Christmas with Nick Klaas

Part 21: Back to the Future

After they had left that morning, there had been a fire at the Aurora Inn. Thankfully, no one had been hurt, but half the building was charred, the other half was soaked, and the whole place reeked of smoke. With Avery and Cat Damon already comfortably nestled into one of the Klaas family guest rooms, it was only natural for Noelle to also accept Nick's invitation and stay there for the night, as well.

Nick had sent for all of their remaining things, which were delivered just as Noelle had gotten out of the shower in preparation for the night's celebratory activities. Along with her own suitcase, there was a garment bag she didn't recognize. But a large gift tag attached to the hanger had her name written in scrolling calligraphy along with the words 'For the Concert.' Inside, she found a floor length, skin-tight crushed velvet dress in deep red with an off-the shoulder boat neckline and three diamond brooches that looked like snowflakes.

Noelle had expected to wear her usual black-on-black concert attire, especially as part of a holiday ensemble. Unless everyone else in the orchestra was wearing something similarly fancy, this outfit would wrongly single her out as a premier performer. It also made her once again wonder who had invited her here. Because if someone in Nick's position couldn't find out, then there must have been a worrisome reason behind it.

She wanted to ask him again if he'd learned anything new about her mysterious patron, but he hadn't yet returned home from surveying the fire damage. Since he left, the weather had also turned from bad to worse, and now it was practically a blizzard outside. With the concert starting in less than an hour and with Avery laid up in bed with what looked to be the start of the flu, Noelle was left all dressed up in Nick's living room with nowhere to go.

He may have been an expert at managing Christmas, but he was really terrible at sorting out logistics for her now. She had no idea how she would get to the concert hall in time if he didn't show up soon. Taking the underground tunnel was tempting—there would be no need to put on massive amounts of layers that was for sure—but then she remembered the ancient lock that kept unwanted people out.

So Noelle ended up pacing between the Christmas tree and the fireplace with her violin in hand while practically wearing a pattern into the Turkish rug.

Until there was a knock at the door.

Setting her instrument on an end table, Noelle rushed to the entryway expecting Nick. She didn't even consider that he'd either have a key to his own house or at least he'd know there was a doorbell. So when she pulled the door open, she was met with surprise. Stepping back as a gust of wind blew heavily falling snow toward her, Noelle squinted into the darkness at a bright figure standing on the stoop.

The woman was in all white, the color so shimmering and translucent that it was almost silver. Her skin was pale, and a crown of ice topped her equally light hair. Although a storm was surging around her, the snowflakes seemed to avoid her directly as if there was an invisible force field protecting her.

"Can I . . . can I help you?" Noelle asked tentatively, not quite sure if she should even acknowledge a stranger at someone else's home.

"Come," the woman said, extending her hand. The fingernails at the tips were like icicles. "Come with me, Noelle Nixon."

A chill ran through Noelle, but it wasn't from the exterior temperature. "How . . . how do you know my name?"

The woman tilted her head to the side and looked at her inquisitively. "You are not from here. You have been specially invited. You will change everything," she said, her voice melodically chiming like the frozen branches of a sapling moving in the breeze. "Come."

Noelle didn't make it a habit of going with complete strangers, and she wasn't about to start now. "No, thank you. But a merry Christmas to you," she said as she closed the door.