Page 62 of Of Magic and Reindeer
Don moved closer, his massive frame blocking the sky. “You won’t.”
“How can you possibly know that?” I crossed my arms. “I almost destroyed the North Pole.”
Pierce stepped forward. “And yet here we are, standing before you unafraid.”
“That’s because you’re idiots.”
Vix snorted, kicking at the snow. “Well, she’s got us there.”
Despite everything, my mouth twitched. I pressed my lips together to stop the smile from forming and took Blitz’s hand. “I was exiled for being too dangerous.”
Blitz’s expression softened as he pulled me to my feet. “You weren’t exiled. If you were, your magic wouldn’t have returned after being gone for so long, and we wouldn’t have been called to you.”
My eyebrows nearly shot off my forehead. “You were called to me?”
Pierce moved closer, his fingers tucking hair behind my ear. “In September, we started to feel a gentle tug that we needed to findsomething.”
Don took my free hand. “We followed it, and it led us to you.”
My throat tightened. “But… why?”
“You don’t feel it?” Vix’s head tilted, his eyes searching mine as he came to stand in front of me. I was now surrounded by four reindeer men who were staring at me with an intensity that made my knees wobble.
Did I feel it? The pull toward them? The inexplicable possessiveness? The bone-deep desire to make them all mine?
“I do feel something.” I stepped out of their circle, overwhelmed. “Does my dad know his reindeer went on a mission to find his daughter?”
Pierce lifted his chin in defiance. “We’re not the lead reindeer herd. At least not yet.”
I was about to ask him to clarify the reindeer hierarchy when a snowball hit Pierce in the face with no warning. I froze, watching snow drip down his stunned face, tiny crystals clinging to his dark lashes as he blinked in disbelief.
Vix doubled over, cackling so hard he nearly collapsed. “Your face! Holy shit, your face!”
Pierce slowly wiped the slush from his cheek, his eyes narrowing dangerously as he looked between the three other men. “Who threw that?”
Don, stone-faced as ever, casually bent down and gathered a handful of snow, packing it in a way that led me to believe he was an expert at it.
“Don’t you dare!” Pierce backed up, one hand raised defensively. “You know how much I hate?—”
The snowball hit him square in the chest with such force he stumbled backward.
My hand flew to my mouth, stifling a surprised laugh that bubbled up unexpectedly. Something warm and forgotten flickered inside me, pushing back against the crushing weight of everything I’d learned.
Blitz scooped up a massive handful of snow. “Oh, it’s on.”
Chaos erupted. Snow flew in every direction as the men launched into battle with the intensity of warriors rather thangrown men playing in the snow. I stood back, watching them with a mixture of disbelief and unexpected delight.
Pierce dodged a vicious throw from Vix only to slip, landing flat on his back with a muffled curse.
A laugh escaped me, and four sets of eyes turned to me.
Blitz’s face split into a wicked grin. “She laughs! But not for long.” He launched a snowball directly at me.
I yelped, ducking before it could hit me. “Hey! I’m not part of this!”
Vix’s snowball clipped my shoulder. “You are now, princess.”
I grabbed a fistful of snow, packed it tight between my gloved palms. The men had formed a loose semicircle, each armed with fresh ammunition.
