Page 4 of Sugar Plum Fae

Roderick's stormy gray eyes bore into hers, a flicker of something unreadable crossing his features. "You speak as if you are untouched by pain or suffering," he said, his voice tinged with bitterness.

Candace felt a pang of sympathy for the moonsidhe before her. She knew all too well the weight that darkness could carry, the tendrils of despair that threatened to consume even the strongest souls. "Of course I have felt them. Everyone has. But I believe that there is always a glimmer of light within each of us, waiting to be embraced."

He barked out a laugh, a harsh sound that reverberated through the air. "Perhaps then, light and darkness cannot coexist. Maybe they are oil and water, forever at odds with one another."

"Even the smallest flicker of light can banish the darkness," she said. “You’d do well to remember that.”

The connection between them intensified, electric currents surging between them until the man from Whitlock jolted awake, severing their momentary bond.

Candace’s eyes opened as she was rudely thrust back into her own realm.

He kissed me. He had the nerve to kiss me.She rubbed her lips thoughtfully.

"Whitlock"—a candy fae fluttered back to answer her question from before—"is struggling. They need our help."

Had the darkness crept out of the dream land and into the real world? It had been hard to reach the people of Whitlock. They seemed overly burdened by nightmares. Candace couldn't blame them for falling for Roderick’s enigmatic allure. He haunted her thoughts as well. She needed to investigate, both the town and Roderick.

Candance still felt the phantom presence of his mouth on hers. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to slap him or kiss him again.

“I will visit Whitlock in person.” Raising her arms, Candance summoned her magical carriage—a creation of spun sugar and frosted gingerbread, pulled by unicorns with shimmering manes.

"Are you certain?" A candy fae fluttered its wings nervously. "It is not our usual place, after all."

That was true. Although Candace often fluttered from dream to dream, visiting the world as it slumbered, she very rarely physically left her realm. This time was different. This time she felt pulled to Whitlock and to the moonsidhe who watched over it.

“I’ll need your help, of course. Go into Whitlock as if you were visitors just passing through. See if you can find out why they are struggling this Yule season and let me know if there is anything we can do to help.”

“We’re on it!” The candy fae saluted her and wisped off.

As Candace climbed aboard her carriage, her thoughts strayed to Roderick once more. What would he think of her decision to visit his domain? Would their paths cross again? Anticipation tingled in her veins at the thought.

RODERICK

Roderick Stone took great satisfaction in his role as Krampus. This time of year, it was his duty to balance the scales. While Candace spread joy and light as the Sugar Plum Fairy, Roderick ensured that those who had been naughty were reminded of the consequences of their actions.

Krampus, a figure cloaked in darkness and adorned with horns, was both feared and revered by those who knew his name. He crept through the night, visiting homes where misdeeds outweighed good deeds, leaving behind a harsh reminder of the importance of virtue. Some received small tokens of coal, others faced more severe repercussions—but all understood that Krampus held the power to instill fear and keep them in check. He was the counterbalance to the excessive merriment brought about by the holidays. It was, in a way, his own twisted version of spreading cheer.

"Psst, Roderick," a voice whispered from the shadows.

A small creature emerged, its luminous eyes piercing the darkness. Roderick had named the creature Nox, for it was a living embodiment of the night itself. Nox nudged Roderick playfully, its spindly limbs like tendrils of smoke.

"Your brooding is really taking a toll on the ambiance around here," Nox teased, rolling its eyes dramatically. "And that's coming from me, a literal shadow."

Roderick smirked at the creature's antics. Nox was an oddity in his world, bringing unexpected moments of levity amidst the gloom.

"What news do you bring of the mortal worlds?"

"Word among the shadows is that your sunsidhe counterpart, Candace, has plans to visit Whitlock," Nox informed him, a mischievous glint in its eyes. "Seems she's taken quite an interest in the supernatural settlement."

Roderick's amusement evaporated as quickly as it had come, replaced by a mixture of annoyance and concern. The thoughtof Candace's light encroaching on his domain was infuriating. Anger rose within him like a storm. That insufferable sunsidhe meddling in his territory was more than he could bear. With a growl, he slammed his fist down upon the table, causing Nox to flinch.

"I won't allow her to intrude upon my domain."

"Perhaps it's not all bad, Roderick," Nox offered hesitantly. "Maybe she can bring some joy to the people of Whitlock."

"Joy?" Roderick snorted derisively. "They don't need her false happiness. They have their own ways of coping, and I'll be damned if I let her interfere."

Nox tilted its head. "You know," it mused, "it wouldn't hurt for you two to meet in person. Maybe some of her sunshine could rub off on you."