Page 12 of Santa Daddy, I'm Not the One

“Oh, yes!” Dix beamed. “Every shop, every street you see is exactly like our town.”

Then I’d better commit the map to memory.

Someone from the town should be able to help me get back home. They couldn’t all be kidnappers.

“If you are a little nicer, you can ask Santa’s permission for us to take you.”

“Why would I want to go to the town?”

“It’s so pretty there and happy. Not even the best cities in your world can compare. And if you go to the town, you’ll likely runinto the humans who opted to stay with us. They fell in love with the plaza, its cobblestone pathways, and the Enchanted Market. It’s all very festive.”

“Enchanted Market? What’s that about?”

“You’d have to see it for yourself.”

I played a few moves. “If Santa agrees, would I have to walk far to get there?”

“Just a short walk through the Whispering Woods. There’s a path that leads straight to the town square.”

“And people can just walk in and out of Twinkle Glen?”

Dix opened his mouth, paused, then frowned intently at the board as he hesitated. “Well, no. They come here just like you did, and they have the option of leaving and forgetting all about this place after, but they usually don’t.”

“When you leave this place, you forget?”

“Yuppers. Your turn.”

I nodded, pretending to focus on the game while my mind raced. This information was exactly what I needed—my ticket out of this place.

After the game, which I lost, I played another round with Dix but then told him I was tired and wanted to take a nap.

“All right, I’ll let you sleep and drop by later,” he said. “I’ll also ask Santa if I can take you into the town.”

“No, don’t!”

He frowned. “You don’t want to go? You sure were asking a lot of questions.”

“I don’t. It’s too much of a bother, and why would I want to go if I’m going to forget all about it when I leave anyway?”

“I guess.”

He slipped out of the room, closing the door. I knew better than to check if it was locked. They never left it open. My heart beat fast as I waited, listening for the sounds of his footsteps to die down, and then I made my move.

I grabbed the throw off the bed to protect me against the cold outside and pushed the window open. Slipping out was easier than I expected. The drop wasn’t far, and the snow cushioned my landing. In a crouch, I sprinted to the Whispering Woods, expecting to hear someone yell my name, but no one did.

As soon as I reached the cover of the trees, I hugged one to convince myself it was real. I took a minute to catch my breath, then searched for the path Dix had told me about. I almost wept in relief when I found it. Snow crunched under my feet as I walked, but it wasn’t cold. The trees seemed to watch me, their branches swaying as if whispering about my escape, but I pressed on despite the creeping sense of unease.

Twinkle Glen was not as close as Dix had made it out to be, but when I stepped out into the clearing, the view that greeted me was worth the long walk. The town was nothing short of magical, in its center an enormous tree that stretched higher than any buildings, its pines radiating a glowing light.

The Eternal Tree! It was right where it had appeared on the map of Mistletoe Mysteries.

I exhaled in awe, my breath forming a frozen cloud.

It was as if the entire place had been bathed in stars. Sparkling snow dusted the cobblestone pathways Dix had mentioned and the eaves of the houses. Each one was decorated uniquely: some with strands of tinsel and others with garlands of holly and berries.

Brightly lit shops lined the streets, and the enticing aroma of roasted chestnuts and warm gingerbread tickled my nose. Strains of Christmas carols floated through the air, wrapping the scene in an almost tangible layer of warmth and cheer.

As I passed by, elves stared at me. It was clear I was an outsider, a new face in a town where everyone knew each other. I had no idea where to go or who to approach. I didn’t see any humans. Had Dix tricked me?

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