Lacey got up forcefully, her chair scraping a discordant note on the floor as she pushed it away, before she turned around and stormed out.

  She didn’t get very far. ‘Shackeling frackeling,’ she hissed. Their argument had highlighted the need for someone to take action, and if Peter wouldn’t, then it was up to her.

  Huffing, she turned on her heel and marched back in. Peter’s eyes widened with surprise at her re-entry. Glaring at him, she grabbed her chair, and then stomped back out.

  ‘Where’re you going with that?’ he said, his voice sounding from the kitchen.

  She didn’t answer. Instead, she stomped down the hall and back outside, ignoring the sound of his footsteps following her.

  The weather had cleared, leaving the stars bright and the moon lighting the landscape. But the bitter nighttime cold was setting in at full blast. A part of her hesitated. She knew Peter was right about the dangers of scaling buildings in these frosty conditions. But she decided to ignore the little pinprick of doubt. She had to do something. Who was going to help Jinxy if she didn’t?

  Stuffing the chair into the snow beside the lean-to, she gave it a quick rattle. It was secure. Around the corner, the front door opened and clicked shut again.

  ‘Lacey? Please don’t tell me you’re getting on the roof!’ His steps fell faster now, crunching through the snow.

  That was fine with her. She didn’t have to tell that jellyspine anything. Getting onto the chair, she jumped up and grabbed hold of the overhang edge, just as he rounded the lean-to.

  ‘Lacey, no!’ he screamed. Her feet scrabbled against the wall as she worked to push herself over the rim. The structure creaked loudly, before a large, renting tear sent a jagged groan into the night.

  Her blood turned to ice. Clinging to the rim, she felt herself falling, saw the overhang tilting over. It happened so fast, she didn’t even have time to scream as it collapsed.

  Something grabbed her around the waist, yanking her sideways and out from under the lean-to’s fall. They flew through the air together, before smacking down into the snow. The structure crashed to the ground.

  For a moment they didn’t move. Above the stars shone in the sky, so impossibly bright compared to what it looked like from her home on Earth. The snow pressed in around them, the weight of his body partially covering hers. Despite their fight, he hadn’t left her; saving her instead.

  ‘Are you okay?’ he said, raising himself on an arm to look her in the face, his breath forming little white clouds in the cold and mingling with hers.

  She cleared her throat. ‘Yes, I think.’

  Relief flooded his face. ‘By the saints, Lacey, don’t do that to me.’

  Suddenly, in the wake of the overhang’s collapse, their argument felt so petty. And what had it really been about? Nothing. She knew they both cared about Jinxy.

  ‘I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for this to happen,’ she said softly. ‘But why? Why didn’t you search the edge of the Wasteland like you said you would?’

  He shifted to lying onto his side, propping his head up with one hand. With the other, he absentmindedly straightened her scarf.

  ‘I’m sorry too. I tried, but the others thought it was crazy and I felt like I didn’t have enough evidence to press the issue. We were losing valuable time discussing it. Then Tinsel suggested that, since we have to search everywhere anyway, we might as well start with the areas around the village where we thought she might be. If we didn’t find her there, we could always move on to the start of the Wasteland. Blinky thought it was a good idea too.’

  Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

  Lacey silently processed this. ‘Would this be the same Tinsel and Blinky that were helping Icy move his block around the time Jinxy might’ve been on the Ice Dove trail?’

  He groaned softly, running a hand over his face. ‘When you say it like that, it sounds bad. Please believe me, Lacey, we’re all good people here. None of us would ever intentionally harm someone else.’

  ‘And yet Jinxy is missing. Gone without a trace. Peter, I get that you love this village and all its people, but something’s happened. That’s why Santa brought me here, because you need an outside perspective. I might not be right about every suspicion, but we at least have to take it seriously.’

  He sighed, lying down on his arm. His hot breath tickled her ear, sending sparks running through her body. ‘You’re right. I don’t want it to be true.’ He was silent as he turned the thought over in his mind. ‘Well, we’ve tried it my way, and it hasn’t worked. We’ll do yours now.’

  An invisible weight lifted off her. I was scared he wouldn’t take me seriously, she realised.

  He got up, holding out a hand to her. ‘I believe our next task is to watch Albyrne’s cottage.’

  She smiled, grabbing it and allowing him to pull her up.

  ‘We’re getting on the roof?’

  He gave her a disbelieving look. ‘Are you crazy? No. I have a better idea.’

  ??

  Lacey had to give it to Peter – his idea was better.

  They were sitting in the Healing Hall’s attic, nestled in blankets they had brought up from the linen closet. The smell of pine filled the air, while the stars twinkled outside. Turns out there was a little window built into the side of the roof, buried under the layers of snow. Peter had pushed it open and then dislodged the rest of the snow with a broom. It gave them a perfect view over Albyrne’s house.

  Once again, she had to accept the reality that they did better when she and Peter worked together. She having the idea to watch Albyrne, Peter knowing the perfect spot to do it from.

  ‘So, what are we watching for?’ he asked, taking a slow sip of his hot chocolate.

  Lacey wrapped her own fingers firmer around hers, relishing the heat. ‘I guess we’ll know when we see it.’ She took a sip, then said, ‘Well, shelly sneeves, this is new to me too. I hope I don’t keep us awake all night for nothing.’

  He looked at her curiously. ‘You say the strangest things.’

  ‘Do I? Yes, I guess so.’

  Giving a big yawn, he asked ‘Where did it come from?’

  ‘The sayings?’

  He nodded. ‘And you’ve already admitted you’re a Helper now – don’t think I didn’t notice – so you might as well tell me the truth.’

  ‘Of course you did. Is there anything you don’t notice?’

  He smiled ruefully. ‘I was recently told that I have a blind spot for my village.’

  ‘It sounds like there are many people telling you many things.’

  ‘Mostly the women in my life,’ he admitted.

  She tilted her head, giving him a sympathetic smile. ‘It’s not a bad thing, you know. Loving Santa’s Village and everyone here so much. If I stayed here, I would too.’

  Something flickered in his eyes at that. Realising what she’d just said, Lacey stilled. The weight of it was too large to deal with right now. Later, when she was alone again, she would think it through.

  For now, she went back to his question. ‘I guess my sayings started when I was a kid. There were these comic books I used to read that had a crusty sea captain. He had a very quick temper, and he’d say such funny swearing words. “Billions of bilious blue blistering barnacles!” was one of my favourites.’ She softly laughed at the memory. ‘I guess what I liked most was that he would just say what he wanted to at any time. He seemed so free. But I guess that’s what a sea capt–’

  She stopped mid-sentence. Something was happening at Albyrne’s. Peter noticed it too, leaning forward for a better view.

  Four figures were sneaking up to Albyrne’s porch. One was taller than the rest while the other three shared roughly the same height. Of them one had a wiry build, the other was normal-sized – for an elf of course –, and the last one had a portly bearing. They looked around nervously as they partially tiptoed, partially sprinted over the exposed landscape. The rounder one fell behind with each sprint, and then caught up again when the others dropped back into tiptoeing.

  ‘Can you see who it is?’ Lacey asked.

  ‘I think I know, but it’s a bit dark. Wait a moment.’ He narrowed his eyes, focusing on the four figures.

  They reached Albyrne’s porch, bunching up together around the front door. One of them raised his hand and knocked while the other three kept looking around.

  Albyrne’s door opened, light spilling out of his cottage and briefly illuminating him and his guests.

  Lacey gasped, recognising the sock hat the one who knocked wore. ‘That’s Icy,’ she hissed.

  The little group slipped inside, Albyrne casting a suspicious glance over the landscape before quickly pulling the door shut behind them.

  ‘Well, I’ll be,’ Peter said.

  ‘Yes, it is Icy. And the others are Tinsel, Blinky, and Huey.’

  ??????

  are they all up to?

  What do you think is going on inside Albyrne’s house?

  Are they hiding something? Helping someone? Covering something up?

  If you’re curious what happens next, feel free to follow the story so you don’t miss the next chapter!