Before we left, however, I took some powder out of my backpack and sprinkled it over the bodies. They started to sizzle, then disappeared into thin air. I gave Oliver a rueful smile. Knowing alchemists came in handy sometimes. At least we didn’t have to clean up after the mess we so often created.
“Why did you decide to join FFG?” I asked suddenly when we were back in our hotel room. I’d never had a choice, but everyone who was recruited had. I dumped my backpack next to my bed and put the hilt underneath my cushion – I needed my weapons within reach if need be.
“A chance for a better life… Not just for me, though.” Oliver hesitated for a moment as memories clouded his eyes. “My mom was an alcoholic and my dad left us when I was seven. I had to take care of my younger brother and sister. When I was twelve, my dad returned and my mom took him back in without a single second thought. It didn’t turn out well. He abused her, hitting her in places where nobody would notice the bruises when she had her clothes on. I started interfering, which ended up in being beaten up myself. But I kept fighting.”
He looked at me with his golden-brown eyes. “FFG approached me when I was sixteen and offered me some training. I learnt how to defend myself and the next time he hit mom, I kicked him out of the house. After that, I decided to join FFG for good. Mom went to rehab and has been sober ever since. Six months after I’d joined FFG, we received the news that dad had been Infected. My mom, brother and sister were devastated.”
Oliver paused for a moment. “I don’t want something like this to happen to other families. Daniel and Elsa thought they had their dad back, only for him to leave again, even if it was because of me. Every single day they hoped he’d return. That he would change. And then we were told that he was just… gone. They still blame me.”
Silence fell. I could hardly imagine the effect it must have had on his family. On him. “I’m sorry”, I said as I put my hand on his shoulder. “That must have been incredibly tough.”
A sad smile showed on his face. “It defines how you grow up, who you turn out to be. I’d like to think it made me a better person. God only knows what would’ve happened had dad not returned when I was twelve. Mom could be dead by now. I might’ve become an alcoholic, too. Hell, I could be Infected.” He shuddered visibly.
“I know life at FFG doesn’t offer what a lot of people dream of”, Oliver continued. “It’s hard work. You often end up bruised and battered. You risk your life every single time you go on a hunt. But you make the world a safer place. You really are a force for good.”
I smiled warmly at him. Even though I’d had no choice in the way I was brought up, my life undeniably intertwined with FFG, I shared his thoughts. “Spoken like a true FFG-member.”
Gathering my clothes, I headed to the bathroom for a quick shower, changing into sweatpants and a top. Oliver took a shower as I blow-dried my hair and braided it. It looks like it’s turning lighter every year, I observed as I tied a rubber band at the end. With a deep sigh I got into bed. Oliver exited the bathroom shortly afterwards and I had just about enough energy to mumble a faint ‘goodnight’ as he took first watch.
* * *
The next morning we went to Santa’s workshop. I bought us a ticket and we took our place in the queue. A sign close to where we stood showed us the waiting time was forty-five minutes. Impatiently, I tapped my foot, the snow crunching beneath my boot. I was all for crashing the party, but in this case, this was the only way in. The place was very well-secured. And so we waited.
We had a few light conversations, teasing back and forth and then finally – finally – we reached the entrance. We showed our tickets and we were in. At first we followed the group, but as soon as we’d entered Santa’s workshop where elves supposedly created all the presents, I tugged Oliver’s sleeve and nodded towards the wall. We moved swift, but unsuspicious, making it look like we just wanted to check out another part of the workshop. My hand slid on the doorknob behind my back. Three clicks to the right, one to the left, two to the right, five left. The door opened.
“Oh! There’s Santa’s sleigh!” I said loudly, my face full of wonder, and pointed towards the next room where part of the sleigh was visible. Everyone immediately turned towards where I’d pointed and the guide beamed, moving on to the next subject, but not before she gave me a curt nod. We had connections everywhere. I opened the door and motioned for Oliver to go through. Then I slipped through the gap myself and softly closed the door behind us. It was pitch-black.
“How did you know that this was the entrance?”
I could feel his breath on my cheek and even though we weren’t touching, it was obvious he was standing close to me. “File”, I muttered as got my flashlight out of my backpack with one single move. I covered the lamp with my hand, pointed it far away from us and clicked. The soft light was just enough to confirm that Oliver was indeed standing very close to me.
Suddenly, breathing became a little more difficult and my stomach did a flip as I took in his face. Strong features, with a slightly crooked nose that must’ve been broken at least once. His intense gaze, taking me in. In that moment he reminded me of Joe and my heart ached at the loss. It hadn’t been that long ago – not even a year – that Joe and I had been standing exactly like this… what had happened after still made my head spin.
I cleared my throat and the intense moment between us disappeared, leaving behind nothing but an awkward silence. “Come on, let’s go”, I said after a few seconds. Using the flashlight, I lit the path in front of us. We walked in silence until we reached a parting.
“Left or right?” Oliver asked.
We both assessed the paths. “Left”, I said, at the same time that Oliver said, “Right.” He respectfully stepped back and clasped his hands behind his back. “It’s your call.”
I nodded. “Left it is, then.” Confidently, I strode forward, Oliver half a step behind me. The winding path was uneven and after thirty minutes of walking it turned to steps. Up and up we climbed, until finally we came to a door.
There was someone waiting for us.
Dark hair, a blush on his cheeks, pointy ears and a green suit.
An elf.
“Miss Griffin, Mr Rhine, welcome to Santa’s workshop. We’ve been expecting you.”
* * *
I raised my eyebrows at him. “Did the fairies tell you we were coming?”
The elf gave me a sharp look, not appreciating my sarcasm. “No. We have a modern security system, videos included.”
Ouch, that hurt. Next to me, Oliver chuckled, but quickly hid his grin when I threw him a dark look.
“My name is Luigi”, he continued. “If you follow me, I will take you to Santa.” He opened the door with an old-looking key that seemed to appear out of nowhere.
“Hold on”, I said brusquely as he stepped through the door. “Your eyes, please. I’d like to check them.”
Luigi inclined his head. “But of course.”
When I directed the flash light at his face, his eyes were light blue, a stark contrast to his dark hair. “All good.” The Infected couldn’t bear contact lenses – they’d melt. It was a reaction to the virus.
“Luigi”, I muttered to Oliver as we stepped through the door. “Shouldn’t he be in a Mario game instead of Santa’s workshop?”
His answer, however, never left his mouth – he was too stunned by what we saw next.
There were elves everywhere. Some were fixing last minute presents, others were testing them. Airplanes zoomed through the air, trains passed villages and bridges on their tracks and dolls were changed into other outfits.
There was an entire team of elves wrapping up the presents with an impossible fast pace, before each present was put on a transport band that went up, up, up, where it was then finally put into Santa’s bag.
Every single toy you could imagine was here and it looked like every toy was represented by at least one elf, if not more. It was a wonder to me that nothing collided – toys or elves.
; “I – wow.”
“You never were one for words, were you?” I glanced at him as we followed Luigi through the doors and left the workshop behind us.
He came to a stop in front of two grand, oaken doors with old, ornate door handles made of silver. A small sign was stuck to the door. It read Santa. Luigi knocked respectfully.
“Come in”, boomed a deep, kind voice.
Luigi held the door open and we stepped through. Every bit of his office had the same feeling as the workshop. It was luxurious, yet playful. Red was the dominant colour.
“Thanks, Mario”, I said jokingly.
“Now, now, that’s no way to behave, Leigha.”
I looked up to see Santa’s slightly disapproving look. Unlike Edward’s, his made me feel small and guilty. “I apologise”, I muttered to Luigi.
“Apology accepted”, the elf said gracefully as he left the room and closed the doors behind us.
“That’s better”, Santa said and indicated to the chairs opposite his desk, just as red and fluffy as the clothes he was wearing. “Please, have a seat.”
“Sir, with all due respect, there is no time for coffee and a chat”, Oliver told him.
Santa held up a hand and smiled kindly. “Please sit down, Oliver. I know how eager you are to protect every single person on this planet, but fear not. I am fully aware of the situation and was informed of your arrival the minute FFG found out about the threat.”
Oliver shot me a questioning look and I shrugged. “FFG is not the organisation to sit around and wait. Unlike many other places, the only way in to Santa’s workshop is if they know you’re coming. Magic conceals this place from anyone else and it won't allow strangers in.”
“Magic?”
Santa put his fingers together and looked at Oliver over his half moon spectacles. “If the Infected exist, and so do I, is it really that hard to believe that magic is real as well, Oliver Rhine?”
“Maybe not”, Oliver mumbled after a few seconds. “Sorry. It’s been a lot to take in. Forty-eight hours ago I believed you were a myth.”
“Fair enough. Leigha, it’s good to see you again.”
I ignored the shocked look on Oliver’s face and gave Santa a warm smile, despite the entire situation. “And you, Santa. I always love coming here, but as you know, this time the circumstances are life-threatening. We have to hurry. I believe the Infected have infiltrated your workshop, impossible as it may seem. With all the security in place, we both know there is only one way for them to be here and increase their numbers.”
I bit my lip before I continued. “That means at least one of your elves has been Infected and Changed. Have you noticed anything strange? Anyone missing or gone for a longer period than normal? Black eyes or abnormal behaviour?”
“Several elves have left the workshop for last minute shopping, but we have not noticed anything strange about them. Mr Griffin contacted me as soon as they put the clues together – and we have been checking elves upon their return ever since”, Santa declared.
“What about after they arrived back?”
“As soon as they were cleared, they went back to work.”
Ah, that was the loophole. I exchanged a look with Oliver and sighed. “I’m sorry to tell you this, Santa, but the eyes don’t change colour immediately after Infecting. The Change is completed within an hour and the eyes only start changing fifteen minutes after the Infection. Therefore it is possible that an elf was Infected upon his return, but cleared by your security.” I couldn’t believe Edward had failed to mention that.
Silence fell. Then Santa pushed a button on his desk. “Luigi? Gather all the elves in the canteen, please. Secure all presents and make sure no one can access them.” To us he said, “Follow me.”
We followed Santa out of his office and turned right. Here, too, the wood gleamed in the light, the walls a rich beige colour. Soft, plush carpet – red – covered the floor, our feet sinking in it as we walked. It was that thick. Comfortable if you were walking barefoot like the elves – a pain in the ass if you were in a hurry.
“You’ve been here before?!” Oliver hissed under his breath. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
I gave him a piercing look. “It wasn’t relevant to the case.”
It shut him up, but I could see the thoughts churning in his mind. Why had I been here before? When? How many times? I wasn’t going to answer his questions. Luigi and I were long-time friends and calling him ‘Mario’ was an old joke between us, just as Luigi often called me ‘Grandma’ because of my white hair. Santa knew this. It was only because of Oliver’s presence that he’d called me on it.
By the time we arrived at the canteen, it was packed with every single elf that worked for Santa. Thousands and thousands of elf hats could be seen. Santa took one look at them and said, “Thirty-five of them are missing.” How he managed to discover that, I didn’t know, but I take my hat off to him. No pun intended. “A few from the kitchen, stables and workshop. Cleaning and wrapping, too.”
I nodded. “Keep them here and keep them secure. Check their eyes.” I handed Santa a bunch of silver coins with crystals in it. “If any of them show signs of Changing, put this in their mouth. It will save their lives.” Another gift from the alchemists.
“Thank you. You really are a special child, Leigha.” His grey eyes were a little misty.
I smiled and gave him a hug. “You’re Santa Claus. I’d do anything for you.” With those words, I turned around, checking that all my weapons were still secured in the same spot as where I’d put them earlier that morning.
“Ready?” I asked Oliver.
He swallowed. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”
* * *
We didn’t have to go far to encounter the Infected. Elves are funny creatures, but there was nothing fun about them once they were Changed. They were quick, agile and much stronger than you would think. I’d give anything to battle the big blokes from yesterday over elves. And there were loads of them.
Within seconds, we were surrounded. I had my crystal swords at the ready and struck without mercy. There was no way to save them – they had to be killed. Still, it hurt. I saw familiar faces amongst the elves – a few of them had even become friends during my past visits.
I soon fell into a rhythm: strike, block, defend, attack, attack, attack. Bodies piled up on the floor, making it difficult to move in the small space of the hallway. The elves had an advantage with their height – they could easily jump on top of the bodies and continue to attack, whereas Oliver and I had to watch our footing. The thick carpet didn’t make things easier.
Time didn’t mean anything as I continued hacking away, careful not to be scratched by any of the elves. Although my clothes could not rip that easily, things were different for my hands and face. A few times I came close to being Infected, but I managed to avoid it every single time. Next to me, Oliver grunted as he fought bravely.
Finally, there was no elf left to charge at us. I blinked, my vision blurry from all the blood. Yuck. It was going to take at least three showers to get that out of my hair. The entire hallway was a graveyard. Throats slit open, glassy eyes staring at the floor, the ceiling or just ahead. A tremendous loss of good, loyal elves.
“How many did you get?” I asked Oliver when I was sure we wouldn’t be attacked anymore.
“Eleven”, he panted.
“Twenty-three.” I frowned. “One has escaped.” My eyes scanned the floor. The blood was difficult to see on the red carpet, but in the end, I found the clue I was looking for. “There. A footstep.”
A closer inspection revealed more footprints. “Oliver, go to the canteen and help Santa. Make sure everyone is okay. I’ll handle this one.”
He nodded and took off as I followed the footsteps in the direction of the stables. Please, please, please let the reindeer be all right, I thought. I broke into a run, following the familiar path. Sweat beaded on my head and I swept it away, not caring about the fact that I only smeared blood across my
face by doing so. Looking pretty was not one of my goals right now. Killing that last elf, however, was.
When I reached the stables, I saw a familiar figure. Luigi. He had a leather pouch filled with white dust and I knew this wasn’t fairy dust – it was the virus. Before he had a chance to sprinkle it onto the reindeer, I charged at him. I kicked off the ground and leapt, my sword at the ready. Just before I struck, realisation hit me. He hadn’t fully Changed yet.
I let go of my sword – the stupidest thing you could ever do, but I had to. I had to save him. I slammed into him and pinned him to the ground, his feet kicking at me, all the while trying to scratch me, bite me. I hit him – hard, but not hard enough to knock him out. It gave me the time to take a coin – the last one I had – out of my pocket. Panting, I wriggled his mouth open and popped it in, then clamped his mouth shut, praying I’d arrived in time. Tears rolled down my cheeks. I couldn’t bear the thought of losing him.
“Mario, please. You can’t leave Santa. You can’t leave me. Live, you bastard!”
He gurgled and I quickly let go of his mouth. He took a deep breath. His eyes were blue again.
I smiled through my tears and hugged him tight. “Don’t you ever scare me again, you got that?”
“Not in my entire life, Grandma.” He shook his head. “You looked scary as hell when you charged at me with that sword. If I hadn’t almost been Changed and died of that, I’m sure I would’ve died from a heart attack. You’re one fierce girl. You’re dad will be so proud.”
I offered him my hand and helped him back on his feet, a proud feeling swelling in my chest. Luigi was right. He would be proud. I knelt down and took the leather pouch. Then I took a lighter from one of my pockets and set fire to it. “Was this all of it?”
“Yes. We were supposed to sprinkle it on the presents right before the bag was sealed. The ride on the sleigh would’ve Infected all presents that way. When one of the elves found out you were here, they changed that plan and decided on putting it in the bag before all of the presents were in there. Same effect.”