My mom’s jaw dropped, her hand flying to cover her mouth. “Neve!”
My dad threw his head back and laughed, his eyes crinkling at the corners. It transformed his face, the exhaustion momentarily replaced with joy.
“Is that your only objection?” He leaned back, studying me with newfound amusement.
I crossed my arms. “It’s a pretty significant one.”
“No one actually sees me, you know.” He wiped a tear of mirth from his eye. “And the few times someone has caught a glimpse over the centuries, I used a glamour.”
My mom nodded, recovering from her shock. “The traditional image of Santa wasn’t even created until the 1800s. Before that, the perception of gift-givers varied widely across cultures.”
I squinted at him. “So, I could look like... anything?”
“More or less.” He shrugged. “The magic responds to belief. Children believe in Santa Claus, so that’s the form that manifests in their perception. But the actual physical form of the Yuletide Spirit is quite changeable.”
The Yuletide Spirit. Fuck me, that was going to take some getting used to.
“Okay, but that’s still ignoring the bigger issue.” I held up my hand, where frost was still forming and melting in nervous patterns across my skin. “I can barely control this. I accidentally created snow sharks. They tried to eat Blitz.”
His eyebrows shot up. “Snow sharks? That’s... creative.”
“It’s dangerous.” I dropped my hand. “What if I hurt someone? What if I mess up Christmas for everyone? What if?—”
“What if you succeed?” He covered my hands with his. “What if you were always meant for this?”
I stared at our hands, his larger one nearly engulfing mine. “I don’t know how.”
He squeezed gently. “I suppose we have some work to do, then.”
Something warm and unfamiliar stirred in my chest. Not quite hope, but maybe the possibility of it.
“Yeah,” I whispered. “I guess we do.”
Part of my training was how to navigate dinner with my parents and the nine men I was falling for. If I could survive an hour of torture, I would figure out the whole Santa Claus gig.
I sat between Rudy and Don at a table that stretched so long it could have hosted the entire North Pole. Crystal goblets refracted light from the chandeliers overhead, casting rainbow patterns across a tablecloth so white it practically glowed. The entire setting screamed magical North Pole royalty.
My dad sat at the head of the table, looking less like the weary man who’d confessed his fading powers and more like the jovial Santa I’d glimpsed in recovered memories. My mom, elegant in a silver gown that matched her hair, sat opposite him.
“Snowflake, you must try the frost-kissed venison.” My dad gestured to a platter being carried by an elf server. “It was always your favorite.”
I stared at the meat, which literally sparkled with tiny ice crystals that somehow didn’t melt. “Um, isn’t that a bit... cannibalistic?” I whispered to Rudy, glancing pointedly at the reindeer men surrounding me.
Rudy nearly choked on his wine. His hand found my thigh under the table and squeezed gently.
“We don’t mind,” Dane called from across the table, spearing a generous portion onto his plate. “Venison is delicious.”
“So you’ve eaten... you know... deer meat while being...” I made antler gestures with my fingers.
Kip leaned forward, his eyes teasing. “Humans eat other mammals all the time. You don’t see chickens getting weird about humans eating them.”
My mom’s unexpected laughter tinkled through the air. I stared in fascination at the woman who had masqueraded as an Arctic researcher for years. She’d transformed into someone completely different. Someone who laughed freely and whose eyes sparkled with magic when she summoned a dish from the center of the table without leaving her seat.
My dad set down his glass. “So, Cole. Tell me more abouthow you all helped Neve access her magic. I understand there were some... unique methods involved.”
I choked on a sip of water, remembering exactly what kind of “methods” had been employed.
Cole, bless his stoic heart, didn’t even blink. “We each took different approaches based on our strengths, sir. Finding activities that sparked joy seemed most effective. Ice skating. Cookie decorating. Christmas trees.”
