Chapter Two
Orla pasted a smile on her face.
“Impressive,” the man said. “It took a considerable amount of time and effort on my end to get to witness your dark magic.” A faint accent penetrated his voice, but Orla couldn’t make any sense of it.
“There was no dark magic. Just a trick to fool kids who still believe in Santa Claus.” Orla stepped backward slightly, sizing up the man. He was at least as tall as Lorcan, so he had a height advantage over her. He seemed as agile as a cat with movements of an experienced fighter. It was obvious now that he controlled the walls that blocked her way home, and that meant he was a gatekeeper. Taking all that into account, Orla wagered that her chance of winning this fight was nonexistent.
“Who are you? And what do you want?” Orla asked.
“I am a g
