Quiet had fallen over the crowd as they all tried to work out why they had looked at a random woman on the Ferris wheel. Jabbing her fingers at Iris, Rowan looked directly at the little girl’s parents and shouted, “We found your daughter! Iris! Look!”
That broke the spell. The world whirred back into motion. Iris danced in her seat as her parents scrambled toward the base of the ride, and Cal slowed the wheel to a stop, reassuring the ride’s other passengers that they’d get another full and uninterrupted tilt. Only Rowan sat glued to her seat, doing breathing exercises to moderate her response.
Everything’s fine. No one could possibly guess it was me. They lost nothing but a few seconds of attention. Everything is fine.
But however many times she repeated the reassurances to herself, her heart still raced.
21
When the tearful reunion had concluded and Liliana Midwinter had comforted everyone with hot cider and cookies laden with hearth magic, Kel arrived to release Rowan from her festival obligations.
“Enjoy your night,” mumbled her cousin as they took her place.
As she stepped out of the booth and into the snow, she spied Gavin, still lingering nearby. He was a dark slit against the snowy backdrop of the festival, studying one of the crafting tables in the geodesic ice dome that housed the crafting area, where children were putting various wintery items inside glass balls and velvet pouches.
The instruction sign was clear:To be given away as a gift.
Despite the initial urge to sneak past him, she found herself taking a few steps closer. “They’re making Yule charms.”
He glanced her way, unsurprised by her approach. “Oh? Looks like ornaments to me.”
“That’s probably what most of them think too…But…”
Rowan leaned down to pick up a pouch in one hand, stealinga pinch of fragrant brown spice with the other. “Cinnamon.” She released the cinnamon into the pouch and then went down the line of ingredients and picked up a fir branch. Fingers running against its grain, she released a pinch of needles, wiping her hands on her jeans to gummy the sap. “Fir.”
With the needles added, she picked up a handful of red berries. “Holly berries.”
She hesitated before the next pot, but then picked up a small green leafy bunch. “Mistletoe,” she murmured, trying not to meet him in the eye as she did.
Finally, she tied the whole thing closed with a gold ribbon and murmured a blessing.
“But whether or not we intend it,” she finished finally, “there’s always magic in gift giving.” After a moment’s hesitation, she thrust the pouch his way. He arched an eyebrow.
After a moment, he accepted it, fingers brushing hers as he took it in hand. Her body shivered at the touch—why couldn’t it get the memo? This wasn’t athing.
He was Hayleigh’s.
“Thank you…” Gavin said, slipping it into his jacket pocket. Then, after a moment of silence, he continued in a serious tone, “We need to talk.”
“Talk?” she asked, her voice coming out in a squeak. Was it possible the spell had failed? Had Hayleigh told him what had happened? Or was this about the Ferris wheel? Had he sensed what she’d done?
He nodded, giving no hints. “Yes, is now a good time?”
With no excuse to offer, she nodded. “As good as any.”
Gavin led them out of the festival grounds and into the dark but still-busy streets. For a while, he said nothing, and Rowan did her best to dampen her anxiety. It was no use spinning out until she knew exactly what it was he planned to say—but then, the pointlessness of anxious speculation had never stopped her before.Perhaps he had simply noticed her refusal to engage with him and wanted to clear the air?
“Did you want to talk now?” she ventured.
With a glance at the surrounding crowds, he shook his head. “Maybe we should find somewhere…more private?”
“Oh…Um…” Not far down the road, she spotted a white Craftsman house squatting stubbornly between two much larger and more formal-looking brick buildings.
“How about the Nutcracker Museum?” she said. “There’s hardly ever anyone there this late.”
“Perfect.”
“And we can check out some nuss-knockers while we chat.”
