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Give your characters a makeover, decorate your very own living room, and sip hot chocolate by the fireplace! Free download christmas eve by jim butcher. As Vadderung , he is described as not all that imposing, though a man in good shape and in his early fifties. Lean and spare like a long distance runner only with heavy shoulders and arms. His hair is long, a bit shaggy, and the color of a "thundercloud". His one eye is ice blue with a patch over the other eye that bears a vertical scar running from above the eyebrow, through the space where the eye would be, ending at mid-cheek. His laugh is hearty, "like Santa Claus must have had when he was a young man and playing football." [2] The top of Monoc Securities where was taken to meet Donar Vadderung is where it is said is the center of his power on Midgard. [Footnote 4] [Footnote 5] He tells Dresden that he could simply wish him dead. [2] According to Uriel, they know each other and are in similar fields. Uriel also warned Dresden to consider Vadderung's words carefully. [3] In White Night , Dresden listed him as one of the Freeholding Lords with rights under the Unseelie Accords, when telling Murphy about what it means. According to Marcone, Vadderung is the current CEO of Monoc Securities. [4] , which is later confirmed by Gard. [2] Hugin and Munin are his assistants, and they do not like Dresden much. [5] Dresden first met them at Monoc Securities. They appeared as receptionists, pretty, tall, and deadly. [2] Kringle [ edit | edit source ] As Kringle , he is compared to a bear. He has broad shoulders, forearms nearly as large as his upper arms, a thick neck, a barrel chest and a huge frame. Kringle's hair is short, white, "shining clean", his beard, long, white, and cascading over his chest like a fluffy wave. His eyes are "clean, winter sky blue". He has ancient scars of white-lines on his hands and face. He wears a coat of mail, and an open overcoat of a rich red, trimmed in white fur and held by a black leather belt. Tucked into his belt were a pair of white-fur-trimmed black leather gloves. His jovial laughs are frequently carried over the din of the parties he regularly attends at Mab's. [6] He enjoys a good battle every few years to keep his life engaging. [6] He sometimes joins the with the Lord Herne, surprising Harry Dresden, which always thought of him as Santa Claus. He also appears to know Sarissa and some secret about her, agreeing to remain silent about it. [6] In Cold Days , Kringle states that the Winter King may be another Mantle, worn seasonally by Donar Vadderung. He also states that hawthorn wood grows hot and "doesn't care for creatures of winter." [7] By "Christmas Eve", he informs Harry Dresden that a more complete form of his name is Kris Kringle . [8] Santa Claus [ edit | edit source ] As Kringle, he admits to assuming the Mantle of Santa Claus only after Halloween, drawing the line at doing so before that day. When Harry Dresden challenges him about it, he informs him that neither he, nor the Erlking, or Eldest Gruff are what they once were, and that a long life is rife with unexpected turns and windings, something that Dresden should know about. Santa Claus, furthermore, is something recent in the supernatural scene, many an old wizard never knew of him when he was children. [6] Santa Claus is one of Winter Kings. [9] In the series [ edit | edit source ] White Night [ edit | edit source ] In White Night , Donar Vadderung is mentioned as a signatory of the Unseelie Accords and helps John Marcone to become the first human Freelord of the Unseelie Accords. [4] Changes [ edit | edit source ] In Changes , Odin operates under the alias of Donar Vadderung, a powerful individual easily capable of laying out Dresden with a pure application of his will. He is known to test people on how well they upheld the traditions, obligations and responsibility as guest to host and vice versa. He'd reward the faithful and send a hideous demise to the miserly, callous, or cruel. [2] Harry Dresden visits Vadderung at Monoc Securities, led there by Gard at his invitation. Vadderung tells him he'll find his daughter in Chichén Itzá in a few days, about the Red Court's plan to use her as a sacrifice in Bloodline curse. It turns out to be exactly what Dresden needs for a successful recovery of his daughter. He also demonstrates his power, which is what he'll be facing against the Lords of Outer Night. Vadderung further states that Chichén Itzá is the center of their power and that they could just wish him dead as he could there at his center. [2] Later, he makes an appearance at the battle of Chichén Itzá with the Grey Council. He opens a Way for them—made from green lightning and having a shimmering archway—and again later, for those needing to leave. Before he goes, he gives Dresden a fencing-like salute with his spear. Ebenezar says that he doesn't give recognition like that lightly. [10] Cold Days [ edit | edit source ] In Cold Days , Harry Dresden meets him under the guise of Vadderung at McAnally's Pub to discuss regarding Demonreach, the dangerous entities imprisoned underneath it, their possible release and the island's possible imminent destruction. He names the destructive fire the Demonreach called the fail-safe that The Original Merlin put in place: "Banefire", informing Dresden that should it be triggered, it would mean the end of everything. [5] At the end Cold Days , Kringle turns to Dresden and winks, briefly showing the visage of Odin. He makes a statement in regard to Mantles and Masks as an explanation. [7] Dresden is first introduced to Kringle at Mab's combination birthday and introduction party for the new Winter Knight. [6] Kringle was a part of the Wild Hunt during which he goes after Dresden. Dresden succeeds in taking him down and Kringle concedes. Dresden takes over the Wild Hunt having defeated the Erlking as well. As new leader, Dresden commands that they hunt Outsiders to which there is a great cheer. [11] Later, Kringle informed Dresden that Mab took the new Ladies with her and Molly Carpenter will be returned to the apartment in a few days. In talking with Kringle, Dresden suggested neither Kringle nor the Erlking had fought to their full potential against him. Kringle responded, "No one can be given a power like the Wild Hunt, Dresden. He can only take it." Kringle advised Dresden to avoid breaking Mab's pride, especially in the presence of others. Kringle also indicated that on Halloween, people wear masks for a time and then discard them (every member of the Hunt wore a mask or was otherwise transformed/shapeshifted into a beast). Apparently, the same is true of Mantles. Just before leaving, Kringle winked at Dresden. And, for the briefest instant, Dresden saw Donar Vadderung's face melded with Kringle's face. Kringle sings Here Comes Santa Clause while walking away. [7] Skin Game [ edit | edit source ] In Skin Game , Mab arranged a meeting between Kringle and Harry Dresden, where it was established that Kringle and Odin were the one and the same, but that legally they were to be considered two different persons, so much so, that Mab could call on Kringle without objection, but she would have had to wait in line if she had called on Vadderung. In the meeting, he and Dresden arranged for covert operative to join the mission to Hades' Vault as a plant of Dresden's. [12] Peace Talks [ edit | edit source ] In Peace Talks , Vadderung attends the meeting of accorded nations under the Unseelie Accords. He acknowledges Dresden silently and subtly intervenes to stop Ferrovax from exposing the wizard's plans. [13] When Ethniu interrupts the summit, he is one of the few beings that she acknowledges, and the only one shown any respect. Calling him "One-Eye", she offers him the chance to join her and the Fomor in her upcoming attack on humanity. Nevertheless, Vadderung allies himself with the accorded nations, and offers to seal off all the Ways that the Fomor could take into Chicago, as well as contributing five hundred Einherjaren. [14] "Christmas Eve" [ edit | edit source ] In "Christmas Eve", Kringle stops by the Carpenter's to bring Harry Dresden a craft-store coffee mug, the very same mug Dresden made for his own father, full of hot coffee like he used to drink with his father on Christmas morning. [8] "The Good People" [ edit | edit source ] In "The Good People", Kringle challenges Molly Carpenter for taking up his work on Christmas Eve, but accepts her doing so in the night where Winter relents on its harshness. [15] Word of Jim [ edit | edit source ] According to Jim Butcher he is kind, the spirit of generosity in a time of bleakness. Jim also said that Santa Claus is the Winter King and goes by other names and the Erlking is the Summer King, though he is not to any court. He added that it's more accurate to say that Kringle is "a" Winter King, rather than "the" Winter King -- that the Kings are aligned with or related to the Summer or Winter, but not parts of those Courts. [16] Additionally, the kings' characters are opposite to the court to which they associated. Kringle is kindly which is opposite to the Winter Court and the Erlking is not so friendly. (No mention of Santa Claus being a Wyldfae.) [17] Here's some we might get to in the future. There actually are gods and stuff around and functioning in our world but they're posing as mortals because they're getting way more play as professional wrestlers and rock stars than they ever did as deities. In our world there's a lot of like the old Greek and Roman deities that are still hanging around, they just look very very different and they're not really allowed to do anything except hang on and watch and observe, they're not allowed to get involved in mortal affairs. So they tend to be a lot of smoke and mirrors and thunder and not a lot of things happening, they're not like Odin who is actually involved in the world and there's something right there. That is sort of the limit that the deities have found themselves running into. Eventually at some point in history there came a point where the Creator was like "okay guys, you were supposed to guide and protect humanity. You sort of did okay in some instances and some places but now it's time for the humans to be making their own way and everybody needs to step off and do it. And if you want to stay involved in the affairs of humanity you're going to have to play and be subject to death as a mortal just like everybody else." And can you really see Zeus going "oh I'm so enamored with the mortals I'm going to risk myself to help them"? You can't really see that but of all the deities in sort of the major western pantheons that I was looking at the one that I really thought would stay involved, it had to be Odin. It had to be the guy who would go to people's homes and visit them to check up that they were maintaining their host rights properly and stuff like that you know. He was genuinely involved with humanity. So I made him that character who said "alright I'll set aside my deific immortality and I'll throw into the game like anybody else will" and then immediately started building himself to become someone cool and taking all these other mantles to maintain his immortality so he could continue doing what Odin always did which was defend and teach humanity. I wanted to have that character in the world doing that that was so much fun to get to write I can't get enough of it I love it. [18] Quotes [ edit | edit source ] Speculation [ edit | edit source ] In Cold Days , Kringle states that he wasn't always known as Santa Claus and that it was a relatively new change, and that he participated in hunts with The Erlking. His position in The Wildhunt is later confirmed, when his hunter's mask was pulled away to reveal Kringle as one of its leaders. At the closing of Cold Days Kringle turns to Dresden and winks, briefly showing the visage of Odin. He makes a statement in regard to Mantles and Masks as an explanation. Throughout Cold Days , the mantles of the Knights, Ladies, Queens and Mothers are all mantles of power that when used slowly erode their host's sense of self, eventually blurring the lines between the bearer of the mantle and the mantle itself, often making the motivations of the bearer of the mantle identical to that of the essence of the mantle itself. That said, much has also been said of the power of free will for those mortals and entities of deep conviction to retain their individual aspects of self. At the close of Cold Days , Mab admits that she was once mortal and could make choices. It could be argued that her inability to act against Maeve was an extension of Mab's separation from the mantle of Queen. Donar Vadderung/Odin/Kringle etc. hints that a mantle and masks have very little functional difference in regard to the heart or motivations of the entity itself, and by his very existence suggests that mantles, masks, and aliases can be assumed, taken up, or discarded based on choice. Who Donar Vadderung really is most likely a mystery. One could argue that the Odin alias might not be the base entity but rather just another mask or mantle. Who or whatever the entity truly is might be described more effectively by their motivations. As such, the being appears to work in mysterious ways, seems to care for mortals enough to get involved, and is an advocate for free will. One thing remains fairly clear, the entity that is known as Donar Vadderung, is adept at taking up, and setting aside mantles of power and may be an example of an entity that uses his mantles as tools rather than the mantle using "Him". This might mean that entities not defined as "mortal" can use elements of free will, or that this entity is in fact mortal. Perhaps the example of Donar Vadderung may serve as an element of hope that those who have to deal with the influence of a mantle of power may retain their free will. A less optimistic alternative may be that the influence of the mantle depends on how powerful it is relative to its host - Odin was a god at one time (and is still worshipped by a small number of modern pagans, albeit probably with different rites) and so the mantle of Winter King may have less purchase on him than it might on a lesser entity like a fae or a mortal. Historically - based on known dark ages cults - it would also make sense for at least some lycanthropes to serve him under one of his guises. In mythology [ edit | edit source ] In mythology, Santa Claus is believed to be based on the merging of the myths of Saint Nicholas of Myra [Footnote 6] and the legends of the Norse God Odin. [Footnote 7] [Footnote 8] How to Read the Jim Butcher Books in Order. Last Updated on October 26, 2020 Jim Butcher is a popular author of high-fantasy novels. The Jim Butcher books in order take us to the words of Harry Dresden in his Dresden Files , the people of Alera in his stories, and to his new series, The Cinder Spires started in 2015. I have read all the Jim Butcher books so far and while the new Cinder Spires is great as well, I still love Harry Dresden the most. I grew up with these stories and they are really close to my heart. So here are the Jim Butcher books in reading order fin proper reading/chronological and publication order. The list will be updated with any new books the author will be writing next. Do note that the graphic novels are not currently included. They will be added at a later time. New Jim Butcher Book. Battle Ground (The Dresden Files #17), 2020. Jim Butcher Upcoming Books. Olympian Affair – release date TBD. The Olympian Affair has no publication date as of yet, but its actual publication seems more and more promising since the author couldn’t start working on it because he was writing his latest Dresden Files novel. So stay tuned for new info, as we update this section as soon as we know anything more. The Dresden Files Series Order. Restoration of Faith (#0.2), 2004 (#1), 2000 (#2), 2001 (#3), 2001 (#4), 2002 (#5), 2003 Vignette (#5.5), 2008 (#6), 2004 (#7), 2005 (#8), 2006 (#9), 2007 It’s My Birthday, Too (#9.2), 2010 (#10), 2008 Backup (#10.4), 2008 (part of the Side Jobs anthology) The Warrior (#10.5), 2009 (part of the Mean Street anthology) (#11), 2009 Love Hurts (#11.5), 2011 (#12), 2010 (#12.5), 2010 Ghost Story (##13), 2011 (#14), 2012 (#4.5), 2016 (#15), 2014 (anthology including a Dresden Files short story titled Monsters), 2019 (#15.1), 2018 (#15.5), 2014 (book #16), 2020 (#17), 2020. Codex Alera Series. , 2004 , 2005 , 2006 , 2007 , 2008 , 2008. The Cinder Spires Series. , 2015 The Olympian Affair , TBA. The Dresden Files Short Stories. The short stories in thes series are included in several collections, while some are free to read on the author’s website. However, most are included Side Jobs and Brief Cases . Here is the full list, with the reading sequence included under each title. Stories in Side Jobs. Restoration of Faith prequel to Storm Front. Vignette Takes place between and Blood Rites. Something Borrowed Takes place between Dead Beat and Proven Guilty . It’s My Birthday Too Takes place between White Night and Small Favor . Heorot Takes place between White Night and Small Favor. Day Off Takes place between Small Favor and . Backup — novelette from Thomas’ POV Set between Small Favor and Turn Coat. The Warrior — novelette from Mean Streets Takes place between Small Favor and Turn Coat. Last Call Set between Small Favor and Turn Coat. Love Hurts Takes place between Turn Coat and Changes . Aftermath Takes place after Changes. Stories in Brief Cases. Curses Takes place between Small Favor and Turn Coat . AAAA Wizardry Takes place between Dead Beat and Proven Guilty . Even Hand Takes place between Turn Coat and Changes . B is for Bigfoot Takes place between Fool Moon and Grave Peril . I Was A Teenage Bigfoot Takes place circa Dead Beat . Bigfoot on Campus Takes place between Turn Coat and Changes . Bombshells Takes place between Ghost Story and Cold Days . Jury Duty Takes place after Skin Game . Cold Case Takes place shortly after Cold Days . Day One Takes place after Skin Game . A Fistful of Warlocks Prequel story. Zoo Day Set after Skin Game. Other Short Stories. Christmas Eve Set sometimes after Changes and Cold Days . Monsters Takes place sometimes after Skin Game. Jim Butcher Biography. Jim Butcher was born in 1971 in Independence, Missouri as the youngest of three siblings. As a child, he got introduced to the world of the Lord of the Rings and Star Wars Han Solo Adventures when he was at home sick with strep throat and his sisters gave him several of these novels to read. He wrote his first book during his teenage years. This is when he decided that he would become a novelist. At the age of 25, when he was enrolled in a writing course in 1996, he wrote Storm Front , his first book in the Harry Dresden set of stories, as an exercise for the course. In a Jim Butcher interview, he wrote that while he started writing his first book in 1991, he didn’t actually make any money from the book sales until 1999. He got his first book in print in 2000. Between 1991-2003, until he made was finally able to support himself as a writer, he had various odd jobs, such as (in his own words) “a vacuum cleaner salesman, a clerk in a yogurt store, a secretary at my university, a librarian, a phone center operator, a freelance web designer, and a computer support technician.” At the same time, he was studying to get his English degree and was writing fiction as well. He tried to publish his first book for two years until the same agent who first discovered Laurell K. Hamilton also talked to him and decided to represent him. Penguin Books picked up the debut novel and published it in 2000. Over the years, the author has written three main series, The Dresden Files, Codex Alera, and the newer one, The Cinder Spires, which he started in 2015. So far, The Dresden File s is the author’s biggest success. The first book, Storm Front, introduces us to Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden, a wizard, and Chicago’s first and only wizard private investigator. While officially Storm Front is the first book in the Dresden Files series, Jim wrote a prequel that was published in 2004 where Harry was working a case before he became a PI, at a time when he owned with his partner Ragged Angel Investigations, which was focused on finding missing children. The book was very short, but if you really want to read the Jim Butcher Harry Dresden series in order, this is the one you should really start your journey with. It was made into a TV series which sadly didn’t really take off, as only one season was ever aired, despite the fans pleas that the show would be renewed. Jim Butcher’s book Skin Game received a nomination for the Hugo Award for Best Novel in 2015. While each book in the Dresden Files is a standalone story, the series should be read in the proper chronological sequence. The characters grow, evolve and form meaningful relationships throughout the novels, much of which is missed out on if you read the Dresden Files however you come across them. Codex Alera has only six novels. It is a fantasy book about Tavi, a young boy living in Alera in Calderon Valley (the only human civilization left), who is pretty much the only one who can not do any magic (fury, which is a type of elemental magic). This makes him rather a useless person. Due to various circumstances, he gets involved in politics and has lots of interesting adventures with his friends. The origins of Codex Alera is worth mentioning for those who do not know how it was all started. Jim was engaged in a flame war in a forum where unpublished writers mentioned that to write a good fantasy novel, an author needs to have a brilliant concept, a main idea. Jim claimed that proper characters, story complexity, and a solid execution are more important than the original plot. The Jim Butcher Cinder Spires series is a newer one, depicting a world of magic, noble families, and steampunk technology. This series is equally fast-paced just like the author’s previous two series. The book themes are not new (although steampunk is definitely interesting), however, he knows how to appeal to his long-time and new fans, who are devouring this new set of stories just as they are the Dresden Files and Codex Alera. The Jim Butcher Peace Talks (The Dresden Files #16) is released July 14, 2020. The author has paused writing the book because he was busy with writing a short story for Brief Cases anthology to be published in 2018. He only returned to continue writing The Dresden File Peace Talks in November 2017, so the book release has been repeatedly postponed. The next Jim Butcher new book which is waiting for a publication date is The Olympian Affair , book #2 in the Cinder Spires series. The author mentioned that he will work on the book as soon as Peace Talks is finished. Praise for Jim Butcher. What would you get if you crossed Spenser with Merlin? Probably you would come up with someone very like Harry, wizard, tough guy and star of [the Dresden Files]. (The Washington Times) One of the most enjoyable marriages of the fantasy and mystery genres on the shelves. (Cinescape) What’s not to like about this series?…It takes the best elements of urban fantasy, mixes it with some good old-fashioned noir mystery, tosses in a dash of romance and a lot of high-octane action, shakes, stirs, and serves. (SF Site) Think Buffy the Vampire Slayer starring Philip Marlowe. (Entertainment Weekly) Epic fantasy in the best way, inspired by Tolkien. (Simon R. Green) A stay-up-all-night-’til-you-finish-it- book, Furies of Calderon is a marvelous read. (Patricia Briggs) Filled with plot twists and white-knuckled suspense, this is a ripping good yarn that delivers terrific magic and nonstop action. (Deborah Chester) Die-hard fans who can’t wait for next year’s Ghost Story will want to rush to the final novella, “Aftermath,” starring Harry’s friend , but there are many others here worth reading… Adding value to this title are Butcher’s introductions to each story, filling the reader in on its place in the Dresden-verse time line and offering insight into the author’s intentions. (Library Journal on Brief Cases) References. Books Reading Order » Fantasy Authors » How to Read the Jim Butcher Books in Order. Free download christmas eve by jim butcher. my readers who, for whatever reason, aren’t sleeping tonight. Merry. Christmas, you magnificent weirdos. ‘Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the house, not a creature was stirring except me and Mouse. I sat in the middle of a lopsided circle of parts that spread out before me in a 180 degree arc, glowering at an instruction manual. “Why do they bother putting the assembly instructions in twenty different languages,” I all but screamed, “and then just have a drawing with numbers and letters and arrows. ” “Woof,” Mouse said, commiserating. He was over two hundred pounds of patient grey floof, and was better with people than I was. I went back to trying to assemble the stupid bicycle. Maggie needed to learn to ride a bike. A lot of little girls would have wanted the pink and purple bike. But Maggie’s favorite color was red. She insisted that the red ones go faster. “You need a degree and a NASCAR pit crew to do this!” I muttered darkly. Mouse sighed. Then he nudged my hand with his nose until I dropped the part I was trying to assemble. Then he picked up a different part in his huge, patient jaws, and handed it to me. “What am I supposed to do with this?” I demanded. “Other than wipe your drool off, you moose.” Mouse chuffed, and nudged my other hand with his nose. “I know you want to help,” I said. “But these two parts don’t—” The parts clicked together and locked, easily. Mouse’s tail went thump, thump, against the floor. “Nobody likes a wiseass,” I said darkly. Mouse’s tail went thumpthumpthumpthump and he grinned a doggy grin at me. “Are you laughing at me?” I demanded. I sighed, and ruffled his ears. “Fine. If you can’t beat them, join them.” I held up the paper so Mouse could peer at it. “Which one is next?” Mouse selected the next part, and I started bumbling around with it until I got it right. Then we did the next one. The fire in the fireplace crackled and popped. It was the only light. There were quiet footsteps and then Michael Carpenter appeared, a large man in his fifties with a thick, powerful build. He wore a comfortable robe belted over his pajamas, and carried a coffee mug in his hand. He paused in the doorway to his own living room and regarded me struggling, smiling quietly. “Maggie and Hank crashed about an hour ago,” he said. “So you have the rest of the night to get it done.” “Just say it,” I muttered. “I wouldn’t dream,” he replied. He took a sip of eggnog from his mug. His wife Charity made wicked potent nog. “It just wouldn’t be fair.” “You must have done a million of these things,” I said. “Or two,” he said, nodding. I spread my hands over the parts in exasperation. “Well?” “Oh,” he said, his voice serious—but his eyes were twinkling. “Harry, I wouldn’t dream of taking this joy away from you. This is what being a father is all about.” “Staying up all night cutting myself while I try to figure out this stupid thing?” I demanded. “Don’t forget being woken at the crack of dawn by excited children,” he said. Michael smiled faintly. “Don’t moan about it, Harry. I got pretty used to my Molly showing up at my bedside at 5AM with a cup of burnt coffee she made herself.” Something sad and tired touched the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes. “It’s the most annoying thing you’ll ever miss once it’s gone.” I looked up at him. “Most of my memories of my dad are of Christmas mornings,” I said. I swallowed and looked down at the potential bike. So much thought had to go into preparing it. Getting it ready for the world. “I just don’t want to screw it up.” Sympathetic pain flickered on his face. “Harry,” he said, “what do you remember most?” “Coffee,” I said instantly. “My dad would let me drink coffee on Christmas morning.” I smiled, remembering. “I mean, it was more like a cup of milk and sugar with a little coffee thrown into it, but I thought I was pretty big stuff. We’d make breakfast together and then he’d sit with me and open my presents and we’d spend the day playing with them.” Michael took a sip of nog and nodded thoughtfully. Then he smiled at me and said, “I think you’ll do just fine.” He cocked his head slightly, as if listening to a comment coming from an earbug. He let out a little snort and shook his head. “What?” I asked him warily. I looked around the room, at any potential unseen angelic presences and demanded, “What?” “Spoilers,” the ex-Knight murmured. “Merry Christmas, Harry.” And he limped silently from the room. I squinted at him, feeling very much as if I had somehow been bamboozled. Then I muttered something dark about the duplicity of paladins, retired or not, and went back to trying to figure out the bike. I got into it, focusing with as much intensity as I would spend on any spell. This was a mere child’s bicycle. It was no match for the intellect of a Wizard of the White Council. Plus I had Mouse to help. I’d been going along for a goodly while when there was a sudden gust of wind outside, so cold that it came flooding down the chimney, so intense that it made the flames flicker and gutter before they sprang up again. I looked up sharply, as my wizard’s senses told me that power was in motion. The flames in the fireplace guttered again, leaving the room in almost absolute blackness. When they sprang back up, the flames were green and blue and purple, dancing merrily. And the Queen of Air and Darkness stood above me. Queen Mab was as tall as me tonight—it changed, based upon her mood and her intentions. Her skin was white as frost, her lips as dark as frozen mulberries, and her hair had been made from the first snowflakes to fall through the virgin air. She was stunningly beautiful, immortal, had the power of a demigoddess, was the unquestioned queen of the wicked fae—and she was my boss. “My Knight,” she murmured, inclining her head. I wasn’t sure what protocol dictated for this particular circumstance, so I bowed my head slightly and said, “Good evening.” “Guardian,” Mab said. She bowed her head rather more deeply to Mouse. I get no respect, no respect at all. Mouse regarded Mab solemnly. His tail had stopped wagging. But he thumped a paw twice on the floor in response. Mab regarded the circle of parts around me, her head tilted. “A conjuring?” “Yeah. Kind of,” I said, scratching at my hair. “You aren’t here to call me in to work, I hope.” “Do not be ridiculous,” she said. “It is Christmas.” I lifted my eyebrows. “Christmas spirit? You?” She lifted her chin slightly. “Christmas falls within the realm of Winter, does it not?” I huffed out a little laugh. “Yeah. I guess it does. But I thought you had people for that.” “I do,” Mab said. “Yet…” She frowned, as if concentrating to make sure she repeated the phrase correctly. “It does not do for the boss to spend too much time in the office.” She paused for a breath and then said, “I have brought your gift.” I think my jaw bounced off my knee before it landed in the pile of parts. “What?” “You are participating in the holiday this year,” Mab said. “I have an obligation to my vassals.” “What?” I repeated. She took one hand out from behind her back and presented me with a small gift bag of wintry blue, covered with cheerful silver snowflakes. I eyed the bag. “Is it going to explode? Or try to eat me?” “Do not be tiresome,” Mab sighed. “Faeries don’t give gifts,” I said. “What kind of trick is this?” “The kind that isn’t,” she replied. “I am not giving you a gift. I am fulfilling to you an obligation.” I felt a smile touch the corner of my mouth. “Obligation, eh? Suppose I don’t accept?” A pained expression touched her eyes for about a tenth of a second. “That would be your choice. As would be the consequences.” “Well. That’s the first time I’ve ever been threatened into accepting a Christmas present,” I said. I took the bag. Inside was a jewelry box. Inside the jewelry box was a plain band that probably wouldn’t have fit on my pinky. It was made from some kind of silvery, opalescent metal. I brushed a fingertip over it. It hummed with stored energy. “Potent,” I said. “What does it do?” “It is meant for your daughter,” Mab said. “And it will give her powers.” I snapped the box shut and eyed Mab. “Excuse me?” She made an impatient sound. “Not like that, wizard,” she said. “If you give her the ring she will… have a certain amount of influence, until next stroke of noon, over the forces of winter.” She sighed. “And it will play music.” I narrowed my eyes. “What music?” Mab leaned over, opened the box, and obligingly touched the ring. It immediately buzzed and the room filled with a swirl of music, as a woman’s voice sang, “The snow glows white on the mountain tonight…” I shut the box on the sound and eyed her. It was just possible that I’d already heard that song enough to make my teeth itch. “Now I understand,” I said drily. “You are welcome,” she replied. “Just out of curiosity,” I said, “is it going to be possible for her to freeze someone’s heart and turn them into an ice statue?” Mab looked baffled. “Those are the powers in the motion picture. Should I have cheated her?” I rubbed at the spot between my eyes. “Got it. We’ll go someplace nice and quiet to play with this gift.” “Make sure she knows who gave it to her,” Mab said. Then the fire guttered again. When it returned to life, it was golden and merry, the way fire is supposed to be—and Mab was gone. “Leave me!” I called quietly to the empty air where she’d been. “Take me back! Haunt me no longer!” Mouse’s jaws dropped open in a grin. “Seriously?” I said, “You’ve read A Christmas Carol?” “Yeah, well,” I said. “Let’s get back to work.” And we did. We’d been going for a while when sleet suddenly rattled against the windows outside, the silent snow turning into a quiet chorus of clicks and pops. Wind gusted again—and there was the sudden sound of a key in a locked door. The front door of the Carpenter house opened slowly and quietly, and a tall young woman with white-blonde hair and ruddy pink cheeks, wrapped in a long and stylish winter coat came in out of the cold. “Molly,” I said, smiling. My former apprentice, now technically also my boss, beamed at me, crossed the floor and promptly gave me an enormous hug, which I returned. “Merry Christmas, Harry,” she said. “Merry Christmas, Molls,” I said. “Tell me it wasn’t you who talked to Mab about Maggie’s present.” “That was Sarissa,” Molly said. “She showed Mab the movie.” I tried to imagine Mab watching a Disney movie. She did not like Disney—not the company, and not the man. Disney had, in Mab’s opinion, done too much damage to the old faerie tales by sanding off all the unpleasant bits. According to Mab, it had weakened humanity in the face of supernatural forces, when they found out that the actual wicked fae were nothing like Disney promised. Trying to imagine her watching musical numbers made my brain hurt. I tilted my head and said, “You’re here to bring me a gift?” “Part and parcel of the whole Winter Lady gig,” she said, smiling. She rummaged in her coat and came out with a silver envelope decorated with white snowflakes. She presented it with a flourish and a little bow. “It’s a little symbolic, but I think you’ll like it.” I opened the envelope. It had one piece of paper in it. On it was written a very large number. “What is this?” I asked. “The total of everyone’s medical bills from last summer,” she said, her voice quieter, soberer. “Everyone who got hurt. It’s all paid for.” I didn’t want to think about the peace talks. Pain. So much pain. “What about the funerals?” I asked. My voice was bitter. Molly was quiet for a long moment before she said, gently, “Those too.” I bowed my head. I counted my breaths. “I’m sorry,” I said. “You’re trying to be kind and I’m just…” “Don’t,” she said. “It’s supposed to hurt, Harry. I’m glad you hurt. It means you’re still you.” I looked in the direction of the den, where Maggie and the youngest Carpenter children had fallen asleep watching movies. “Sometimes,” I said, “I can’t believe how arrogant I am. If it wasn’t for the kid…” Molly leaned down and rapped me sharply on the crown of the head with one knuckle. I eyed her and scowled. “Hey.” “Stop it,” she said. “You didn’t choose for things to fall out the way they did. You did everything in your power to stop anyone from being harmed. And you risked an awful lot getting in everyone’s face after the battle. It helped a whole lot of people.” “People who might not have gotten hurt in the first place if—” Molly rapped me on the head again and said, “You’re like a broken guilt record.” She sighed. “Can I give you a piece of advice, Harry?” I squinted at her. “What.” “When I was a kid, my mom spent a whole lot of time telling me how I should behave.” “And that worked out,” I said. She smiled, a flash of warmth that vanished into a little sadness. “Looking back, mostly what I did was whatever my dad did.” She put a hand on my shoulder, leaned over, and pressed a cool, sisterly kiss against my cheek. “Maybe you should think about what you want to teach Maggie.” I scowled and looked down. “You can forgive yourself, Harry,” she said gently. “The world won’t end. And it would be good for your daughter.” “Cheap shot,” I said. She nodded. “But no less true.” I looked down at the half-assembled bike. “That… is something I never learned to do,” I said. “Then I guess you’ve got some work ahead of you.” I hate it when the Grasshopper has me dead to rights. “Good enough for me,” said the Winter Lady. She laid her cold hand against my cheek for a moment and then rose. “You’re not staying?” I asked. Molly shook her head. “Still trying to get my cohorts back to full strength. I’ve got pickups in Japan, Norway and Siberia tonight. I’ll be back in time for morning presents.” “Good,” I said. I wanted to see her face when she saw the Hoth-gear Princess Leia action figure I’d gotten for her. “You made some enemies last summer. Watch your back, Molls.” Molly gave me a brilliant smile that was just a little too toothy to be warm. “I don’t watch my back, Harry,” she said. “I make other people watch theirs.” She rolled her eyes. “I’ll be careful.” “You’ll be dead!” we both shouted together, and grinned like fools. We traded another quick hug, and Molly left. As soon as she was gone, I let the smile drop. Mouse made a soft, pained sound and leaned against me. Six months was not a long time in which to say so many goodbyes. My dog leaned against me and I stared at the fire and wept for a time. But I was tired of tears. I was so damned tired of them. I picked up the piece of paper. If you left off the decimal points, it was a prime number. It represented the costs of medical care for tens of thousands, and funerals for thousands more. On a rational level, I knew Molly was right. It could have been worse. Much worse. But in my heart, all I could see was blood on asphalt, and all I could feel were empty places inside me where people should have been. I got up and walked quietly to the den, where my daughter Maggie was asleep with the other kids, her cheeks pink. She was a tiny girl, the lowest percentile for height and weight in her class, and she’d come back from her first semester of school with a GPA higher than 4.0. All I had was a GED. I didn’t even know how to calculate GPA. But I think I had a good idea of what the letters stood for. I watched her chest rise and fall for a little while, and the pain receded. I took a deep breath. I’ve fallen apart before. I’ve let the madness have me. But I was a father now. I no longer had that luxury. Thank God. Nothing you ever do can change the past. Can’t live your life looking backwards or you’ll spend it walking in circles. That little girl was the future. I nodded. And then I went back to the bicycle. Mouse was fluffy and faithful but he was also pretty much just a kid himself. He helped out valiantly for another half an hour or so and then just sort of fell over sideways and started snoring. I smiled at him. He’d done enough. I could muddle through the rest on my own. I cleared my mind of everything except solving the problem in front of me and anticipating Maggie’s happiness. The fire crackled. I added more wood. A deep and peaceful warmth settled somewhere between my chest and my stomach. And then I understood why Michael hadn’t helped. I was just putting the extra bullet hole stickers I’d picked up onto the bike when the fire crackled and popped and flared up. Christmas Eve in London. Digitized at 78 revolutions per minute. Four stylii were used to transfer this record. They are 3.5 mil truncated eliptical, 2.3 mil truncated conical, 2.8 mil truncated conical, 3.3 mil truncated conical. These were recorded flat and then also equalized with Turnover: 375.0, Rolloff: -12.0. The preferred versions suggested by an audio engineer at George Blood, L.P. have been copied to have the more friendly filenames. Matrix number: 62815A Catalog number: 12141 B. Other IDs from the record include: (62815) Related Music (Beta) question-dark. Versions - Different performances of the song by the same artist. Compilations - Other albums which feature this performance of the song. Covers - Performances of a song with the same name by different artists.