Page 40 of Mistletoe and Mayhem
“Hello. Can I help?”
“Depends,” Zephyr dipped his chin toward the empty pie dishes. “Do you know anything about pie crust? Our last attempt got thrown out, because someone tried to mess with the recipe.”
Brennus ruffled his feathers with a growl. “I told you, it should have worked. It was the same ingredients, just in different amounts. I thought I could make it more flaky.”
Pulling off his jacket, Elijah set it on an empty stool, giving Brennus an understanding smile as he moved to wash his hands. “You can’t improvise with baking, unfortunately. It’s more science than cooking. Exact amounts are important for the best results.”
“Well, I know that now,” he grumbled, coming to stand at Elijah’s side. “Do you know how to make it flaky? Phoebe usually bakes the pies, but the boys are sick so she stayed home this year.”
“Oh, that’s too bad,” Elijah frowned. “We’ll have to make sure to send plates home for them. And yes, I do happen to know how to make flaky pie crust. We can make it together if you want to learn?”
Brennus was open to that, and working together with his friend to make pies was a lot of fun. Especially because he kept having to correct Brennus’s measurements. A teaspoon and a heaping teaspoon just weren’t the same things, though Brennus couldn’t seem to understand why. His friend was a smart man, but when it came to cooking, he was a little impatient.
“I feel like you need a snack,” Elijah snickered when he huffed for the third time after Elijah took away the crust to stop him from overworking it.
“Snacks are in the other room,” Zephyr pointed out just as Dorian came in to join them. He switched out with Brennus, allowing the griffin to get something to eat, and smiled kindly at Elijah.
“Do you need any help?”
“Um, sure. I’m making the filling next.”
Dorian nodded, grabbing the ingredients and bowls that Elijah needed.
“I’m surprised you’re here,” Zephyr commented. “Don’t you and Kian normally take a vacation this time of year?”
“We’re leaving tomorrow,” Dorian agreed. “Taron begged Kian to stay for the party, and they’ve gotten really close. Kian didn’t have the heart to refuse him.”
Elijah stiffened, spinning to give Zephyr a worried look. Somehow, he got the feeling that Kian’s acceptance in coming to the party had less to do with feeling bad for his friend and more to do with the fact that those two were in a constant prank war and a party was a golden opportunity to lovingly torment each other.
“Um… Should someone check on them?” he queried uneasily.
Zephyr glanced toward the door with a frown. “They should be with everyone else…”
He said that, but they were both concerned anyway. Dorian looked at them, confused. “What?”
“Ah, Dorian. You are aware that Kian and Taron are in a prank war right now, right?” Elijah pointed out.
Dorian made a face. “Prank war? I know they play tricks on each other from time to time, but Kian never mentioned anything about a war. What are you–”
A burst of noise like party blowers, cheering, and bells filled the air. The noise made all three of them jump, and they raced into the dining room, where the sound had come from. They found Taron absolutely covered in glitter with little pixies dancing over his head. Kian stood in the corner, a huge grin on his face, while the rest of the guests looked on in shocked silence.
“What just happened?” Avery breathed, looking between Taron and Kian.
“I don’t know,” Taron admitted. “All I said was that I was looking forward to presents–”
The pixies cheered and set off another glitter bomb, dumping it on Taron, and by proximity, Avery too for standing too close. Kian burst into cackles, hugging his middle, while Taron looked dumbfounded. “What did I say?”
“It seems like if you say something specific, the pixies will cover you in glitter,” Elijah offered helpfully.
“What? Presents?”
Another cheer, another glitter bomb, though this time Ozen snatched Avery away before he got covered again. Taron narrowed his eyes on Kian, considering him for a moment. Elijah saw it the same time Kian did, the moment when Taron decided to use the trick against its creator. He darted away, andTaron chased him, the pixies following him with giggles, the little bells tied to their clothes jingling away.
Elijah started laughing, he couldn’t help it. He could always count on those two to make things entertaining.
Chapter Three
Elijah’s laughter set off the entire party, everyone laughing at the chaotic duo as they chased each other around. Alistair just shook his head, pointing Avery toward Isaac, who was more skilled with precise air spells and could de-glitter his friend better than Alistair could. He made his way around the edge of the group, pulling Elijah into his arms without blocking his view of the shenanigans. He didn’t think his friends were a threat, but if he could, he wanted to prevent Elijah from becoming the next glitter victim. That shit got everywhere.
