by Melissa Haag
“What?” My mom looked up with dismay. She and Aunt Grace were working to stack the boxes of Christmas decorations.
Gran shifted the curtain to the side and looked out. “Don’t worry, Clare. Morik has it clear already. Tessa, he sent you in because he knew he’d be done before you warmed. Take your coat off.”
I peeked out the high window by the door and saw she was right. He only had another few moments of work left.
After I hung my jacket, I took the opportunity to whisper in a few ears about the gift I wanted to give Morik. Gran and Aunt Danielle agreed without hesitation. Aunt Grace looked at Mom with worry before she nodded. I saved Mom for last, knowing she’d be the only one likely to oppose it. But I needed her to agree because she still had the gift in her possession.
She watched me with sad eyes when I approached her. I whispered the words bound to start an argument.
“Can I have the family ring to give to Morik?”
My father had last worn the ring, a plain band worn by most of the husbands who married into Belinda’s line. Gran’s own husband had never worn it. She’d kept it from him, saying he would have taken it off and lost it anyway. He’d been a cheater. When sisters needed to marry like Mom and Aunt Grace, the first one to marry could offer it to her husband. We’d never lost it in the line. According to Gran, it’d seen at least six generations.
Mom pulled back and studied my face for a moment then reluctantly nodded. I hugged her tightly as Morik knocked on the door. I hurried to answer it and pulled him in with a smile, excited now that I knew what to give him.
Gran shooed us to the living room with our hot chocolate so we could begin decorating. Mom and Aunt Grace had obtained a beautifully pathetic tree. We worked together to transform it into our own Christmas miracle.
An hour later, the lights strung on the thin branches sparkled off the tinsel and ornaments. The tree, lit by those reflections, looked magnificent.
After hearing the plow pass through once more, Morik excused himself to shovel the driveway again. I quickly went to my room, wrapped his gift in a scrap of paper, and tucked it into my pocket. I brought out the rest of the presents, excited to exchange them.
As soon as Morik came back in, we started. There weren’t many gifts, so it didn’t take long. Aunt Grace scolded me for the shirt but swore she loved it. They all gushed over the earrings, and I quickly said that Morik helped me make them.
Mom gave me a knit hat to match the first scarf Morik had given me. Aunt Grace gave me a bucket of homemade caramel corn and praline mix, my favorite gift from her, which she only made at Christmas. It never lasted long.
Gran and Aunt Danielle gave Morik and me a set of cookbooks. Gran admitted to purchasing it but swore she’d thrifted it. She couldn’t stand thinking of things he’d never tried. He smiled, thanked her, and started thumbing through the pages.
When a knock sounded at the door, we all looked at Mom, her face lit with anxious anticipation. Morik slid on his glasses. He tried to honor my request to keep them off when we were together, including around my family, thanks to Aunt Danielle. But I didn’t think Stephen would be as open. Not at first, anyway. I hoped it would change if he stuck around and got to know us. I really wanted Mom to be happy.
After taking Stephen’s things, she reintroduced him to me—I’d met him once before when I’d gone to work with Mom. Then she introduced Gran, who’d yet to meet him. When I turned, I saw Aunt Danielle had disappeared. Of course.
He shook Gran’s hand and turned to Morik. I wondered how Mom would introduce him and what Stephen’s reaction would be.
“This is Tessa’s friend, Morik,” she said, her excitement over Stephen not dimming.
“A pleasure to meet you, Stephen,” Morik said formally, shaking Stephen’s hand.
Stephen nodded with a smile, but I noticed his gaze flick over the hat and glasses. I struggled not to frown at him.
We moved to the table to start dinner. For Christmas, we went all-out, content to live off leftovers for a while. There were more dishes of food on the table than people.
I enjoyed watching Morik try a little of everything. His eyes widened in surprise when he sampled Gran’s chutneyed chicken. After a bite of Aunt Grace’s cheesy-spiced potatoes, he nudged me and asked who made them. I nodded in the correct direction, and he asked for the recipe. I shook my head, smiling.
Christmas dinner was a celebration of flavors. Mom once explained they came up with the idea to signify life’s choices still left open to us. Many of the dishes clashed with the main course; but on their own, each held a unique, fulfilling flavor that had you coming back for more.
I noted the fading light as I leaned back in my chair, contentedly full. Unsure how to excuse us, I glanced at Mom, who had skillfully guided the conversation throughout the meal. She caught my look, glanced out the window, and then at Stephen. I could see the worry in her eyes.
“Mrs. Sole, would it be all right if Tessa and I walked to my house?” Morik asked, saving us from having to come up with some lame excuse. For being such great planners, we hadn’t planned the details of my leaving tonight.
Mom agreed, and Morik thanked everyone for the wonderful dinner while he took our plates to the sink.
I quickly grabbed my coat, mittens, and new hat. Morik met me by the door, and Gran followed behind him. She kissed my cheek and whispered that she’d see us in the morning. I nervously eyed the dying light through the window. Dusk crept too close. Would I even be safe if I walked out the door?
Morik tugged on his jacket in slow, measured moves, completely relaxed. His calm helped put me at ease.
He smiled at Gran when she moved to block us from Stephen’s view. She patted Morik’s cheek. He pulled me to his side, opened the door, and blinked us away.
We stood in his living room.
“We didn’t close the door,” I pointed out.
“That’s why your Grandmother came to send you off. She didn’t want you stepping outside any more than you wanted to go out.” He helped me from my jacket.
I hummed an acknowledgement as I looked around. I didn’t want to go to bed yet.
“You said your house was better protection than the chant. Does that mean I can stay up?”
“Yes, if you’d like that.”
“Very much. We can watch movies until we pass out, and then I can sleep in until I feel like waking up.”
He took my coat and hung it in the closet. With his back to me, I took a moment to dig his gift out of my pocket. When he turned to face me, I had it ready in my palm and held it out to him.
“What’s this?” He tilted his head, and violet flashed in his eyes.
“A gift. It’s the reason I asked what you wanted. Come on. Take it. Open it.” I bounced it in my hand a little.
He reached out slowly as he studied the crumpled, tiny wad of wrapping paper. I agreed it didn’t look like much. He closed his fingers around it and plucked it from my hand. I didn’t watch him carefully untangle the paper; I watched his eyes. Violet, brown, yellow, and green danced together in their depths.
It took a moment for me to realize his focus had shifted from the gift to me. His eyes questioned, yet I read hope in them, too.
“I know you want me to choose you—and I’m working on that—but until I figure it out, I wanted you to have this.” The ring lay in the palm of his hand. I carefully lifted it up for his inspection. “It’s something our husbands have worn for, according to Gran, at least the last six generations. It’s my promise to you to keep trying.” I set it back into his waiting palm. “I hope you’ll be the last one to wear it.”
Brown dominated his eyes as he slid the ring onto his third finger. It was a tight fit over the knuckle, and I doubted it’d ever come off even if he wanted it to.
“Merry Christmas,” I whispered.
He pulled me into his arms and kissed me gently.
I truly cared for him. I liked kissing him and being with him. Why couldn’t I just choose him
already? He pulled back with a wide smile that showed his lower teeth in full detail. Wow. I held my surprise in check and smiled in return. Those were sharp teeth.
Despite all the time I spent with him, I still didn’t feel completely comfortable with all of his differences. I needed to work on that.
Morik got us each a soda and led the way downstairs. He taught me how to play a few of his favorite games until our stomachs rumbled again. We drifted upstairs for new drinks, and I thought of my aunt’s popcorn and praline mix.
“Do you think you could sneak into my house and grab it?” I asked Morik with a mischievous smile after telling him what I wanted.
His eyes flicked to the windows.
“Yes.” The way he drew out the word didn’t bode well.
“I sense a 'but' coming.”
“It’s dangerous to leave you at night.”
The disappointment I felt rushed to my face before I could stop it. Ochre flitted into his gaze.
“It’s okay,” I said, feeling bad that I’d upset him. “We can raid your supplies.”
“We can make a deal.” The quick, determined way he said it confused me as much as the suggestion.
“But I thought you said we didn’t need to use deals.”
“You are correct. But this one is important. For your safety. I want you to stay in the house while I’m gone. You may not open a window, a door, nothing.”
“Morik, we don’t need to make a deal for that. I promise.” He was shaking his head before I finished speaking.
“You must name a price.”
“How about my popcorn?”
“Your obedience in this is worth far more.”
“Like how much? I’m not a deal pro like you.” I smiled at him, trying to lighten the mood.
“Priceless, really.”
I snorted at that. “Don’t these deals need to feel fair to both of us?”
He agreed with a slight incline of his head.
“A new coat for everyone in my family.” It was something we could all use. He shook his head, and I narrowed my eyes thoughtfully.
“Priceless?”
He nodded and watched me think.
“I can’t go that high for something I would have been determined to do on my own.” But obviously, I needed something that could measure up to my “obedience” in his eyes. The thought of anything extravagant made me feel annoyed and wasteful. Fine. Something big yet practical.
“A car,” I blurted. “For Aunt Grace. Not new, though. Something nice with good gas mileage.”
He didn’t respond either way as he considered the deal.
“Seriously, I wouldn’t have gone outside,” I said, again. Still, he hesitated. “And you can cover the first year’s oil changes.”
“And any maintenance for the life of the vehicle,” he countered.
“Not new, though, right? A beater?”
“Not new,” he agreed.
“Deal.”
He pulled me into a tight hug and whispered, “I’ll be right back.” Then he disappeared and left me with my arms wrapped around nothing.
A second later, I heard a knock on the front door.
“Tessa?” my grandma called from outside.
I took half a step toward the door and froze. My promise stopped me. It’d meant so much to Morik that he was willing to buy Aunt Grace a car.
Ahgred wasn’t interested in Gran; he was interested in me. So she should be fine out there, I reasoned with myself. But Ahgred could use her to get to me. The thought of him using her now sickened me. The need to protect Gran just made me better understand Morik’s need to protect me.
“I’m sorry, Gran,” I called, wanting to cry. “I can’t let you in until Morik comes back.”
“What?” she cried. “He’s supposed to be watching you. Wait until your mother hears this.”
Morik said he would be right back. The seconds ticked by. I took another step toward the door. He said not to open it, nothing about looking outside.
Creeping to the door, I parted the curtain and almost screamed. Ahgred stood outside, his green eyes glowing. He saw the movement and focused on me.
“Tessa,” he hummed in his own voice. “Open the door. I will give you the world.”
I dropped the curtain and backed away from the door.
“No thanks.” The raw, rasped words were barely audible.
Behind me, something tapped the kitchen window. I spun and saw Morik’s worried face. He put a finger to his lips and motioned to the French doors, indicating I should let him in. I calmly walked toward the window, not the door. Through the glass, we stood eye to eye.
“Can you look like anyone?” I asked.
Morik’s eyes narrowed and then a grin split his features. “Do you prefer another to Morik?” Ahgred asked. It didn’t sound like Morik just looked like him.
“No. Can you sound like Morik at the same time you look like him?” I studied his face, looking for some discernible difference.
Ahgred snarled then changed back into his own shape.
“I won’t let you in, Ahgred,” I said calmly, waiting for his next move. “Nor will I go outside.”
He stared at me for several long moments then faded into the darkness.
I looked at the clock. Just before ten. I wandered back to the island, took a sip of my soda, and waited. What could have delayed Morik?
Five minutes passed between when he left and when he returned. He reappeared in the same spot, his eyes already focused on me, eyeing me from head to toe. Under his arm, he cradled the plastic container of Aunt Grace’s mix.
“You got it!” I moved to him and snagged the container. “What happened?”
His attention shifted to the window then over his shoulder to the door.
“I thought I would be safe to enter your room, but your mom and Stephen were in there.”
“What?”
His eyes darted back to me, and he spared me a quick smile.
“My timing couldn’t have been worse. I scared your mother. With them in there, I knew I could safely appear in the living room and quickly did so. However, I heard your mother excuse herself and knew I needed to wait to explain my presence.”
“Tell me they weren’t on my bed,” I said, imagining the worst.
“I interrupted a kiss during a tour, I believe.”
“A tour? Give me a break. He owns the house. It was an excuse to take a minute to make out.” I popped the lid on the container and tossed a tasty morsel into my mouth. It helped ease the painful possibility of what could have occurred if not for Morik’s timing.
“Did anything happen here while I was gone?” He stopped studying the doors and windows and focused on me.
I offered him a piece from the tub. When he had it in his mouth, I answered.
“Sure. First, I told Gran she had to wait on the stoop in the cold until you returned, and then when you knocked on the window, I asked you if you could look like anyone else.”
He made a choking noise on the popcorn.
Before he swallowed, I quickly said, “She likes red.” I grinned at him. His eyes stayed liquid silver, and he gave me a small smile in return.
“Come on,” I said. “Let’s watch a movie and see how long it takes me to fall asleep.”
Chapter Seventeen
The sound of Morik’s steady breathing erased the remnants of sleep and roused my curiosity. Unlike the last few mornings, I lay in my own space because of the bigger bed. But I wasn’t alone in the guest room like I’d feared I would be. Morik lay next to me with his eyes closed, actually sleeping. He hadn’t needed any more of an invitation to join me in his home than he had in mine.
Carefully, I rolled to my side and studied him. He looked so human, until I spotted his horns peeking through his hair. The sharp tip of one of them rested against the pillow, and I wondered how many pillows died because of them.
My gaze searched for what really interested me, but his ears were completely hidden under his d
ark hair. I checked the time to make sure it wasn’t too early to wake him then reached out to run my fingers through the silken strands. I liked the feel of it. But that wasn’t my true purpose. I wanted to find his ear. My fingers found the tip of the one closest to me.
“Good morning.” His voice was deep and rough, and he didn’t open his eyes.
I paused but didn’t remove my hand.
“Morning,” I whispered, trying to keep my smile from my voice.
Continuing my exploration, I traced my fingertip along the outer shell to the tip then followed that ridge to the place where the top of his ear joined his head. I repeated the move in reverse. He seemed completely fine with my touch until I reached the tip and began to run my fingers along the outer shell.
His eyes popped open, black voids. I couldn’t actually tell if he looked at me but assumed I had his attention. A fine tremor shook him for a moment as I continued.
“Let’s get you home before we upset your mother.” The words sounded a bit choked.
A moment later, I lay alone on my bed, a smile still lingering on my lips. I looked up at Morik as he stood over me. He shook his head at me and disappeared.
The phone rang.
Muffled through the closed door, I heard someone say, “That girl is driving me crazy.”
Curious, I got out of bed and drifted to the living room. A pile of yarn at her feet, Gran sat on the couch. She was far from relaxed, though. Her knitting needles clicked and clacked with her agitated movements.
She looked up from her work when I entered.
“Oh, Tess! I didn’t know Morik brought you back. Beatriz has been calling. She called yesterday, and we forgot to tell you to return her call before you left.” The phone continued to ring. “Oh, just answer it.”
I picked up the kitchen phone.
“Hello?”
“Tessa, what happened to you? You just disappeared. We were so worried.” Beatriz sounded more annoyed than worried, though, and I bit back a groan. I’d completely forgotten how we’d left the party.
“I’m sorry for scaring you. Morik found me, and we decided to leave. I should have said good-bye.”
