Total pages in book: 41
Estimated words: 38048 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 190(@200wpm)___ 152(@250wpm)___ 127(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 38048 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 190(@200wpm)___ 152(@250wpm)___ 127(@300wpm)
He was positive about that.
9
KELLI
“Oh my God, look at this—it’s so cute!” Kelli looked delightedly down at the lighted footpath that led away from the town and toward their cabin. The lights were red and green and gold and when she stepped on one lighted square it went dark and the one ahead of it lit up.
“Yeah, fucking perfect,” Klaus growled but he didn’t complain when Kelli slipped her hand into his and began leading him down the magical path.
The path led them through a few twists and turns with ice sculptures of Christmas characters on either side. There was a sculpture of Rudolf and another of Santa with a big bag of toys over one shoulder. Kelli also saw Santa’s workshop, an angel choir, and some happy elves building toys.
Just as they rounded a corner and passed a sculpture of Frosty the Snowman, the Christmas cabin at last appeared.
It was absolutely adorable—there was no other word for it, Kelli thought. It looked like something out of a fairytale about Christmas. A little wooden cottage with a thatched roof met her eyes. The front door was shaped like a Christmas tree and the golden knob looked like an ornament. There were also two real trees on either side of the door, fully decorated and lit. A warm glow was coming through the front windows and the faint smell of cinnamon and apples floated towards them, coming from the crack under the front door.
“Look at this—it’s perfect,” Kelli breathed.
“Yeah—maybe too perfect,” Klaus muttered. “I don’t know, sunshine—I don’t trust it.”
“What are you talking about? We haven’t even gone in yet.”
Kelli dropped his hand and went up the three steps that led to the neat front porch. She was just about to put her hand on the knob when a soft, feminine voice spoke to her out of nowhere.
“Welcome to your romantic Christmas Cabin here at the Christmas village,” it said.
“Oh, uh…” Kelli looked around but she didn’t see any shimmering golden sparkles in the air. “Are you a person?” she asked at last. “I mean, are you one of the Questarian scientists?”
“I am the voice of your cabin,” the voice replied. “While you stay here I will do everything in my power to ensure you have the most romantic experience possible.”
“Oh, well thank you,” Kelli said, nodding. She looked back at Klaus, who was still standing on the curving, lighted path. “Come on up—the house has an AI,” she told him.
“Fuck,” he muttered. “So the fucking thing is alive?”
“I am not alive,” the voice answered, clearly hearing his voice. “I am simply programmed to optimize your romantic experience.”
“Thank you,” Kelli said politely. “We’re ready to go in now.” As she spoke, she put her hand on the doorknob and turned it—or at least she tried to turn it. But the knob wouldn’t turn—not even a fraction of an inch. “Er…why won’t it open?” she muttered.
“Here, let me try.” Klaus wrapped his long fingers around the knob and twisted it…but again, nothing happened. He grunted. “Damn thing’s stuck. Or locked.”
“Excuse me, cabin?” Kelli said loudly. “We can’t get your front door open.”
“In order to open my door, please observe the Christmas tradition,” the soft female voice admonished them.
“Christmas tradition? What the fuck is it talking about?” Klaus asked frowning.
“I don’t kn—” Kelli started to say, but then a soft glimmering caught her eye.
Looking up above their heads, she saw that a sprig of spiky green leaves and red berries had appeared. It was just hovering in midair, not touching anything.
“Oh look—mistletoe!” she pointed at it, which caused Klaus to look up too.
He frowned.
“What the fuck is mistletoe?”
“That’s the ‘Christmas tradition’ the cabin is talking about,” Kelli explained. “On Christmas, it’s an Earth custom to kiss under the mistletoe—it’s supposed to bring good luck.”
“You are correct,” the cabin’s voice said. “Please observe the tradition in order to open my front door.”
“So we have to kiss to get in?” Klaus sounded so suspicious that Kelli was kind of offended.
“So what if we do?” she demanded, putting one hand on her hip. “Would kissing me be the worst thing in the world?”
“I never said that!” he protested. “Don’t go putting words in my mouth, sunshine.”
“Never mind words—you’d better start putting your mouth on mine if we want to get in and look around.” Kelli pointed to her lips. “Or are you afraid to kiss me?” she added, raising an eyebrow.
If she was being honest, she was kind of enjoying this. She’d fantasized about kissing her Protector before and her heart was pounding with excitement.
Klaus seemed to take her words as a challenge.
“Why would I be afraid?” he growled. “Come here—one Christmas kiss coming up.”
He bent down but Kelli still had to stand on her tiptoes to reach him. She put her arms around his neck and pressed her lips to his.