North Pole City Tales 03 - Vixen's Valor (9 page)

“Please, Vixen. You’ve done enough.” Vale pulled his hands out of Vixen’s and walked off, taking pieces of Vixen along with him. This wasn’t going to end like this. Vixen wouldn’t allow it. All his life he had been concerned with only himself, allowing his old heartaches to get the better of him. He’d hurt those closest to him, lost the greatest gift he could have been given. It was time for him to make a change. And he would start with that thieving toy soldier.

As Vixen headed for the front doors, he knew exactly who had the scepter, and he had every intention of getting it back. Rudy would be sore at him for not telling Jack, but this was Vixen’s mess. He couldn’t let anyone get hurt because of him. The fact a Frost family member was needed to wield the scepter meant Officer Fern had yet to use it, but it also put the Frost family in danger. Vixen didn’t know what the despicable toy soldier had in mind, but Vixen wasn’t about to run away. Not this time. The elf wouldn’t be so foolish as to attempt to wield its power himself.

Perhaps no one else knew where to start in finding the scepter, but Vixen did. He hailed a sleigh outside the palace and asked to be taken to the Claus Causeway. Every year more and more stops were added to their route. The world’s population continued to grow, which meant new names were added to Mayor Kringle’s lists. Coordinates were then added to those names, and they were filtered into the Rein Dears’ biplane consoles. All Vixen had to do was enter Officer Fern’s name into his biplane’s console, and he’d receive coordinates. Vixen was going to set things right if it was the last thing he did.

Chapter Eight

“W
HERE
THE
holly did he go?”

Vale glanced up at the sound of his cousin’s voice. After running into Vixen, Vale had needed a good stiff drink. Afterward, he’d wandered into the library. He’d been sitting in the window seat, staring at the falling snow, when he heard his cousin’s deep, threatening voice. Curious, he walked out into the hall to find Jack looking exceptionally cross.

“What’s wrong?” Vale asked, joining his cousin and a very anxious Rudy.

“That blasted little elf has disappeared.”

“Oh, I wasn’t aware you were still meeting with him,” Vale replied, the mere mention of Vixen sending a sharp icy pain through his heart. “He left.”

Jack narrowed his eyes. “What do you mean he left?”

“Plum pudding, Jack, what else do you think it means. He left.”

His cousin arched an eyebrow at his irritable tone but said nothing in regards to it. Instead, he planted his hands on his hips. “Damnation. We believe someone may have slipped something into his drink, or more likely got him well merry in order to get the information out of him. Not exactly a difficult feat considering Vixen’s penchant for cocktails.”

Vale gaped at his cousin. “You think whoever stole the scepter forced the information out of him?” Was it possible Vixen had merely been foolish and trusting, relaying the information without realizing?

Jack nodded. “It seems someone separated him from his Rein Dear brothers in order to get him alone. He was trying to remember, and now he’s just scurried off.”

“Why would he do that?” Rudy said.

“Probably scared and trying to save his own hide,” Jack grumbled.

“No,” Vale said with a deep frown. He folded his arms over his chest. “I don’t believe that.”

Jack cocked his head to one side, studying him. “Did he say anything to you?”

“He said he was going to make things right.”

Rudy went pale, his hand going to his lover’s chest. “Oh, Jack. He knows who stole the scepter.”

“And he’s going to try to get it back on his own. Oh, for Kringle’s sake, that elf is going to be the death of me.” Jack turned his attention back to Vale. “Have you noticed anyone new spending time with Vixen? Someone hanging around him far more often than usual?”

Vale thought about it when Rudy spoke up. “A toy soldier.”

“What?” Jack frowned, and Vale couldn’t blame him. His cousin had had his fill of unscrupulous toy soldiers quite some time ago.

“A dark-haired toy soldier,” Rudy clarified. “He was at the White Hart the evening Vale first asked Vixen to go on a sleigh ride. He was at the Causeway the next day and several times after looking for Vixen. Officer Fern, I believe. He seemed very interested in flirting with Vixen, so I didn’t think anything of it at the time.”

“You’re right.” How could Vale have forgotten? He supposed he’d done his best to put the toy soldier out of his mind, not wanting to think of another elf looking to bed Vixen. Crabapples. He should have been paying more attention, but he’d let his heart once again sweep him away.

“I’m willing to bet Officer Fern was at the pub last night. Come. I need to make a few phone calls.” Jack turned and headed for his office with Vale and Rudy close behind. Vale did his best to stamp down his anger. If Officer Fern was responsible for this, he was going to pay dearly. He hoped Vixen didn’t do anything drastic. Vale wished he hadn’t pushed Vixen away, but he’d been so upset. It wasn’t easy for him being powerless. It was as if a part of him were missing, as if he were hollow inside. Not being able to summon even the lightest of breezes had him feeling utterly restless.

Jack proceeded to make several calls, and as he sat beside Rudy in front of Jack’s desk, Vale couldn’t help the questions that arose. “I don’t understand. Officer Fern approached Vixen far before Vixen had learned of the scepter. So he couldn’t possibly have been looking to learn that information beforehand. And why Vixen? Why not any of the other Rein Dears?”

Rudy seemed to consider this. “Well, he wouldn’t have approached me, as I wouldn’t have given him the time of day. He must have known that. There was also the chance he would catch Jack’s attention, and that would have ended very badly. If he went after the scepter, he clearly had something in mind, something he intended to get from the Frost family. The only Rein Dears with any connection would be myself and, at the time, Vixen through me, and then of course through you.”

The idea appalled Vale. “Do you think Fern was seeking Vixen’s affections merely to get some form of information out of him? For what purpose?”

“For his brother.”

Vale and Rudy looked up at Jack, who finished returning the receiver to its place. A dark shadow crossed his cousin’s face, and Vale braced himself. Whatever Jack had just learned, it was grave.

“It appears Officer Fern has a brother imprisoned at the Mountain Fortress.”

Rudy’s eyes went wide. “You mean… he was one of the Mouse King’s elves?”

Jack nodded solemnly. “I believe Officer Fern has been searching for a way to free his brother. That’s not the worst of it.”

Vale jumped to his feet knowing exactly what his cousin was referring to. “If he manages to free his brother, he can free the Mouse King.” It had taken Jack years to catch the Mouse King, and in that time, he had wreaked havoc upon North Pole City and its surrounding kingdoms.

“Yes.” Jack moved his gaze to Rudy. “It also appears Vixen’s biplane is missing from the Causeway.”

“Oh no, Vixen.” Rudy got to his feet, mirroring Vale’s fear. “He’s heading for the Mountain Fortress to stop Fern. Jack, we have to do something. There’s no telling what Fern will do to him. And if Fern succeeds in releasing the Mouse King….”

“I’m coming with you,” Vale insisted, only to be met by his cousin’s hard gaze.

“No, you’re staying here. Fern isn’t an idiot. He knows you care for Vixen, and I have no intention on allowing him to use that to his advantage. Also, you have no powers.”

“That hardly means I’m useless,” Vale protested. Did his cousin truly expect him simply to sit idly by, twiddling his thumbs while Vixen was in peril?

“I didn’t say that. Please, Vale. Leave this to me. I’ll inform Hollis, and we’ll leave immediately. Rudy will stay and keep you company.”

Rudy didn’t look at all pleased by the idea either, but he nodded. “Very well.” He walked around the desk and wrapped his arms around Jack. “Do be careful, and please look after Vixen.”

With a gentle kiss and a promise, Jack was off. Vale dropped down into the chair with a sigh. His love was out there believing Vale had given up on them, on him. Who knew what dangers Vixen was facing? He got to his feet and started pacing the room—a family trait, it seemed. “This is ridiculous.” Vale came to a halt and turned to Rudy. “I can’t stay here and do nothing. Please, Rudy, you of all elves must understand.” After all, Rudy had gone off to face Jack after he’d lost his heart to the ice, not knowing what Jack would do to him. Yet his love had propelled him forward, and he’d done what was necessary to save his lover.

“You’re right,” Rudy replied, surprising Vale. “I know Jack will be awfully sore, but we can’t leave Vixen to them. I know Jack and Hollis would never wish harm upon a fellow elf, much less a Rein Dear, but they’re soldiers. If sacrificing Vixen was necessary for the greater good, I fear the choice they would make. I’ll take you to the Mountain Fortress. We can take my biplane.”

Vale’s heart swelled in his chest. “Lead the way.” Vale straightened his clothes and hair as they headed for the front doors. He grabbed his frockcoat and followed Rudy out toward the sleigh that would take them to the Causeway. For all their sakes, he hoped Vixen hadn’t found Fern.

F
OUND
HIM
.

Vixen peered out from behind the icy wall, watching Fern. After having left his biplane in the forest, several yards away from the Mountain Fortress entrance, Vixen had snuck inside the colossal prison of stone and ice, which really hadn’t been very difficult, considering Fern had gotten the drop on the guards and zapped them with his toy soldier’s baton. That fiend. How could he betray their kingdom? He’d zapped those poor unsuspecting toy soldiers, his own brethren. Vixen couldn’t let him get away with it. There was a reason Fern had come to the Mountain Fortress with the scepter, not to mention picked this particular chamber in this particular tower.

Back in the beginning, the King of Frost had carved the fortress into the mountains just outside Winter Wonderland to hold the most notorious of criminals. There were few guards, as all the prisoners were encased in ice, alive and unmoving. It was remarkably eerie. This chamber was vast, housing twelve rectangular compartments dug deep into the floor laid out two by two. In each compartment was a frozen prisoner. Security was limited because only the king could approve the release of a prisoner, and it wasn’t as though the prisoners could simply be melted out. Doing so would most likely kill them. It was all tied into the king’s magic. Was Fern here to set someone free? But how exactly did he plan to do that?

Fern disappeared behind a pillar, and Vixen straightened. Was the toy soldier hiding? Where had he gone?

“Vixen. How nice to see you again. You took a little longer than anticipated.”

Vixen swallowed hard.
Crabapples
. He felt the end of Fern’s baton stab into his back and he held his hands up.

“I’ve known you were here for some time. I’m a toy soldier, after all. You think I don’t know when someone’s following me? Especially since I all but invited you along? Move.”

“What are you talking about?” Vixen did as asked, walking farther into the frosty room, which was lit by the sun coming in through the one arched window and the half a dozen wall sconces.

“Come now. You really think I approached you because I was interested in you?” Fern let out a harsh laugh. “My, my. Aren’t we full of ourselves? I needed to find a way to get close enough to the Frost family to learn something useful, something that would help me get what I wanted. I couldn’t approach Rudy because of Jack. So naturally, there was Rudy’s loud-mouthed, selfish, gullible friend. You were so easy. And when I discovered Vale Frost was smitten by you, it was too good to be true. I knew eventually you would slip and give me exactly what I wanted.”

“And what’s that?” Vale replied through his teeth, furious he’d fallen for the wretched elf’s tricks.

“A way to free my brother.” Fern motioned toward the prisoners. “I knew once I had you, I would have Vale Frost, and then I would force him to release my brother from his icy prison. Then I would get him to release our master.”

“Your master?” What in Kringle creation was the horrid elf talking about? The toy soldiers served the kingdom under the Frost family. They always had. Well, except for that dastardly affair a couple of years ago where soldiers plotted to kill Jack—Vixen let out a gasp. “The Mouse King!”

“See, and here I thought you were just a pretty face. Don’t look so sad. You’ll be seeing your beau soon enough.”

Vixen pressed his lips together and said nothing. That’s where Fern was wrong. Vale wouldn’t be coming for him. He had no doubt someone else would be. Jack would make quick work of this traitor. A heartbeat later, and the chamber dropped in temperature.

“That must be your love now, come to save his precious Christmas elf.”

Vixen held back a smile. “I don’t think so.”

Jack and Hollis entered the room looking more imposing than ever, their expressions grave. “Release him, Fern, and I might spare you your brother’s fate,” Jack said, his pitch-black eyes gleaming dangerously.

“What are you going to do?” Fern scoffed and held the end of the scepter against Vixen’s temple.

Jack’s eyes frosted over, and his hair drained of its color. The wind picked up, and the temperature continued steadily to drop. “Easy. Freeze you both. Sort it out later.”

Fern gaped at Jack. “You can’t be serious.”

Hollis took a step forward, his eyes frosting over like his cousin’s and the left side of his hair turning white. “Do we look like we’re kidding?”

“You’d chance killing him? How well would that go over with Kringle? The Big Flight is in two days.”

“I’ll fly in Vixen’s place until a new Rein Dear is appointed,” Jack said, his face turning to Vixen. “I’m sorry, Vixen. You know as well as I do that it won’t stop with the Mouse King. This fortress is holding some of the most dangerous magical creatures in our history. It’s not only our kingdom’s safety that’s at stake.”