“Thanks,” Rafe responded with a cheeky grin. Their wolves stood sentry on either side of them, wearing ruffled collars as if they were part of the show.
“Ha ha. And let me guess, we’re all acts you two have to manage,” Dra’Kaedan remarked.
“Hey, who wants to use my pin?” Renny asked as he wandered close. Baxter’s eyes widened as he took in the extraordinary burlap doll costume.
“Are you a voodoo doll?”
“Not just any voodoo doll—I’ve been designed to resemble a certain leader of the Coven of Warlocks,” Renny commented as he grinned at Dra’Kaedan, who shook his head and walked away with his mate trailing him, no doubt to keep people from bumping into his trays.
Baxter took the pin from Renny and stabbed it through his abdomen. It was magical, so it didn’t hurt the Grand Warlock familiar, who appeared pleased. “Not only cool to look at but interactive. You’ve got my vote.”
“You’re not supposed to tell anyone who you’re voting for,” Benton remarked.
“It doesn’t matter who wins; you guys won the holiday celebration award for sure,” Aleksander said.
“And Chand didn’t think it was a contest,” Baxter murmured.
“Thanks, Aleksander. We’ve got more costumes to check out,” Benton replied as he dragged Baxter away from the food tables. They bumped into a stunning court jester who was mostly in layers of black fabric since every other day of the year he was Delaney the Dark. As for the High Arcanist’s mate, Vampyr Lord Grigori Volkov-D’Vaire was a hilarious Goldilocks who offered everyone the opportunity to check out his knobby knees. Behind him, The Three Bears were only inches away, and Baxter laughed aloud at Mac, Idris, and little Roger in their furry disguises.
Swooping down to land on Grigori’s shoulder was Delaney’s dragon familiar, who had large fangs and a cape. It was soon explained that he was Dragon-cula, which Baxter had to admit was cute as hell. The third High Arcanist who lived at D’Vaire had large red pigtails flopping as he walked; Baxter loved that Royce and his little dragon were Pippi Longstocking and Mr. Nilsson.
Baxter was still smiling at them when a sword appeared in front of him.
“Halt, my good sir,” Lex D’Vairedraconis demanded.
His eyebrows drew together as he took in a group of D’Vaires who looked like something out of the middle ages. “Excuse me?”
“These woods are claimed by my friend, Robin Hood,” Grand Summoner Dre’Kariston explained as he pointed to Lex. “We demand a toll for you to pass.”
Duke Argent Worthington D’Vairedraconis prowled over and shoved Lex aside. “I’ll arrest all of you if you continue to disrupt these…well, they appear to be tattered pieces of paper.”
“By what authority can you arrest us?” Dre’Kariston’s mate, Somerly, asked in a high-pitched voice as he stroked a hand down his long, curly wig.
“First of all, you’re the ugliest woman I’ve ever seen,” Worth told his little brother. “And to answer your question, Maid Marian, I am the Sheriff of Nottingham.”
“How dare you speak to him that way…I mean her,” Lucian, Dre’Kariston’s familiar, interjected.
“That’s enough from you, Friar Tuck. Now, Will Scarlet, take that horrendous-looking woman out of here and stop accosting these fine papers,” Worth said.
“Okay, then,” Benton murmured as the group took off. “Why does Gavrael have that wig on?”
“I think he’s a surfer.”
“That would explain the lack of shoes.”
“The FBI is a human thing, right?” Baxter asked.
“Yes…oh! I get it. You remember that movie,Point Break? Gavrael is Bodhi and Gedeon is Utah.”
Baxter vaguely remembered the action flick, so he nodded. “Chrysander is Zeus,” he observed as he surveyed the crowd.
Benton nudged him. “Check out Elf’s steampunk outfit.”
“That’s awesome. There’s a gladiator trying to bob for apples.”
“It’s Damian. He’s going to fall into Chand’s bottomless pit if he’s not careful.”
A giant gumball machine suddenly blocked Baxter’s view. “What the…?”
