𝐃𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐋𝚰𝐎𝐍𝐒 - josie saltzman

18. Christmas

"Great. Everyone is under this stupid Christmas shit other than yall and me."

"This is terrible news. It's freaking fall. Not winter. What am I gonna wear?" Lizzie started rummaging.

"Something to travel in? I'm gonna need you to hit the road."

"You want us to quest for Frodo Baggins, don't you? I thought that the monsters weren't after him now."

"We don't know what they want, or even who they're working for anymore. I just need Landon to be safe."

"Fine." Lizzie sighed. "A little locator spell and then off to Mordor I go."

"Ho, ho, ho! I come bearing gifts. More like a peace offering, really." Josie said, holding a plate of cookies.

"I thought that the four of us had already made peace."

"Well, this whole school year, I have been really naughty. I've not been the supportive sister that I want to be. And then there's Landon." Josie scoffed. "It was wrong of me to be jealous when his subconscious just chose you. But thankfully, Christmas is all about forgiveness, right? Cookie?"

"I'm scared." Sky whispered, leaning into Lizzie which made her smack the Hybrid.

"Run." Hope said as Lizzie ran off.

"So, what kind of cookies?" Hope questioned Josie.

"Oh god." Skylar muttered as the choir kept singing.

"Shut up!" Skylar yelled at them as they ran off scared. "Too much freaking merry around here."

"That's not very nice Sky." Josie approached her.

"Josie, as much as I love you, please, don't shove cookies in my mouth."

"Don't be naughty Sky." Josie smiled, trailing her hand down Sky's arm.

Sky gulped. "What about Landon?"

Josie shrugged walking off with her Christmas hat on.

"What's your Christmas wish Sky?" Pedro asked the girl.

"I can't believe I'm doing this." Sky muttered. "My wish, Pedro, is a something that I really wish will come true." Sky smiled as he walked off to write his own wish.

Make Josie love me just as much as Landon loves Hope.

Sky folded it twice before tossing the paper into the fireplace.

Skylar then proceeded to sit on the couch and read Christmas stories to the little children.

The music stopped. "I need everyone's attention. A Krampus is headed our way." Hope informed. Someone coughed.

The music continued back up, as everyone went back to partying.

"Sky, you're with me on this right?"

"Sorry Hope. All things come to the jolly as they say." Sky smiled at her, taking a sip of her drink.

Hope muttered a spell, stopping the music and exploding cakes and lights.

"All right! Didn't want to deploy the nuclear option, but Santa's not real. He's a myth. And you're all acting like a bunch of children. So let's just put the partridge back in the pear tree and grow the hell up." Hope yelled.

"She's right. I...This was all too good to be true. I I, uh, I don't know what came over us. All right, you all heard her. Dorian, hit the books, figure out how the Krampus operates. Josie, Sky, Kaleb, we need to set a trap for this thing. Everyone else, get the kids to bed and gather weapons. And someone bring me a crossbow." Alaric ordered. "Now!"