“No.” He shifted his weight, deliberately fixing his eyes on a point past her shoulder to avoid her gaze. “I was unable to get it operational as of yet.”
It wasn’t exactly a lie. He couldn’t seem to do it—though the reason wasn’t lack of skill.
“That’s a bummer… want to help me out then?” Her voice pitched too high. Brittle and cracking at the edges.
“Why are you doing this?” He gestured to the pitiful trees scattered around her like casualties. “Is this for fire? These are much too young.”
“No, it’s for Christmas.”
“I don’t follow.”
Delaney set down the saw, hand going to her hip. She swayed slightly on her feet, catching herself against the nearest tree trunk. “We cut down these trees and put them in our homes. Decorate them with various things. Like ornaments and shit. It’s just part of the holiday.”
Her words were coming faster now, tumbling over each other.
“It’s supposed to be the first thing you do for the holiday,” she blurted. “I didn’t even do that this year.”
He studied the trees. Then her. The way her voice cracked when she said she hadn’t done it. Like it was one more failure in a long list she was drowning in.
Dragging one inside would be simple enough. Finding these… ornaments she mentioned. It seemed important to her species. To her.
He filed the information away.
“I just have to get them cut down and get them down the mountain,” she said, breath hitching. “I have to.”
Maelic frowned. “How many rotations until this Chresmas?”
“Uh… two, I think. If you mean days, anyway.” She laughed—a sharp, broken sound. “But it doesn’t matter. I just need to load up the trailer and set up a pre-cut lot. In a parking lot or something. People do that, right? Last-minute trees?”
Maelic did not know much of this holiday, or even her species at all, but something was very wrong with her plan. Very wrong with her.
“Do humans wait so close to the holiday for this?” he asked carefully.
Delaney blanched. “Uh… well, some probably do. I mean, I don’t have a tree up yet, so—”
“How will you get these down the mountain?”
She frowned, her eyes flicking back toward the main property. Unfocused. “I just have to get enough shaken and tied up, then I can load them and…” She paused, brows furrowing like she was trying to do math that wouldn’t add up. “The roads might be rough, but if I’m careful—”
“The roads are impassable,” Maelic said flatly. “I saw the conditions when that male arrived. His vehicle was designed for snow. Yours is not.”
“I’ll make it work!” The snap in her voice was startling. “I have to!”
She bent to grab another sapling, and he saw her hands trembling. Violent tremors that had nothing to do with cold.
“How many do you need to sell?” he asked quietly.
“Fifty.” She laughed again, that horrible broken sound. “No, wait. Fifty trees at thirty dollars each, that’s… that’s fifteen hundred. One month’s mortgage. I need—” Her voice cracked. “I need at least a hundred. Maybe more. A hundred and fifty to cover—”
She stopped. Stared at the pile of pathetic saplings surrounding her.
He counted them. Maybe twenty. Thirty at most.
“This won’t work, Del.”
“It has to!” She grabbed the saw again, hands shaking so badly she nearly dropped it. “I have to do something! I can’t just—I can’t—”
“If you started this when I left you, then you’ve been at this for hours.” He stepped closer, his shadow falling over her. “You’re exhausted. This is madness.”
