Page 35 of Our Dark Winter Wish

‘Just one?’ he asks.

‘Yes. Problem?’

Archie shakes his head.

Dorian tosses his gifts under as he storms towards the door, determined to find Pixie. She rushes in, shakes off the snow, and is beaming as she places her gifts under the tree.

And we sit.

‘Now what?’ I ask.

‘Hats.’ From inside his jacket, Archie pulls out four bright red hats with white trim and hands us each one.

When he puts his on his head, Pixie stifles a snigger. It’s a floppy, pointed hat complete with a white tuft at its tip. Like a rabbit's tail.

I look at mine.

It is a rabbit's tail. And the trim is rabbit fur.

‘It’s part of the tradition,’ Archie insists. ‘We have to wear them.’

Pixie puts hers on first, swishing the bobble around her head with a grin.

Dorian puts his on and looks at Archie like he wants nothing more than to shove it down his throat.

Pix shuffles over to me and puts mine on my head, taking time to place the tip and bobble to the side.

‘We all look ridiculous,’ Dorian grumbles.

‘Ridiculous but festive,’ Archie smirks, very happy that we’re all here looking like prized idiots. ‘Gifts!’

Archie pulls out his and hands one to me. Another to Dorian. And a third to Pixie.

‘Merry Christmas, guys,’ he says.

We open them up.

Dorian and I each have a bottle of some purple liquid that shimmers when it moves. I open it and sniff, catching the scent of honey and liquorice.

‘It’s a little like whiskey,’ Archie says. ‘My pack used to make it. But it has the same effect as that leaf we smoked once a few years back. Do you remember that? When we got the giggles for hours. I started making it when we got here. Takes months to get it right.’

I take a sip, and surprisingly, it’s absolutely delicious. It makes my body tingle, and ease settles over me when it hits my stomach.

‘Shit,’ I moan, admiring the bottle. ‘That is incredible, Archie! I have never tasted anything like it.’

Dorian looks just as surprised as he sips his. And Archie is beaming.

‘You really like it?’

I offer it to Pixie, who takes a sip. Her cheeks flush pink, and her eyes widen.

‘That’s strong,’ she says, her voice straining against its heat.

She opens her gift.

‘Oh my…’ She whispers. ‘Archie… is this…’

She lifts up a necklace. On the end hangs a single pearl and a wolf fang.

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