I think I was seeing wounds of their spirit. When I looked at the animals and plants around us, their spirits were solid and glowing bright with all the colors of the natural world. "I don't see any darkness around the reindeer at all. They seem happy and healthy if the pretty glow of their spirits is anything to go by."
"That's exactly as I thought. This sleigh hasn't been placed here nefariously, but perhaps by the Christmas Star herself to help us fulfill her quest." Nuss grabbed my hand and guided me up into the sleigh.
I waited until all five of us were seated before I finally let the truth out. I couldn't and wouldn't keep secrets from them and it had been a stupid decision to think I ever should. "I don't think it was the Christmas Star who left this for us. It was Konig."
All four of them stood back up and drew their weapons. They held them out, pointing in every which direction looking for an enemy. I sighed and rubbed my head.
"He's not here now. Or I didn't see him or his spirit anyway. I don't know the history between you all and him, but this is the second time he's helped us to get away from the Mouse Army, so I think we should trust him a little bit. Enough to take the sleigh and go get that piece of the broken crowns."
Not a one of them responded. They were all on high alert and protecting me apparently meant ignoring me all of a sudden.
The intensity of the glow of the spirit all around me was fading, except for one bright and golden glow just over the next hill. "The crown is waiting for us. I can see its spirit too."
Nope. Still nothing. I wasn't used to them ignoring me. Funny how I had been used to that everyone in my old life in the human world, but not at all since I'd met the four of them. What happened to earlier today when I was the warrior general? I was only getting stronger, but suddenly, they were treating me like a fragile porcelain doll.
Fine. I'd take matters into my own hands. I picked up the reins that Nuss had dropped and gave them a little flick. A burst of my magic went through them, and the animals surged forward. The men all fell back into the seats as we took off across the snow and I giggled my butt off.
There was more than one way to end a conversation and remind them that I was stronger than they thought. I'm sure I'd hear all about it when we reached our destination, and they'd all be on high alert, but I just had this gut feeling deep inside that reuniting them with Konig was going to be important and would be good for them all.
That was the first time I'd accessed any of my magic on my own. I wasn't entirely sure how I'd done it, but when I needed it, there it was. If loving on my men was the best way to access it, I wasn't going to be sad about that even a little bit. I'd rather that than have to sacrifice some blood. The idea of kissing and making love and sharing a bonding experience being the key to the magic settled in nicely in my psyche next to my mission to bring love back to the Winter Realm.
Everything I'd learned today made it even more clear that all the lands needed more love and a whole lot less hate. Hate was exhausting. No wonder they were all fighting all the time.
I looked around at each of my protectors to make sure they weren't too upset with me. They were. Nuss grumped and held out his hands for the reins. I was going to tell him that I had this, but then remembered the affection he'd had for the reindeer. I didn't need to prove I was a strong woman, not with him, not with any of them.
I placed the strips of leather into his hand and snugged up against him, threading my arm through his bandaged one. Someday I would learn how to use my magic to heal both his physical and spiritual wound. Perhaps when he and I bonded.
The Land of Snowflakes was definitely next on my list. Leb, Zucker, and Tau kept their weapons at the ready, but we made quick time in the sleigh. It was almost as if the crown was pulling us to it, that it was waiting to be found.
In fact, as we got closer to the shining light of spirit at our destination there was much more waiting for us than just the Sweet Fae's broken piece of the seven crowns.
THE GROTTO OF LOVE
CLARA
Tau tapped Nuss on the shoulder as we got close to the cave where the broken piece of the Sweet Fae crown was hidden. He pointed to the enormous trees on the far side of the cave entrance. They reminded me of those long tree-lined walkways with branches draped in long flowy moss. But these ones had mounds of pink fluff hanging down from the canopy above, and the air was scented with both the woodsy scent of a forest and the sweetness of cotton candy.
Most of my spirit vision had faded, but I could still make out the green auras of at least half a dozen Flower Fae hiding in the branches. The men stiffened and I wasn't surprised that as warriors they'd spotted the ambush too. Tau spoke so only the four of us could hear him. "They won't shoot as long as I'm with you and they think I am unharmed. I suggest you allow me to go into the cave with you first, Princess."
"I know that I don't understand all the politics of what's going on here, but I'd like to make a statement by walking in with both you at my side."
Tau glanced to Zucker, and they did that communication with their eyes that only someone with their close connection can. Zucker nodded and the three of us got out of the sleigh. Leb and Nuss stayed, looking slightly awkward and not knowing what to do with themselves.
"I've changed my mind," I said. If I was going to make a statement, might as well go big. "I want all four of you with me, as a united front. Let your kinsman see that I play no favorites and hold no alliance or bond over any other. You are all important to me and I could do none of this without each one of you."
Leb gave me a big old grin and hopped out of the sleigh. "I'd kiss you, lass, if I wasn't sure I'd get an arrow in the back for it."
There was the tiniest bit of vulnerability in Leb's tone. I'd assumed he and I were solid now that we were bonded, but I needed to remember this relationship was just as new to the four of them as it was to me. They might have grown up on stories of our connection and pledged themselves to be my guard, my protectors, but none of us had had more than half a day where we weren't fighting or running to even get to know each other or express our feelings.
"I'd kiss you back, my ginger giant." I blew him a kiss anyway.
Nuss remained in the sleigh. "What about Konig and the mouse army?"
In my mind I included Konig as one of my men. I wasn't sure of what his role in this battle between good and evil I'd drop in on, but in my heart, I knew he was on my side. "If he shows up, we'll deal with that then."
I don't think Nuss liked that answer. I was starting to understand that he was the kind of guy that needed a plan, with a contingency plan, and probably a back-up plan for that. But the next few days were probably going to be pretty harried, and we were going to have to be adaptable. I wanted to wrap him up in a big hug and tell him this was going to work out.
I didn't know that it was, but I was going to believe it.
