Page 38 of Gemini Christmas
“If ‘tis any comfort,” the Dark Fae adds, “I know well enough you’re my Secret Santa. But I’ve no notion of the gift.”
Zephyr leans down at the same moment Vasili’s hand snakes out to lock around his wrist. Their mouths fuse together in an instant of blazing contact that looks more like a snakebite than a kiss.
Then Vasili hums in approval and releases him.
Now we can all release our held breath.
Vasili flutters his lids at the Fae. “Darling, you tasteexactlylike cinnamon schnapps. Whatever have you been drinking?”
“Midwinter solstice wine. Just a drop, for its… restorative qualities. Which I found I rather needed after last night.” Eyeing all of us in the bed, Zephyr casually eases down the zipper of his ski suit. “I crated a few celebratory bottles from the royal cellar when we packed our baggage. ‘Tis a gift from Avalon for the senator’s Christmas dinner.”
All the while, Zara is clearly torn between her avid interest in the byplay between these two recent frenemies and her admiration for the gorgeous wrappings and enormous bow on her gift.
Finally, her curiosity gets the best of her. Carefully, she lifts the package. “This is big, but it’s not heavy. I honestly have no idea what it can be.”
“Let’s plan to open our Secret Santa gifts after breakfast,” I suggest. “Otherwise poor Maxim will starve to death. But perhaps, since His Radiance has gone to the trouble of fetching it, Zara should open this one gift now.”
“That works for me. As soon as the others get back,” she promises, with a happy wiggle. “I can’t wait to find out what you made for me, Zephyr.”
By the time they’ve all crowded in—all our mates—bearing steaming mugs of coffee and a heaping plate of frosted Christmas cookies to share, our sweet girl is breathless with curiosity and anticipation.
“Hey, good news. I was able to get Dad on the line,” Neo announces, brandishing his cell phone triumphantly. “He wasn’t even worried. I guess he got a text somehow last night—from this phone, if you can believe it—saying we were delayed and we’d be there in the morning. Anyway, he’s coming now with the pickup and Racetrack—Dez too, I guess—to pull us out of the ditch.”
“Thank goodness,” I murmur, quietly relieved to hear both girls’ safety confirmed. Racetrack and Desdemona aren’t part of our polycule, but they’re beloved members of our Academy household and Zara’s royal court all the same.
“Uh-huh.” Neo gives me a happy nod. “The girls got in yesterday, they came from New England with Racetrack’s moms. Right before the blizzard hit.”
“Sounds like I better hurry up and open this, before the cavalry shows up, huh?” Zara grins at all of us, then rips the paper from her gift with childlike enthusiasm.
The pale witchwood square of the box beneath yields no clue to its contents. But when she lifts the lid, she voices a soft cry of recognition and delight.
We all lean close to peer in.
Of course, I’ve already seen Zephyr’s gift to her, but its visual and magical impact on this second viewing is undiminished. Commandeering the enchanted forge of Avalon, heated and fueled by dragonfire, the Dark Fae King has forged a crown fit for a queen.
One queen.
The queen who is both his Unseelie Queen and the Gemini Queen of the witching world.
Our queen.
Zara’s new crown is actuallytwocrowns, both ancient artifacts, soldered and forged into one. The coronet in her lap comprises the delicate diamond and emerald scrollwork of the witching world tiara she inherited from Messalina Aquarius, twined through the razor-sharp silver spikes of the Unseelie crown.
Experienced singly, each of Zara’s magical crowns is powerful enough to make my wolf rise and my skin tingle.
Experienced in unison, this newly forged supercrown crackles and hums with enough raw voltage to bring the world to its knees.
Gingerly, almost afraid to touch the artifact, I lift the crown—light as air and vibrating with power—from Zara’s reverent fingers and place it gently upon her tumbled curls. The talisman settles over her smooth brow. Gemini emeralds bring out the green undertones in her hair. Her wide eyes glow violet with psi fire. Tiny purple sparks dance along her fingertips.
Together, the other warlocks and I inhale a collective breath of admiration. The entire cottage seems to lean close and inhale with us.
She’s more than lovely.
More than magical or mighty.
She’s magnificent.
And, praise God and all the saints in Heaven, she’smine.
