The Snowmaiden, A Bride for Krampus - Jeanette Lynn Page 0,32
to him, the sound was echoing lightly in the quiet of the caves—all but for Shnikel’s rumbling and almost quiet suckling.
“He wouldn’t?” My eyebrows raised and I glanced over the Elkfen’s shoulder.
“Of course not. He’s our friend. He put you in there to save Shnikel and…” And now the deer-man was at a loss.
“But save him how?” I pressed, running my hand up one of Shnikel’s horns, smoothing it up the rings along the base. Shnikel began to make annoyed grunting noises until my fingers found their way back to his head fur. A chest clicking, rumble muffling purr of a rattle left him.
Ded’s eyes widened and he just stared.
“Think about it, Ded-dear,” I murmured sweetly, my sarcasm lost as his ears twitched and he began to fidget at the endearment.
He didn’t get it, nor did Ded catch Bels walking up behind him, shovel in hand, raising it up to make a noise that had him turning, to whack the Elkfen right in the side of the head with the digging implement. Ded’s eyes rolled up into his head and he crumpled to the ground in an unconscious heap.
Waiting until the crack of Ded’s horns echoed into the space to draw closer, he dropped the shovel in his hand with a clattering smack. Nudging the downed male with the toe of his jingle belled shoe, the Elf leaned over him.
One glance at me, then the Krampus hovering protectively as my Krampus’ cock wetly slid free of me, the Elf grabbed one of Ded’s horns and began to drag him by it. “Never thought Ded would fall but giving in to temptation seemed to be his downfall,” he muttered wryly. With a soft tsk, the sound of him dragging Ded loud in the quiet of the room as we watched, he almost seemed happy about all this. Ded’s chest was moving. He was still breathing, still alive.
“I’m wondering what felled Shnikel to begin with…?” Bels shook his head.
I wasn’t certain if he was talking to me or himself.
“Maybe he was naughty, and that’s the catalyst,” I suggested with a pointed look in his direction, insinuating this was all his fault and maybe he should jump off that damned high horse he was already teetering atop. I had a feeling I wasn’t wrong.
“And what makes you think it wasn’t yours?” the Elf sneered. “Think you this is the first Nic has heard of you, has searched for Lady Lyddie’s kinfolk in the other realms? Pfft.”
“How is an Elkfen I’ve never met before going Krampus my fault?” What was the Elf drinking? Who spiked his eggnog? What did I unknowingly have to do with it?
Dumping Ded into the cell directly across from us, he stood, dusting off his hands, and turned to study us. “Who do you think kept the news I’d found you from the big guy?” His eyes shimmered like tinsel sparkling on the tree. Stepping over Ded, he exited the cell, leaving the door to his friend’s new cage open to tromp over to us. “Think you these are the first friends I've lost to the curse? My dear, contrary to what I’ve said and poor Ded was led to believe, I’ve had my eye on hunting down your line for some time. That Elves gone dark to disappear business is for the partridges in the pear trees.” Lowering his voice to a whisper, he continued, “Sandy Klaus thinks he’s so smart, like I wouldn't figure it out. Merry Alfka didn’t run away, he sent her away, and after some research and thought, that’s how I knew it had to be true.” He shook his head. “That globe he loves sees all, but it’s hardly monitored, just left there in the main foyer for any fool who knows how to make use of it to help themselves.”
“So you’re saying...” I pressed, gesturing helplessly.
“That it’s you, your line, you imbecile. Your blood, you, whatever it is that idiot looming over you helped himself to that Cocoa monkey She-Kringle Mrs and Jolly ol’ Sour Paws thought to protect you from being party to. You really are the key to it all!”
“I wasn’t a random pickup,” I blurted.
“Of course not.” Bels waved a hand behind him at Ded. “A cleverly planned ruse on my part. I needed the bumble brains muscle to move you.” With a quick glance over his shoulders and a roll of his eyes, I huffed. “I suppose I owe him something…”