The Devil's Angel

Chapter 15

I want to go find out what the screaming is about, but I’ve been here, what, a couple hours? I don’t even know if it’s a normal thing or not. Maybe an elf was stuck in a toy box? Maybe cookies burned in the oven? Maybe it’s normal. So I try to ignore it like it’s no big deal.

And then the intercom sounds.

“Ignore the malfunction with the machine, get back to your business, Lucky will be just fine.” I hear Mrs. Claus voice, and I let out a sigh of relief. At least things were okay.

“Okay, back to Aaron…” I start, typing away at the computer, trying to find any sort of way to contact him. I don’t have an email address, no Facebook, no Twitter account. Only a phone number, and I don’t even know if it changed or anything.

“What are you doing?” I hear a small, high-pitched voice ask, making me jump. I swivel in the chair, and I see a little elf with straight, blonde hair and, and a plate of cookies in her hands, holding it high above her head. “Santa won’t like you doing that.”

“Oh, I’m sorry.” I smile, taking the plate of cookies from her. “If he didn’t want me doing it, he wouldn’t have given me a laptop.”

“He doesn’t like connection with the outside world. Only on Christmas Eve.” She squeaks, and I stand up, but she’s only as tall as my knee. I bend down to the floor, making eye contact.

“Well then, I’m sorry.” I apologize sincerely. She runs out of the room, and I debate on following her, but that’d be too suspicious. I hope she doesn’t rat me out.

~~~~~~~~~~

“Um, sir?” I ask, poking my head through Santa’s office door. It took me a while to find it, with multiple elves’ help, and then an escort.

“Ah, Marie!” He exclaims, and I come in, shutting the door quietly. “What brings you here? Your bed comfortable enough? Your computer working? I’ll send a mechanic elf-”

“It’s fine.” I cut him off, sitting down at the soft chair in front of the desk. “I just had a question.”

“And what would that be?” He asks, looking up from the list he was reading.

“Would it be possible if I got in contact with a friend?” I ask, and he freezes, silencing himself. “Well, I am his… girlfriend, and he’s human and I’m finally on the right part of the world to see him.”

“I’m advising against it.” He stated, tossing his list aside. “Aaron wouldn’t be too happy if he figures out where you are.”

“Yeah, well-” I start, but cut myself off. “Did you say Aaron?”

He smirks, gets up from the desk, putting the list in the file that said ‘F’. “He sees you when you are sleeping, he knows if you’re awake, he knows if you’ve been bad or good-”

“So be good for goodness sake.” I finish off his singing, and a wide smile crosses his face.

“Good, you do know it.” He crosses back over to me. “So, you do know what happens if humans, like Aaron, figure out where you are?”

“But it’s Aaron! Why can’t I just visit him? Like, take a reindeer and go?” I asked, standing up, staring into his eyes.

“Because reindeer won’t like the weather down there, and I especially won’t let you have one of mine.” He growls, and the jolly side of him is gone. He’s being a serious man who cares about the world he lives in.

“Then how do I? I need to talk to him.”

“Then I think you should’ve let your sisters die when they did!” He snapped, the room shaking. I stepped back, tears pricking my eyes. This is Santa. He said my own sisters should’ve died. “Instead of getting God’s help, and then with other events, you’re stuck here. So guess what? You can’t talk to anyone until God says your debt is paid.” He waves me away, and then I feel small hands wrap around my arms. I look down at the elves with security outfits, and despite their size, they’re strong. “You’ll be called to work tomorrow morning.”

“You can’t do this to me!” I scream as they drag me out. “I won’t stand for it!”

He doesn’t say anything else as I’m shoved out, and then on the floor as the door slams shut and the elves walk away. I see other elves staring and then going back to their work , but I growl as I stand up, kicking the door hard as I head back to my room.

“Getting into a fight with Uncle never ends well.” I hear Jack’s voice from the side of me, but I don’t turn to face him. “At least for the arguer.”

“Why are you here?” I ask as I feel him walk behind me, his breath next to my ear, but the coldness sends a shiver down my spine. “I’m trying to get into contact with my boyfriend, and you’re interfering.”

“Boyfriend?” He breathes, and I feel my shoulders contract as I move away from him. “Oh, this is new information.”

“No it’s not. He’s a human and we’ve been together a while, and I know he’ll do anything for me, just like I’ll do anything for him.” I state, heading away from him. “And for whatever reason, your uncle is not letting me talk to him.” Instead of walking into my room like I thought I would, I feel his arms wrap around me, and then we’re into the sky. I feel myself shrieking, but not for long, because his cold hands stop me.

“Well then, I guess we’re just going to have to get your mind off of him.” He smiles, and he lifts me far up, and he magically pops a window open, and we soar into the night.

He rests me on the top of the building, seeing the stars in the sky that seem so close. I’m so close to Jack now, because there’s not that much room, and I don’t know what’s colder; the roof or Jack.

“Well, tonight’s a pretty night.” He states, and I nod in agreement.

“Yeah, it is.” I smile, looking across the horizon. "When do the Northern Lights usually appear?"

"Midnight, like everything else in the North Pole." He replies, and his icy eyes stare into mine, but he turns away fast. "Not like I'd know or anything, because I'm a free person."

"Of course you are." I tease, seeing a shooting star soar across the sky.

“Ooh, shooting star! Make a wish!” He shouts, and I cross my fingers as it does, closing my eyes. I make my wish. “So, what’d you wish for?”

“I can say, or it won’t come true.” I state, flicking my finger across his nose.

“Oh, come on, you don’t believe in those, do you?” He asks with a laugh, but I nod.

“It’s the half-human part of me, I guess.” I reply, feeling him scoot closer to me, but I feel slightly more comfortable. I have to be, I'm stuck up here until he takes me back down. "If you don't care, what did you wish for?"

He leans in closer, and suddenly, his lips are on mine, his hands around my back and head, bringing my body close to his so they're pressed against each other, and my eyes close. I don't know what to do, I don't feel like I can do anything because he is so cold and my body seems frozen because of him and my surroundings.

"That." He breathes, separating for only a brief moment. "Is what I wished for."