I thought about the way he’d been bouncing over the past few days, and his insistence to keep training. I remembered his tears, the sobbing only Hazel’s chocolates had been able to cure.
I looked at Hazel, the woman who had welcomed both of us into her life with unguarded sweetness. I remembered her standing in this very same shop, demanding to be Barnaby’s nutritionist. And an idea wormed its way into the back of my mind.
“Brok? What is it? You look like you had a realization.”
“I did,” I admitted. “I’m not sure it’ll work. If it does, Barnaby won’t like it very much.”
Hazel entwined our fingers, her soft hand nudging my claws. “But you think I have to do it. For Barnaby’s sake. And maybe… maybe for Reynard, too. Right?”
Right. Because no matter what dark voices shouted and what wolf lawyers claimed, being a Herald of Spring wasn’t supposed to be a competition. And I was going to prove that, no matter what it took.
16
The Fox and the Hare
Barnaby&Vixen
Sicilian sand got into the worst places. It was something I’d learned the hard way since I’d moved there, decades ago, but it never got easier to handle.
The moment I stumbled out of the portal, I felt it. All the sand still clinging to my fur. Especially in my tail. I twisted around to get at the base where the fur was thickest and shook more gritty particles loose. I was only at the beach for an hour yesterday, and somehow it had infiltrated everything.
It was so undignified to do this at the edge of King Oberon’s meadow, but what option did I have?
“Still finding souvenirs from your rest day?”
I spun around and nearly tripped over my own feet. Santa stood there in his full red suit, exactly as he always did—round and jolly and somehow both grandfatherly and ageless at the same time. The white fur trim on his coat was pristine, unlike my sand-covered fur.
“I thought I got it all.” I brushed at my chest self-consciously. “But it keeps appearing.”
Santa’s eyes crinkled at the corners. “Sand is persistent. Rather like determination, actually. Which brings me to why I wanted to catch you before everything begins.” He gestured for me to walk with him, away from the portal entrance.
We moved toward the meadow, and, wow, it was even more amazing up close. The grass was so green it almost hurt to look at, and there were flowers everywhere in colors I’d never seen before. Some of them were humming little tunes, and a whole patch of daisies off to the left was giggling at something.
Santa stopped walking and faced me fully, both hands resting on his round belly. “Technically, I’m here as an impartial observer. But I have to say, Barnaby… You’ve never looked better.”
A part of me had known that already. Gods, even Grix had complimented me on the state of my fur. Before all the sand, at least. But that didn’t mean it wasn’t nice to have extra encouragement. “Do you really think so?”
“Of course.” He reached out and adjusted the collar of my shirt where it had gotten twisted during my portal arrival. “I’ve known you for centuries, and I haven’t seen you move with this kind of energy since you first took the Title. Whatever Brok’s been doing with your training, it’s working. You look ready.”
“I feel ready.” I bounced slightly on my toes, testing my legs. They felt strong and responsive. “For the first time in years, I actually feel like I can do this.”
Santa pulled a small wrapped candy from his coat pocket and unwrapped it. “Mrs. Claus said the same thing last night. She made me promise to tell you she’s rooting for you, even though she’s technically not supposed to play favorites either. But you know how she is about the beings she’s taken under her wing.”
I thought about Mrs. Claus and her warm kitchen. I remembered the way she’d always had sweets ready when I’d shown up at the North Pole feeling overwhelmed. Her cooking wasn’t quite as good as Hazel’s, but it was a close second. “She’s been really kind to me.”
Santa popped the candy in his mouth. “She has a gift for knowing who needs kindness most. Now, you should get to your preparation area. They’ll have everything set up for you there.”
“Where is it?”
He pointed toward a cluster of colorful tents at the far end of the meadow. “The green one with the gold trim. Can’t miss it.”
I started to thank him, but he held up one gloved hand. “Save your thanks for after you win. And Barnaby?” He waited until I met his eyes. “Trust your instincts today. You’ve prepared well, but the Title responds to more than just training. It responds to heart.”
He walked away toward where a platform was being set up, leaving me standing in the meadow on my own. Trust my instincts. I could do that. But a part of me still fluttered with nerves.
I headed toward the tents, weaving between supernatural beings who were finding their spots in the growing crowd. Fae in elaborate spring colors, nature spirits that looked like walking trees, water nymphs that left damp footprints on the grass. Everyone was here to watch. They moved aside for me, watching me with a mix of enthusiasm and fascination.
The green tent was easy to spot, just like Santa had said. The flap was tied open, and when I stepped inside, I found three leprechauns arranging things on a small table.
