Page 65 of The Naughty List Agreement

Cora walked through the alleyway, greeting many of the other vendors who offered hesitant smiles. It took her almost forty minutes just to get through the alleyway. Every vendor thanked her for inviting them back. It had surprised her how much this event meant to them. Sure, she’d had an idea of the financial ramifications, but that wasn’t what most of the vendors mentioned. The head of Daniel and Sons had been clear that for them it was about being around other toymakers and having a community again.

Nick caught up with her where she waited in line at the sandwich cart. “I thought you’d be finished already.”

“Me too. Took some time to chat with everyone in the alleyway. That was a great idea, creating a communal space for all of the retailers.”

“Thanks. I figured everyone needed some quiet space.”

“I never considered that,” she admitted. Glancing at her watch, she realized she had fifteen minutes before she needed to be back on the shop floor. The line wasn’t moving quickly enough for her to make it.

“I’m going to skip this. I’ll see you back at the shop,” she said.

“You can take time to eat,” Nick said.

“That’s not fair to your staff. They deserve a break as well.”

“They’ll get one. You have a role as director of the entire festival. We always knew your time would be in demand. Stay and eat with me.”

Her stomach rumbled.

He laughed.

“Um, okay.”

“What do you want? I can get our order if you grab us a table,” he said.

“Are you sure you want to eat here? It’s very busy,” she said. The festivalgoers were all making their way to the food court. The din of conversation was loud and intermingled with screams of laughter and some cries from kids.

“Nowhere else I’d rather be.”

She told him what she wanted to eat and then winked at him. “This will probably annoy me—might help me win our bet.”

“I’ll take my chances.”

Making her way through the tables, a lot of locals stopped her to tell her how much they were enjoying this year’s festival, especially the toy village. She recorded a couple of video testimonials from people who agreed to share their views and she sent them to Fliss to post on their socials.

The first clear table she noticed was a four top; she glanced around for a smaller one but didn’t find one. The food court staff dressed as elves were on top of things and the table was clean as Cora took a seat.

Pulling out her phone, she jotted down a note to possibly add a seating attendant or two. It would be more efficient for a member of staff to help people find an empty table.

Nick arrived a few minutes later. “Nice spot. Close to the fireplace.”

“It was the only spot I could find. I wonder if there’s a way to get more seating in here. I don’t want people to leave,” she said.

Nick handed her a sandwich. Her stomach growled again. “I find a full stomach always presents a solution.”

“I’m guessing that’s not scientifically backed research?”

“Nope. Only experience from figuring things out after I eat,” he said, his blue eyes twinkling. This day wasn’t going as she expected. The noise of the crowds didn’t annoy her as she’d feared it would. Instead, it reinforced what the attendance numbers had been telling her for years: people liked coming to the Winter Wonderland.

But talking to them was so different from reading attendance numbers on a spreadsheet. She was getting a real feeling of … magic. Christmas magic.

She wouldn’t be admitting that to Nick.

Nick’s watch continuously vibrated with additions to the Magic Coffers. Incremental additions like this were small but they added up. Each sparkle of Christmas joy fed into it. Sam, head financial elf, watched the numbers and sent updates to Nick every hour. Every immortal in the Yearweave wanted updates. There wasn’t a being in his realm who wasn’t conscious that this Christmas season was crucial to stave off the Dreamfall.

Sitting with Cora in the food court listening to families vibing to the piped-in music and enjoying the food gave Nick hope. He’d make this deadline and get the Yearweave back on track. The seating area with the heavy wooden tables and chairs felt homier than most quick-service restaurants. Nick used his magic to subtly squeeze in a few additional tables near the back when no one was looking. He got a different vibration on his watch to register the deficit of magic, but it was worth it. As soon as people found a seat, their tension ebbed and the Lumen increased.

That made him think about whether marrying the wrong woman would end up negatively influencing the Yearweave. A good partner would elevate him, but the wrong one … would take twice as much effort. The Council of Immortals had no sway over a contract signed way back in 270 CE, but Nick had never even thought to try to change it.