on Christmas Eve, but I know it can work the same way for just about anyone in the world.
I shake the snow globe gently, watching the snow swirl for a moment before whispering, "Find Nick."
Iâm rewarded with a clear vision of the man Iâm supposed to marry, convince to marry me.
He has his back to me, but I can tell by the broadness of his shoulders and the long leanness of his torso that he must be tall. His hair is a light, sandy brown, cut short. Different from Ebrillwenâs description.
As he moves I can see heâs been crouched on the floor wrapping Christmas presents. All the accoutrements are there: scissors, tape, ribbon, bows, and shiny glitter bedecked paper. I tip the snow globe back in confusion for a moment and the picture gets hazy. Last time I checked, the date in the human world was still late November. Here at the North Pole that means virtually nothing since this is our busy time, but I clearly remember Elwyn telling me the vast majority of humans wait until the last minute to buy and wrap Christmas presents. They simply don't appreciate the holiday enough. Hmm. Maybe Iâll fit in after all.
Righting the snow globe again, I continue to watch Nick wrap presents. Maybe it won't be so hard to convince him to be the next Santa Claus after all. I mean, anyone who likes Christmas enough to shop and wrap gifts early must love the holiday. Maybe he'll even be excited.
A moment after I have this thought, Nick turns around and I see his face for the first time. Iâm stunned. So much so that I drop the snow globe on the comforter in front of me, erasing his image for a second. Frantically, I scramble to call the image back. Through the thick of the snow, Nick returns.
He has to be the most handsome man Iâve ever seen, but he looks just like The King of Winter. The spitting image if there ever was one. His face holds all the same planes and angles, and his eyes have the same mysterious shadow. A chill sweeps through me and I hunch deeper under my covers for warmth.
The physical similarities remind me that Iâm not dealing with a human but rather the child of immortals. Iâm not immortal so this fact alone terrifies the snot out of me.
As my thoughts begin to turn toward the darkness that follows The King of Winter and his wife everywhere, Iâm distracted by a woman entering the picture in the snow globe. She's older, and the way Nick lights up, I assume this must be his foster mother. His grin knocks all darkness away from his face. He is transformed. This Nick fills me with warmth I don't understand. I can't wait to meet him.
Tucking the snow globe next to me on the bed, I settle back on my pillow.
Sleep must eventually have come because all too soon Ebrillwen is shaking me, holding a little clock up to my face. The face glows blue in the dark. Can it really only be four o'clock? My brain shrieks at the thought. Instead I force myself to roll out from my warm cave in the covers and drop my feet to the plush carpet. What will my room be like at Nick's house? The thought catches me off guard. These past few weeks, I haven't bothered to think much about Nick, his family, or his world. Iâve concentrated on storing the information Elwyn has thrown at me about the culture and the social norms.
Iâm well aware how hard my task will be. As I pull on my traveling outfit, I try to think of ways to approach the whole "hey, you're going to be the next Santa Claus thing." Well, ways that don't sound totally and completely insane. So far Iâm drawing a complete blank.
"I'm sure your journey will be swift," Ebrillwen says as she helps me into my coat with the fuzzy red hood.
She would come with me if she could, but an elf in the human world would be far too obvious. I need to keep somewhat of a low profile.
"Hopefully," I say.
Once Iâm dressed I slip downstairs, past my sisters' doors, still shut while they slumber inside. My mother and father are waiting for