\u201cSo wait a minute,\u201d Drew McIntyre said, frowning at his wife, his tea mug stopped halfway to his mouth. \u201cSomeone broke into the Snow Queen\u2019s palace?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat\u2019s what she said,\u201d Molly said, concentrating on her icing. She had a tray of glazed snowflake sugar cookies in front of her, and she was laying down thin stripes of white in an intricate design. Once she was done, she had edible glitter to sprinkle over them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBut why?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Molly paused in her icing to shrug. \u201cThat\u2019s as good a question as any. Jade did mention that she was concerned someone would want to interfere with the charging of the wards on the Cove, but if that was the case, then why send it on to the children?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Drew turned on his stool to look at the open kitchen door, which is where they\u2019d hung the Advent Calendar. The little cat was asleep under the Christmas tree in the first attic room. \u201cCould they have tampered with it?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIf they did, she couldn\u2019t tell.\u201d Molly laid aside the icing bag and picked up the shaker jar of glitter. \u201cAnd Jack came by later to check too. As far as either of them knows, whoever stole it just finished the spells. They didn\u2019t add anything that they could find.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSo weird.\u201d Drew shook his head and finally remembered to put his tea mug down. \u201cAnd the activities?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWell, yesterday nothing really happened, so we went ahead with the plan. They helped me cut out all the snowflakes and snowmen for the bake sale.\u201d Molly finished dusting the glitter over the snowflakes and laid the tray on the far counter. Then she retrieved the second one. \u201cAs far as we know, it should follow the list.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When she had first offered the idea of the Advent Calendar to Jade, Molly had given her a list of activities the children could do, so the Snow Queen could construct the magic. All the little bits and pieces that had been put together for this year had still been within the calendar, which allayed her concern a bit. Still, they were all being watchful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat\u2019s good.\u201d Drew looked at his watch. \u201cOkay, much as I\u2019d like to sit here and watch you be amazing all day, I have to get back to the Station. Mal said the mines have been working overtime and there\u2019s a seven or eight cart load coming through.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWow, I wonder why?\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
He shrugged. \u201cMust be a big order. It\u2019s all stone, too.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There was a pocket Realm on the western edge of the Cove, where the granite mine that had stood there for years mixed and mingled with a mine that held far more exotic metals and materials. A clan of dwarves had lived there for as long as anyone knew, and supplied the surrounding Realms with enchanted generators, building materials, and occasionally jewelry. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cGood for them,\u201d Molly said now, kissing her husband gently as he came around the edge of the island and hugged her. \u201cThere\u2019s a package in the refrigerator for you to take back. Mal said you were running low on sandwich rolls.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHave you ever thought of just being a personal baker for the Cove?\u201d Drew said, retrieving the cloth bag. \u201cYou\u2019d never lack for customers.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe\u2019d have to make our kitchen at home commercial grade,\u201d she said. \u201cThat\u2019s a lot of work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI take it you\u2019ve thought of it, then.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She nodded. \u201cThat was actually the plan when I got out of college. But it was so expensive – this was the compromise.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat was also some years ago, and you aren\u2019t doing it alone this time,\u201d Drew said. \u201cMight be time to revisit it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMaybe.\u201d They shared a secret smile, and then he sighed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOkay, enough bespelling me, witch. Work calls.\u201d Drew kissed her once more and headed out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Molly went back to her decorating, but her mind wasn\u2019t on the task. Luckily, her fingers knew how to do it without her conscious thought. The same thoughts wound through her head. Who had stolen the Advent calendar? And why? And what had they done to it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMolly? Are you here?\u201d Kaylee\u2019s voice broke through her musings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhere else would I be?\u201d she said, smiling at them as all the children gathered around her. \u201cThere\u2019s a bake sale coming!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cCan we have a cookie?\u201d Gideon asked. \u201cFor quality control.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Molly laughed at that, but nodded. \u201cGo ahead. I\u2019m done with these ones.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As each child reached for a cookie, she pulled out some of the special doggy cookies that she always had for Aurora and Jack, since sugar wasn\u2019t good for them. \u201cAre you guys ready to see what the calendar has in store for you today?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAlways!\u201d Lily and Zoey said together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMolly, it\u2019s snowing outside again!\u201d Kaylee said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat did you expect?\u201d her sister said. \u201cIt\u2019s winter.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kaylee stuck her tongue out at Lily. \u201cBut it wasn\u2019t snowing earlier! And we don\u2019t know if she\u2019s been outside.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Look! The cat\u2019s awake!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Schrodinger\u2019s shout interrupted what could have been the beginning of an argument, for which Molly was grateful. They all clustered around the calendar, where the little cat was indeed awake.
It wandered through a door into the next attic room, which did not have a tree in it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Instead, there was a rocking horse that was attached to a small sleigh, garlands of evergreens and bright red apples connecting the two. The cat nosed the rocking horse, who shook its head and mane and whinnied.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWow, everything in this house is magical!\u201d Zoey said softly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI wish I could live there,\u201d Gideon agreed. \u201cThat\u2019s an amazing house.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Molly silently agreed. The house was gorgeous.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After greeting the rocking horse, the cat jumped into the sleigh. There was a bag on the back of the sleigh, very reminiscent of Santa\u2019s sack, and he stuck his head in it. After a few moments, he pulled out a long scarf that he then wrapped around his neck, and a jaunty Santa hat that he put on his head. More smoke came out of the bag, and once again, Molly smelled pine and cinnamon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The smoke formed letters that said, \u201cIt\u2019s a winter wonderland! Get out and enjoy it!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then, to their astonishment, the smoke formed into a sparkling ball and shot out of the calendar to hover above the children. It formed more words: \u201cFollow me!\u201d and then zoomed out of the door.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWell, go!\u201d Molly said, as the others gaped at it. \u201cYou don\u2019t want to lose sight of it, do you?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Schrodinger, Jack, and Aurora were already in hot pursuit, and Molly heard the front door open. We\u2019ll keep it in sight! The CrossCat\u2019s voice was excited. Get your coats and follow our voices!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<><><\/p>\n\n\n\n
The ball of sparkling smoke moved faster than they had expected, but it left a trail of brilliant sparks floating in the air that was easy to follow, even through the snow. The air was crisp and cold, but Schrodinger\u2019s nose filled with the scent of pine trees and cinnamon that seemed to be the calendar\u2019s signature this year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Where do you think it\u2019s going? Aurora ran easily next to him, the two of them trailing Jack, who was in full hound mode and baying happily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I\u2019ll bet it\u2019s something to do with sledding! Schrodinger said, as they wove through trees in the park across the road from the bookstore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Being on the rocky Maine coast, there were plenty of hills in Carter\u2019s Cove to sled on in the winter, but the ball of smoke didn\u2019t seem to be heading to any of the ones that they were familiar with. A stray thought from Lily crossed his mind: the kids were in their coats and mittens, and the sparkles were still visible to them. Which made sense, when he thought about it. What good was a track that they couldn\u2019t follow?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Wow, you guys! Wait until you see this!
Jack\u2019s baying increased, and when Schrodinger and Aurora burst out of the trees next to him, they understood why. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
There was a large mound of snow, almost a mountain, and atop it, balanced as if waiting for them, was a large tobaggon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They gave us a sled big enough for all of us! Aurora barked happily. Indeed, the sled was huge, but even it was dwarfed by the mound of snow it sat upon. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhere did the snow mountain come from?\u201d Zoey asked, as the kids hurried up beside them. \u201cThis wasn\u2019t here yesterday!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They all looked around. \u201cI think it came from there!\u201d Lily said, pointed to a vacant lot across the road from the edge of the park. \u201cLook, it\u2019s been all cleared!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The sled forgotten for a moment, they went to the edge of the park. \u201cWhat was here before?\u201d Gideon asked, as they looked at the cleaned lot. It was large, and even now, with the snow falling around them, the ground was bare.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThey must have a spell on it,\u201d Kaylee whispered. \u201cLook, you can see the snow melting!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Not melting, Schrodinger said. It\u2019s being put onto the mountain!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And so it was. As they looked, the sled moved a bit, and the hill got even longer and higher.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cLet\u2019s go!\u201d Gideon said. \u201cThis is going to be awesome!\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\u201cSo wait a minute,\u201d Drew McIntyre said, frowning at his wife, his tea mug stopped halfway to his mouth. \u201cSomeone broke into the Snow Queen\u2019s palace?\u201d \u201cThat\u2019s what she said,\u201d Molly said, concentrating on her icing. She had a tray of glazed snowflake sugar cookies in front of her, and she was laying down thin …<\/p>\n