“Wait a second. If any of this,” I gestured at the small space we shared, “had something to do with last night, then why didn’t they bring in Vale as well? She also partook of the shots that were poured. At your insistence, I might add,” I said, pointing at my cantankerous cellmate.

  Wyatt chuckled. “Oh, Vale didn’t even finish the first shot.” He took a sip from his mug. “Who do you think made sure you got home safely?”

  I glared at my roommate. “I thought you said you did.”

  “Yeah, yeah, I did. I mean, I directed your friend as to which room was yours and everything.” The squirrel scurried down the chair and sat on his haunches right in front of me. “You’re not mad, are you?”

  I took stock of my situation. Would things be any different if I hadn’t been drinking the night before? Probably not.

  My shoulders slumped. “Not at you, Nutty.” I leaned over and patted his little head. “I just think this is all pretty messed up.”

  “I quite agree,” Topper interjected, standing on the other side of the bars. “If you’re talking about how any of you could think that stealing the sleigh this close to Christmas would be a smart choice in life.”

  I backed away to put some space between us. “Not what I meant.”

  The ornery elf pointed into the cell. “I want you and you to come with me.” He stood back to allow the deputy to unlock the door.

  Amos pushed himself out of the rocking chair. “Come on, squirrel. Let’s go see how nuts they think we really are.”

  My roommate followed behind the older gentleman, but before the group of them got too far away, Nutty turned around and scampered back in my direction. He pushed his way through the bars and clambered up my body until he perched on my shoulder.

  “Whatever they do to you, make sure not to tell them about my secret stash inside the stove,” he whispered into my ear.

  I giggled. “Okay,” I promised.

  He kissed my cheek and scampered back down the hallway past the irritated security elf.

  “So, that’s why I haven’t been able to cook anything,” I said, touching the spot where Nutty had kissed me before sitting down in the chair Amos abandoned.

  Wyatt raised an eyebrow at me. “One of Nutty’s stashing places?”

  I gawked at him. “How did you know?”

  “Because he’s got at least two going at the Break Room that I know of.”

  The handsome man rocked with me in companionable silence for a few moments. It gave me time to consider my predicament and whether or not I needed to make plans to flee the second I got out of here.

  “If you’re thinking of running away, I’d like you to consider something,” Wyatt said in a quiet tone.

  I closed my eyes, a little annoyed that I was so easy to read. “What’s that?”

  “Would you be running towards something or away?” he asked.

  “Does it make a difference?”

  Wyatt sighed and stopped rocking. “In my experience, not that I’m that much older than you, one way will hang over you and haunt every choice you make for the rest of your life. And the other is where possibility lies.”

  While he meant well, I couldn’t help but be irritated with his wisdom. “Considering that you’re in here with me, that must mean that your past isn’t exactly clean. And if your family is from the Smoky Mountains in North Carolina and you’re here, then doesn’t that mean that you ran away, too?”

  I sprinkled a little too much venom into my words, used to pushing people away rather than relying on them. Regret churned in my stomach, and I stopped rocking. “Sorry, that came out a little meaner than I meant it to be.”

  “Apology accepted,” Wyatt said with ease. “And you’re both right and wrong at the same time. I did a lot of stuff I’m not proud of. Most of it was dumb stuff when I was younger, but as I got older, I got into a motorcycle gang that committed much bigger crimes. Things went too far with the leader who was taking us all down a very nasty path in life. So, I worked with both the World Organization of Wardens and the International Magical Police to shut the whole operation down.”

  My eyes widened in surprise. “Whoa.”

  “Whoa, indeed,” he said. “I was their inside man for quite some time, living a double life. And part of my deal was that my family got into the protection program. So, I literally can’t go home because I have no home to go to.”

  I bit my lip to keep it from quivering. “I’m really sorry.”

  Wyatt sighed and leaned his head against the rocking chair. “Don’t be. My choices put me in the position I was in. I just needed to make sure they didn’t ruin my life or that of my family’s. And as far as I know, they’re doing okay.”

  “You mean, you don’t hear from them at all?” I asked, hoping he wouldn’t catch the slight tremble of emotion in my voice.

  “I get a card every year and I send them one back. Everything’s passed through a WOW agent that I became close to, and I probably shouldn’t communicate at all to keep them safe.” The chair squeaked as he moved it again. “But I’m a little too selfish to stop.”

  I started and stopped myself from asking more questions, but I was a bit selfish, too, wanting to know more about the man. “When was the last time you saw any of them?”

  “Christmas more than eight years ago at my sentencing. The authorities had to book me right along with the rest of the gang members so they wouldn’t figure out I was the one who helped bring them down. My grandpappy was the only one I allowed to come because I didn’t think I could handle seeing anyone else,” Wyatt said. “It wasn’t long after I went in when they made it look like I died in prison and sent me here to serve out the remainder of my probation.”

  “But I thought you helped them,” I countered without thinking.

  He snorted. “I did. By all rights, I should still be in jail now for some of the things I participated in before I wised up. Once I got settled here, it took me a while to realize what a gift I’d been given at a second chance. And I wouldn’t do anything to blow what I’ve found here.”

  I nodded but kept my head bent, biting the inside of my cheek to keep the threatening tears in my eyes from falling. “At least I don’t have any family or anyone to miss me,” I said, sniffling and rocking.

  Wyatt stayed quiet, giving me space to tell my own story.

  “I was in and out of foster homes as a kid. Got pretty close to being adopted when I was really little, but then the couple ended up getting a divorce and the father, who wanted me, figured I’d be better off in a stable home than with a single parent. So, back into the system I went.” I tried to picture the man, but since I’d been so young, his face remained a friendly blur in my memories.

  “Even though I moved around a lot, I always had decent grades when I went to school. Things only became a problem when my magic manifested. And then I spent all my time trying to hide my abnormality from everybody else.” A particularly unkind echo of my past rose up in my mind. “Kinda hard to do when I would either set things on fire or cast it in ice depending on if I was upset or anxious. And I seemed to always be one or the other.”

  “So, that’s what that key was? Fire and ice,” Wyatt breathed out. “You know, you may think that makes you strange, but I think it makes you pretty cool.”

  “Well, the key trick is the only one I ever truly mastered, and that’s because I fell in with the wrong sort. Someone who…let’s just say whenever I failed, he created ways to force me to get it right.” I still bore some of the scars left over from that unsavory period. “Still, that particular skill did help me survive for a long time. Although I did my best to take from those who wouldn’t miss anything.”

  Wyatt chuckled, and the warm sound melted a little of my nerves. “You mean, you tried to act like a modern-day Robin Hood? Take from the rich to give to the poor?”

  “If by poor you meant me, then yes.” I smiled. “I really would try to take only what I needed to get by for the moment. Never anything of high value.”

  My cheeks burned from the shame of my past. I never told anyone the real truth to my life, but then again, I never stuck around anywhere long enough to allow anyone to get close enough to find out. And yet, in such a short time, I’d found a half elf, half witch who had somehow claimed me as her best friend, a roommate who kissed my cheek, and an impossibly cute guy who listened without judgment.

  The sound of the other rocking chair scraping against the floor startled me, and I looked up. Wyatt scooted his seat closer until our knees touched. Taking my hand in his, he waited until I met his gaze.

  “Like I said, you can either run away and be burdened by your past, or you can choose something to run towards. I chose a life here, and every blessed day, I work to run towards it.” His thumb brushed my skin. “Whatever choices you make from here on out, try to go forward and not back.”

  “A touching sentiment, Mr. Berenger.” Officer Noelle stood on the other side of the bars. “And one that I quite agree with.”

  I sighed and pushed myself out of the chair. “So, I guess my probation deal is off?”

  “Not in the slightest. In fact, you’re both free to leave at your leisure,” she said.

  I waited for her to unlock the door. When she didn’t, I narrowed my eyes at her. “What’s the catch?”

  “What makes you think there’s a catch?” she asked.

  I pointed at the lock. “You’re not letting us out.”

  “That’s because I’m not the one who has the key.” A sly grin spread on the officer’s lips.

  “Fine, if that’s all it takes.” Motivated to leave the cell, I didn’t even require a whole lot of concentration or effort to create an ice key. Once it formed, I turned it, and the door swung open.

  “Excellent!” Officer Noelle declared. “And you just proved my point.”

  “Which was?” I pushed.

  She patted me on the back. “That you didn’t steal the sleigh.”

  I looked between her and Wyatt. “I don’t get it.”

  The laugh that tittered out of her was accompanied by the faint echo of jingle bells. “You had the ability to leave at any point you wanted to. But you didn’t. I’d say that’s more than proof of your good character.”

  I wanted to believe her. To grab onto this blind faith that she offered. But it felt like a trap. “So, because I was a good criminal who didn’t make a run for it, that means I didn’t steal the sleigh?”

  “Well, that and a couple of other factors.” The officer leaned against the bars. “Like Vale Sugarplum giving a sworn statement that she was with all of you, and that you left the area with the sleigh still in its spot. Her parents can also corroborate what time she escorted you home and put you to bed based on her phone call to them to let them know where she was.”

  The ball of fear in my stomach released, and I blew out a relieved sigh.

  “Also, I’m pretty sure if you’d attempted any magic, you’d have more likely burned the thing to the ground than have made it disappear,” she joked.

  She had a point. “What about Amos and Nutty? Are they in trouble?”

  Officer Noelle snorted. “Let’s just say I had an enlightening talk with Topper. He’s been sent back to the North Pole to report directly to his boss for his behavior. And I sent your friends on their merry way.”

  “Then who’s going to carry out the investigation of the missing sleigh?” I asked.

  Her eyes twinkled with a merry challenge. “If I have my way…you.”

  “What?” both Wyatt and I said at the same time.

  I pointed a finger at myself. “But how can you have a criminal in charge of the investigation?”

  “Because I can’t be the one doing it. I’m not exactly an impartial party,” the officer said.

  An overwhelming scent of peppermint, evergreen, and mulled spices filled the cell. The officer winked at me before flourishing her fingers in the air. All at once, her entire appearance shimmered and changed from head to toe. The basic uniform covered by a simple puffy winter jacket melted against her body, changing from drab gray into bright red. The fabric billowed out into a long dress that fit her in all the right places. Sparkles danced across the surface like stars twinkling in the sky. A velvet cape tied itself about her neck, the ribbons careful to miss the silver hair that cascaded down from her left shoulder in one long braid.

  “You can’t be,” Wyatt breathed out.

  The lady chuckled. “Allow me to introduce myself properly. My name is Clara Noelle Claus, and on behalf of my husband, I am asking for your help.”

  Chapter Seven

  My brain tried to argue with my eyes over what they’d just witnessed. Sure, I was living in Holiday Haven, a town in the North Pole district. And yes, I’d seen the sleigh that Santa supposedly used to deliver gifts to the whole wide world. But the actual physical manifestation of Mrs. Claus pushed me over the edge.

  “I think I need to sit down,” I moaned, allowing Wyatt to help me back into the rocking chair.

  “Here. Drink this. It’ll help.” With another wave of her hand, Mrs. Claus produced a mug with a dark, hot liquid inside of it. She held it out for me to take.

  I glanced up at her. “A part of me doesn’t trust you, but since I already drank coffee you produced in the same manner before, I’ll take it.” My brain needed the jolt of caffeine from the dark roast.

  She waited for me to take a few sips before she continued. “I’m sorry for the little deception from before.”

  “What deception?” Wyatt asked.

  I pointed a finger at her. “She acted like she was my probation officer. Told me to call her Officer Noelle.”

  “No-o-o, not exactly,” Santa’s wife dragged out. “Technically, you asked what my name was. Noelle is one of them.”

  “Right, but not the most important name. Like your last one. Which is Claus. Meaning, you’re married to the Santa Claus. St. Nick. Father Christmas. The guy who delivers all the gifts,” I rambled, still a little mixed up with the whole situation.

  Clara smirked. “And who do you think helps provide all the magic for the whole operation?” She wiggled her fingers at me.

  “Wait, so you do all the work, but he gets all the credit?” Wyatt took a noticeable step away from her. “You must be pretty powerful to make it all happen.”

  She waved her hand in the air, and the ceiling above us changed from the roof to a view of the night sky with the Northern Lights dancing across. “This place has its own magic that helps fuel the whole operation. But I keep an eye on everything to make sure it runs smoothly. And losing the sleigh is a pretty big problem this close to Christmas.” With a twist of her wrist, the sky disappeared, and the ceiling hung low over us again.

  After forcing my gaping mouth closed, I gulped as the magnitude of her request hit me. “If you are who you say you are with all of your magic, then surely you don’t need someone else to solve the case for you.”

  “On the contrary, I’m the last person who should be involved in figuring things out. For one thing, I’m at the tippity top of the covens of the North Pole district. If it’s one of our own, then that puts me in an awkward position,” Clara explained.

  Wyatt grunted. “And then there’s the little fact of you being married to the man who the sleigh belongs to.”

  “Exactly,” she agreed.

  “So, your brilliant plan is to ask for help from a witch with broken magic who just happens to be serving probation?” I pushed myself out of my chair. “I just don’t see how that’s going to work. Sorry about the sleigh and everything, but I’d rather keep my head down and stay out of things.”

  Mrs. Claus held up her hands in a plea. “Just hear me out. I think your position as an outsider is actually a benefit. Once word gets out that you all have been cleared, then everyone will start talking about what’s going on. You might have the best vantage point to sift through all the town gossip and anything out of the norm.”

  “Think about it this way,” Wyatt said, joining Mrs. Claus’s side. “If you do figure out who did it, you’ll be a hero.”

  “And if I don’t, I’ll still be everyone’s number one suspect.” I shook my head. “I don’t think it’s a good idea. I wish you all the luck in figuring things out, but I just want to stay out of things and finish out the rest of my probation.” With a shrug, I exited the cell and brushed past her.

  Clara’s loud voice echoed after me. “If you figure out what happened to the sleigh, then I’ll declare your probation over.”

  Of course, Mrs. Claus would make me an offer too good to refuse. I stopped in my tracks and turned on my heels to face her. “You could do that?”

  “I’m the head witch in the entire North Pole. Of course I can. And I will if you can figure out what happened to the sleigh.” She held out her hand. “Do we have a deal?”

  I bit my thumbnail, torn between wanting to mind my own business and hope everything blew over and taking her up on the opportunity to get out of Holiday Haven as soon as possible.

  “If I were you, I’d hurry up and agree,” Wyatt prodded.

  With one handshake, I accepted. The scent of cinnamon, oranges, and cloves surrounded us, and an energy sparked between our palms. Maybe Mrs. Claus didn’t need a written contract to bind me to my word.

  “Excellent,” Clara exclaimed. “Then I’ll leave you to it. If you find anything out, just let Vale’s mother, Aster, know. She has a direct line to get information to me quickly. Oh, and you don’t have to work alone.” She winked at the big guy still standing next to me.

  I snorted. “What makes you think you can trust him?”

  “Because he could have broken out of here anytime he wanted to, too.” She walked through the door of the jail cell and patted the bars. “Big animal like him would have no problem busting through candy cane. Good luck, Rory.”

  With another wink, she disappeared from view in a flurry of shimmery flakes that smelled like fresh snow. Wyatt and I both stared at the empty space she left behind before gazing at each other.