They give Magnus his prize, a fancy wooden goblet. He accepts it with a blush and nods at his cheering fans before hurrying back to our pack.
“That was amazing! I’m sure you’ll have the high score for the whole festival!” I say, squeezing my hands together to keep myself from hugging him.
“It was nothing. Just chopping a little quicker than I normally do,” Magnus says bashfully.
“And you looked great doing it,” Cato says.
I flush and look away, although when we’re at home, I’ll be echoing that sentiment.
People congratulate Magnus as we leave, and he accepts the praise stoically at first, but by the time we’re out of the crowd, he’s smiling.
We need a break to cool down after all of that (I know my pussy does), so we get in line at the giant vat of spiced cider. It smells delicious, and we order giant mugs of it.
I peek in the pot while the worker ladles our drinks, trying to see what ingredients are bobbing around. I canmake out apple and orange slices, pomegranate seeds, cranberries, cinnamon sticks, nutmeg, and allspice.
The worker notices me looking and says the farms around Starsfalls donated the ingredients, so the cider is full of small-town charm. He adds the last with a wink.
I take a sip and it’s delicious, definitely the most unique cider I’ve ever had. I tell the worker how good it is and agree the ingredients are high quality. Since my scent is similar to spiced cider, I like to think I have some authority on this matter.
We look for a picnic table to sit at and enjoy our drinks, but pause as a carriage rolls up.
“Look at the horses!” I say.
There are two giant, fluffy white horses drawing the carriage. They have sleigh bells on their harnesses and red bows are woven into their manes and tails. The horses’ horns look freshly polished, glittering under the holiday lights.
“Do you want to pet them?” Charm asks.
“Yes! If we’re allowed to,” I say.
The driver waves us on, and the closest horse drops his head so I can reach it. I tentatively pet his nose. It’s so soft and warm. The horse huffs as I stroke between his eyes and leans into my touch, careful to avoid hitting me with his horn.
The other horse is looking at me, and I hand Charm my drink so I can pet both of them.
“Do you want to go for a ride?” Orion asks.
“Really? All of us?” I say, peering around the horses to see how big the carriage is.
“Yes, if you want to,” he says with a smile.
Of course I agree, and Orion helps me up. There’s a blanket on the seat that Henri drapes over us.
The driver takes off with a jingle of bells.
We ride through downtown where all the buildings are covered in lights and garlands and other decorations.
This is the most romantic thing we’ve done at the festival,andwe have some privacy. I smile at my alphas, a sappy smile that I don’t have to worry about anyone else catching.
Cato’s hand is on my thigh under the blanket. I sneak my hand under and put it on Orion’s lap, and he laces his fingers with mine. If it weren’t for my cider, I’d hold Cato’s hand too. Instead, I lean against him, and he strokes my leg.
The driver takes us all around downtown, down every side street, but the ride feels short. All too soon, we’re back at the town square, and it’s time to let go of them.
They help me out of the carriage and step back.
The wind is biting as it cuts between us, and I shiver despite my warm coat.
We return our empty cider mugs and wade back into the fair.
It’s just like we left it, bright and colorful, but the magic has dimmed.
