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Winter wasn’t sure he believed him, but he had to get True to the safety and warmth of Northernmost. His sensitive hearing picked up movement behind them, and he knew they’d run out of time.

“Let’s go,” he said, giving True’s hand a squeeze.

Hand in hand, they ran into the storm toward Northernmost.

They were going to make it.

Northernmost was so close. Her feet were frozen and the snow made it hard to see, but she could feel Northernmost, her homing instinct keeping them on course.

Winter held her hand tightly as they moved through the snowdrifts. Behind them, Tahvi kept up, but he was clearly struggling.

She refused to think about how cold she was with bare legs and feet. She was just damn thankful Winter had a parka she could wear.

Snow whipped in front of them and she turned her face away from the sting. “Hey!” someone yelled.

“It’s Winter and True!” Winter yelled.

Footsteps rushed toward them, and they were surrounded by Guardians, who helped hurry them through the magical perimeter of Northernmost.

She’d never been so happy to see the Well of Magic, and she wasn’t even magical.

Santa was there, along with Seth and several of the elf security team.

But as they moved through the perimeter, she felt her connection to Winter waver, as if something was wrong. A strange cold slid through their bond.

“We made it,” Winter said. True threw her arms around him, relief flooding through her.

Behind them, the Guardians brought Tahvi through the perimeter.

The Well pulsed next to Santa and the others, and the gold glow vibrated with an odd, sickly orange and purple color. Santa shouted in alarm as his own magic flared golden.

Winter grabbed True and pushed her behind him as they backed away from Tahvi, who stood rooted to the ground inside the perimeter, a strange, purple ice moving over his skin.

Santa bellowed and pushed his hands out to Tahvi, sending the male tumbling through the perimeter and outside Northernmost with a blast of his magic.

“What did you do that for?” True asked. “What’s going on?”

“He was tainted,” Santa said, joining them. “Tell me how you found him.”

True quickly recounted how they’d set Tahvi free and brought him with them.

Outside the perimeter, Tahvi rose unsteadily to his feet and tried to get into Northernmost, but he couldn’t get past the perimeter.

“Santa?” he called. “What’s going on?”

“You’re tainted, Tahvi. What did Frost do to you?”

“Nothing! I’m… I don’t know. I was unconscious and I woke up in the cell. Let me in!” As if on cue, purple smoke rose from Tahvi’s skin as he screamed, and ice formed on his skin.

“If he’s tainted with dark magic, how did he get through the perimeter?” Winter asked. True clung to her mate as she watched the poor elf, frozen in terror and looking like he was on death’s door.

“The magic was covered with nightmares,” Santa said. “I need Ana. She’ll have to help dispel them, and then, Seth, you can heal him.”

“You got it,” Seth said.

Ana appeared with her mate a few minutes later, and the Guardians on duty went outside to protect her and Seth, as they worked together to remove the nightmares and the tainted, dark magic. When Tahvi was free, they brought him inside.

“Can I replenish my magic?” Tahvi asked.