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I stared up and up.
Krampus looked down, and a cry fell from my mouth. His eyes widened, his mouth parting to reveal fangs. And the bastard wore Santa’s hat.
With my legs frozen in place, I stared into the face of death, the bucket falling from my grasp. My breaths grew jagged and harsh, and I shook as fear tensed in my gut.
My brain jumped into escape mode, and I spun to flee, taking a long leap when a clawed hand snatched my arm. Dagger-like nails pierced my flesh so deep, my knees crumbled. I cried out, but no one would hear or help me.
He hauled me around to face him. His other hand gripped my jaw, fingernails digging into my cheeks, breaking skin. Tears burned my eyes, and time seemed to stand still as I pictured myself killed by this monster out here. No one would know how I’d died. And Krampus would kill Britta afterward. Then the men and Santa.
Rage ran through my veins at the thought, so I shoved my fists into his furry chest, solid as stone.
I stepped on a snapping stick and remembered the circle. With the lighter still in my hands, I realized the monster was right in the middle of my trap. I flicked the lighter on and kicked the bastard in the groin. He groaned and his grasp softened.
So, I leaped backward before dropping to my knees. I clicked the lighter on once more, a golden light awakening like a beacon of salvation. I jerked my arm forward and pressed the fire to the schnapps-soaked wood. A blaze roared awake, zapping around Krampus in a heartbeat.
I scrambled backward on my butt, tears blotting my eyes.
He reached out for me but flinched back, hissing when he crossed the threshold that kept him in place.
“Nickie!” he gurgled my name. “You’ll die today!”
I climbed to my feet, shaking so hard, I could barely stand, but I lifted my chin, meeting the beast’s black eyes. “Fuck you!”
With that, I ran to the entrance and grabbed my toy bucket, attempting to look as tough as possible, then rushed inside. I rushed through a cloud of smoke, the choking stench of burning wood clogging my nostrils. I coughed as deep howls reverberated outside. I had no idea how long my trap would work for, so I had to move fast.
“Britta?” I called out and careened down the tunnel, aiming for the light at the end of the burrow and swinging left into a cavern. It was dark in here, with only a single candle flickering in the corner. I blinked hard, waiting for my eyes to make sense of what I saw.
The pear-like large shapes cleared.
Four hessian bags sat across the back wall, with people inside each one. The fabric was cinched tightly around their necks. Only their heads stuck out, and my knees weakened when I laid eyes on Britta, her pupils red-rimmed. My three men were there too. All of them wearing gags over their mouths.
I collected the plastic glitter pouch and pushed it into my pocket, figuring it might come in handy if we got attacked again. I moved over to my sister to cut her free. Her eyes widened and she nodded her head, her muffled cries urging me to move faster. I untied her gag and she bellowed into a crying fit.
“Nickie!” she cried.
I sawed through the thick cord around her neck, and once I broke through, the sack fell down around her small frame. She kneeled on the ground; her hands and legs were tied. I quickly broke the bonds and dragged her into my arms.
“I’m sorry, Britta,” I said. “I’m so sorry.”
She softened against me and cried, her small arms hugging my waist tightly.
“Never leave me again.”
I kissed the top of her head and glanced up to the three men glaring my way, making groaning sounds. “Promise. Now I need to release my friends.”
Britta let me break away, and I hastened to cut the three of them loose.
“You know they’re reindeer shifters,” she said.
“How do you know?” I broke the strap around Jax’s neck, then the rest of his ties, and they removed their gags.
“I saw them shifting when they were pulled in here, and Krampus put a spell on them not to change.”
I turned to her. “You’re okay with that?” I wasn’t sure how she’d respond. It was hard enough getting her to sleep most nights, and after this incident, God knew when things would resemble some kind of normality. But I didn’t mind. I had my sister back.
“Britta is super brave,” Leven said, standing up as I cut the last of Tatum’s cords around his wrists.
Jax moved into the hallway, staring toward the entrance to the cave. “Is that a fire I smell?”
