Page 11 of Elven Kisses & Winter Wishes

As if in answer, one of the floffels opens its mouth, revealing rows of razor-sharp teeth. The others follow suit, their cute facade melting away as they advance toward us.

Frost’s grip on my hand tightens. “Run.”

We turn and sprint through the maze of shelves, the floffels hopping after us with surprising speed. Frost pulls me along, his touch unexpectedly warm despite his icy appearance. We dodge and weave, barely staying ahead of the snapping floffels.

“There.” Frost points to a sliver of light between two shelves. We dive through the gap just as it starts to close, leaving the floffels on the other side.

We stand there, catching our breath, and still holding hands. I look up at Frost, noticing how the light catches in his silver hair. “So,” I say between pants, “Cute and fluffy until they show their teeth, huh?”

Frost chuckles, a warm sound that seems at odds with his cool exterior. “Indeed. Floffels are quite the menace when agitated. Are you all right?”

I nod, suddenly very aware that we’re still holding hands. I reluctantly let go, missing the warmth immediately. “I’m fine, but we still need to get that star.” As I turn to go back the way we came, I realize we aren’t in his shop any longer.

A vast expanse of shimmering ice caverns stretches before us, their crystalline walls refracting light in dazzling patterns. The air is crisp and clean, with a hint of mint that tickles my nose.

“Wow,” I say, eyes wide as I take in the alien landscape. “Where are we?”

Frost steps closer, resting his hand lightly on my back to steady me. “A pocket dimension. This must be where the floffels originated.”

The cavern walls pulse with an otherworldly blue light, casting dancing shadows across the icy floor. Stalactites of pure ice hang from the ceiling like frozen chandeliers, and in the distance, I hear the faint tinkling of what sounds like wind chimes.

“It’s beautiful.” I turn to look at Frost, struck by how the ethereal light makes his silver hair shimmer. Our gazes meet, and for a second, the world seems to stand still.

His hand on my back feels warm despite our frigid surroundings. He leans in slightly, and I find myself moving closer too. Our lips are just inches apart when a loud squeak breaks the spell.

We jump apart, spinning to face the source of the noise. A floffel, easily twice the size of the ones we encountered in the shop, stands before us. Its fluffy body quivers with what I can only assume is rage, and its mouth opens to reveal rows of razor-sharp teeth. It screams protective mama bear...er, floffel...vibes.I’d bet the littles we encountered in Frost’s shop belong to this big, angry mother, looking for her babies.

“Time to go,” he says, grabbing my hand.

We dash back through the sliver of light, tumbling into the questionable safety of Frost’s shop. The giant floffel’s angry squeaks echo behind us and is getting closer.

Frost doesn’t waste a second. He raises his hands, and a swirling vortex of snow appears in the center of the room. The floffels, caught off-guard, are swept up into the miniature blizzard. With a final gesture, Frost directs the snow tornado back through the rapidly closing portal.

As the last floffel disappears, he slumps against a nearby shelf, his face pale and drawn. “That was more taxing than anticipated,” he says, his voice weak.

I rush to his side, placing a hand on his shoulder. “Are you okay?”

The moment my fingers make contact, a spark of energy seems to pass between us. Frost straightens up, color returning to his cheeks. He blinks in surprise, looking from my hand to my face.

“I’m...fine,” he says slowly, a strange expression crossing his features. “Better than fine, actually. How did you do that? Only another fae should be able to boost my energy.”

I quickly pull away my hand, suddenly self-conscious. “I didn’t do anything. You must have just needed a moment to recover.”

Frost opens his mouth as if to argue, then closes it again. An awkward silence falls between us, and I think about our almost-kiss in the ice cavern. My cheeks heat up at the memory. “We should probably get back to looking for that star,” I say, desperate to break the tension. “The Heart of Haven isn’t going to fix itself.”

Frost nods, seemingly grateful for the change of subject. “Yes, of course. The star should be easier to find now that the floffels are gone.”

We begin our search anew, carefully navigating the still-floating shelves. As we work, I sneak glances at Frost. That moment in the ice cavern... Was it just the stress of the situation? The alien beauty of our surroundings? Or was there something more between us?

I shake my head, trying to focus on the task at hand. We have a town to save. Whatever I think I felt—whatever almost happened—will have to wait. Right now, finding that star is all that matters.

I weave through the maze of floating shelves, scanning for any sign of the Christmas Star. Frost follows close behind. The shop’s chaos has settled somewhat, but the shelves still drift lazily through the air, occasionally bumping into each other with soft chimes.

“There.” I point to a glimmer of gold nestled between two ornament-laden shelves. The Christmas Star hovers above a pedestal, its light flickering erratically.

Frost’s eyes widen. “Good eye, Evony. We need to approach carefully. The star’s magic is unstable.”

We inch forward, dodging a rogue shelf that swoops past. As we near the pedestal, I feel a strange pull, like an invisible thread tugging at my core. The star’s light pulses in sync with my heartbeat.

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