me?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cCertainly.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n He leaned over the glass case and said very quietly, \u201cTell her two dozen, tuxedo. She\u2019ll know what you mean.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Kiaya nodded. \u201cI feel like a spy, passing coded messages.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n She felt like even more of a spy when she told Molly, who clapped her hands together and said, \u201cExcellent!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t suppose you can tell me what I just delivered, can you?\u201d Kiaya asked a little wistfully.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cNo, not really, but I do appreciate it,\u201d Molly said, a grin tugging at her lips. She looked down at Gideon. \u201cLily and Kaylee are upstairs with Schrodinger and Jack. Did you want to go and get them so we could do the castle?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n He ran off eagerly, and Kiaya sighed. \u201cI wish I had a quarter of his energy.\u201d She pulled out her computer and set it up as Molly laughed.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI think we all do,\u201d the kitchen witch said, and then went back into the kitchen, followed shortly by Gideon, Kaylee, Lily, Jack, and Schrodinger.<\/span><\/p>\n <><><\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI found it, guys! I found it!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Gideon\u2019s finger flashed out, and he touched a window near the middle of the castle. The window opened and widened, showing them what must be a room off the Great Hall, with shiny marble floors and large windows framed with dark green curtains. Snowflake ties held the curtains back, letting sunlight drift down over several sets of wooden risers. On the risers, clad in robes of gold and crimson and green, were people holding what looked like folders or books. <\/span><\/p>\n In front of them, in the middle of the room, was a tall man in a black suit, with a long wand in his hand. As they all watched, the man raised his wand, and brought it down sharply. The people on the risers burst into song.<\/span><\/p>\n To Schrodinger\u2019s amazement, as the chorus sang, musical notes rose from the folders they held, and swirled around the room. One note sailed out the window, and danced around Gideon\u2019s head for a moment before exploding into brilliant sparks.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cDoes that mean we\u2019re singing today?\u201d Gideon asked eagerly.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cNot exactly, although you can,\u201d Molly said, laughing a little. She handed them their aprons and hats. \u201cBut we are making cookies for tomorrow! And you know, I think musical notes would be pretty cool – what do you think?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cYes!\u201d Lily said. \u201cDo you have musical note cookie cutters?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI think so! Let\u2019s look!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Molly had a box full of different cookie cutters, and she put them down for Kaylee and Gideon to sort through, while she and Lily rolled out the cookie dough she\u2019d made the night before. Once they had the cutters, she sent all five of them out to the tea room to take over a table and cut out cookies. Schrodinger and Jack supervised, of course, and Molly was kept busy running trays back and forth.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThis is a lot of cookies!\u201d Gideon said.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThere will be a LOT of people here tomorrow,\u201d Lily said, picking up a finished tray. \u201cThe carol sing is amazing. The store will be full.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI want Old Man Winter to come,\u201d Kaylee said. \u201cI miss him.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cMe too,\u201d Lily agreed. \u201cAnd his reindeer.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n And Ember,<\/span><\/i> Schrodinger added. <\/span>We haven\u2019t seen them in a while, have we?<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n \u201cI wonder what they\u2019re doing,\u201d Lily said. She\u2019d come back from the kitchen, but hadn\u2019t brought another tray. \u201cMolly says we\u2019re done until she can bake and cool them. So we can hang out.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n They ended up on Schrodinger\u2019s bed next to the wood stove, a pile of children, CrossCat, and dog. Lily looked at Schrodinger and said, \u201cIs your scrying crystal still here?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Yes, it\u2019s in the kitchen, why?<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n \u201cBecause maybe we could use it to see what Ember and Old Man Winter are doing?\u201d she said, running a finger along one of his ears. \u201cIf you wanted to, that is.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Schrodinger considered that for a bit. <\/span>We could,<\/span><\/i> he agreed. <\/span>Let me go get it.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n He came back with the wooden box held in his teeth, and put it in Lily\u2019s lap. She opened it and held it in her hand. \u201cNow what?\u201d she asked.<\/span><\/p>\n Watch,<\/span><\/i> he said, and concentrated. As he did, he could almost hear the Librarian\u2019s voice in his head, teaching him how to use it.<\/span><\/p>\n The whole key to making the scrying work is to have the person or place you are looking for pictured clearly in your mind,<\/span><\/i> she\u2019d said. <\/span>No outside thoughts. Just that one thing.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n Now, he pulled the image of the sapphire dragon Ember into his mind. He\u2019d last seen her in her cave, but he just concentrated on her: her large, deep blue eyes, framed with long lashes; a slender snout; her long, curved neck and tail; the way her scales glittered like bits of captive ocean; the translucent membranes of her wings. Ember was the first dragon he\u2019d ever met, and she was still his favorite.<\/span><\/p>\n The crystal in Lily\u2019s hand clouded over, and as he continued to concentrate, it cleared, showing the dragon in mid-flight. She was over a land Schrodinger was not familiar with: wherever she was, it was autumn, as trees clad in red, orange and yellow flashed beneath her.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWho\u2019s that?\u201d Gideon asked, his eyes wide.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s Ember! You did it, Schrodinger!\u201d Kaylee said, hugging the CrossCat. \u201cBut where is she?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n I don\u2019t know,<\/span><\/i> Schrodinger said, and let the image fade. He panted a little. <\/span>That\u2019s harder than it looks!<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n It was fall there,<\/span><\/i> Jack said. <\/span>I could smell it.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n You could?<\/span><\/i> Schrodinger looked at his friend in surprise. <\/span>Through the crystal? That\u2019s amazing!<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n I\u2019m a good tracker,<\/span><\/i> Jack said modestly.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cYou guys know a DRAGON?\u201d Gideon interrupted. \u201cA real DRAGON?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cDoesn\u2019t everyone?\u201d Kaylee asked him.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cNo,\u201d he said, awed. \u201cCan I meet her?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n I don\u2019t see why not,<\/span><\/i> Schrodinger said. He nosed Lily\u2019s hand. <\/span>Let\u2019s put that away now. We\u2019ll look for Old Man Winter later.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n \u201cCan I try?\u201d she asked him. \u201cDo you mind?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Go ahead.<\/span><\/i> He shrugged. <\/span>Just picture whoever you want to see, and concentrate on the crystal.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n Lily frowned, the tip of her tongue slipping through her lips as she stared at the ball in her hand. For a long time, it remained stubbornly clear, but then, Schrodinger saw the faintest cloudy mist begin to form.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThis is hard,\u201d Lily said, and Schrodinger saw sweat beading on her forehead.<\/span><\/p>\n It is,<\/span><\/i> he agreed. <\/span>Perhaps you should practice visualizing first. That\u2019s how the Librarian taught me.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n She reluctantly put the crystal back into its box. \u201cDo you think maybe I can do it another time?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n You can try as often as you want,<\/span><\/i> Schrodinger said. <\/span>\u00a0But don\u2019t forget that you can call her too. And talk over the computer.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n \u201cI know.\u201d She looked as if she were going to say something else, but then bit her lip and looked away.<\/span><\/p>\n Molly called them back into the kitchen at that point, and Schrodinger quickly forgot about Lily\u2019s request as they all began to frost the mountains of musical notes. But later, as they were driving home, he remembered her turning away.<\/span><\/p>\n Molly, is everything okay with Lily?<\/span><\/i> He over at her.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI think so, other than the fact that she\u2019s upset that Zoey isn\u2019t here,\u201d Molly said. \u201cWhy? Has she said something to you?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Not exactly,<\/span><\/i> he admitted. <\/span>But something\u2019s odd about her.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n Molly frowned. \u201cI trust your instincts, Cat. Keep an eye on her?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Always.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n > Cookies! If you can\u2019t find a musical note, make whatever kind of shapes you would like. This is Molly\u2019s favorite sugar cookie recipe, and mine too, from Better Homes and Gardens:<\/span><\/p>\nIngredients<\/b><\/h3>\n
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Directions<\/b><\/h3>\n
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