Page 24 of Mistletoe

“And?”

“And what? It was the solstice. There was a monster in the barn. I ran away and haven’t seen him since.”

“Until today.”

“Until today,” Emma agreed.

“What did it say to you?”

Nina referring to Hal asitrubbed Emma the wrong way. “Hetold me his name.”

“Why would it do that?”

It. Again.

“Why would he jump through a window? His motivations are a mystery,” Emma said, her anger returning.

“Yes, why would it jump through a window when you were in distress, attack the man who threatened you, and then take the time to speak quietly with you in the middle of a brawl? Indeed, a most perplexing mystery.”

“Stop saying ‘it.’ Hal has a name.”

Nina grinned like she won a prize and tutted, “Such a mystery.”

Emma’s temper was not doing her any favors. She needed to watch her tongue. Better yet, she should not utter another word so the sheriff could not twist her words against her.

Nina returned to the table, flipping through the book as if searching for a particular passage. She didn’t notice Emma’s growing temper or didn’t care.

“It is rumored that the vampire lord keeps a monster in the lowest levels of the Aerie,” she read aloud. She flipped another page. “A terrible construct of various parts.” Flip. Flip. “The most unnatural green skin. Teeth like a wild boar.”

“We don’t have wild boar,” Emma said. The majority of Earth animals that lived on Nexus were livestock or pets. Horses, goats, sheep, cows, dogs, cats, some birds, and so on. No badgers or zebras, however, which was unfortunate. Zebras appeared entirely whimsical. Emma would have liked to see one in the flesh. Now, they only existed as textbook illustrations.

“And yet you can visualize the creature with ease,” Nina said. “That orc serves the vampire.”

“I really don’t think so,” Emma replied before she could think how the sheriff would take her remark.

Poorly. Extremely poorly.

Nina snapped the book shut. “What do you know? Tell me, or I’ll keep you here until spring.”

Blast it all.

“When I discovered the orc in my barn,” Emma said. Nina leaned forward, eager to listen. “He was nude.”

Nina’s expression hardened. “Lies waste time. You may not value your time, but I value mine.”

“He did not have a stitch on him,” Emma insisted. “That’s why I gave him the blanket.”

“A detail you forgot to mention.” Her eyes narrowed. “And then what?”

“Then nothing. I skedaddled because there was a naked green man in my barn! Does that sound like a man in league with Lord Draven?”

Nina folded her arms over her chest, holding the grimoire close. “I believe he’s Draven’s creature. Perhaps he escaped in the battle. Perhaps he’s an agent sent here to cause confusion and split our forces.”

“That’s a lot of speculating.”

“Either way, it’s a monster and will be dealt with accordingly.”

“You’re assuming Hal’s dangerous.”

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