Claus

Four

The Fae growled behind her. "I thought I told you, I didn't want to see you again anytime soon."

            Jack wiped at his nose as if there were blood there, but there wasn't any. "Cassian."

            The Fae dragged Faryn to her feet before turning her around to face him until there was hardly any space between them. It was apparent by the bits of blue underneath his skin, that was almost as white as fresh snow, that he was a Fata. No matter the color of a Fata's skin, they always had traces of blue underneath, a side effect of the enamel they relied on as a vitamin. It wasn't always visible though. Sometimes the right angle or lighting was needed. The eyes of this Fata lacked color. They were such a light gray they were nearly silvery white. His ears were pointed like Faryn's. And though his wings were not to be seen, a Fata could summon them whenever they wished.

            His lips, which were more white than pink—appearing as if they had been frosted over— were pressed together in a frown as he eyed her cousin.

So this was the Cassian Etend, Flozzie's son. The next Tooth Fairy.

            The Fata removed one of his hands from Faryn, but that only meant his other gripped her tighter. "I thought you were sent to find her, not kill her."

            Jack prowled forward, but Cassian raised his hand and a white fog clamped around Jack's waist, halting his advance. Jack bared his teeth as he struggled. "Release me."

            Cassian's white hair rustled in the wind. It unsettled Faryn how similar her cousin's features were to the Fata holding her. Cassian was taller than Jack though, his stature more regal than sly like Jack Frost's.

            He tugged her backward, both their boots crunching the snow. "I'll take her from here."

Faryn's dagger shimmered on the ground near her feet.

            "She's my family." Did he forget he disowned her? "This doesn't concern you."

            "If you kill her, you could ruin any shot of finding Claus."

            Jack yanked at the fog's hold but couldn't break free. "I wasn't going to kill her."

            "Because that's what it looked like."

            One of Jack's hands broke free, and he threw it outward. A cloud of frost and snow barreled toward them, forcing Cassian to withdraw his fog and throw it up before the both of them as a wall.

Jack ran at them, and Cassian released Faryn. She dropped down to the ground and retrieved the dagger.

            With the two men focused on one another, Faryn turned to flee and crashed right into a chest padded with a wool sweater. Two hands wrapped around her wrists and squeezed until she dropped the dagger. She tried pulling away, but the woman's brown eyes narrowed at her. Peeking out over the top of the black bun she wore was a wooden stick.

Faryn's heart sunk.

Not a stick. A broom.

            Befana.

            Faryn struggled, but the Laihr held on tightly and looked over Faryn's shoulder.

            "What is going on?" she demanded.

            There was a thud from behind Faryn, and snow flew up in the air around her a moment before Cassian slid beside her feet. He growled and threw out one hand. Forced to remain facing Befana, she couldn't see what it did but heard another thud, so it must have been effective.