Book Six: Chapter 92

“Fitting, considering the First Elf’s origin.” He thought back to falling into Baba Yaga’s trap, to the chunk of missing time while trying to destroy the piece of an ancient one. Dana had encountered one in the flesh and been tossed back in time by a week. They were powerful beings, impossible to understand. “So what happened next?”

Mrs. Claus sighed. “That’s when Santa became bound by the rules. He was a mortal soul in an immortal body. Stories of the First Elf had persisted, but now tales of little helpers caused the first generation of elves to appear here. They were sloppy and inefficient, but that human part of him was able to tweak the details. As more people believed, his powers grew.”

“So all the elves are clones of him or something?”

Mrs. Claus shook her head. “It would be easier to think of them as nail clippings, or beard stubble. In fact, I save the trimmings from his yearly haircut in a box in the closet, then plant them outside when the sun rises in t