Page 9 of Return of the Nutcracker Prince

Her Nutcracker Prince.Her savior.

A burning need filled Clara’s chest to bursting.She couldn’t hold back her scream.

“Stop!”

Bright light eclipsed the clearing.The riflemen fired, but the bullets stopped in midair.A shielding wall of white light had formed around her, Klaus, and Peppermint.

“Klaus!”

Mounting Peppermint with a leap, he took up the reins with one hand, the other holding onto her.“Yah!”The big black stallion sprang into a gallop, his hooves kicking up snow and mud as they made their getaway.

In awe, she dared to look back.The wall of light shattered after they were gone from the clearing, and the mice gave chase.But Peppermint had greater speed, and soon they were a mere speck in the distance.

Their mount wove and dove through the trees.“What about Tinsel?”

“Tinsel will find her way home.She knows the way.”

“But she’s injured!”

Even her untrained eye could see the spots of blood marking the other horse’s path in the snow.

“What if she tires herself out and doesn’t make it?”Clara shivered and fought back tears.She would never forgive herself; it was her fault that they hadn’t gotten away in time.

Klaus pulled back on the reins, checking behind him while Pepper slowed to a trot.“Alright.We’ll try to find her and lead her home with us.She probably won’t let a rider on with that injury.”

Pepper’s hooves turned to the right, following the tracks left in the snow.They passed broken branches and clods of ice and mud churned up by a frightened mare.

“Should we call her?”

“I’m afraid that will give away our location.The mice may have gone back to their king to report, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have spies out here.”Klaus’s keen blue eyes trained on the ground ahead.“Keep an eye on the sun.We must get back before dawn.”

“Why?”

“Because I’d rather my parents didn’t find out I’ve been gone all night.”

His parents.The rulers of this strange land who needed help to defeat the Mouse King.

For a moment, she wondered if this was truly a dream, or if she’d gone completely mad.But she’d help them, no matter if this was real or not.If she woke up one morning back in her bed, so be it.

She took advantage of his proximity to inspect her rescuer in the moonlight and to reconcile his face with the boy she’d dreamed of previously.There was the pale thin scar from when her horrid little brother had damaged her Nutcracker.His uniform hadn’t changed, transforming into a handsome red jacket and pants with gold buttons and epaulets.It was smudged and worn with the dirt of battle, but hopefully his people could repair it.His dark brown hair was cut short in a military style, and unlike most men of her country, he grew no hair on his face.Not even a side beard.

Clara wouldn’t complain.Why should he cover that handsome cheek with prickly hair?The enchanting blue eyes had stayed the same.That’s how she knew this was her Klaus.

Her Klaus?Where had that come from?And while she had been protective of her Nutcracker at the party, she could not lay claim to a flesh and blood man, even in her dreams.Especially when she was betrothed to Berengar.

She choked back the bile that hit the back of her throat.It would be best not to think of him.

The hunt for Tinsel came to a halt at the entrance to a thicket.Here, the moonlight could not pierce the eerily silent shadows.

“I can’t go any further,” Klaus whispered.“That leads to Blumenland, and it’s under the Mouse King’s control.It would lead us straight to him.”

“Is she in there?”

“I don’t know.I can’t be sure.She may have gone home already, and we lost the trail.”

Her heart sank.“I’m so sorry.”

Klaus tugged on the reins, and Pepper backed up so they could turn.“It’s getting late, and we need to get to Süssland.Once we’re there, we’ll be safe.”

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