Chapter Twenty
Normally, Ingo loved the early mornings in Glasdorf. He liked to watch the dark night sky, dotted with stars, fade away into a peachy sunrise. But this morning he dragged his feet, knowing how a man must feel on his way to the executioner.
Lys was alive. Wiebe was dead. Glasdorf was safe. But unfortunately for Ingo, a terrible heartache was about to take place, and he was guilty as sin. Lys walked along next to him, clutching his hand in solidarity as they neared Oskar's cottage. Loki and Hie trailed behind.
"Try not to fret, Ingo. I'm sorry the reversal spell didn't work," Lys said.
Loki slapped his shoulder. "Don't worry, my friend. You did the best you could."
Hie nodded in sympathy. "We'll back you up."
It hurt Ingo's pride that he'd failed at the spell. After his enormous success thwarting the Dark Magik earlier in the day, he was sure he could nip the Zottig Herz. The spell behaved strangely, appearing and disappearing at will as he struggled to capture it. There was nothing he could do now but admit his guilt to Oskar and pray that the boy's heart would not suffer too much. After January eleventh, it wouldn't matter any more. His feelings for the Suddie would vanish, since they were never real to begin with.
"I hope the Klaus family will forgive me. This was an awful thing to do. I am so ashamed." Ingo hung his head.
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"You saved all of Glasdorf yesterday. That's got to count for something," Loki said.
"Yah. Even if the Council reprimands you, it shouldn't be so bad," Hieronymus added.
Lys squeezed Ingo's hand. "Oskar is an understanding man. He'll forgive you."
Ingo took a deep breath and rapped on the door to the cottage.
Oskar pulled open the door and glanced at Ingo and his friends in surprise. "Hey, what are all of you doing here?"
The lovely Sudlander stood behind the Klaus boy and wrapped her arms around his waist. "Do we have visitors?"
Ingo nodded. "I'd like a word with you, Oskar, if you don't mind. I am sorry to bother you so early in the morning."
Oskar laughed. "No worries. Gabi and Mr. Frosty were up at dawn, and made us go sledding. We've already had hot chocolate and donuts from Klaus Kuche."
Ingo and his friends stepped into the foyer. The domestic scene shocked him. The Klaus boy, always known for his wild and risky bachelor ways, looked...like a family man. Gabi was curled up on the sofa with a stack of books, Mr. Frosty was peeking inside from a window, and Oskar had his arm around Kiana's shoulder, anchoring her to his side. The youngest Klaus smiled at her with love in his eyes.
Oh hell. Damn me for doing this. Ingo wished he could step back in time and undo New Year's Eve.
"I...uh...have something to tell you. You're not gonna like it." Ingo stared at his feet.
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"You're all right, aren't you? I'm assuming you and Lys both got checked out by Hector."
"Oh, yes, of course. It's not that." Ingo looked up at Oskar's confused expression.
"Go ahead, Ingo, it's all right," Lys murmured, squeezing his hand.
Ingo swallowed nervously. "Well, I was out of sorts on New Year's Eve. Felt sorry for myself, I guess, since Per got that damned promotion from your brother."
"Yeah, I'm sorry about that. Gotta talk to Sven and get all of that straightened out." Oskar nodded thoughtfully.
"I was pretty drunk, and...uh....unfortunately I ran into Wiebe at Dag's. He really rubbed it in my face about the promotion. He suggested....I kast a spell on you since it was your fault Per got promoted instead of me." Ingo hung his head in shame.
"What? You've gotta be kidding me," Oskar said sharply.
Ingo looked up. "I wish I were kidding. I was stupid enough and drunk enough to listen to Wiebe and take his advice." He paused as Oskar's eyes narrowed.
"What the hell are you telling me, man?"
"I kast a spell on you. On New Year's Eve. It's called Zottig Herz, or Ragged Heart. I tried like hell to reverse the damned thing, but it's not taking. I don't know why."
Kiana frowned. "What exactly does this spell do, Ingo?"
"It's a vengeance spell. The recipient will fall in love with someone who will spurn him and break his heart, just as the spell kaster has suffered a heartache. It's meant to balance 283
the scales, so to speak. It lasts until the first full moon after it's kast."
Kiana paled. "Oh my God."
Oskar's face was red with anger. "How dare you interfere with my life! You have no business playing around with the magik that way, Ingo. And you know it. Why would you kast a spell like this on me? How did I ever cause you heartache? All I did was tell Sven that Per designed the Mother Bond figurines. I don't get it."
Ingo glanced at Lys and shook his head in mortification.
"Uh, Wiebe taunted me about my feelings for Lys. Said if I'd gotten the promotion instead of Per, then maybe she'd notice me."
"That's ridiculous," Lys cried. "That is not true. I don't care about your position in Sven's woodshop, Ingo. I love you for who you are."
"We told him the same thing, Lys," Hie said. Loki nodded.
Oskar glared at Ingo. "I can't believe this. You kast a spell on me for that?" he asked incredulously.
Ingo sighed. "In the light of day I realized it was wrong, and made no sense. But on New Year's Eve, Wiebe twisted things around and I got caught up with his nefarious plans."
He looked at Oskar and shook his head. "I am so sorry."
Oskar looked away from him and turned to Kiana. He stroked her head gently. "It doesn't matter anyway. The spell is bullshit. Kiana and I are in love. For real. No one is breaking anyone's heart, so the spell didn't work."
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"It will," Ingo answered hoarsely. "Believe me. Sometime between now and the eleventh of January, your heart will be broken. The spell will not be denied."
"How do you know this?" Oskar shouted, refusing to accept Ingo's explanation.
"The spell pairs the recipient with an...unsuitable partner.
Someone he does not belong with. It is only a matter of time before their differences result in a rejection, heartache." He looked at Kiana who was deathly white, her eyes wide. "I am so, so sorry. You have no idea how badly I feel about this. I would do anything to spare both of you this pain."
"I don't believe you," Oskar said. His voice was low and shaky. "Kiana and I are in love. We're planning a future together."
Kiana interrupted him. "Ingo, what do you mean by
'unsuitable partner'?"
Oskar turned to Kiana and grabbed her shoulders. "You are not seriously listening to this crap?"
Kiana peered up into Oskar's face, her eyes brimming with tears. "Be honest, Oskar. You were surrounded by supermodels and instead you started talking to me. I looked like a frumpy librarian. I know from Gregor you like snow bunnies. I'm hardly your type..."
Oskar shook his head vehemently. "I thought you were fascinating from the first moment I saw you. That's the truth."
"Maybe it was just the spell. Not a real attraction," Kiana answered softly.
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Oskar pointed at Ingo. "Look what you've done! She's doubting my feelings for her. Son of a bitch." He ran a hand through his hair. "I refuse to believe this. It's just not true."
Ingo sighed. "Have you...had any strange occurrences lately? Weird dreams?"
Oskar's head snapped up. "What do you mean by that?"
Kiana sobbed quietly and stepped back from them. "I dreamed about Oskar. I woke up covered with snow and ice."
Oskar's face blanked. "You did? I dreamt about you, too.
In Hawaii. I woke with sand on my hands..." He sat down on a bench in the foyer. "Jesus. This can't be happening."
The Suddie covered her face with her hands and cried. "I thought it was real. Finally...."
Oskar stood up and pulled her to him. "I don't care what Ingo says," he said with a shaky voice. "I love you. I know this is real."
Kiana reached up and touched Oskar's jaw. "I wish I could believe that." She turned to Ingo. "What happens on January eleventh? When the spell is over?"
Ingo sighed. "Then your feelings disappear. Any false love you had for each other, the heartache, all of it. It's gone.
Since it was never real to begin with."
Kiana looked at Oskar, trembling from head to toe. "I'm going home."
"No! You are not leaving." Oskar's voice was glacial.
"It's better this way. I don't want to hurt you. There's only seven days left until the spell is over, and then..." She cried and covered her face. "It won't matter anymore. You won't care about me, it will all be forgotten."
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Oskar shook his head. "That will never happen. I don't care what Ingo says." He turned to him, vibrating with anger. "I will never forgive you for this, Hertz. Never. You are just as bad as Wiebe."
"No!" Lys yelled and held tightly onto Ingo's arm. He was thankful for her support, for he felt like collapsing to the floor.
This was much, much worse than he could have ever imagined. "That's not true, Oskar. Ingo knows he made a mistake. He is trying to do the right thing now, spare the two of you any more suffering."
Loki put his arm around Ingo's shoulders. "That's harsh, O.
Ingo feels like hell about what happened..."
"Yah!" Hie added. "He is nothing like Wiebe. That's not fair!"
"Isn't it?" Oskar asked, his eyes blazing with fury. "You elves just can't help yourselves, playing with magik spells and butting into other people's affairs. Kiana and I have something special, and nothing you do or say is going to ruin it...."
Kiana wiped the tears from her face. "Please, Oskar, take me home. To...New York. The last thing I want to do is stay here and wait around until I hurt you in some way." Her voice broke and she shook her head. "I just need to be alone," she whispered, resignation in her voice.
"Kiana?" Everyone turned to see the little Bandiger standing in the hallway, a look of anguish on her face. "You're not going away are you?'
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Kiana blinked back a fresh batch of tears and knelt on the floor. "I will miss you so much, honeybee. I'm sorry. I don't belong here."
The Honigbienchen ran into the Suddie's arms and Ingo felt a dagger of regret slice into his heart so deep, he didn't think it would ever heal.
God forgive me.
Oskar took a gulp of his beer and slammed the mug on the sticky bar top. "Another one, Dag."
Dag shook his head in disgust. "Good God, O, you look like hell. Don't you think it's about time to head home....and shower?"
"What? I smell?" Oskar sniffed his shirt and shrugged. "Not as bad as those Teufelchen, anyway."
"Close enough," Dag countered. "How long you gonna wallow in it? The girl's gone. You got work to do."
Oskar rolled his eyes. "Aren't you Mr. Sympathy? I thought bartenders were supposed to be compassionate and understanding about people's problems."
"Yah, well, not me. I've got no sympathy for you at all.
You let some ridiculous spell dictate your life. You should just call the girl up and ask her out. Start over again. The spell's over anyway."
"Huh? What are you talking about?" Oskar sat up on his stool.
Dag banged his hand against the tattered calendar hanging on the wall. "It's January thirteenth, you idiot. The spell's been over for two days and you're still moping around like a little lost puppy. It's damned pathetic."
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Oskar shook his head, trying to clear it from the alcohol-induced fog. "But that's impossible. I guess I lost track of the date. If it's after the eleventh, then the spell should be over."
Dag raised an eyebrow. "Yah? And...."
Oskar buried his face in his hands. "It's not freakin'
working! I still miss her. I can't stop thinking about her...how she felt, her sweet skin, and her smile, the way she smelled...."
"I'll bet she smelled a hell of a lot better than you do, that's for sure." Dag slapped a rag down on the bar counter.
"Pull yourself together, man!"
I don't get it. The spell's over. Why do I still feel like my heart has been crushed into a million pieces?
He peered at himself in the mirror over the bar and grimaced. Dag was right. He looked like hell. And he felt like hell, too.
The front door to the bar burst open and a large group hustled in. Oskar ignored the other patrons and rubbed his throbbing forehead.
"You boys need to find some other way to deal with a broken heart. This is pathetic."
"See what I mean. He's worse than Nicholas when Lucy left."
"Did I really look that bad?"
"Yep. We were really worried about you."
"Well, Nicholas didn't look quite that bad. At least his hair wasn't dyed...what is that color anyway? It looks like turquoise or something?"
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"Aquamarine," Oskar whispered without bothering to turn around. He knew his brothers and dad were behind him and he wasn't in the mood.
"Huh?"
"He said aquamarine."
"Fan-see. I like it better than the neon green. That was getting old."
Oskar spun around on the stool and glared at his family.
They faced him with their arms folded across their chests.
"Aquamarine. Her eyes are aquamarine. That's why I changed my hair color. To remind me...you know." Oskar finished his sentence with a long, drawn-out sigh.
Sven raised a brow. "Dude, you know what day it is?"
Oskar nodded his head. "Yeah, Dag just told me it's January thirteenth. I don't understand it."
Nicholas sat down on a vacant stool next to Oskar. "You shouldn't be so depressed. The spell is over, and here you are...still trying to drink away your troubles with Dag's brew-of-the-day."
Wolfie put a comforting hand on Oskar's shoulder. "We figured we'd give you some space until the eleventh, since it would all be over then." He paused, looking at his brothers.
"But obviously this spell isn't working right, because you aren't cheering up."
His father scratched his beard. "You look awful, O. This is no way to deal with your problems. I hate to say this...I know you're hurting because Kiana left, but we need you back on the job. The elves are neglecting their duties. They won't listen to anyone else but you."
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Sven nodded. "It's true. I tried to step in and they told me they don't listen to blond-haired hippie boys, only green-haired punks." He cracked a smile at Oskar.
"Since the battle with Wiebe, you've turned into a real hero in Glasdorf. Not that you would have noticed since you've been buried under a pile of beer steins," Wolfie said, eyeballing the bar top littered with empty glasses.
Santa patted Oskar's back. "Listen to me, son. Your job is critical. If the elves aren't in order, then Glasdorf comes to a stand-still. Things are falling apart without you."
Oskar rubbed his forehead and barked out a laugh. "The irony here is astounding. I've been feeling like the family slacker for a while." He looked at his brothers who were frowning in confusion. "You guys are all so talented. My job seemed ridiculous. But I guess it's more important than I thought."
"What sort of stupid-ass thing is that to say?" Sven asked.
"Of course your job is important. None of us could handle it.
The elves respect you like no one else. You have the perfect balance of authority and easy-going attitude to do it."
"I'm thankful every minute of the day that you're here in Glasdorf taking care of business. I'm free to work in Manhattan because you've stepped up to care for the elves.
You earned all of our respect a long time ago, little brother.
Didn't you know that?" Gregor asked.
Oskar was humbled by his brother's faith in him. "Thanks, guys." He turned a sheepish look to his dad. "I promise I'll be back on the job first thing tomorrow. Sorry I've left you in the 291
lurch." He glanced at Gregor who was nodding encouragingly.
"You been back to Manhattan lately?"
"Yeah, I have."
Oskar cleared his throat. "By any chance...."
"Yes, I saw her. And unfortunately, she looks just as badly as you do. Well, not as scruffy, just devastated. Trish is really worried about her."
The door banged open again and Sven murmured, "Thank God, they're here." Oskar looked up to see Master Eugen and Ingo enter the bar. He could barely contain his anger.
"What do you think you're doing?" he barked at Sven. "He is the last person...elf...whatever...I want to see. Thanks to Ingo my life is ruined."
"Something's going on, O, and we need to figure it out,"
Gregor said. "You're going out of your mind, Kiana looks like she's about to fall apart, and it's past January eleventh. We're hoping Eugen and Ingo can help us find a solution to this problem before you have a nervous breakdown."
Ingo shuffled over to the brothers, obviously reluctant to speak with Oskar. Geez, he looks worse than I do. Oskar noticed his rumpled clothes, his liquor-scented coat, and his haggard face. Dark circles framed his eyes. I refuse to feel sorry for him. He brought this on himself.
"Well, it certainly appears that something is amiss with the Zottig Herz. Your brothers informed me that termination of the spell did not take place on the full moon this month."
Eugen stroked his beard and gestured toward Oskar. "Is this true?"
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Oskar rubbed his eyes. "Does it look like it's true?" He turned to Ingo. "You lied! You said I would forget her, and my feelings about her. What a crock. Whatever you did to me, it still feels like my chest has been ripped apart. And Gregor said Kiana is still suffering too." He glared at Ingo. "I swear, I could kill you for that. Hurting her."
Ingo raised his troubled eyes to Oskar. "That's not how it's supposed to work," he answered hoarsely. "I'm so sorry, I'm not sure what I did wrong..."
"Ingo, are you okay?" Wolfie asked. "You don't look so good."
Eugen pursed his lips. "He is consumed by guilt. This entire situation has gotten way out of hand. Oskar and Kiana are suffering, and Ingo has holed himself up in his cottage and is soused half the time. He refuses to see Lys or his friends. The little Bandiger Gabi is quiet as a mouse. All her newfound joy was sucked right out of her."
Oskar's head snapped up. "Gabi? What's wrong?"
Eugen shook his head. "The poor girl has been through a horrible ordeal since her mother died. Hiding her true abilities, abused by her stepfather, running away from home.
She thought, incorrectly, that she'd found a new family." He raised a brow at Oskar. "She is absolutely crushed. Your mother isn't sure what to do."
His father nodded. "It's true. Alena is at her wit's end.
Gabi's lost her sparkle."
"Well, thanks to Mr. Hertz, we're all in a big world of hurt.
Good going, buddy," Oskar said angrily.
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"Hey, O, cut Ingo some slack," Sven said. "He feels like crap. It was an honest misunderstanding that got twisted around because of Wiebe's interference."
Ingo walked forward and gazed into Oskar's face. "I have gone over the spell a thousand times. It doesn't make any sense to me why it's not working correctly." He rubbed his beard thoughtfully. "At the stroke of midnight on New Year's Eve you were supposed to fall for a woman who would break your heart. On the first full moon after, the spell should dissolve." He turned to Eugen. "I don't understand."
Master Eugen's eyes narrowed. "Oskar, please tell me what happened on Silvester. How did you meet Kiana?"
Oskar closed his eyes. He could still picture her in the ugly gray outfit, with the fake glasses and bun in her hair. He smiled to himself. "I met her at Gregor's party. She was freaked out by my appearance when we first met. But then we talked for a while and had a nice conversation." He took a ragged breath and continued. "We were together for the countdown, too. We kissed. It was off-the-charts. The greatest kiss of my life."
"Did you two meet prior to midnight on December thirty first?" Eugen asked, his voice raised.
Oskar looked up. "Uh, yeah, probably a couple of hours before twelve o'clock."
"Good God, that's it..." Ingo mumbled. "I don't believe it."
"It's the only explanation," Eugen replied.
"Why didn't I think of that earlier?" Ingo said. "I've been an idiot."
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"What's it? What are you two talking about?" Oskar asked with irritation.
Eugen nodded and smiled at Oskar. "There is only one way this spell could have failed once it was kast. And that's if you were falling for this young lady prior to midnight. You were already developing feelings for her, an attraction so to speak, and so the enchantment was nullified. The seeds of your love were sown before the stroke of midnight."
Oskar shook his head. "What the hell are you talking about?"
Ingo smiled at Oskar's confused expression. "In spite of your differences, there was some spark...something there between the two of you. Is this true?"
Oskar nodded. "Yeah. I was intrigued by her...she was dressed like a librarian, but I could tell she was gorgeous." He closed his eyes, remembering. "And interesting. And different, not what I was expecting at all." He opened his eyes and blinked at Ingo. "What are you saying, man?"
Ingo clasped Oskar's forearm. "Your love is real, Oskar.
The spell didn't work."
"But the dreams we had, the flower petals and the smell of coconut oil. I could hear ukulele music..." Oskar murmured, trying to make sense of the conversation.
"Once I kast the spell, it tried to find an anchor. Your dreams and all of the symbols of your lives were the spell attempting to find a foothold to root itself. But it couldn't finish the job because the two of you were already falling in love."
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"It's real," Oskar whispered. He started to laugh. "I knew it. I freakin' knew it."
Eugen patted Oskar on the back. He turned a serious eye to Ingo. "Well, I guess this was a good lesson for all us, yah?
No more playing around with these spells. Nothing but trouble can come from them."
Ingo nodded emphatically. "No need to tell me twice. The Council has me sweeping out the Bibliothek for three months.
They were livid."
Sven slapped Oskar on the back. "All right then. So what's the plan, Stan? You've got a woman pining for you in Manhattan. What are you going to do about it?"
"She's really heartbroken, O. She needs you," Gregor added.
"I'm not one to give romantic advice, but Lucy and I went through this at Christmas time, and it was a nightmare. You need to be honest with each other about your feelings."
Nicholas shrugged. "Do I sound like Dr. Phil? Somebody shoot me."
Wolfie laughed. "Maybe you can start your own talk show, Nicholas."
"How about Nick Takes A Lickin' And Keeps On Tickin'?"
Sven asked deadpan.
Oskar glanced at his father. "I have some ideas....some plans I'd like to pursue with Kiana, but the Uberholen is coming up and we still haven't decided who's going to take over for you at the end of the year."
Santa put an arm around Oskar's shoulders. "The Uberholen will work itself out when the time is right. First 296
things first. You need to fix things with Kiana. We'll figure the rest out later. I have every confidence in you and your brothers. I know that even after my retirement Christmas will continue on in grand fashion all over the world. You boys would never shun that responsibility."
Wolfie nodded. "Don't worry about that right now, O. We'll deal with it later." All of his brothers agreed.
Oskar shook his head. "I never thought I'd be ready to settle down with one woman. It happened so fast. But I can't imagine my life without Kiana. She's the one, my soul mate."
He glanced up at Nicholas. "Now I know how you feel about Lucy. Why you were willing to do anything for her, make sure she was safe."
Nicholas slapped him on the back. "Welcome to the club.
It's a rollercoaster, but in a good way."
His other brothers congratulated him and gave him high-fives and fist-bumps, even his dad. Wolfie had a bittersweet look on his face when he wished him well.
"Don't worry, Wolf. You're going to find the girl of your dreams, too. She's out there. You'll find her soon," Oskar said encouragingly.
Wolf nodded his head and shot him a small smile.
Gregor shook his hand. "Congrats, bro. Kiana's a great girl." He looked at Ingo over his shoulder. The elf still looked dejected. "Oskar, I think it's time to bury the hatchet. Ingo saved all of us from Wiebe, and he feels horrible about what happened." He gestured to Ingo and raised a brow at Oskar.
Oskar turned to the Magik Tamer. The elf did look pretty miserable. "All right, let's call a truce, Mr. Hertz. I'm sorry I 297
flubbed up about Per doing the Mother Bond design. Hope you're not still holding that against me."
"Of course not. I realized the next day I made a horrible mistake and that you didn't deserve the Zottig Herz." He stared down at his shoes. "I hope you can forgive me for interfering with your love life."
Oskar slapped his shoulder. "Yeah, I can forgive you. If you can help me out..."
Ingo raised a brow. "You want my help? Anything. What can I do?"
Oskar turned to his brothers. "I have an idea about how to win Kiana back. But I'm gonna need all of your help. What do you guys think?"
There were murmurs of agreement as the group congregated around Oskar.
"What's the plan?" Sven asked.
Oskar rubbed a hand over his stubbly chin and smiled.
"I'm thinking about a surf party..."
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