Wednesday found Molly elbow deep in marzipan for a second day. She spent the morning meticulously painting every part of the fireplace and the Yule log that lay in the grate, then set it aside to dry as she boxed up cookies. Then she started making scones and tea breads.
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While she worked, her mind went back over the previous day. Pavel had ended up taking them all to see the tree-lighting ceremony at the Harbour, and then they had spent nearly an hour riding around the Cove in his black sleigh, pulled by a black horse, looking at all the lights. Christmas lights were a matter of pride in the town: everyone tried to see what they could do to set the snow aglow with different colors, and Molly had enjoyed the trip just as much as the others. But even then, she\u2019d wondered.
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Who would want to steal an Advent calendar? The thought raced around her head as she mixed up cranberry orange tea bread batter and poured it into the small pans she had bought to sell them in. And why?
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There had been threats to the Cove before, of course, most before she had been born. But she remembered Old Man Winter\u2019s first year in the Cove, when he\u2019d been bent on destroying it, thanks to the Eidolon that had taken over his soul. And Caliban, who had also been prey to an Eidolon. But Old Man Winter was a dear friend now, and Caliban had become Perry, and was currently off sailing somewhere, content to be just a sailor, not a prince. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Could the Eidolon have found someone else to try and sabotage the Cove?
That thought chilled her. Molly had no idea why this particular Eidolon hated Carter\u2019s Cove, but it was because of it that the Snow Queen, Caliban, Jack Frost, and Herse had first set protections on the town. For a while, it had only needed to be charged by the Snow Queen\u2019s Ball, held the last Saturday night before Christmas, but as the Cove had grown, so had the amount of magic needed to recharge the wards. The Advent calendar had seemed the perfect way to do that. But had it been hacked?
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Molly looked over at the calendar. The little cat wasn\u2019t actually asleep, which was odd; instead, he was sitting on the bed, taking a leisurely bath. And to her surprise, there was someone else in the calendar. She left the island and went over to the calendar, peering intently.
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Seated in a chair in front of the fire in the third room of the attic, holding a steaming mug of something, was an older figure. Their back was towards Molly, so she wasn\u2019t sure what sex they were, but the hands cupping the mug were lined and gnarled, with just a single golden band on the left hand.
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Molly put her hand on the calendar. \u201cWhere did you come from?\u201d she murmured.
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The figure shifted slightly, and to her surprise, a voice said, \u201cWhy don\u2019t you come and have a seat?\u201d
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The air around her blurred and shifted, wrapping her in the same pine and cinnamon-scented smoke that had become this calendar\u2019s trademark. When it cleared, Molly found herself standing in the attic room, seated in another easy chair in front of the fire, a mug of her favorite Christmas tea in her hands.
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\u201cHow did you do that?\u201d she asked, looking over at the figure. Now that she could see facial features, she thought it might be a woman, but she wasn\u2019t sure.
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\u201cIt\u2019s not hard,\u201d the figure replied, their voice smooth and sexless. They wore a long robe of deep green velvet, edged with gold and silver leaves, and the face was as lined as the hands holding the mug. \u201cSimple magic. I thought it might be time for a talk, Molly.\u201d
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Deep green eyes, nearly the same color as the robe, were turned in her direction. Strangely, Molly felt no fear, no worry. Whoever this person was, they weren\u2019t a threat.
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\u201cNo, I\u2019m not a threat.\u201d The person chuckled. \u201cI can promise you that.\u201d
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\u201cWho are you?\u201d Molly asked. \u201cWhere did you come from?\u201d
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\u201cHere and there,\u201d the person answered.
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\u201cBut who are you?\u201d Molly said.
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Another chuckle. \u201cSo many questions. You may call me Basilissa.\u201d
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\u201cIs that your name?\u201d
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\u201cOne of them,\u201d Basilissa said, sipping their tea. \u201cIt is the name I use today.\u201d They looked over at Molly. \u201cYou are worried about the calendar, and what it may do to your town and friends.\u201d
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\u201cYou seem to know a lot about me,\u201d Molly said cautiously. She still hadn\u2019t sipped her tea, despite the appealing smell coming from the mug.
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\u201cI do,\u201d Basilissa agreed. \u201cThe tea will not hurt you, Molly. I give you my word.\u201d The gentle certainty in their tone set her mind at ease.
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\u201cThank you.\u201d Molly sipped the tea. \u201cWhy did you invite me here?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI wanted the chance to talk to you,\u201d Basilissa said. \u201cAnd this seemed the most expedient way.\u201d
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There was a sound of gentle footsteps coming up the stairs, and in a moment, the little cat that had been bathing below trotted into the room. He came over to Molly, who realized he was about the size of Schrodinger, and laid his head on her knee. His fur was soft and warm, and his purr vibrated through her.
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\u201cWhat did you want to talk about?\u201d Molly asked, stroking the cat\u2019s head. If it weren\u2019t for the fact that she knew she was sitting in a room that didn\u2019t actually exist, it would have been very comfortable.
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\u201cTell me about the Cove.\u201d
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Molly blinked. \u201cWhat do you mean?\u201d
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\u201cJust what I said,\u201d Basilissa said. \u201cTell me about the Cove.\u201d
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As if those words had released her, Molly began to talk about her home town: the characters that made the town up, the way magic seemed to live in the air, the farm and the bookstore and all the things that made Carter Cove home to her.
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\u201cYou love your town very much,\u201d Basilissa said when she\u2019d finally run out of things to say. \u201cThat pleases me.\u201d
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\u201cWhy did you want to know that?\u201d Molly asked. \u201cAnd did you steal the Advent calendar from the Snow Queen?\u201d
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\u201cI like learning things,\u201d Basilissa said simply. \u201cKnowledge is something everyone should try and get.\u201d They stood up and stretched, then turned to Molly. \u201cI did not steal the calendar, but I did add to it, Molly. For good reasons, I assure you.\u201d
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\u201cWhat reasons?\u201d
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\u201cThat is for me to know for now,\u201d the being said. \u201cBut let me say this: your town is in no danger from me.\u201d They hesitated, as if considering further words, then looked down at her. \u201cI thank you for your hospitality, Molly. It\u2019s time to go back, though.\u201d
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Molly blinked, and she was back in her kitchen, a mug of tea in her hand, standing in front of the advent calendar. The little cat was sleeping in the bed that he had been on before, and there was no one in the attic room.
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\u201cWas it all a dream?\u201d she said out loud, looking at the cup of tea in her hand. She didn\u2019t remember the mug, or making it, but that didn\u2019t mean she hadn\u2019t.
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The cat didn\u2019t answer her.
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<><>
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\u201cWhat do you think we\u2019ll be doing today?\u201d Kaylee said, as she and Gideon followed Lily and Zoey through the wintery streets. It wasn\u2019t snowing today, but the sun wasn\u2019t out; a grey cloud cover hung low over their heads, and the wind that blew in off the ocean smelled of salt.
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\u201cSomething inside,\u201d Gideon said decisively. \u201cBecause it\u2019s a yucky day out.\u201d
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\u201cIt is,\u201d Kaylee agreed. \u201cBut you know, it\u2019s still prettier than anywhere else.\u201d
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\u201cOh yes,\u201d Gideon said. \u201cI don\u2019t want to live anywhere else.\u201d
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\u201cIt\u2019s a magical place, to be sure.\u201d
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That voice hadn\u2019t been familiar, and Kaylee and Gideon stopped to look around to see who had spoken. They saw a large wagon, hitched to two massive reindeer, but instead of Old Man Winter, this person was a woman, her face half-hidden by the wool hat on her head. \u201cWho are you?\u201d Kaylee asked. \u201cAnd are these your reindeer?\u201d
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\u201cSure, and they are,\u201d the woman said, chuckling. \u201cMy name\u2019s Kris, and I\u2019ve just come to this lovely town. What are your names?\u201d
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Lily and Zoey had heard the new voice and come back, and now Lily said, \u201cI\u2019m Lily Barrett, and this is my sister Kaylee, and our friends Zoey Allen and Gideon Fable. And this is Jack and Aurora.\u201d
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Both dogs were sniffing at the reindeer, who lowered their heads to nuzzle them.
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\u201cDid you get your reindeer from Old Man Winter?\u201d Gideon asked. \u201cHe has reindeer like this.\u201d
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Kris laughed. \u201cNot hardly! His reindeer are magical indeed. Mine are regular reindeer who pull my poor cart.\u201d
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\u201cAre you moving here?\u201d Kaylee said, looking at the piles of belongings in the back of the cart.
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\u201cI am!\u201d Kris beamed at them. \u201cMy old friend Brynna said it would be a good place to settle down, and she was right!\u201d
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\u201cYou know Brynna? Do you know Pavel?\u201d Zoey asked excitedly. \u201cWe love both of them!\u201d
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\u201cThey\u2019re very good people,\u201d Kris said, nodding. \u201cPerhaps we\u2019ll see each other at their house, as I\u2019m staying with them until my home is built.\u201d
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\u201cBuilt?\u201d Gideon blinked. \u201cIs that what is going in on the empty lot past the sledding hill? A home?\u201d
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\u201cAmong other things,\u201d Kris said. \u201cAnd now, I\u2019ve got to be moving on.\u201d She clucked at the reindeer, who began to move forward. She waved at the children, who waved back. \u201cSure, and I\u2019ll see you soon!\u201d
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\u201cWe need to tell Molly about her!\u201d Zoey said, and the others nodded.
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They burst into the kitchen at the bookstore, shouting, \u201cMolly, Molly, we made a new friend!\u201d
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\u201cWho?\u201d she asked, grinning down at them. She\u2019d been frosting snowmen cookies, and Kaylee saw that she had a smear of red on one side of her face. She must have absently rubbed her hand against her cheek.
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\u201cHer name\u2019s Kris, and she has reindeer,\u201d Gideon said. \u201cLike Old Man Winter\u2019s but she said they weren\u2019t magical.\u201d
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\u201cBut they were HUGE!\u201d Kaylee added. \u201cAnd friendly!\u201d
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\u201cAnd she\u2019s friends with Brynna and Pavel,\u201d Lily said.
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\u201cShe said she was staying with them until her house was built,\u201d Zoey said. \u201cShe\u2019s building a house and something else in that empty lot that we found on the first day!\u201d
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\u201cWow, you guys had an adventure already!\u201d Molly said, handing them each a cookie. \u201cI wonder how the calendar will top that!\u201d
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\u201cLet\u2019s find out!\u201d Gideon said, and they all clustered around the calendar. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The little cat woke up and stretched, then trotted into the next room.
This room was a bathroom, with a large old-fashioned claw-footed tub and a large sink. There was a curtain that probably hid the toilet. The cat jumped up and into the tub.
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\u201cI hope there\u2019s no water in there!\u201d Zoey giggled.
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Why? I like baths, Schrodinger said.
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But it wasn\u2019t water droplets that splashed up from the tub, but smoke, rising up to form the words, \u201cLet\u2019s make this place festive!\u201d As the smoke fell on the tub and sink, garlands seemed to wrap up and around, bringing holiday cheer even in to the smallest corner. Then the smoke came arrowing out of the calendar and zipped by them out of the kitchen.
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They followed it out to the front of the store, where DC was waiting. Then the smoke formed into new letters: \u201cCan you do the same?\u201d
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\u201cWe can!\u201d Gideon said. \u201cDC, are you decorating the windows?\u201d
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\u201cI am!\u201d the clerk said, grinning at them all. \u201cDid you guys want to help me?\u201d
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\u201cOh yes!\u201d They all nodded eagerly.
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\u201cWell, Ruth gave us all this stuff,\u201d DC said. \u201cLet\u2019s see what we can do!\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Wednesday found Molly elbow deep in marzipan for a second day. She spent the morning meticulously painting every part of the fireplace and the Yule log that lay in the grate, then set it aside to dry as she boxed up cookies. Then she started making scones and tea breads. While she worked, her mind …<\/p>\n