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Jana broke away, her eyes gleaming, and I hated that she felt responsible when the fault was mine.
“Nickie, please contact me when you find her. I beg you.” Her pleading ruined me, and I couldn’t find any words, so I simply nodded.
I watched her climb into her car, drive down the path, and out past the gates that automatically opened and shut behind her.
When I returned to the guys, they were huddled closer, whispering. Jax looked my way first, then the others followed.
“What happens now?” I asked. “Maybe we ought to call the cops. The more people who search for Britta, the better.”
Tatum shook his head, the bridge of his nose creasing. “They’ll get in the way and put your sister in worse danger. Krampus wants you, so we’ll set up a trap.”
I had no problems being the bait if it meant rescuing Britta. I’d do anything to help her. “Let’s do this.”
Leven stared out toward the distillery. “We need an indoor area where we can draw him to us.”
“There’s definitely room in the bar area. Let me grab the keys and we can get started.” I turned away when Tatum seized my hand, his warmth spreading up my arms, and I turned to face him.
“We’re in this together. Trust us.” The sincerity of his voice touched me in ways I’d never expected. I was falling apart, yet these three men offered me hope. I couldn’t bear to face this adversity on my own. For so long, I had shut everyone out, taken on every challenge on my own, but I was no fool to think I knew the first thing about defeating Krampus. And these men offered their aid, wanting nothing back it seemed.
Their friends were somewhere out there too, and I’d been caught in my own nightmare this whole time. We were tangled in this together now.
I softened my hand in his. “Sorry I didn’t believe you earlier.”
“We all know what it’s like to lose someone close. We’ve been at war with Krampus for years.” That was all Tatum said, his gaze falling from mine. His hand slipped away before he marched to the other men, ordering them to search the parameter. It had never occurred to me that as warriors, they would have seen death, their comrades fallen in battle. It was bizarre to think that a fun place like Santa’s Workshop was a war zone and lives had been lost.
Growing up, I’d received several presents in foster homes, and I’d assumed they’d been left at the foot of my bed by the family, though they’d never said anything about them. Could it have been Santa?
I hurried toward the house, determined to do whatever it took to save my sister and help these men find their friends. I had no brain capacity to think about what came afterward. Not when our survival was the priority.
* * *
“We’re not splitting up,”Tatum growled as Leven drew a circle on the floor of the distillery. The bells on his clothes jingled softly, but I’d gotten so used to hearing them now, I barely noticed. He poured the schnapps that smelled of honey and citrus direct from the bottle, the contents splashing everywhere, but he’d managed to create a connecting circle.
I couldn’t help but be reminded of the time Grandma had made circles with whiskey to ward off demons. Then Dad had done the same one night with rum, and it had stunk so much. And now that I watched Leven do the same, maybe there was more to what I’d seen as a child. Maybe Grandma had been protecting us before she passed away. Regardless, if Leven treated Krampus as a potential evil spirit, did that make him a demon?
“Just saying,” Leven continued. “We need birch branches to trap Krampus. Jax said he saw some deeper in the forest, so I’ll collect them on my own.” He stared my way, and I shrugged, having no idea why we need these branches.
“The birch switches are used by Krampus to swat kids,” he explained, “but they can also be used against him. Coupled with schnapps and a bit of Christmas enchantment, we can trap him.”
“No!” Tatum barked, and I flinched at his anger. “We’re stronger together. Alone, he’ll take us out.” Tatum folded his arms across his broad chest.
Jax sat on a barstool alongside me. “Bossman has a point,” Jax said, swiveling in his seat. “All four of us go into the woods while it’s still daylight, collect the branches you need, and return. Either way, as long as we all stay near Nickie, we’ll keep her safe.” He glanced over and winked my way, and I shyly looked away like a schoolgirl, which was insane. Around them, my insides had me burning up. But my hormones were at war within me at the grief I felt about Britta’s capture. But I also understood she wouldn’t be killed, not so long as Krampus needed me. That small reprieve helped me from crumbling into a pile of tears and sorrow. I’d fight alongside these reindeer men, do whatever it took to save her. Part of me was still unable to believe they existed, and yet everything about being near them felt so right. Talk about complete contradictions.
Leven straightened his back, shadows dancing under his eyes. He banged the empty bottle down on the counter and marched outside, letting the door slam behind him.
After a few moments of silence, I hopped off my stool and followed him outside, well aware of how it felt to be forced into situations. And I wanted to understand what his problem was and if it was because of me.
Leven stood several feet away from the door, his back to the building, one leg bent, his foot resting against the wall, his hands deep in the pockets of his jacket. His sandy-colored hair swayed in the wind, and he was deliciously hot. My insides fluttered.
He turned to stare at me. “Are you okay?” His voice was deep and gravelly, and it turned me on when it shouldn’t have.
“Thought I’d get fresh air. So much has happened recently.”
“Yeah.” He returned to staring out in the distance, and I joined him, resting my back against the cobblestone wall, still unable to believe what I’d gone through since we’d arrived in Austria. Adjusting to a new home and business, then discovering Santa Claus was real—and so were magical reindeer shifters. Yep, I had definitely stepped into the twilight zone.
I broke the silence. “What was that about inside? You walked off without saying a word.”
“You’d be safer here with two of us looking after you instead of taking you into the woods. Krampus could split us up, and we’d be easier to defeat.”
