Jake & The Gingerbread Wars (A Gryphon Chronicles Christmas Novella) (The Gryphon Chronicles) by E.G. Foley Page B

remembering all those awful Christmases at the orphanage. “There are some things money can’t buy, Arch. Sorry, Humbug. You’re going back to Santa.”
    “N ooooo!”
    A knock at the library door just then proved to be Mrs. Appleton bringing them their tea.
    Jake hurried to get the door and took the tray from her with profuse thanks, blocking the dear old housekeeper from getting a look into the room at their prisoner.
    Best to avoid questions.
    He stood in the doorway and took the tray from her. As he hurried her off again with a taut smile, Gladwin arrived through the small fairy door cut high into the front wall of the foyer.
    It was well disguised by a c arved curlicue in the decorative woodwork, but it allowed all fairies to come and go from Beacon House at will.
    Flying down from the fairy door , past the chandelier, Gladwin hurried to join the boys in the library.
    “ Perfect timing,” Jake greeted her. “I trust everything went all right with the bobby?” he asked once Mrs. Appleton was out of earshot.
    Gladwin nodded. “He never even noticed me. And I was able to tidy up Marie’s shop a bit before I left.”
    “ That was nice of you.” As Jake shut the library door again and carried the tray of steaming hot tea and Scottish shortbread in to share with his cousin, he caught Gladwin up on the information they had extracted from the elf and the missing persons report.
    Gladwin narrowed her eyes at Humbug. “Halloween Town? Why would you want to work among that rabble? You’re an elf, for goodness’ sake. What, you’d rather be a goblin?”
    “He acts like one,” Archie muttered.
    “I don’t expect you or anyone else to understand,” Humbug said. “Everyone thinks that Santa’s such a saint—”
    “ Well, he is, actually,” Archie pointed out. “ Saint Nick. Do you even realize how ungrateful you sound? I’m tired of hearing you tear down Santa and Mrs. Claus. Most people around the world love them dearly, you know. Think of all they do for others!”
    While Archie proceeded to scold Humbug, Jake turned to Gladwin. “I hate to ask this of you since you only just arrived, but we don’t have much time. I need another favor.”
    She sighed. “What now?”
    “Would you fly back to my house and tell the girls to get over here? They’re not going to want to miss this.”
    “ Miss what?” Archie asked.
    Jak e grinned at his cousin. “We’re going to the North Pole.”
    “Really?” Gladwin asked in surprise.
    “E r, except for one minor problem,” Archie pointed out. “We don’t know the way. I mean, obviously, we head north, but the North Pole is somewhere in the middle of the Arctic. From what I understand, Santa’s compound is very well hidden.”
    “So?”
    “So, if we get lost up there, we’re dead.”
    “ He knows the way.” Jake nodded at their captive.
    The elf snorted. “What makes you think I’ll cooperate?”
    Jake leaned closer and looked him in the eyes. “Because if you don’t, I’ll feed you to my Gryphon.” Then he gave the elf a hard look, took another gulp of tea, and headed for the door. “Watch him, Archie. I’ll be back soon.”
    “ Where are you going?”
    “ To arrange our transportation.”
    “ Well, I guess it’s back out into the cold for me,” Gladwin said. “I’m off to fetch the girls.”
    “ Tell them to hurry and dress warm. Say, before you go…” Jake paused. “Could I borrow some of your fairy dust?”
    She looked at him in surprise. “Whatever for?”
    “It makes things fly, right?”
    She nodded. “It can do that.” She handed him the tiny pouch of fairy dust she carried with her. It was no larger than a single green pea. “You won’t do anything rash with it, will you?”
    “Who, me?” He grinned. “So, will you be coming with us?”
    “ To the North Pole? Can’t possibly. Too busy.” She shook her head in regret. “I’ve got stacks of Christmas cards to deliver for the Queen.”
    It was di sappointing news, but