Chapter 4

I PUSH OPEN THE DOOR to “Frost’s Festive Finds,” and a wave of peppermint and pine washes over me. The shop’s interior is a kaleidoscope of Christmas colors, but something’s off. The shelves aren’t neatly arranged as I remember from my first visit. Instead, they float in midair, shifting and rearranging themselves like a giant 3D puzzle.

“This is new,” I say, eyeing the moving shelves warily.

“Not entirely. The shelves often rearrange themselves, but not to this extent.” Frost steps in behind me, eyeing the chaos. “The Heart’s instability is affecting the shop’s magic. We’ll need to navigate carefully.”

I scan the room, trying to spot the Christmas Star among the chaos. “Any idea where you last saw it?”

“It should be on the top shelf near the back,” he says while looking around the room. “But with everything moving...”

A shelf zooms past us, narrowly missing my head. I duck instinctively. “Great. So we’re looking for a needle in a haystack, and the haystack is trying to decapitate us.”

Frost’s lips twitch, almost smiling. “Your human sayings are quite amusing. Shall we begin our search?”

I nod, stepping forward cautiously. A path seems to open up between two shelves, but as soon as I move toward it, they slam together. I jump back, bumping into Frost. He steadies me with his hands on my hips, creating a strange tingle where we touch.

“Perhaps we should approach this methodically,” he says. “I’ll start on the left, and you take the right. We’ll work our way to the center.”

I raise an eyebrow. “Methodically? In this chaos? We don’t have time for that. We need to grab that star before midnight.”

“Patience is key in magical endeavors.” He sniffs. “Rushing could lead to mistakes.”

I roll my eyes. “And being too cautious could mean we don’t find it at all.” As an accountant, it’s odd for me to argue that we should rush in, but the situation is extraordinary. “I get that you’re the expert on magic here, but I’m pretty good at problem-solving. How about we try it my way first?”

Without waiting for an answer, I dart forward, ducking under a low-hanging shelf and weaving between two others. Frost calls out behind me, but I’m focused on the task at hand. I spot a glimmer of gold near the back of the shop and make a beeline for it.

As I reach for the star, a shelf swoops down, forcing me to roll out of the way. I end up behind a display of nutcrackers, their painted eyes seeming to follow me.

“Evony?” Frost appears beside me, his silver hair slightly disheveled. “Are you all right?”

“I’m fine.” I brush off my clothes. “I think I saw the star over there.”

He gives me a stern look. “We need to work together on this. The shop’s magic is unpredictable right now.”

I’m about to argue when I notice something odd. The shelves seem to be moving in a pattern, almost like... “It’s a dance,” I whisper.

“What?”

I grab Frost’s hand without thinking. “Look. The shelves are moving like they’re dancing. If we can figure out the rhythm...”

His eyes widen in understanding. He squeezes my hand, and that strange tingle returns. “Brilliant observation, Evony. Shall we dance?”

Together, we start moving through the shop, stepping in time with the shelves’ movements. It’s like a complicated waltz, with Frost leading and me following his cues. We weave between floating displays, duck under swinging signs, and twirl past precarious stacks of gift boxes.

When we near the back of the shop, I spot the star again. “There.” I point with my free hand.

Frost nods, guiding us closer. Just as we’re about to reach it, a group of small, fluffy creatures hop into view. They look like a cross between rabbits and cotton balls, with big, innocent eyes.

Frost stiffens. “Floffels,” he whispers, his voice tense. “Don’t make any sudden moves.”

I stare at the adorable creatures. “They’re so cute. What’s the problem?”

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.

“Evony, wait—” Frost starts, but I’m already reaching out.

My fingers brush the star’s surface, and a jolt of energy surges through me. The shop around us fades away, replaced by a swirling vortex of light and color. Images flash before my eyes—a snow-covered forest, a group of elves crafting toys, and a sleigh soaring through the night sky.

I gasp, overwhelmed by the visions. Instinctively, I focus on steadying my breathing, imagining roots growing from my feet into the ground. To my surprise, the chaotic energy begins to calm. The star’s erratic flickering slows, settling into a steady, warm glow.

The vortex dissipates, and I’m back in Frost’s shop. The star rests in my palm, its light now strong and constant. I look up to see him staring at me, eyes wide with astonishment.

“How did you do that?”

I shake my head, still processing what just happened. “I... I don’t know. It just felt right.”

He takes a step closer. “Do you realize what you’ve done? You’ve stabilized an ancient magical artifact with no training. That’s extraordinary.”

Heat rises to my cheeks under his scrutiny. “I’m sure it’s nothing. Maybe the star just needed a human touch or something.”

Frost shakes his head. “No, it’s more than that. You have a gift. A connection to magic that I’ve rarely seen in humans.”

I open my mouth to protest, but the words die on my tongue. How can I deny what just happened? The visions and the energy coursing through me were unlike anything I’ve ever experienced.

Frost gently takes the star from my hand, brushing his fingers against mine. That same spark of energy passes between us, and his eyes widen slightly. He places the star in a velvet pouch, then turns back to me.

“Thank you, Evony,” he says, his voice softer than I’ve ever heard it. “Your help has been invaluable.”

The warmth in his tone makes me tremble. I’m abruptly lost in his gaze, noticing flecks of silver in his eyes that are currently a deep purple. The air between us feels charged, like the moment before lightning strikes.

I clear my throat, breaking the spell. “We should probably get going. We still have two more items to find, right?”

He blinks, as if coming out of a trance. “Yes, of course. The Snow Globe of Eternal Winter awaits us at ‘Mystic Melodies.’”

As we make our way out of the shop, I replay the moment in my mind. The way Frost looked at me, and the awe in his voice, stirs something deep within me, a longing I didn’t know I had.

Too bad there’s no time for that now. We have a town to save, and apparently, I have some latent magical ability to figure out. Just another day in Evershift Haven, I suppose.