Chapter 8
Nothing was as healing for the soul as keeping busy when your mind reeled a million miles per second.
For me, that meant throwing myself into my baking—lots and lots of baking.
Sweater Weather by The Neighbourhood blasted from my phone as I cut up prunes, dates, cranberries, and apricots.
Coarsely chopped walnuts were roasting in the oven, and their earthy aroma filled the space.
I threw all ingredients into a food processor along with cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, and salt.
Once done, I formed the mixture into one-inch balls and placed them on parchment paper when they were the perfect size.
I’d been so hyperfocused on what I was doing that the bell chime hadn’t fully registered despite hearing it faintly in the background.
“Sylvie,” a female voice said. “Sylvie,” they yelled louder.
Jerking to attention, I paused with a ball between two fingers and spun on my heel to face the counter. My best friend, Aella, stood there wide-eyed with her arms at her sides.
“You didn’t hear the bell? Or me calling your name three times?” Her brown ringlet hair bounced when she flopped onto her heels.
“Sorry, Aella, I got a lot on my mind.” Not wanting to lose momentum, I power-walked to the back, returning with a tray of coarse sugar.
Aella hopped onto the counter, surveying the sweet treats I had on display. “No kidding. Normally, you wait longer to make sugarplums.”
“Tis the season, and all that.” I rolled the fruity nut balls in sugar, then set them on a porcelain plate with hand-painted holly around its edges.
Aella rubbed one of her small fawn-like antlers before she wagged an accusatory finger at me. “This is about a guy, isn’t it?”
Lunging, I shoved a sugarplum in her mouth to shut her cute little mouth up.
“Knew it,” Aella said, the words coming out muffled.
“I’ll have you know I’m making sugarplums early because they’re decorating the plaza today, and I figured I’d bring these to brighten the holiday spirit.”
Aella coughed and, without looking, I handed her a glass of water.
After guzzling half of it down, she made a loud gulping sound and hopped from the counter. “Syl, you’ve never helped with the decorating. And did you know your ears and wings are showing?”
My wings went taut as if they too were surprised, and I felt the tip of one ear, blinking in astonishment.
This had nothing to do with what Jack said. Nope. It did not.
“Or maybe, I’m turning a new leaf. Ever think of that?” Satisfied with the positioning of the sugarplums, I snagged several cinnamon-scented pine cones I’d made earlier in the week and scattered them on the plate for decoration.
Aella’s face fell blank, and she folded her arms. “Who is he?”
“No one. Absolutely no one.” Hoisting the platter into my palm, I bolted for the door before Aella could further her interrogation.
She used her uncanny maenad speed to beat me to the doorframe, blocking me. “Then it is someone. Name. Now.”
I wrung my hands on the plate, making panicked squeaking sounds. “Why are you so bossy right now, Aella?”
“Because you’re intrigued by someone, and for whatever reason, denying it even though I know you haven’t been with anyone since before I met you. This is a big deal, and as your best friend, I demand satisfaction.” Aella stomped her heeled boot against the hardwood for emphasis.
“Your satisfaction?” Smiling, I nibbled my bottom lip.
Aella let out her cute snorting laugh at that, but wiped a hand across her face to maintain her composure. “And don’t think you can distract me with naughty jokes.”
Sighing and fighting the urge to shove a sugarplum in my mouth, I relented. “His name is Jack. Happy?”
Aella’s hands fell from the door. “Jack? I met a Jack the other day.”
An inconvenient tinge of jealousy twisted in my stomach. More annoyingly, my first thought was that she couldn’t possibly be talking about my Jack. Growling it away, I pinched my eyes shut. “What did he look like?”
“Uh, really, really tall. Impossibly blue eyes and spiky, snowy blonde hair like yours without the blue.” Aella picked up some of my hair and examined it. “Like, exactly this color.”
My eyes crisscrossed as I stared at snowy white bangs hanging over my eyelashes. Huh. Did I match Jack?
Batting her hand away, I blew my bangs out of my eyes.
“That’s him. But we’re not going to talk about it.
He’s arrogant, self-righteous—” I trailed off because one, I couldn’t think of any other negatives at the moment, and two, Aella was grinning like a devious jackal at me. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Jack and Sylvie sitting in a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n—” Aella started to sing, but I shoved another sugarplum in her mouth and shimmied past her to the sidewalk.
When the sound of her heels clicking against the cobblestones soon followed, I kept my focus forward.
“Sylvie, I’m sorry,” Aella whined, catching up and walking sideways beside me. “I only want your happiness.”
“Please let it go.”
He said he was here for a woman who was clearly not me. It was already doomed to fail, and that fact further irritated me.
Aella defensively held up her palms and said nothing more as we entered the plaza.
Several citizens gathered around a massive tree that rivaled the height of surrounding buildings.
Candles with eternal flames hung in multiple places, along with holly, cranberries, acorns, and various carved wooden ornaments—crescent moons, pentagrams, runes, and snowflakes.
“This looks beautiful,” I breathed out, standing at its base and gawking up at it.
A pixie named Flora trotted over to me with her hands curled under her chin. “Doesn’t it?” Her dewy blue eyes sparkled from the flickering flames, and she continuously flapped her translucent, curved wings. “If only they could stop bickering.”
She pointed at two orcs arguing and gesturing toward the top of the tree.
“Hm. Why don’t you have a sugarplum and offer some to the rest of them?” I handed the plate to Flora.
“Oh dear,” she said with a wistful sigh, taking the plate and jostling on her heels, making her black curly hair bounce.
“They’re good. Like orgasmically good,” Aella said to her, motioning for her to eat one.
Approaching the arguing and very large males, I patted my thighs, focusing on the only one I knew by name because he owned The Minty Boar. “Dagnar, what seems to be the problem?”
“Sylvie, hey, great to see you for the tree ceremony this year.” Dagnar smiled, accentuating the two large tusks that protruded over his bottom lip.
“We have this sun topper that Apollo made for us to use this year, but we underestimated how tall the damn tree is.” He chuckled at that, but the other orc wasn’t as amused.
“And someone forgot to bring a ladder,” he yelled to the other citizens decorating the plaza fountain and lights with pine garland.
As if providing an answer, my wings furiously flapped behind me. Though Flora too possessed wings, she was far too tiny to lift the topper with her. I gestured for them to hand it over. “I can do it.”
“Your wings,” Dagnar said, staring in awe at them, shimmering with ice and snow. “I honestly forgot you had them.”
“I did a little too, but have recently been inspired to show them off more.”
And not because of the way Jack looked at them, mesmerized. This was for me.
With the sun topper in hand, I marveled at the actual sun vapors floating around its circular golden base. Using the power of my wings, I flew to the top and gently rested the topper there, hovering backward to gaze at the completed tree in all its glory from the best seat in the house.
“How does it look from down there?” I yelled, still hovering and staring at the animated miniature sun atop the tree.
“Gorgeous,” Flora beamed.
Aella made some form of an “ooo” sound while Dagnar offered a thumbs up. The other orc waved his hands at it, sneered, and walked away.
Letting myself slowly float to the ground, I paused to watch the Arcane Cove citizens happily enjoying my sugarplums. They were laughing, chatting, and humming various popular holiday melodies.
The heartwarming sight brought a comforting smile to my lips, and I started humming a song, not realizing which one had come to my mind first.
Aella leaned toward me and off-key sang, “Jack Frost nipping at your nose.”
“Don’t make me shove an entire blueberry muffin in your mouth next.” I glared at her.
Aella grimaced. “But I hate blueberries.”
“I know,” I replied, flashing a wicked grin.
Aella playfully smacked me on the shoulder, and we threw ourselves into a childish, frantic game of batting each other’s hands and giggling.
“Well, I for one think it’s absolutely beautiful,” a male’s voice said, deep as the Earth’s core.
Aella and I froze, our fingers interlaced, and I peered around her, instantly hating myself for the disappointment that trickled over me like hot fudge drizzle. It wasn’t Jack. It was Thor.
Aella snorted and tossed her hair over one shoulder. “Were you talking about the tree or me, Norseman?”
“Actually—” Thor’s bright eyes glinted, his auburn hair accentuated by the candles’ flames. “—no offense, but I was referring to Sylvie and the tree.”
Aella made an exaggerated circle with her head and chin, mouthing the word “okay” before she spun away. “In that case, I’ll go build a snowman with Flora.” She grabbed my shoulder as she passed, pulling me closer. “This could be an excellent distraction from you know who. Take it, Sylvie.”
Taking another glance at Thor beaming at me, his tanned, carved arm muscles bulged from underneath the brown leather vest he wore.
Yes, Sylvie was right.
Approaching him with hands folded behind my back, I chewed the inside of my cheek, suddenly feeling like a shy schoolgirl once I’d gotten closer. “Beautiful, huh? You’ve been in the bakery several times, and I don’t recall you ever saying that.”
Thor rubbed an uncomfortable hand at the back of his neck, making that bicep bounce. “I thought about it. Just never said it. You’re a different breed of female, Sylvie. Not to mention, I’ve never seen your wings before.”
My stomach gurgled at his choice of words, and my wings folded back as if to hide from him. “A different breed?”
“Apologies, that probably didn’t come out the way I intended. I only meant that you’re a genuinely sweet person.” Thor wrapped his hand around the hammer pendant hanging from his neck. “I never said anything because I figured you wouldn’t ever be interested in a brute like me.”
My wings flared out again. “And are you a brute?”
“To a certain extent, yes.” Thor chuckled and made his golden hammer appear, twirling it by its handle. “I do fight frost giants and sea serpents regularly. Not to mention I regularly drink mead from a curved horn.”
Smiling sheepishly, I found myself twisting my foot on a pebble. “Your honesty goes a long way, I’d reckon.”
“Yeah? Could I convince you to have a drink with me? Or coffee or tea?” Thor laughed and nudged his head at The Minty Boar café.
Jack’s face flashed through my mind, a disapproving scowl distorting his features.
Why should I care what Jack thought when he was here for another woman?
It was enough to have me offering my arm to Thor.
The Norse god of thunder led me to the café where we settled into a small table with two chairs.
This was precisely what I needed to forget all about Jack and his mysterious haughtiness. As far as I was concerned, Jack could hit the road.