“Oh yeah, he’s a character. Though judging by the length of that conversation, I’m guessing you know him better than I do now,” Sofia said.
Holly felt a little warmed by that idea. She was getting to know humans on a level she’d never experienced before coming to Emerald Hollow, and spending time with them brought her more joy than she’d ever imagined. Then a knot formed in her stomach when she remembered it was all temporary. But she tried not to focus on that for the moment.
Holly glanced up sharply when a large group in the corner of the room began belting “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.” To Holly’s surprise, Sofia dashed over to them and joined in, singing loudly. The group looked like a Christmas choir, perfectly in sync, swaying from side to side. Some people had even linked arms.
Ash appeared at Holly’s side just then.
“Is this a tradition of the ugly-sweater party?” she asked. A nervous feeling she couldn’t articulate was beginning to slide across her skin like wispy clouds over the cold ocean.
Grinning, Ash shrugged. “I have actually never seen anything like this. Especially Sofia. She’s usually up for anything, but sheneversings in public.” He squinted a bit then and glanced at the food table. “Didn’t Sofia say there was no spiked cider?”
Holly’s heart rate sped up as she followed his eyes. Though there was no spiked cider, there had been jingle pops. Holly’s mom’s voice ran through her mind as she thought of a time when they’d baked jingle pops together. Her mom had told her that jingle pops were an old North Pole recipe made with love and magic. She couldn’t have meant that literally, though.
Unlike magic lichen, jingle pops were made with baking ingredients that humans were used to eating. But maybe something about the recipe itself, the combination, was magical? Or perhaps Holly, a magical being, infused magic into the recipe when she baked it. Holly had thought she’d known a lot about magic, but her time in Emerald Hollow was teaching her how much she didn’t know.
Holly turned back to the choir, who had finished the song and were beginning to square-dance together. She covered her mouth with her hands. Sofia had partnered with the man wearing reindeer antlers. She had definitely seen him take a jingle pop, and she groaned.
“What’s up?” Ash turned toward her.
Hoping he didn’t sense her panic, she replied, “Um, nothing. It’s just very… entertaining.”
Ash scratched the back of his neck, watching the dancers. “This is kind of strange. There are some people in that group I have never seen dance before. And how do they all know how to square dance?”
Cold fear gripped Holly and she took a deep breath. She crossed her fingers that the jingle pops wouldn’t do more than put people into the holiday spirit.
“Maybe they’re all just overtaken by the atmosphere,” Holly suggested, praying that whatever magical shenanigans had taken over the room would wear off soon.
She and the elves had never had that kind of reaction to jingle pops. Then again, they were all used to being around magic every day. For humans, a tiny infusion would be a complete novelty. Holly continued to watch nervously, keeping her eyes peeled for any effects that extended beyond singing and dancing.
Finally, the dance ended, and the individuals sidled off to join their nonmagically influenced friends, laughing heartily. Sofia was practically skipping as she joined Holly and Ash.
“Wow, Ash. This is the best party you’ve ever thrown.” Her eyes were bright, and they danced about the room as she looked for the next source of fun.
“Sofia, why don’t you have some vegetables?” Holly suggested, frantically filling a small plate with carrots and celery. If anything could impact magic sweets, it had to be vegetables. Sofia didn’t argue and crunched into a carrot with gusto.
“I was just getting ready to let Comet out. Do either of you want to come?” Ash asked.
Sofia shook her head. “I’m good here. You two go. Holly is Comet’s new favorite person.” She continued to eat from the plate Holly had given her.
Holly glanced around the room nervously, unsure whether she should agree, but things seemed to have settled down a little. “Okay, sure.” She looked for a place to set down her drink.
“Bring it if you want. Do you need to stop by your room and grab a coat? It’s getting colder out there by the second.”
Holly followed Ash down the hallway, throwing one last look over her shoulder at the partygoers. Sofia was still near the appetizer table, eating. Holly tried to relax, but all she could do was wonder how much more there was to her magic that she had yet to understand.
ChapterThirty-Seven
Holly forced herself to turn her attention fully to Ash as she walked with him out of the café and down the hall toward their rooms.
“Did you hear there’s a storm rolling in tonight?” Ash asked. “I’m hoping it’s finally going to snow, but it’s not in the forecast.”
“Yes, Sofia told me.”
They stopped by her room, and she retrieved a coat and gloves then continued down the hall and around the corner.
“How do you like living here at the Emerald House?” Holly asked, curious to see his living quarters.
“It’s great. Really convenient for work. And this place has always felt like home to me.” Ash unlocked the door. His room was away from all the others, and there was a door directly across from his to the outside. A rug with paw prints on it lay in front of his entryway. He pushed the door open, and Comet rushed to greet them. Holly petted the dog as she took a look around, running her hand down the sleek white streak on his back.
