Page 75 of Christmas Magic

The container holding the last of Cora’s cookies sat near the laptop. Molly tried to concentrate on the computer screen, but her gaze kept returning to the container.

Damn Cora.

Molly snatched up the plastic tub, marched to the trash can, and threw away the cookies.

“Cora might bring more,” Galahad said.

“I’ll deal with that situation if it happens.”

Molly returned to the laptop. She scrolled down the page and tried to decipher the information. “What’s that?”

“Hmm. Looks like a slight anomaly. Inside the store last night.”

Molly caught her breath. “What could have caused that?”

“Not sure,” the squire said.

She pushed the chair back. “We’d better go check the store.”

Half-listening to Daisy scolding Tim, who was protesting a time-out, Molly raised her hands, palms up, in the air. She slowly moved them, exactly as Lucian had shown her, over the shelves holding the dark magic antiques. Hallmarks glowed in the air, along with shimmering layers of protective spells. All seemed to be in order.

The energy flare had to have come from an item in the main area of the store.

Highly unusual, since Lucian thoroughly assessed each antique for magical properties. The Experts had rules that only items with very little to no magic could be sold.

Taking care to conceal the magic in her palms—just in case any passersby looked in—Molly made her way down the right side of the store…until she spied the white cat saltshaker sitting on an inlaid table.

How odd.

She’d shelved the saltshaker in the rear room. Lucian wouldn’t have set it out for sale, because she’d told him she wanted to find the pepper shaker and sell them as a pair.

“How did the saltshaker get here?” Molly murmured.

At Coquina Castle, rambunctious children and half-awake parents clutching beverage cups queued to see Santa. A light sweat beading on his brow, Lucian walked with Cora through the main gates and toward the throne, where once again, guarded by his elves, Santa held court.

As Lucian approached his lordship, memories came alive in his thoughts: recollections of other instances when he’d been nervous. He recalled the pride and anticipation of the day he’d knelt on cold flagstones and his liege had touched his sword to Lucian’s shoulders and bestowed knighthood upon him. He recalled his excitement when, with crowds cheering, he’d approached the lord of the tournament to be hailed as the overall winner and receive his purse of silver. He also recalled standing in the shadowed forest, breathing in the scents of loam and leaves while he waited for his lord’s signal to surround and arrest a band of thieves.

Today, meeting Santa, would be another moment worthy of memory.

On the decorated platform, his lordship chatted to a little boy seated on his lap. The child nodded, grinned, then clambered down. “Ho, ho, ho. Merry Christmas to you,” Santa called.

With a happy wave, the boy ran to rejoin his mother, who was standing beside an elf.

Judging by the line of subjects waiting to see him, Santa would be busy most of the day.

“How do I request an audience to see him?” Lucian asked.

Cora winked. “You could get in line.”

“Wait to sit on his knee?” Lucian didn’t know of any realm where knights and lords followed a sitting-on-the-knee custom. Yet, he just might not remember.

Cora tittered. “I was only teasing.”

Thank God.“As I knew.”

Sliding her arm around him, she said, “Let’s go talk to one of the elves. Maybe they can….”

Her body tensed. Lucian followed her gaze, to see Santa staring at them.