Page 37 of A Cursed Noel
“Ah,” Celiasqueaks.
Taran rolls her eyes,oblivious to our conversation but mindful of the connection betweenus. “Fine. Your choice,” Taran says. She dusts herself off. “I’mstill marrying a doctor.”
Shayna tilts her head.“You cold, Ceel?” she asks. “Your nipples are like, reallypointy.” She looks at Taran. “Do you ever remember Celia’snipples pointing north and northwest like that? I don’t. You thinkyou zapped her a little too hard?”
Taran does adouble-take as the temperature between me and Celia shoots sky high.She flashes an evil smile. “Shayna, that’s not my lightening.That’sTeen Wolfover there and his titillating man parts.”
Emme eases forward as Ilook for another bag of soil to fling at Taran. It’s not that Taranisn’t right about what she says about me and Celia, it’s how hardCelia is searching for the nearest escape that bothers me.
“I-I’m Emme, Mr.Werewolf, sir,” she says. She blushes again even though there’snothing to blush about. “I’m Celia’s sister.”
“It’s just Aric,”I say. I smile. She’s already my favorite. “And I know who youare, Emme.”
I adjust my hold onCelia. She’s hurt and bleeding. I need to get her help, fast. “Youneed a doctor.”
“No,” Celia says.“Doctors are obliged to report evidence of assault. It doesn’tlook good that I’m stabbed and electrocuted.” She gives Taran andShayna the side eye. “Jersey isn’t like your hometown, whereweresand their mates coexist and magic is accepted. Thepolice will be called, and I’ll be questioned.”
“I-I can heal you,”Emme offers.
Celia’s eyes round,but it’s not from surprise. “Please don’t.”
“You’re a healingwitch?” I ask.
Taran slumps to herknees beside us. “She’s not a witch, Hooch. None of us are.”She waves off my concern when my attention returns to Emme. “Emmecan heal herself just fine. She’s just not good at healing others,you feel me?”
“I’m notthatbad,” Emme insists. “I’m learning.”
“Not fast enough,”Taran mutters. She tries to bat down Celia’s giant poufy hair. Ithink she makes it worse.
Celia smacks her handsaway. “Quit trying to help,” she tells Taran. “You’ve doneenough.”
Taran falls back on herheels and surrounds herself in blue and white flame to keep warm.“Ceel, come on. When I saw you getting it on, I didn’t realize itwas consensual. You haven’t had a date since…” She snaps herfingers to get Shayna’s attention.
“Oh, it’s been likeyears, dude,” Shayna answers.
“Oh,God,”Celia mumbles.
“Remember?” Shaynaasks. “That guy with the unibrow she went out with?” Emme andTaran shake their heads. “You know, the Lord of the Rings fan whoshowed up in that Hobbit costume?”
Taran gives it somethought. “Are you talking about that freak from the grocery store?”
“No,” Shayna says.“I’m talking about the one with the disgusting hairy feet.”
“Those were real?”Emme asks. “I thought it was part of his elfwear.”
“Hobbit,”Shayna clarifies.
“Oh, yeah, him,”Taran says, ignoring Celia’s death glare. “He looked nasty. Hesmelled nasty. Hewasnasty. You could have braided all thatshit covering his feet. And why the fuck was he barefoot?”
“No clue,” Shaynatells her. She stands and pats my back. “Anyway, don’t worryabout it, Wolfman. Hobbit guy dumped Celia halfway through dinnerwhen he realized she didn’t speak Elvish.” She tosses a brokenpot into the wheelbarrow. “It was totally humiliating. But we’vemoved past it, haven’t we, Ceel?”
Celia doesn’t reply,unless you count her burying her flaming face deeper in her hands.
Taran leans in. I don’tstop her because her fire is keeping Celia warm. “Did you at leastuse protection?” she asks, like I’m not right here. “Not withthat Frodo loser, but with Howl-at-the-Moon, here?” She blinks backat Celia when Celia’s jaw pops open. “Don’t look at me likethat. I don’t know much about werewolves. All I know is they liketo get naked and knock up women with their giant c—”
“Taran, zip it,”Celia warns.
Shayna stops trying tostraighten the yard and skips over to us, tilting her chin when shetakes another look at Celia. “Did you get hit in the neck? You havelike, all these bruises on your neck—Oh. Never mind, they’rehickies.” She turns to Emme. “I think you should try to heal her.Celia may have thicker skin than we do but the stab wound is prettydeep. If it gets infected, she’ll have to go to the hospital forsutures.”