A holiday gone horribly wrong drops Hellebore in a prison and sets her on a frantic search for freedom with unlikely allies.

Hellebore wants some time off from the singing, from being pressured to perform. When she takes off in the beginning of December, she is shocked to find her normal portal turning into a one-way trip into a prison.

With her head a bloody mess, she is taken to the doctor who treats her wounds with a confident touch. She gets the briefing on the prison, but one tiny detail is left out. Their prison is a holding area for a Christmas detachment.

All eight men are being held for crimes against their people’s traditions, but she finds that they are not all criminal. With a little bit of effort, she manages to send messages and get in touch with the outside world. Having friends is a very good thing when you are trapped for Christmas.

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This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Hellebore’s Holiday

Copyright © 2013 Viola Grace

ISBN: 978-1-77111-757-9

Cover art by Martine Jardin

All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher.

Published by Devine Destinies

An imprint of eXtasy Books

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Hellebore’s Holiday

A Nexus Universe Tale

By

Viola Grace

Chapter One

Hellebore Anders drove her car down the highway through the blinding snow. She was on her way to a pickup spot for a transport to a vacation spot. Seeing the birth of the midnight elf a few months ago had changed one of her prime outlooks on life.

The future had suddenly taken a position front and centre in her plans.

She hadn’t been able to arrange time away from her day job in time to enjoy a vacation after her time in the shifter’s house, so now, she was using her connections to take off just a few weeks before Christmas.

“Are you sure that you want to go out in this weather?” Amaryllis Anders has asked her daughter.

“I am fine, Mom. Just be glad I am not driving my bike. Even I can’t do anything against a Saskatchewan blizzard.” Hellebore had gone outside to see her father checking her snow tires.

“They are brand new, Dad. I even had them tightened. I promise to drive safe until I get where I am going.”

Her father looked at her with his sun-weathered features grim. “Take care, Bells.”

“I will, Dad. I promise. I just need to sort some things out.”

With the wind blowing around them, scraping them with ice, they faced each other, and her father nodded. “I know that being what you are isn’t easy. Take what time you need, we will be here when you work out what you need to work out.”

She hugged him, smelling the gasoline, oil and ground-in dirt of his outer jacket. It was one of her smells of home, and she locked it in her mind.

She slid into her car with her bag in the back seat, and she waved at him as she drove off to the GPS coordinates where her gate was waiting.

Transport gates on routes in the human world were tricky, so they were devised in two parts. One part was set in place by the mage, and the person who was going to use it carried the other.

Since the call to attend her second cousin’s wedding, Hellebore and her band had been called out on fourteen different events, and therefore, she now had a helluva collection of transport fobs. She checked the GPS for the third time and started to accelerate carefully.

Ice under her caused her to slide and the flash of her transport blinded her. She thudded to a halt when her tires grabbed a solid surface and she hit the brakes. Her airbag deployed and everything got bright before it got dark.

Her horn was blaring as a hand touched her shoulder. “Miss? Miss, are you awake?”

She blinked and looked over at the owner of the voice. It rolled over her like water and licked at her skin. “I am awake. Did I hit anyone?”

He chuckled and reached across her to release her seatbelt. “No one out here to hit. I don’t know why you are here or how you got here, but you didn’t hit a thing.”

His features shifted as she stared at him, blurring as she blinked the blood out of her eyes.

“Out you come.” He eased her out of the car.

“My bag is in the back.”

“I see it. I will get it as soon as you are settled. It looks like you split your forehead. How many fingers do you see?”

She blinked and narrowed her eyes as a fan of digits waved in front of her. “Fifteen?”

“Okay, concussion is a possibility. Stay awake. I don’t want to have to explain you to the Doc.” He eased her into the back of a car. She saw grills and the plate that told her she was in some kind of law-enforcement vehicle.

He tucked her bag into his trunk and closed the door to her vehicle, taking the keys with him. He checked on her and gave her a quick wink. “Hold on, it is five minutes away.”

She had never been in a law-enforcement vehicle that was using all of its horsepower before, but her head pounded hard enough that she couldn’t enjoy it.

To her surprise, the vehicle eased to a halt just as she was beginning to compose a song to the pounding in her head.

“Stay still; I will bring you into the aide station.”

Her head was still throbbing, so she did as he asked.

He lifted her again and brought her in, activating the door with a kick. The door opened slowly, and he whistled sharply.

“Ow.”

“Sorry. Doc Larsen will be here shortly. His receptionist is…uh…off today.” There was a slight wavering of his tone that let Hellebore know he was concealing something.

The doctor came out, and she heard him say, “The exam table.”

The officer carrying her set her down carefully.

The doctor asked, “What happened?”

“Single vehicle incident.”

“Was she texting?”

Hellebore snorted as careful fingers examined her forehead. “Like hell. My phone was in my bag, in the back seat.”

The doctor paused. “What did you hit?”

The officer chuckled. “I was trying to say, she didn’t hit anything. Her airbag went off, and she was on the side of Diablo Road.”

Hellebore’s senses were skewed, so she had no idea if the men she was with were human or not. She could not tell them that she had gone from skidding on ice to the dry roads of wherever she was through a magic portal. She wasn’t even sure that this was her designed destination. She wouldn’t be sure of anything until she could call Abby or Raven and get a confirmation of her location. Abby would be a better bet.

The doctor hummed as he poked and prodded at her skin. She felt a trickle of ice followed by a rush of heat. She sighed in relief as she recognized the touch of a healer.

He began to wipe at her forehead and eyes, cleaning her up. “You are lucky, miss. Just a tiny little nick that bled like the dickens.”

She snorted. “You don’t say.”

She closed her eyes as he swiped the blood off her lids.

She grabbed at his hand. “I can finish that.” She felt the waves of heat that pulsed up her arm where she touched his gloved hand.

She opened her eyes and looked at him. What her mind had been designing when she heard his voice paled in comparison to the reality. His black hair was tied in a short ponytail, but it managed to conceal what she was sure were pointed ears. There were streaks of silver in the black, but she figured it had more to do with genetics than age.

His skin spoke of Polynesian ancestry, as did his dark brown eyes.

“Larsen?” she raised her eyebrows.

“Indeed. Officer Neer didn’t get your name, and he doesn’t like to rifle through bags unless necessary.”

“Oh. Hellebore Anders.” She sat up and looked down at her clothing. Blood spotted everything. She scowled.

“Interesting name.”

“Thank you. It is the only one I have. I have travel insurance, or do you want cash for the visit?” It was a defensive reaction to an attractive male. She couldn’t help it, but she kicked herself as soon as the words were out.

“It is on the house. It was a quiet day anyway.” He helped her to her feet. “You can clean up in the bathroom over there.”

Her head was no longer pounding, and the sound of his voice was music to her ears. She was always a sucker for good audio stimulation, and it seemed that wherever she was, she was getting it.

Chapter Two

Doc Larsen went outside and jerked his head at his friend. “Neer, what is she?”

“I have no idea. She smells like a beach. Sunlight and water.” The werewolf scratched his nose.

“So, she probably knows that I healed her then. That injury involved bleeding on her brain. Whatever she hit, she hit it hard.”

“I told you, she didn’t hit anything.”

Doc scowled, “What did you notice about her vehicle?”

“There was water under it, lots of it. It smelled like water, and it was cold to the touch.”

It suddenly clicked. “She came through a portal and changed terrain.”

Yulo Neer nodded with understanding. “And her car stopped, her brakes engaged and her airbag deployed. I will head back and check her car for any talismans then get it towed into the garage. Rown will be only too happy to have something to work on.”

“Good. Do you have her bag? I will take her to the inn and get her settled.”

Officer Neer took the bag out of his trunk and handed it over. “I will keep her keys to get her car moving. No sense in damaging her vehicle if we can just drive it onto the truck.”

Doc nodded. “I will get back to our guest. I can’t believe that she just got tossed in here with us.”

“Don’t scare her. This one could be a good addition if she is as stuck as the rest of us.”

“I hope for her sake that it isn’t the case. We know why we are here. Don’t forget that.”

Officer Neer nodded and got into his car. “I am hoping my time is almost up, Doc.”

“I know. We will know in a few days.” Doc waved him off and returned to the aide station. His own sentence had taken four centuries to date. He wasn’t expecting to get out anytime soon.

Inside the station, he looked around for his guest. She was humming in that hypnotic voice of hers and still in the bathroom. “I brought your bag in if you care to change shirts.”

She laughed and opened the door. Her white shirt was transparent with moisture and he couldn’t help staring. She was wearing lingerie under that shirt with little roses on it. His mind began counting them, and when she grabbed her bag and pulled it away, closing the door again, he shook himself out of his fixation.

Her hair was in a tight tail, but the blood red was an amazing colour when coupled with her pale, pearly skin and bright blue eyes. She reminded him of the tropical fish of his mother’s home.

* * * *

Hellebore tried to get the pink out of her cheeks while she stripped off the lace camisole and replaced it with another and a button-down shirt. It was warm here, but the Doc’s fixation on her torso made her want to cover up.

She exited the bathroom with her parka folded over and wadded through the handles. “Where am I?”

“Don’t you know?” He sat at the receptionist’s desk and twirled around slowly.

She blinked and narrowed her eyes at him. “I just suffered a head injury. I am dazed and confused.”

“It was just a nick.”

“I was seeing multiples of everything. It was a full-on concussion with a three-inch laceration. Just because you healed it, doesn’t mean it wasn’t there.” She put her hands on her hips awkwardly, her bag banging against her thigh.

“So, you know what I am. What are you?”

She blinked. “I am a tourist who was supposed to be on a vacation to get away from the demands on my life so that I could figure out what I wanted to do. That is what I am.”

“And aside from that?”

“A singer. Nothing more.”

“Your blood is full of magic.”

“Is it?” she batted her lashes. “Where can I go to arrange to have my car towed?”

“Officer Neer is taking care of that. He is getting the car to the garage for repairs. I am going to escort you to the inn where Irgano will take care of your needs. He is a competent innkeeper, and everyone in our little community comes to the inn for drinks every evening. A little bit of community spirit.”

She smiled tightly. “Well then, point me toward the inn and I will be out of your hair.”

Doc Larsen got to his feet and walked to the door. “This way, Miss Anders.”

“Just call me Hellebore, or Hells.” She sighed. Bells was reserved for friends and family.

“Hells is not a name that suits you.”

“You haven’t seen me on my bike.”

“Bike?”

“I normally ride a motorcycle when the weather allows it.”

“Ah.” He smiled, “Well, I guess I should show you to the inn.”

“There is only one?”

He chuckled. “Right, you have not seen the town. Well, that will be remedied immediately. Come with me.” Doc Larsen reached for the door.

Hellebore followed with the perky trot of curiosity.

Drops of blood marked the path from the now-missing car to the clinic door. “I hope it rains soon. I would hate for my blood to be at your door all week.”

“It will disappear soon enough.”

The sun was warm and the air was dry with only a hint of a body of water a few miles away. She lifted her head and scented the air out of reflex. Freshwater at least five miles across. Nice.

Hellebore looked around and almost stumbled to a halt. She had heard of a one-horse town before but had never been in one. There was one garage, one inn, one sheriff station, a general store and the clinic.

“Uh, your town is really compact.”

He laughed. “We know. I don’t know if you realise where you are, but it isn’t the human world. Not anymore.”

She stopped following him. “What?”

He turned back to her. “I don’t know where you were headed, but you have landed in a prison. Eight males have been confined here for acting in manners deemed inappropriate by our various councils.”

Hellebore was shocked. “What?”

“Each of us has been banished here until we learn the lesson that our council heads or clan leaders wanted us to learn. When we have completed our sentences, we get to leave.” He smiled. “I am sure that your arrival here was an accident.”

Hellebore thought about her great grandmother and the distaste that she had for Hellebore’s human lifestyle. If anyone could get someone to reroute a transport gate, it was the mermaid Matriarch.

“I think I need a drink.”

Doc Larsen smiled, “Come this way. Irgano will be able to fix you up.”

“Irgano?”

“Eagle shifter, guilty of Icarus’s sin. He aimed above his station. He can tell the story better than I can.”

She fumbled in her bag for her phone. No bars. “Damn it.”

“It won’t change in the next few minutes. Come and have a seat. You need the standard briefing.”

“There is a standard briefing?” She whispered it to his back as she trailed after him, considerably less curious than she had been.

He merely led the way diagonally across the street and into the inn. “Irg, we have a new arrival.” Doc Larsen had called out from the doorway before he entered.

Another voice answered. “I will get a room ready.”

“A private room. She’s going to need it.”

Hellebore followed the doctor into the inn and found the bar by the distinctive scent of wood and alcohol. The man coming toward her had the gait of a predator, but he displayed none of the grace when he saw her and crashed into the wall.

“She’s a woman!”

Hellebore snorted. “I am. Can I get a coffee with a shot of Irish cream?”

His gold-amber eyes blinked and kept shifting from avian to human as she watched.

Doc Larsen grinned, “Better get it yourself. There is usually a pot of coffee going behind the bar.”

The doctor took Irgano by the scruff of his neck and shoved him toward the stairs. “Go get her a room.”

The avian shifter stumbled again as he headed up the stairs but that is what happened when you were trying to look in two directions at the same time.

“You are going to be a disruption in our lives, Hellebore.” Doc shook his head.

“Yeah, like this is what I had planned for a vacation.” She snorted and ran a hand across her scalp. “My parents are going to be worried.”

“Your councillor will let them know, I am sure.”

She winced. “You don’t understand. If I am here because the head of my clan sent me here, she will have no interest in speaking with my parents. My father is human; my grandfather is human. My mother is a bad swimmer who can barely generate a tail, and I have no tail at all. My great grandmother won’t send them anything. I have to get a message to someone who will.”

“You’re a mermaid?”

“No, but my grandmother was.” She dropped her bag and dug around behind the bar, locating a coffee cup and the suspicious-looking brew. She had drunk worse, but there was always room for improvement, so she doctored the beverage until it would dull her shock.

With the cup in hand, she hopped up on a barstool and contemplated the means by which she could get a message to her family. She had a few ideas, but she was going to need to get to the edge of the barrier that kept them in confinement. Hells wasn’t sure how eager they would be to help her, but she knew she was going to need a lift.

“You look lost in thought. Planning an escape?” Doc Larsen slipped behind the bar until he was in her line of sight.

She sipped at her heady coffee and looked at him through narrowed eyes. “No. I just need my one phone call.”

Chapter Three

One hour later, she was sitting in a room with eight men who were staring at her as if she was either going to strip or burst into flame. She wasn’t sure which one they were secretly cheering for.

Eight men sat around, thin, tall, short, elegant, beat up, they all sat in a circle with tables clumped into a strange round table. Hellebore sat on her barstool, perched above the collection of magical men.

Rown had come in to brief her on her car and stayed for the meeting.

She had asked, “Why fix my car when I am stuck here?”

Rown grinned and shrugged, “What else have I got to do? Dwarves create. That is our purpose. Fixing your airbags and steering column is a pleasant distraction.”

“How can you get the parts?”

He looked at her as if she was slow. “I will make them.”

“Oh. Right. Sorry.”

Lixin was half-goblin, and he chuckled at her embarrassment. “It is all right. We forget what we are as well. If you are here long enough, you will lose your touch with your clan and race as well.”

She snorted. “If I am here long enough, I will age and die. I am three-quarters mortal and no one knows how long my magic will last or if I will age like a normal human.”

The room froze as if she had announced that she had a second head and it was voting for trolls to rule the council sessions.

Doc Larsen stared at her. “Human?”

Earnor looked at her and cackled. “The siren!” His green hair was neatly braided down his back.

Hellebore nodded. It figures that there would be one merman among the motley crew. “That’s me.”

“I have heard about you in my calls home. You are the only one in your generation.”

She snickered. “I am the only one. Well, the only true siren. The others just have bits and pieces of the original talent. It drives the Matriarch nuts.”

“It would. She prides herself on the bloodline she passed on.” Earnor sat back. “Hello, cousin.”

She chuckled. “It figures. How long have you been here?”

“Seven years. She has no problem consigning her family here.”

Doc Larsen waved his hands. “Whoa. You mean to say that you are mostly human?”

Hellebore nodded. “Why? Do you have a problem with that?”

Rown laughed. “That is why he was put here. He can’t play nice with humans.”

“Well, that is too bad for him. I don’t intend to let my stay here be of any excessive duration. If I can get a message out, I can have someone try to rescue me.”

Harudan, the half-giant, leaned forward. “There is no rescue. This is a sentence. You must serve your time in prison to learn the lessons of your people.”

Hellebore rubbed the back of her neck. “That is my problem. The Matriarch does not see me as one of her people. No tail, no shifting, no breathing water. All I have is the power of a siren, and she wants me to breed it back into our line.”

Earnor blinked. “That is unusual.”

He was right. Mer-folk did not breed back on their own lines closer than four generations.

Hells shrugged. “It is the only thing I have heard from her in the last nine years.”

Doc Larsen was still staring at her. “Human?”

Officer Neer patted him on the shoulder and addressed Hellebore. “And now, we get to the atonement part of our sentence. Has Doc Larsen explained what happens once a year?”

Doc stiffened. “There is no need to tell her.”

“Why not? She will probably still be here when it happens, and if she is, you know she must join us.”

Hellebore leaned forward and rested her elbows on her knees. “What are you talking about?”

Neer sat back, “What do you know about Santa Claus and his reindeer?”

She burst out laughing. “You are kidding, right?”

Neer and the others shook their heads, completely solemn.

Hellebore sat back and sipped another heavily doctored coffee. “Okay, let’s pretend that I didn’t really hit my head hard and I am in a hospital somewhere having the most weird-ass dream anyone ever had. Fine. Santa’s reindeer. Continue.”

Rown took over. “Every year, we are forced to shift shape into the reindeer that pull Santa’s sleigh. It is painful, uncomfortable and embarrassing as all the reindeer are female.”

She winced. “Ouch. So, why are you forced to shift into reindeer?”

Neer snorted, “For some of us, we need to get in touch with our feminine side, others need to do community service and some need to learn about humans. The incarceration here offers us a chance to work on the lack of skills that our leaders determined were issues.”

Hellebore nodded. “It sounds useful. So, why the little town? Why not just put you in a stasis field and pull you out once a year.”

Harudan crossed his arms. “We have to think about what we have done, so we all get our assignments and become part of this community. We meet every night and discuss the issues that sent us here. It is far less touchy-feely than it sounds.”

She snorted. “I didn’t think it was.”

“Well, anyway, once we have learned what we were sent here to learn, we get to go home and our people can choose their next prisoner.”

“So, there is only one person allowed per species?”

“I believe so. There can only be eight of us here at any time, and our own people are the only ones who would know that the spot is opening up. Apparently, I was on the list for two years before they felt that Norvulan had learned how to deal with children of different species without getting hungry.”

Hellebore winced. “Ouch. That would be nasty.”

Harudan nodded. “He was half-giant, half-troll. It took him one hundred and twenty-six years to learn control over his appetite.”

She rubbed the back of her neck and tried to loosen the muscles. “I believe that you have been mentioning calling home?”

Neer nodded. “When our family wishes to speak with us, an orb appears in front of us, and we talk.”

Hellebore grunted. “That sucks. My mom can’t use much magic, and my father doesn’t use any.”

“That is unfortunate. It is the only method of communication that we have.”

She scowled but she nodded. “Understood, but Neer, can you give me a lift to the edge of this zone?”

He looked at his herbal tea and shrugged. “Sure. Now?”

“Please. If I keep drinking, this won’t work at all, and right now, drinking is the only thing on my mind.”

He got to his feet and picked up his baseball cap. “Please come with me then, lady. I will take you to the end of Diablo Road.”

She smiled and hopped off her bar stool. She swayed dramatically, and Doc Larsen got to his feet to put his hand on her back. “Easy, Hellebore.”

She gave him her most dazzling grin, and he blinked and backed away. Shrugging, she told Neer, “I will be right back. I have to grab my phone.”

She carefully toddled up the stairs and got her cell. She looked at the charge and whistled sharply until she had a completely charged phone. Ready to go, she headed back to her ride.

If she could make a call, she might just get a handle on what the hell was going on.

Chapter Four

Hellebore sat quietly for five minutes before she asked, “So, what is Doc Larsen’s problem?”

“He had an arranged marriage, and he refused to wed her because he was in love with a human. He didn’t wed the human.”

“Why not?”

“He was afraid that she would die too soon, so he did nothing. He was sent here until he could make a decision on his marriage.”

“Ouch. How long has he been here?”

“Four hundred years or so.” Neer shrugged and the car slowed. “Here we are. You skidded to a halt about fifty yards back the way we just came.”

“Right. Will you wait here?”

“Of course. Do you what you can. I will wait.”

Hellebore got out of the car and headed for the barrier just in front of it. She hummed and the barrier flared into life. She prodded at it with her tones until she found just the right frequency.

The problem came with her voice. She couldn’t punch a hole in the barrier and talk at the same time. She scowled and composed a series of texts. If even one of them reached a friend, she might get some help.

With her phone in her hand, she let out a call that ripped a hole in the barrier. The moment it opened, she got her cell bars and she quickly sent the texts. To hell with the roaming charges.

She sent one to Laura, Verne, Abby, Seesee, Max, Raven and one to her mother telling her that she had taken a detour and would keep in touch. Everyone but her mother was told that she would check back in twelve hours.

When her phone confirmed the messages were sent, Hellebore ceased her song. She returned to Officer Neer’s car and gave him a thumbs-up.

“I have sent the messages and I am hoping that at least one of them won’t think it’s a joke. I sent it to the most powerful paranormals that I know, including my second cousin.”

“Are you waiting for a response?”

She scratched her nose. “I suppose I could check and see. If not, I told them I would check back in twelve hours.”

“Check now and I will bring you back tomorrow morning.”

She got out of the car and sang again, holding her phone up and hoping for a signal.

Hellebore checked when the light flashed, telling her that she had a text. Raven answered that she was looking into it, Laura stated that she was going to try to get through to the Matriarch, Max asked her if the drinks on vacation were really that good.

Hellebore quickly sent a text to Max. I don’t know. I am not on vacation, I am in a prison you fat, blood-sucking moron. If that offended you, come find me and beat the crap out of me. Please.

She winced at the reaction that the sentence was going to provoke. She needed to get across to the Abomination that the situation was dire. Insulting a woman who could tear her apart was definitely a way to get her attention; it was the attention that might kill her.

Hellebore stopped her song and returned to the car. “Okay, that is all I can do for tonight.”

“You looked a little pissed there. Is something wrong?”

“Well, out of all the messages I sent, one friend thought I was doing it while drunk on vacation. I had to goad her into a fight to hopefully get her to take it seriously.” Hellebore smiled weakly. “If she gets in here, she is going to kill me. Possibly literally.”

Neer turned them around and headed back into town. “It must be nice to have friends you can count on.”

“Oh it is, but explaining this situation in one hundred and fifty characters is difficult.”

“Do you know any wolves?”

She chuckled. “I do. I have sung at many wolf weddings. I love the drum songs.”

He laughed and parked in front of the inn. “They are very compelling.”

Hellebore chortled and got out of the car. “I like them. They are complex to sing, but I always get a good response.”

“I don’t doubt. Your voice was compelling even from inside the car.”

She smiled. “I hear that a lot. Thank you for the ride. Can I get another tomorrow morning?”

He exited his car and talked to her over the hood. “Of course. Go on and get some sleep. I am sure that you will get some good news tomorrow.”

Hellebore snorted. “I doubt it, but any news is better than none.”

“That’s the spirit.”

She nodded and headed into the inn. She could hear the conversation still going on in the bar, but she took the stairs to her room instead. If this was a hallucination, spending time with eight men from a variety of species was right up her alley. If it was reality, it was too weird for words.

Hellebore slipped into her sleep shirt and crawled between the sheets of the bed. She checked her phone and reread the last messages she had from her family, holding onto it as she dozed off.

A polite knock woke her. “Hellebore? Neer is here to take you back to the barrier.”

She cleared her throat and sat up. “Thank you. I will be out in five minutes.”

Hellebore didn’t have time for a shower, so she stripped and hummed until her hair and skin gleamed with power. She would take a proper shower later.

She slithered into clean underwear and jeans, pulling out one of her t-shirts and yanking it on over her head. Her hair crackled, but she let it ripple around loose. She wasn’t a gorgon, but she needed to let her hair have a day out of the braid now and then.

Dressed and holding her phone, she left her room, heading down the stairs and out into the sunlight. It looked to be about ten in the morning, which was right at the twelve-hour mark. Officer Neer was standing in the open door of his car, and he nodded at her as she approached.

Once inside the car, she had to ask, “How did the squad car get here?”

“It came with me. I was actually a county sheriff when I was sent here. The odd thing is that the car changes with the advance of time. Weird, huh?”

“I only wish it was the weirdest thing I had seen.” She chuckled.

“So, how are you opening the barrier?”

“Oh, I have found its frequency, and I can jack a pinhole open. Wherever they put this bubble, it is overlapping with an area that has cell service.”

“Couldn’t you just open a hole large enough for you to walk through?”

“Nope. The frequency I am using would cause pain for anything it my path, and the moment I walked through, the edge of the barrier would close around me. It is about five feet thick. The moment I would pass the edge, I would be stuck.”

“And your voice would destroy anyone in front of you?”

“If not destroy, it would certainly knock them to their knees, and at that point, they wouldn’t be able to move anyway.”

He sighed. “Right. Well, I hope you get some answers today. At least we all know why we were sent here. Your mystery must be a little confusing.”

She couldn’t answer. She was trapped in a yawn. She covered her mouth and watched the scenery skim by.

Hellebore worked on a few texts but didn’t set them to send. She needed to know if she had any answers yet before she could ask more questions.

At the barrier, she got out of the car and walked forward. Now that she knew the frequency, it was much easier to make the pinhole to send the signal through.

She held her phone up and waited.

Light flashed and it updated her with text after text. She closed the pinhole and read the information.

Laura said, Matriarch denies all knowledge. I am pursuing other avenues of enquiry.

Verne said, We are in contact with the council heads that know about that bubble. We are going to get someone to you.

Abby said, I am just waiting for a location. All efforts to find you using objects have not been successful. We need to get more information. I am consulting the archive if the elves don’t get their council in gear.

Seesee Montrose was the most helpful, The creature council is petitioning for your release as you do not qualify under any of the other councils if you take your actual biology into account.

Max finally got the hint that Hellebore wasn’t kidding. Sorry, Hells. Gregori has put a petition out somewhere to get you loose. Keep calm.

It was Raven Dexter’s text that made Hellebore exhale on a ragged breath. The words shouldn’t have given her hope, but they did. I have an appointment to see Santa this afternoon to find out if we can’t get you out of there before Xmas.

Tears pricked her eyes as she sent responses to all of them, thanking them and encouraging them to help.

She opened the barrier and sent the messages.

Her phone immediately pinged with incoming information.

Abby sent, It has been five days! Where have you been?

Hellebore jolted and closed the pinhole. She walked over to Neer and knocked on the door. “Does time move differently in here?”

He shrugged. “I don’t know. I have never had an opportunity to measure it. Are your friends telling you that it does?”

“Yes, and the dates on their replies were from five days ago.”

“Then, it must be five days to twelve hours or ten days per day.”

She closed her eyes and quickly composed a chirpy text to her mother. Might not make it home for Christmas. Was included.

She felt sick that she had been out of touch and included the time difference for the friends helping out.

Two sent an acknowledgement immediately and confirmed that they were still trying to go through channels.

Raven was surprisingly silent.

For her sake, Hells hoped that Raven was off delivering a baby somewhere. It had to be safer than confronting the male that seemed to be the warden of this entire debacle bubble.

Chapter Five

“What did you learn?” Irgano was washing glasses.

He made a mean breakfast and Hellebore was halfway through it. “I learned that time is different for me and them. It is hours for me, days for them.”

“Ouch. That is unpleasant. Are you going to continue this enquiry?”

“Of course. I have no idea how I got here; it has to be figured out.”

He set his glass aside and poured her a cup of coffee. “Who do you have working on it?”

“Friends, family. The usual.” She didn’t want to tell him about the Nexus and her guard. She didn’t want anyone putting up a defence to finding her.

“Is your mother worried?”

She blinked. “No. I have not told her where I am. I don’t want her to worry.”

She took the coffee and sipped. It wasn’t bad but it wasn’t great.

“She needs to know, Hellebore. Amaryllis should be told that you are here.”

Hellebore froze and didn’t sip at her coffee but brought it to her lips. “That is a very caring attitude.”

“Well, your mother should know about your location. It is only right.”

“Irgano, how long have you been here?” She kept her tone conversational and set her cup down.

“Twenty-nine years.”

“Wow. That is a long time.”

“I am aware of that.”

She smiled. “Well, I am going to take a tour around my new territory.”

“Have fun.” He waved her off with a pleasant look.

Hellebore got to her feet and slid off the barstool. She kept herself calm with the ease of long practice. Shifters could tell if your heart sped up, so she used a light humming under her breath to mask her reactions.

When she had made it out of the inn, she crossed over to the general store and looked around. “If you are all men, why do you have girl stuff?”

She lifted one of the hangars with the blouse on it in her size.

Tino looked up from the book he was reading. “It appeared when you did.”

“Does that happen a lot?”

“Every time there is a new arrival, new clothing that will fit them appears.” He looked back at his book and smiled.

She put the clothing back on the hangar and left the general store. She put her hands in her pockets and continued exploring until she arrived at the clinic.

Hellebore entered the clinic and whistled sharply.

Doc Larsen emerged from the back room, and he paused when he saw her. “Hellebore. What can I do for you?”

“I need to know how much you know about Irgano.”

He cocked his head. “Why do you want to know about him?”

She shivered. “Because I am almost confident that he is the one who brought me here.”

“How would he do that?”

“I don’t know. You tell me. What do you know about him? Who did he replace?”

Doc rubbed his forehead. “You know, I don’t remember.”

“I thought you had been here for four hundred years.”

“I have, but I don’t remember who preceded Irgano.”

“Well, let’s start with the basics. What do you know about why he is here?”

“He pursued a woman whose family was against the union. They had him sent here.”

Hellebore winced. That didn’t make sense. If Earnor was here, then the mer-folk had their own space filled. Someone else must have sent him. Something about him made her positive that he had been after her mother. For one thing, she had never mentioned her mother’s name and he should not have been that concerned for the situation of a woman he did not know.

“Did he mention what the woman was?”

“No. He merely said that she was above his station.”

Doc Larsen cocked his head. “Are you sure that he knows who your parents are?”

“He knows who my mother is, and if he is an eagle shifter, that is highly unlikely. So far, I know this is going to be hard to believe, this is the only thing that stands out to me as unusual.”

He laughed and leaned against the counter. “Why come to me about it?”

Hellebore blushed. “I don’t know. I had to tell someone, and it was either you or Officer Neer.”

Doc took a few steps toward her and gripped her arms. “So, I was the best option out of two?”

She bit her lip and looked up into his dark gaze. “You were my first impulse.”

“I am glad to hear it, but you should get your friends to look into all of us to see if our lives crossed yours at any point.”

He kissed her lightly and smiled. “Write on that device of yours and we will get Neer to take you to the barrier again.”

“Will you come along?”

“Of course. If you chose me to confide in, I will honour your choice and watch your back. If Irgano is up to something, it will not cause you to come to harm.”

She smiled in relief, but she knew her cheeks were on fire. The light brush of his kiss was enough to send her senses tumbling into confusion.

He let her go and went to his desk, flicking a small button next to the phone.

“Neer will show up after he finishes his rounds.”

“Why does all of the technology keep up?”

Doc smiled. “Because we do eventually leave this bubble. We need to keep up with the human world. We get modern magazines, books and samples of new technologies. Everything simply appears in the general store and we pick and choose.”

“Nice. How about cell phones?”

“No. None of us can manage your trick with the barrier. There would be no purpose unless we wanted to take selfies as we shifted.”

She giggled at his knowledge of the word selfies.

Hellebore worked out a message for Laura. If Irgano had anything to do with Hells’ mother, the Matriarch would know and Laura was the best one to ask the question.

Neer arrived with a smile. “Your chariot awaits.”

Doc Larsen got up and came around, gesturing for her to precede him.

Under guard, she was driven back to the barrier.

Her escort spoke in soft tones while she whistled the tiny pinhole open again. Her message zinged out, and she received a multitude of communications. Reading email on her phone was not her favourite pastime. She had to open each of the documents while the pinhole was open and multi-tasking was awkward when she couldn’t look down.

When she had all the data that had been sent, she closed the hole.

Her battery was down, so she whistled a charge into it before sitting where she had stood and flicking through the information.

“What was that?” Neer rubbed at his ears.

“Sorry. I was charging my phone. I always lose the cords, so I learned how to charge it with sound.”

Raven’s visit with Santa had born fruit. Hellebore would be released after her stint on Christmas Eve. It was the only night that the barrier would open large enough for anyone to leave.

She sighed in relief and read the other notes. Santa had not been expecting her arrival and the search was on for the person who had twisted her transport in order to send her through the barrier to lock her in. To Hellebore’s surprise, the Matriarch was stepping in to find her. It was almost enough to bring a tear to her eye.

Hellebore asked Doc, “When is Christmas Eve?”

“Tomorrow night. Why?”

“Because I have my pardon, and tomorrow, I return to my world and my family.”

Doc paused and nodded. “That is as it should be.”

She felt the air on her cheek a moment before there was a landing.

“You are staying here, Hellebore. Your mother will come for you, and I will prove that she made an error when she chose your father over me.”

Hellebore looked over at Irgano and his naked form. His feathers were still bristling over his skin in waves, showing his lack of control.

“Irgano, stand away. You know that we are not allowed conflict.” Officer Neer stepped toward him, and the eagle shifter stepped back.

“She is the key to getting Amaryllis here.” Irgano spread his feet and crossed his arms. It was an image that Hellebore didn’t need.

Hellebore got to her feet. “No, I am not. My first dictate was that no one tells my mother what was going on. I have sent her updates and told her that my phone doesn’t get coverage.”

He smirked, “Then, it is a good thing that I have my own people keeping her updated. They have not gotten back to me, but I am sure that she knows by now.”

While staring at him, Hellebore composed a text by touch alone. She whistled a piercing glissando that knocked Irgano on his butt. She turned and opened the barrier, sending her message through.

It was simple. Mom, I am safe, I am protected. Stay home. Please stay home.

Just sending the message made her feel better.

A spear of agony ran through her, and she dropped her phone.

Irgano laughed. “The price of violence here inside the barrier. Too bad you lost your toy.”

He shifted back into an eagle and headed for the settlement.

Doc Larsen was at her side in an instant. “I will gather the pieces. Rown will be able to fix it. I am sure.”

“Whether he does or doesn’t, we are getting out of here tomorrow night.” She smiled weakly.

Doc hugged her with one arm, her shattered phone cradled in his palm. “Yes, we are. I hope your friends are ready.”

Chapter Six

Neer and Larsen kept her calm. They played cards in the garage while Rown worked on the phone. He managed to replicate all the pieces, but Larsen had to help him put them in the case. It took a very fine touch, but he managed to put everything where it needed to be.

“Try it out. See if you can retrieve any of your data.” Rown wiped his hands and smiled.

She breathed in and turned the phone on. To her shock, a three-dimensional projection came up and it formed an interface. “Oh, my. This is wonderful.”

She poked and prodded at her data, grinning wildly. “This is amazing. Thank you, Rown. Thanks, Larsen.”

Doc Larsen sighed, “My name is Fetu Larsen. My mother named me after the god of night, and I am afraid it went to my head.”

“Fetu?”

He nodded. “If you are leaving tomorrow, I suppose you can know why I am here.”

She blinked and drank from the water bottle Neer had brought from the general store. “I suppose I can, but it is your story. Tell it if you wish.”

He smiled and took her hand. “Four hundred years ago, I was hunting near the volcanoes devoted to my mother. I met a woman, a human woman named Alai. She and I became lovers, and two years later, my parents came to me, telling me that they had arranged a match for me. I refused, of course.”

Hellebore nodded. “Of course.”

“Five years of negotiation and my continued refusal later, they said if I was willing to wed my human, they would drop the idea of the arrangement. I panicked at the idea of tying myself to a woman who would age and die far before my own life was close to over. During my indecision, my lover took her own life. This was my punishment, and I took to it gladly.”

Rown patted him on the shoulder. “You have taken far more than most would have borne and have treated our ills over the centuries. At least you did not have children with your human. That was my crime, to ignore my children and dishonour their mothers by my rejection.”

Neer whistled. “I am a saint compared to you two. I merely tried to court my Alpha’s daughter.”

They chuckled and Hellebore added, “I never realised that it was a competition.”

Fetu shook his head. “It isn’t. We just rarely speak honestly about why we are here. We have shame attached to our being here. I am beginning to think that Irgano has taken aspects of our stories to cover his own.”

She nodded. “It makes a certain sense.”

Hellebore started to shiver. She was cold and the garage wasn’t heated. The men around her had thick muscle to insulate them; she was on her own.

Without asking her, Fetu pulled her onto his lap and a warm cascade of air surrounded her.

She looked up at him, and he grinned, “My mother is a fire elf, my father is ice. With both of their talents in me, I can generate any environment.”

She sighed and relaxed against him. His shoulder was comfortable and she had used a lot of her voice today. She felt safe, so she allowed herself to rest. He could move her if he didn’t want her to sleep on him.

* * * *

Fetu looked down at the flame-haired woman in his arms. “I cannot believe she fell asleep that easily.”

Rown nodded. “I knew a siren once. Sure, she could call on any man she wished with her voice, but she had to restrain them when she slept if she wanted to keep them. Her voice poured magic through her lungs, modified by her vocal chords. It was a stressful proposition, and she needed a lot of sleep when she was singing.”

Fetu stroked her hair. “She’s human.”

Neer smiled, “Yes, she is. Does that mean she hasn’t knocked you on your ass, so to speak?”

Fetu looked at his friend and narrowed his eyes. “No, it merely means that I am now in love with a mortal woman once again, but I will not make the same mistake twice. If she will have me, I am hers.”

Rown laughed. “I wonder if she will get a visitor’s pass or if you will get work release. It will be interesting to see.”

Fetu stroked her hair again, feeling the waves of the ocean against his palm. Her hair looked like blood and fire but felt like water.

“Well, gentlemen, tomorrow is the night. We find out if we have earned a place in the world once again.” Neer raised his water bottle to them both.

Fetu and Rown raised their bottles and toasted the possibility of freedom. It was a tradition that they enacted every eve of their annual transformation. The others were in the inn with Irgano, but they had been briefed as to what was going on. It had been agreed that they should keep an eye on the eagle shifter in case he wanted to try mischief with Hellebore.

Fetu held her in his arms and brought her to the cot that Rown had set up for him. He cuddled her against him and pressed his lips to her forehead, using the small contact of skin to skin in order to control the heat that surrounded her.

It wasn’t the worst night he had ever spent in his life.

* * * *

Hellebore woke in a warm and comfortable cocoon of air and magic. She looked down at her mattress and blushed at the idea that she had spent the entire night lying on top of Fetu Larsen.

She eased to one side and hands caught her before she could slip to the floor. He grunted and sat up. “Did you sleep well?”

Hellebore had to admit that she felt fresh and relaxed. “Very well. Thank you for your efforts on my behalf.”

Rown brought in some pre-packaged poppy seed cake, and he started his coffee maker. “Oh, good. You are both awake. I was beginning to worry.”

Fetu asked, “How late is it?”

“We have four hours before we need to line up. I brought you some breakfast. Irgano is laying low, so I think the day will be uneventful.”

Hellebore went after a slice of the cake. “I hope so. I will make one more pilgrimage to the barrier. Is Neer around?”

Rown grinned. “Why don’t you take your own car?”

She blinked. “It’s fixed?”

“Of course. It kept me occupied for a few hours, and for that, I truly thank you.”

He tossed her the keys, and she put the cake in her mouth to catch them. She gave him a thumbs-up and took the coffee he handed her.

“Oh my. That smells wonderful.”

Rown smiled. “Thank you. I have been working on my coffeemaker design for close to a decade.”

She sipped at it and nearly swooned. “Is there any way to smuggle one of them out of here in the back of my car?”

“I only have the prototype, but if I am ever released, I will send you one.” He grinned.

“From what you have told me, you only need to acknowledge your children and honour the women who birthed them. Why can’t you do that?”

Rown wrinkled his nose. “Because I have not yet decided on a plan of attack.”

“That is easy. Start with admitting that you were an ass. Learn your children’s names and birthdays. Get to know them. Offer them everything that you have. You can always start from nothing and rebuild your life, but you have to give them the best start that you can.”

He raised his brows. “You feel very strongly about this.”

“I do. I have seen far too many supernaturals leaving their offspring to fend for themselves and then swooping in when those children become exceptional adults. By that time, it is too late to earn their trust and respect, and if you think you don’t need it, the respect and honour from your children can elevate you in the eyes of just about every species.”

Rown smiled. “Succinctly put.”

“Well, the Matriarch disowned my grandmother and thereby her entire line. Now, I am the only siren who has the full complement of magic. I don’t owe the Matriarch a damned thing.”

Fetu asked, “What if she has you freed?”

“My friends have already arranged it. All she can do is add her voice to the multitude.”

Fetu cocked his head. “You have not named your friends.”

“No, I have not. Two of the women were brides at weddings that I sang at. Another one is a midwife. One male was a groom at one of the weddings, and the last friend is a vampire, sort of.” Hellebore never knew how to describe Max without using the word Abomination.

“So, a fairly wide spectrum of associates. Which one got in touch with Santa?” Rown was acting casual.

“The midwife. Her handler is a transporter elf. He has a pretty good handle on who is who.”

Fetu nodded. “Midwives have always had an in to the points of power. Their magic is powerful.”

Hellebore laughed. “Not this one. She has no power. Magic will not stick to her and will not affect her. She delivers the highest-ranking children because she cannot carry a curse.”

Rown coughed up his coffee. “Raven?”

“Yeah. Have you met her?”

“No, but I have heard of her. She delivered the dwarf king’s last set of twins.” Rown sat back. “She has a lot of clout.”

“And tons of favours to call in.” Hellebore smiled. “I really hope she didn’t have to do too much arm twisting for me.”

Fetu smiled, “I am sure that she was glad to do it.”

“I hope so.” She sipped at her coffee and dodged all questions about the nature of her friends.

They sat around and discussed the nature of coffee and morning beverages in general throughout the paranormal community.

Neer joined them and the cake was soon a memory.

She leaned forward and asked, “So, have any of you met the black dragon or been to Hotel Spectre?”

That sparked another round of conversation, but they all knew that they were just wasting time until they were summoned.

Hellebore was going to ask how they would know when the time was right, but a summons gripped her soul and pulled at her.

“Time to go.” Fetu put his hand at her back and their little group left the garage and walked to the edge of town.

Hellebore had not sent the messages she had wanted to, but she would always have time after they did what they were being summoned to.

Outside, the other five were lining up, facing the edge of the barrier. She took the position she was being pulled to and stood at the head of the double line.

Pain and pressure ripped through her, sending her to all fours. When she was able to move again, she heard the ticking of her hooves on the ground.

A huge rift opened in the sky above their heads and an elegant elf with snow-white hair stepped through, descending slowly to stand in front of them.

Hellebore stepped forward and cocked her head.

He reached out a hand and touched her forehead. You should not be here, little one. There are many who are looking for you and several more who know you are here are demanding your immediate release.

I am a people person.

He laughed, flicking a long white cascade of hair behind him. You are much loved and much respected. There is nothing in your life that would put you here. We have found the one who altered the transport charm. He is in line for a place here.

Excellent. What are we about to do?

I am going to summon my sleigh, and we will begin distributing the presents that the elf prison has been manufacturing all year.

So, this is a cycle that has multiple participants?

Indeed. You ended up in the stable, my little one. After tonight, you will be returned to your place in the world.

Thank you. Shall we go?

By all means. Stand by for your harness.

He wasn’t kidding. A sleigh came through the rift after him, with bags loaded on it.

She was tugged into position and a harness snapped around her. She shook her head and felt the antlers on her skull. The bells around her neck jangled, and in twenty minutes, she was leading the team of Santa’s reindeer by instinct alone.

Chapter Seven

Even as a reindeer she could use her siren song, so she did. Each village and town that they visited was sedated by her song.

Santa’s appearance was altered by a charm that made him appear to be whatever the humans thought they should be seeing.

The rest of the reindeer seemed cowed, to use a phrase. She supposed it could be very disorienting to lose one’s penis, even for one day.

They flew through the night and into the next day. Millions of stops for children who had nothing—no hope, no one who could afford gifts. It was a mercy mission and other children would speak of Santa because of their parents’ efforts. Few would know the true reach of a man who was not a man and the reindeer who were not reindeer.

It was a night she would never forget.

When they were exhausted, sweaty and bleary-eyed, Santa brought them back through the barrier.

Hellebore waited while the harness slipped from her and she was allowed to walk free. Pain pushed on her once again and the magic unbound, releasing her from the reindeer form.

She looked down and blushed, shaking her hair over her breasts. “Naked?”

Santa walked toward her and bowed low, holding her hand while magic spiralled around her body. She was wearing a silvery sheath when he completed his contact.

“Siren, allow me to apologize for your presence here.”

She nodded. “It is fine. I am aware it was not your doing.”

“I will escort you to the barrier and open it for you.”

She bit her lip. “Are any of the others leaving?”

“I believe that one or two may have earned their reprieve. They will be set free after you are gone.”

Hellebore nodded and headed to the garage for her keys and her phone. When she had pulled her car out and down to the inn, she had to admit that it handled well. Rown had done a helluva job.

Hellebore went to the room Irgano had given her and made a face at the shredded clothing. Sighing, she stuffed it all into her bag, grabbed her parka and headed back to the car, checking the trunk for stowaways.

She could see nine men, and when she tossed her bag in the back, she locked the trunk with a thud. No one was hitching a ride.

She slipped her arms into the parka and topped up her phone’s charge. With everything set, she drove back to the collection of naked men who were watching her closely. Irgano looked angry, and when he jerked slightly, she could feel the bindings that were around him. He may have wanted to try to leave via her car, but he wasn’t going anywhere.

Santa gestured for her to make her farewells. She shook Rown’s hand, thanking him for the repairs. She kissed Neer on the cheek for his help in contacting the outside world.

When it came to Fetu Larsen, she stood in front of him and went up on her toes, kissing him on the lips. “If you get out in a decade and don’t mind wrinkles, give me a call.”

He touched her cheek. “You will always look the same to me, no matter how your body changes.”

She smiled and leaned into his touch. “And you will always warm me, whether we are in contact or not.”

“Does that mean…”

“Take it as you like.” She blushed and did a verifying head count before she zipped up her coat and got into her car.

Santa nodded, and Hellebore started her engine, aiming for the ball of light on the edge of the town. She waved a final farewell, and her car rolled forward, sliding through the light with ease and it deposited her on a snow-covered road. She was right where she had been when she left.

“Damn. Well back to the house.”

Carefully driving around, she managed to get herself back into the drive of the Anders’ family farm and parked in her spot. She plugged the car in and got out, grabbing her bag from the trunk and knocking on her mother’s front door.

The moment that the door opened, all the smells of Christmas rushed out to wrap her in their comfort. Her mother shrieked in delight and hugged her tightly, kissing her frantically with tiny pecks. “I was so worried, Bells.”

Her father was waiting for his wife to let her go. Finally, he cleared his throat, and Hellebore rushed to hug John Anders in all his stoic glory. “We were worried, Bells. If your friends hadn’t kept in touch, we might have wandered into panic.”

“I was in good hands.” She sniffled as she hugged her dad back with all her strength. He grunted and enjoyed knowing that his daughter was safe. She could feel it in his arms.

Her father didn’t speak much, couldn’t speak much with Hellebore and Amaryllis around, but he spoke so much without words that there was nothing they didn’t understand when he gave them so much as the smallest look. It was a magic all its own.

Her mother smiled and wiped at tears. “Christmas lunch is ready, and then, we have gifts to open. Your friends are arriving tomorrow to check on you.”

Hellebore blinked. “They are coming here?”

“Yes, a nice young woman named Abby said they were coming to check on you. I am making a nice lunch and laying out a fruit platter.” Amaryllis smiled. “Was I actually talking to the Nexus?”

“You were. She’s sweet and her guards are amazing. Cousin Laura is one of them.” Hellebore grinned. “I am grabbing a shower and changing. Some asshole shredded all of my clothing.”

Her mother looked concerned, but Hellebore went to her room and changed into clothes that were a little more snow friendly.

The sweatshirt wrapped around her like an old friend, and she sighed in relief. The winds of the plains were battering at the house, but it was a familiar song that Hellebore wanted to sing with.

The urge built in her until she couldn’t stand it.

“Mom, Dad. I am going out to sing to the storm before lunch, I will be back as soon as I can.”

Her mom nodded. “I am guessing that the last few weeks have been a lot of whistling and no songs.”

“Something like that.” She kissed both of her parents. “I will be on the roof. Listen. This one is going to be amazing.”

She wrapped herself in her parka and headed into the snow. She hummed the song that had begun during her stretch as a reindeer, and the moment she finished climbing the ladder to her widow’s walk, she started to sing.

The instant she stood upright on the platform her father had built for just this sort of moment, she searched for and caught the tune.

Hellebore stood with her head high in the freezing wind and inhaled, belting the song out over the prairie, encouraging the plants sleeping under the blanket of snow to wait and to hope. She sang about the sun, the heat and the warmth of the summer. She composed verse after verse to fire and ice.

When her energy had spun to its conclusion, she climbed down to join her parents. Amaryllis and John were sitting in the living room and cuddling together on the couch, their hands entwined and their heads leaning against each other. Her mother had tears on her cheeks, and there was a gleam in her father’s eyes.

She smiled and hung up her coat, kicking off her boots and flopping next to her parents on the couch. “I believe that food was mentioned?”

Her mother lunged at her and hugged her tight. “That was the most beautiful song I have heard from you.”

Her father got to his feet and helped both of his ladies up. “Come on. There is lunch waiting.”

He hugged her tightly. “Well done, Bells.”

“I met someone who made me think a little more on the plusses and minuses of single life.” She smiled weakly.

“According to your friends, you were in prison.”

“I was in Santa’s stable if you can believe that. Last night, I flew across the world in the skin of a reindeer and lulled towns and villages to sleep so that Santa could bring them food and gifts that would help them through the season.”

They wandered into the kitchen, and Amaryllis used some of her domestic magic to bring everything to the table with a few waves of her hands.

Hellebore took a seat and held hands with her parents, sharing the joining of family and celebrating the holiday.

She whistled a quick tune and the image of a Christmas tree hovered over the table.

It was an Anders’ family Christmas, just like every year that had preceded it, and Hellebore had never been more thankful to be home.

She squealed with delight as she pulled out some holiday socks. “Woo hoo! Owls.”

Her mother put on her own butterfly socks, and her father put the reindeer socks onto his feet. Family traditions rocked.

After dinner, they would have their sliding-for-distance competition, but for now, it was all about the presents.

She opened her annual sound system for her studio and immediately began to morph her voice into that of her favourite movie characters for playback later.

Her mother opened a box with an azure silk nightgown and robe. Her father sat on the edge of his seat while she opened it and then fell back when she jumped into his lap and covered his face with kisses.

Hellebore sat on the floor like a toddler and played with her new toy while her parents made out on the sofa.

She wriggled her toes in their owl socks and continued playing with her voice and the new microphone. It was difficult to get her aural seduction to pass through the recording equipment, but each generation of tech made a little more of her magic come through.

She looked up at her parents. “Get a room.”

Her father pried his lips from the mermaid in his lap. “I have an entire house, find your own space.”

Hellebore cackled and dove back into the pile of presents. Christmas with her parents always reaffirmed that love could come in the strangest of places but you had to be open to opposites attracting.

Chapter Eight

With the debris from Christmas all tidied up and used in the fireplace, Boxing Day arrived, and it carried with it enough magic to light up an entire town.

Hellebore was on beverage duty. The eggnog had high octane but the punchbowl was quickly depleted as she was greeted, hugged and kissed by friends who had been worried about her return.

The presents were a surprise, and Hellebore was caught unaware. She sat down and her friends gave her presents along with pumping her for information about meeting Santa.

Raven smiled. “I liked his hair.”

Hellebore laughed. “Of course you did. It matches yours, though he goes gold where you go more silvery.”

“Oh wow. You really were a reindeer for a night.”

“I really was.”

A knock on the door stopped the party for a moment. Everyone turned as Amaryllis led the new arrival back into the group.

Hellebore got to her feet. She recognized the breadth of his shoulders the moment he stepped out of the hallway. “Fetu!” She ran through the maze of people and flung her arms around his neck.

He laughed and held her against him. “Hellebore. I am glad to see you with your loved ones.”

She beamed and kissed him in front of everyone. Her mother gasped, Abby giggled and the pixies went wild.

The pixies had been content to sit in the tree, trying on the tinsel for size. The energy that Hellebore and Fetu were putting in the air was too much for them. They spun around them and tied them together with bonds of magic.

Hellebore pulled her lips from his. “Uh, I am stuck.”

He smiled sheepishly. “Me, too.”

Abby got to her feet and snapped her fingers. “Guys. Knock it off. Let them loose.”

Hellebore heard one of the pixies chattering in defiance.

Abby put her foot down. “Now, ladies. Back to the tree.”

The pixies disappeared, and Abby started to pull at the strands. “Sorry about this. They get enthused during the kiss of true love.”

“Uh, Abby, this is Fetu Larsen. Fetu, this is Annabeth Hanover, the Nexus.”

“Nexus?” Fetu looked down at her, and he inclined his head before he looked down at Hellebore. “You did mention friends.”

She smiled sheepishly and shrugged then dropped as the bindings dissolved under Abby’s touch.

“Everyone, this is Fetu Larsen, the doctor at the prison. Fetu, this is my mom and dad, Amaryllis and John Anders. This is Laura and Verne, Seesee and Mislak, little Gaia, Abby and Xander, oh, and the gloomy gentleman in the corner is Gregori and the woman on his lap is Max. She didn’t even kill me for the insults I had to use to get her to take me being in Santa prison seriously.”

She stood next to him, and he kept one arm around her shoulders. Her parents looked at her and smiled with the significance of the small gesture. She rolled her eyes and took his hand, bringing him to the kitchen for the eggnog.

Even with two pixies doing cannonballs in the punchbowl, it was still pretty good.

“The Nexus, the Oak Point Guard and the Vampire Guild Master’s apprentice, along with the most in-demand midwife in paranormal society. You do get around.”

She blushed and enjoyed standing close to him with his arms around her. “Thank you for coming.”

“I had to. I have to ask your father a question.”

She stiffened. “What?”

“Is that not how it is done amongst your kind? In human circles, it was common when I was last amongst them.”

She sighed. “In today’s methods, you ask the lady first then her parents. Of course, in mer society, you would have to gain the Matriarch’s approval to approach a member of her line, but since she has disowned my line, that shouldn’t be an issue.”

“Well, she is very interested in you.” His tone had a catch in it.

“You didn’t?”

“I did. The Matriarch will accept me as a mate for you. Now, I need to get your family on board, and then I can ask you. I do this so that there will be no stress on us from your immediate connections. Friends ebb and flow, family is forever.”

She couldn’t argue with that. “Dad! Get in here!”

She left Fetu to face the curious John Anders.

Hellebore walked around the edge of the island and took turns fishing the drunk pixies out of the eggnog. The diving had spread, and now, there was a lineup of pixies on the edge of the punchbowl waiting their turn.

Fetu spoke quietly to John, and they moved into the study.

Max walked in, reached for the dipper for the eggnog, and when she saw the water ballet competition, she paused and started to watch. She jerked her head toward the door that Hellebore was watching. “What are they doing?”

“Negotiating my price in either mountain goats or obsidian.”

Max laughed. “Seriously?”

“Well, he is asking for my hand. I am hazy on the details.”

“Doesn’t he want the rest of you?”

“Funny, Max. I guess I made an impression on him.” Hellebore didn’t add that it had been while she slept on him.

“Nice socks by the way.”

“Thanks. Cartoon animals are a family tradition.”

“I noticed. It’s a good look for you.”

Hellebore wrinkled her nose and kept her gaze on the study door.

It remained closed for an hour, and when it finally opened, the eggnog was gone, the pixies were all over the counter, giggling and poking each other. A few were making eggnog angels but it was a wasted effort.

When the door opened, John came out first, and he winked at her as he returned to the gathering of new and ancient magic in his living room.

Fetu walked out, looking nervous, sweaty and weak-kneed. He walked straight toward where Hellebore stood with a deathly silent Max, and he went down on one knee. He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a box.

“Hellebore Ophelia Anders, will you marry me?”

He opened the box, and Max gasped at the size of the stone.

Hellebore was busy looking at Fetu’s face, and it went from uncertain to positive under her gaze.

She felt a strange lump in her chest and quickly fished out the drunk pixie that had fallen asleep in her cleavage. Max took the pixie from her, and Hellebore turned back to Fetu.

“Fetu Larsen, do you have your family’s permission to marry me?”

He grinned. “Yes, yes, I do.”

“Then, yes, I will marry you.”

He slipped the diamond onto her ring finger, and he kissed her knuckles. He got to his feet and kissed her, laughing with relief.

She kissed him back and wrapped her arms around his neck. She held on while his body went hot, cold and back to hot again.

Hellebore laughed. “This is going to make booking events far more difficult. Where are we going to live?”

“Your father has offered space on his land, but both of my parents have had linked homes waiting for me for the last three hundred years. They thought that I would be smarter than I am and that I would have learned my lesson earlier. They were hopeful.”

“I hope you are not always that slow on the uptake. I may only be around for a few decades and I would hate to waste that time.” She stroked his hair away from his face.

“Whatever time you have, I want it to be with me.” He kissed her fingers. “Will you share all that you are and all that you will become with me?”

She smiled. “I will share everything I am and everything I will be with you provided that you will do the same for my lifetime.”

“All that I am is yours.”

Max sniffled and used one of the pixies to mop up her tears. “That is so beautiful.”

The Abomination pitched the pixie behind her, the little voice making an arc as she dropped into the living room.

The kitchen was suddenly filled with all of her friends and family, a bunch of plastered pixies and a lot of love. It wasn’t the worst beginning to an engagement that Hellebore had imagined.

Ensconced in his arms, she looked up at Fetu. “I should go on vacation far more often.”

He grinned, “My dearest, if you ever bring back another man from prison, I will definitely freeze him in place and then boil him alive.”

“Ah, dear Fetu, know that if you ever keep another woman warm through the night, I will enthrall both of you and drop you into a pig sty. I have access.” She smiled sweetly and kissed him again.

“I stand warned.”

They basked in the support of her family, the joy of the holiday and the hope for the future.

With the fastest elf engagement on record, they agreed to tie the knot on New Year’s Eve. Abby picked up her phone and began to call in favours, Laura contacted the Matriarch, and Fetu and Xander had a conference call with his parents.

Hellebore felt the pull again, and she headed up to her roof walk, singing the sun down.

Fetu came up during her solo, and he wrapped his arms around her, holding her close while she called out to the night and urged it to wrap around them.

As darkness came, she let the last notes fade away.

“That was amazing.” Fetu kissed her neck.

“Thank you. Sometimes, I am called to sing. Usually, it is around the holidays.”

“And here, there is no one to come running.”

She leaned against him and enjoyed his warmth. He wrapped her in it, and the stars came out to smile down at them.

“We are being rude to your guests.”

“They are used to it.” She chuckled. “Just a few minutes more.”

“Santa found the enchanter who twisted your charm. He is currently enjoying the hospitality of the prison. Irgano has someone to keep him company while his arms heal.”

She frowned. “He broke his arms?”

“It was a strange accident. He slipped on some ice.” Fetu hugged her. “It is a pity that they now have to train a new doctor.”

* * * *

The gathering below smiled at the laughter of the siren. There were plans to make, arrangements to put in place and a venue to find, but for now, basking in the cascading lilt of pure joy that reached into their hearts was just the way to spend the night.

When the drunk pixies started puking, the mood changed…but that is another story.

Author’s Note

Hellebore’s Holiday shows that just because your holiday isn’t going according to plan doesn’t mean that it doesn’t have possibilities. You just have to be open and adapt.

In the next book, Courting the Phoenix, we get to work through Terric’s angst about finding the woman that he has been waiting for. He has been looking and she has been hiding, and finally, the wait is over. On New Year’s Eve, at the wedding of Hellebore and Fetu, they have agreed to meet and see what happens next.

I can’t wait to find out.

Thanks for reading,

Viola Grace

www.violagrace.com

viola@violagrace.com

About the Author

Viola Grace was born in Manitoba, Canada where she still resides today. She really likes it there. She has no pets and can barely keep sea monkeys alive for a reasonable amount of time. Her line of day job tends to be analytical which leaves her mind hopping to weave stories. No co-worker is safe from her character analysis. In keeping with busy hands are happy hands, her hobbies have included cross-stitch, needlepoint, quilting, costuming, cake decorating, baking, cooking, metal work, beading, sculpting, painting, doll making, henna tattoos, chain mail, and a few others that have been forgotten. It is quite often that these hobbies make their way into her tales.

Viola’s fetishes include boots and corsetry, and her greatest weakness is her uncontrollable blush. Her writing actively pursues the Happily Ever After that so rarely occurs in nature. It is an admirable thing and something that we should all strive for. To find one that we truly like, as well as love.