by Amy Crook
"Jones will be back soon, too; he's got the evening off," said Alex. "I think Victor wants the excuse to hide out at his club."
Julian laughed and got up. "Let's go check on our brownies, make sure Alys isn't about ready to be done with all of us," he said, leading Alex around the back of the sofa to avoid the conversation centred on it and into the kitchen. "How are you all doing?"
"We're good," said Con with a grin. He was sitting with Betta on the countertop, feet dangling over the edge, the two of them cuddled up and passing a cup of mulled wine back and forth. "Good party."
"Thank you for coming," said Julian with a grin. "How about you, Alys?"
"I've not hexed anyone yet, ta for asking," said Alys, back still to him as she stirred something in a pot on the stove.
Jacques was sitting at the kitchen table assembling some sort of pastry onto cookie sheets, and he shot Julian a wink. "We're getting ready for the next wave."
"We've got five more coming soon, and that'll be the last of them," said Julian with a smile. "Unless Jones brings Jenny, in which case six."
"He's not," said Alex. "She had a thing, but he promised to bring her by for dinner sometime."
Alys harrumphed, which meant she was enjoying being grumpy and didn't want to be chivvied out of it just yet. "Well, the mad lot of you had better not keep clogging up my kitchen."
Two fresh cups of wine floated over along with another plate of nibbles, and Julian took the hint. "Off we go, then, I wouldn't want to interrupt your genius at work." He winked back at Jacques and dragged Alex out.
"Say, whatever happened to that flower fairy of yours?" asked Thomas, when they emerged. "Padma says she's never seen one."
"She's in the work room," said Alex. "It's a few too many people for her, but I can show you if you like."
"Yes, please, and then I'll have to be going," said Padma, with obvious regret. "This is lovely, but duty calls."
"I see Alys already took care of you," said Julian, nodding to the sizeable stack of cookie tins in front of her, each with a different treat visible through the windowed lid. "Don't forget your rosemary plant."
"I won't, though I might borrow your Alex to help me carry things," said Padma, standing with a smile. "Come on, show me this amazing work room and fairy of yours so I have a tale to take back to my husband."
"We'll lure him out here one of these days," said Alex with a laugh, leading her away and into the work room's quiet clutter.
Julian stole her spot on the couch, settling in with the double-sized plate of treats and a grin. "So, what are we talking about now?" he teased. "Have you asked anyone out yet this year, Thomas?"
"That is not what we're talking about," said Thomas, giving him a glare that wasn't entirely effective given his blushes.
"So that's a no, then," said James with a poorly-suppressed grin.
Thomas huffed. "Easy for you to say, you've got a life partner."
"Yes, but you actually want to have sex again someday," said James, unperturbed. "I'm good as I am."
Julian giggled, but Thomas was saved from replying when the doorbell rang again and he shot up to go answer it. Jones came in, looking very relieved to be done with his duties for the day, and promptly stole Thomas' seat when Alys floated his coat away rather than making him stash it himself. "Ugh, I'm glad there's only two more days of this before the holiday."
"I'm just glad you got the evening off," said Julian, giving him a little hug. "I made a few extra rosemary pots, if you want to take one to your mum, by the way."
"I'd love that," said Jones, and then, "Ooh, perfect," when a big plate of little nibbles and a fresh cup of mulled wine came to a halt in front of him. He dug in, and everyone else's cups began to float away and return refilled, followed by their plates, full of fresh-baked goodies and a little cup of soup for everyone as well.
Alex and Padma emerged a few minutes later and she came to retrieve her boxes, which Thomas and James volunteered to carry down so that Jones could rest and the hosts could stay up with the party. Whitby Chilcott and his consort-to-be, Grover Barnes, shared the elevator back up with the men, and Alys was very happy to hear that they were nearly the last of the guests.
"Congratulations," said Julian; he'd given up his spot on the couch to greet the newcomers. They traded cheek-kisses all around, and Julian admired Grover's delicately etched engagement band. "I'm so glad you two worked it out."
"And when will yours be making an honest man of you?" asked Whitby, not entirely teasingly.
Julian laughed. "Well, we've decided I don't want to be a consort, so when Phineas fell for my sister it took some of the pressure off," he said. "You'll be happy to know that we're using the St. Albans holiday china, though you've missed Emmy and Phin."
"That's all right, we saw them at the Eiderdown party," said Grover cheerfully. "Where is Alex, anyway?"
"Getting you some mulled wine," said Alex, coming up carrying a pair of cups. "We're leaving coats on the bed, and the bathroom's through there as well, if you're staying a while?"
"Yes, I'll take care of that, thank you," said Whitby, giving Julian an amused look. He took Grover's coat, which freed Grover's hands up to take the wine cups, and vanished into the bedroom.
"Whitby wants to know when you're going to propose," said Julian teasingly.
Alex huffed. "All in good time. It doesn't do to rush these things," said Alex, but there was mischief in his eyes that gave Julian a little swoop of hope in his stomach.
"Is this really all you have, this little flat now?" asked Grover curiously, peering around.
"Well, I didn't give up all the family land," said Julian with a laugh. "But honestly this is really enough. Let me show you around." He handed the extra wine back to Alex and tucked Grover's arm in his, taking him straight to the kitchen to meet the brownies and earth sprites. "Grover Barnes, former suitor and now consort-to-be, meet our house-brownies, Alys and Nat, and our friends Con and Betta."
"Oh, my," said Grover, looking delighted. "How very good to meet you!" He turned to Julian with a little smile. "I suppose you've got your own sort of riches now. I heard you were doing an actual Apprenticeship as well."
"I am, that's why we're giving away rosemary for our gifts," said Julian. "I grew the plants at the nursery where I work, and Alex made green thumb charms for them."
"I helped with the potting," said Nat.
"Oh, speaking of which," said Grover, patting his pockets. "It must be in my coat."
"I've got it," said Whitby, handing Julian a small wrapped parcel. "I hope it suits."
Julian opened it up to find a sugar bowl that matched the holiday china that everyone was drinking from, and he had to blink for a moment before he could smile. "Oh, Whitby, thank you," he said, kissing Whitby's cheek, and then Grover's. "I can't imagine how you found this."
"Emmy told me about how you broke the lid on yours when you were a boy," said Whitby, "so when this one came to my attention, well."
"Well, thank you," said Julian with a grin. "And now I'm doubly glad we brought down the cups for today so you can see it all together."
"I have to admit, I was hoping Emmy had convinced you," said Whitby, and they spent a while talking about the family assets and how they'd been divided, mostly centring on things like the china and crystal that Julian obviously had no use for in his current life outside of special occasions. They'd pack it up and take it back with them when they went to the St. Albans Solstice celebration so that Emmeline could use it again in her home for the holiday. Eventually Grover gently steered the conversation back to their tour, and they took their leave of the faeries and wandered through the rest of the flat, including a quick peek in Alex's work room to meet the flower fairy.
They couldn't stay, having another party after this to attend, but they did settle long enough to eat a meal's worth of treats and meet Julian's other friends, including a happy reunion with Chudleigh. Things got even more crowded when Mary Margaret showed up with her husband,
but the humans split up into several smaller groups in the kitchen and living room, and Nat vanished with Con and Betta into his room while Alys stayed out with Jacques to deliver dinner in the form of yet more nibbles, plus soup for those who hadn't had any earlier.
"Your guest-gifts seem to have gone over well," said Mary Margaret, admiring the half-empty stand of rosemary pots. She'd brought some interesting magical hothouse-grown spices for her guesting-gift, part of all the batches she was starting for the nursery, which Alys had been very happy to see.
"They have, even the earth sprites like them," said Julian. "I'm not sure Alex's family quite got the point, but they all took one."
"It's a good thing you're doing, letting all those blessed plants out into the world," she said, echoing what Father Stephen had told him earlier. "Rosemary's good for warding off unwanted energies, not to mention all sorts of cooking."
Julian grinned. "It is, that's why I picked it, so people who wanted the magic could keep it for that and people who just wanted to eat it could use it up that way."
"And take in the magic as they did," said Mary Margaret shrewdly. Her phone beeped, and then Mr. Stone's did as well, and she sighed. "That's our cue. We managed to sneak away for proper dinner but there's a mort of family in wanting us for the celebrations right now."
"We got out of it by hosting," said Julian, "but I'm certain next year we won't be so lucky."
Mary Margaret kissed his cheek and went to find Mr. Stone and their coats, and Julian waited by the door to give them each a plant. "I'll bring one back for the nursery after the holiday," Julian promised.
"You'd better, I'm counting on this to start our magical rosemary patch," said Mary Margaret with a wink. "These two are going to the house, one for the kitchen and one for the yard."
Julian felt something very warm indeed in his chest at that, and he hugged her hard. "I'm very happy to hear that," he said. "Happy Solstice, I'll see you soon." They left and Julian went over to find Alex and hug him very hard, appreciating now more than ever how much he'd finally allowed himself to grow this past year.
Whitby and Grover came over to make their own goodbyes before Julian could get too maudlin and introspective, and then Con and Betta emerged from Nat's room for their own farewells. Four more rosemary plants left with the guests, leaving less than a dozen on the stand that had once held thirty pots.
Nat strolled over to where Julian was rearranging them in a more pleasing manner and said casually, "We'll have to see what else will go on here in the new year. Perhaps some of your Master Stone's gifts would fit nicely."
Julian grinned. "I had a feeling this wasn't a temporary installation," he said, touching the warm wood of the stand with gentle fingers. "It's perfect as always, Nat. You and Alys have been good additions to the family."
Nat looked surprised and then he puffed up with pride. "You've been a good family for us to care for," he said, which Julian took as a very high compliment indeed.
The two of them stood for another moment in comfortable silence, until the remaining guests took it upon themselves to start rearranging things so that everyone could sit in a big circle, including the brownies, so long as no one wanted to go out the front door. Nat went to make sure they didn't damage anything while they were at it, and Alys brought out the brandy-laced eggnog, cleaning everyone's cups with a bit of magic and then serving up the harder drink.
Alex brought out his concert flute and grinned. "Now that we're all lubricated, how about some carols?" he suggested, playing the trill of a popular Solstice tune on his flute. Julian felt a little surge of magic as Alex dimmed the electric lights, leaving them all in the glow of the dozens of candles surrounding them.
Julian let himself be drawn into it with the others, laughing and not always in key, but warm and, just as Nat had said, very much like family. Jacques had a surprisingly beautiful tenor, with James the warm baritone beneath him. Even Alys sang a few of the older songs with them, though Julian got the impression she knew different words than the humans. Horace flew down and trilled along as a counterpoint to Alex's flute, and Nat brought out a tiny harp which he used to join Alex in the accompaniment.
After assuring that everyone was there for the rest of the evening, even Chudleigh, they locked the door. Alex put the wards back up, playing a strange and beautiful music of a very different sort on his silver work flute while Alys and Jacques went back into the kitchen, emerging with one of his amazing baked creations. This one was a fruitcake he'd been soaking in rum all month that had been sliced and layered in parfait glasses with whipped cream, marzipan, and eggnog mousse.
After the silence of good eating was over, Jones surprised him by offering to start a round of storytelling. Instead of going for one of the traditional tales, he told his own version of Julian's Courtship. He focused not on the adventure and magic but on the love story, telling them what it was like to watch the two of them fall in love despite themselves – and everyone else. Chudleigh picked up the thread and told a story of his own youth that did have magic in it, another tale of being on the periphery of someone else's big adventure when his younger brother had insulted a faerie and the family had had to find out how to cope with the resultant curse and its eventual lifting.
James told them about one of Father Stephen's quiet good works, while Jacques talked about an incident with their Guardian mentors before they'd been old enough to Guard anyone themselves. It went through the group like that, stories that affected them without being centred around them, like planets telling tales of the sun. Even Alys and Nat participated, each sharing a story of their long lives from before they were together.
It was past midnight when they were all done, and Alys smoothly broke the quiet mood by sending out steamed puddings and winter-spiced tea. "I put a luck charm in every single one of these, so don't swallow one or your luck will turn quite literally to shite," she said, before taking a big bite of her own treat.
Everyone laughed at that and dug in, and sure enough there was a little luck-token in each one, tiny acorns that had been sealed and drilled for wearing. Nat produced a spool of satin cord, then went around to clean and string each one as people found them, before sitting to eat his own portion and looking quite pleased with himself. "It's only a bit of brownie magic," he said, "but 'tis right for those who stayed to all have a little luck, instead of giving a silver wish to just one soul."
"I can't fault your logic," said Alex, keeping his on top of his shirt where he could play with it, no doubt listening to its magic.
Julian could feel the energies, a hum of positive potential that resonated with and added to the acorn's own deep magic. "They're a very good gift for keeping your family happy and healthy in the coming year," said Julian, as close to gratitude as he could express without thanking them profusely the way he wanted to.
There was a cascade of, "That's awesome," and "They're perfect," that went around the room, and Julian was pleased to see Chudleigh glowing almost as much from this gift as he had at being the centre of Geoff's attention all evening.
Once those puddings were gone, Alys and Jacques vanished to make one last course of sweets and savouries, while the rest of them broke up into smaller conversations again, some sitting and some standing. Julian wandered from group to group, basking in the warmth of his good friends, and then he slipped into the bedroom for a moment alone. They'd lit more candles in here, which reminded Julian of more intimate times, so he was smiling when Chudleigh came out of the bathroom.
"Oh, sorry, were you waiting?" he said, embarrassed.
"No, no," Julian assured him. "Just having a quiet moment."
Chudleigh nodded. "It's a lot of people," he said. "Thank you for including me, I know we've not been that close," he added, hand going to the acorn around his neck. "I feel like this is a luck charm to make us better friends in the coming year."
Julian smiled warmly. "Maybe it is, though Geoff is perhaps the better luck charm since we see him all the time."
&
nbsp; Chudleigh laughed and rubbed the back of his neck. "Am I that obvious?"
"Obvious is good," Julian assured him. "Geoff could use some ego boosting, as well as someone who wants to keep him around for a long time."
"Well," said Chudleigh, that little-boy smile of his lighting up his face, "I'll see what I can do about that, should he want to be kept."
Julian laughed and hugged him. "Good man," he said, linking his arm in Chudleigh's and walking him back out into the party, then parking him firmly at Geoff's side.
Geoff lit up and filled him in on the conversation, and Julian slipped off to find the light of his own darkest nights. "What are you getting up to in here?" he asked, finding Alex in the kitchen with Alys and Jacques.
"A little kitchen magic," said Alex.
"He's actually helping," supplied Jacques with a smirk. "We're doing a restorative course so no one has an accident getting home, and Alex is adding a little sobering magic to the mix."
Julian rewarded him with a kiss. "Can I help? We can be good hosts together," said Julian.
"You can," said Alys, sounding pleased. She brought over a freshly washed ginger root and handed it to him. "See if this is alive enough still to put a bit of zing into?"
"I'll do my best," said Julian. He took a seat at the table and cradled the ginger, sending his senses into it and feeling the rich, familiar soil of the nursery in its makeup, which meant it was part of Mary Margaret's guesting-gift. It was dying, he could tell that, but he consoled it that it was part of something bigger, and threaded energy through it. He felt guilty that he wouldn't be able to replant it, so when he was done, he broke off a piece and handed Alys the rest. "I want to sprout this one, so it knows I kept my promise about it growing into more."
"Good lad," she said with a grin. "Let's start it on the window just in water before we hide it away in the soil, then?"
They managed a rather childish arrangement of toothpicks and a glass of water on the windowsill, looking like a mad experiment. Julian gave it a few last soothing bits of energy and encouragement, promising there would be sunshine in the morning and he'd give it more energy then as well. He turned back to find that Alys had already made short work of the remaining ginger, sparing Julian any further guilt as she dumped it into the mixing bowl in front of her.
