Home for Horny Monsters - Book Six

Hot and Cold

The ice cold winds of the arctic were blocked by large trees decorated with glowing Christmas bulbs the size of Kisa's head. Long cobblestone pathways were lined with 19th century lamps lit with magic rather than oil. They seemed to brighten as the trio walked beneath them, and Kisa stopped to ponder the swirling lights.

"Faerie magic," Holly explained. "Similar to the Northern Lights."

"I thought those had something to do with the Earth's magnetic field." Kisa wasn't sure how she knew this, but it sounded correct.

Holly nodded. "We're both right. There's the Northern Lights proper, and also some other stuff. Some indigenous people believe that their ancestors are up there, watching them from up above."

"Is that true?" Kisa asked.

Holly shrugged. "I couldn't say. There's a lot in this world that's a mystery, and I kind of like the magic that comes with not knowing."

Kisa nodded, then walked away. She didn't agree with Holly. Her early life was largely gone, eaten away by an enchanted collar. Complex emotions surrounded the magical object that had stolen her identity, yet given her a future where she thrived. She didn't feel the need to start trouble with the elf over her ideology, because Kisa wasn't entirely certain of her own.

Closing her eyes briefly, Kisa pictured her faceless grandmother. Knowing nothing else about the woman, it was at least nice to know that someone had once loved her. Maybe even now there was someone out in the world who sometimes wondered whatever happened to that little girl.

"Charged particles," Tink added, the Northern Lights reflected in the lenses of her goggles. "Maybe ghosts? Lots of magic."

"That's right, I almost forgot. The spell that lets Santa travel the world in a single night is wrapped up in those lights." Holly pointed. "If you watch, you can sometimes see where it looks like Christmas ribbons."

Kisa saw what Holly was pointing at, but was dubious. For all she knew, the Northern Lights just appeared that way and Holly was grasping for straws.

They walked down a wide cobblestone path, huddled close together as the storm reduced visibility. Pausing at an abandoned hot cocoa stand, Holly took a moment to get reoriented. The roads were starting to ice over, and the village around them was eerie. Only a few lights had been left on in the decorated buildings, but it was sporadic. The whole place looked like a Christmas-themed ghost town with gingerbread buildings and candy cane fencing. There wasn't a tree in sight that hadn't been adorned with garland or ornaments. She realized while they were waiting that the cobblestones beneath their feet were shaped like Christmas cookies.

Tink was busy trying to steal another cookie from Holly's pouch when Kisa felt a sudden chill run through her whole body. Her tail poofed out in fright as she grabbed Holly and Tink by the hand and pulled them away from the cocoa stand.

"What are you—" Holly said, but the cart behind them was suddenly surrounded by thick icicles that slammed into the ground from up above, creating an icy prison.

"Got you!" shouted Jack from down the road, unaware that they had already escaped.

"Stay low," Kisa warned, pulling them behind a cluster of trees until the chill dissipated. It would only be moments before Jack discovered they were on the run, and the snowy ground meant they were leaving tracks.

The weather intensified, snowflakes now turning to sleet and stinging her skin like frozen bees.

"She's going to catch us," Holly whimpered, clutching her hat against her head.

"She?" Thinking back to their previous encounter, Kisa could see it, not that it mattered. Her top priority right now was avoiding becoming a cat-sicle.