Twisting the Pole (5 page)

Her hand on his chest was rough with callouses from her metal work. She worked hard, and she was definitely a master of her art. It may have been contributed to by the magical snowflake somewhere on her body, but the initial skill was hers. She really was an excellent designer and metalsmith. She needed to be able to continue that interest when she was back at the workshop, or she needed to be able to leave as the elves did.

He was going to speak with Santa when they returned. The idea that she had been stuck in the archive all year round with no outlet for her creativity was enough to boil his blood.

He looked down, and Cora’s hand was circling his cock, moving slowly. Her eyes were closed, but her lips were curved in a smile that made his toes curl. He exhaled and waited to see how far she would take it and hoped that this was the start to a very long night.

* * * *

Cora made breakfast and dodged Salk’s hands while she did it. “Hey, do you want something to eat or not?”

He grinned. “I do.”

“Good. Put the table down and get some plates.” Cora chuckled as he wandered around the tiny space with ease. It was amazing that such a large man could get around in her tiny house.

He smiled. “What do you have on your agenda today?”

“Working where the folks can see me and enjoying my last day with Viv. You?”

“More fight demos. I like it. I haven’t had a chance to swing a sword in centuries.” He grinned.

“So, were you all shadowy before Santa?” She slid the scrambled eggs onto their plates and grabbed plate of toast a moment later.

“No, just a dark elf who had no family. You?”

“I had just learned what I was and Santa came to ask my parents for me. They knew that I would be ostracised from my community and sent me with him. There isn’t a day that passes that I don’t miss them. They sent me away for my own good, but I wasn’t ready to go.”

“How old were you?”

“I was still a teenager. I grew up at the workshop.” She settled down and ate her breakfast.

Salk was staring at her in shock. “You grew up there?”

“Yeah, it was fine for the first while, but when Mrs. Claus died, we were forgotten about.”

“It was different before?”

Cora laughed. “Sure. We went out with her, had
girls’ days.
We dressed for the human world and watched them. It wasn’t much, but we got to leave, even if we didn’t communicate with the humans.”

“I had no idea.”

“There was no reason you should have, but we still went into heat every single year and had no outlet. Can you imagine nine women all desperate at the same time? It is amazing that the wounds healed by the time Christmas came around.” She chuckled. “Some years were a little more violent than other.”

“Why don’t we know any of this?”

Cora finished her food. “I am guessing that while Santa grieved, he couldn’t stand to see anyone happy, and then, he just forgot that we weren’t animals.”

“So, you decided to remind him.”

“Ru did. She was there when he met his wife, and Ru was there when she aged and died as humans do.” Cora smiled. “She was responsible for this entire breakout. I am guessing it was to snap Santa out of his personal involvement.”

She brushed the crumbs off the table and onto her plate before she got up and washed the dishes.

“So, what were you going to do this Christmas?”

Cora sighed and glanced at him. “I am guessing that this is the right time to tell you that we were all coming back on the day before Christmas Eve. There was never a plan to let Santa go it alone.”

He looked at her in stunned silence before he started laughing. “So, I was sent to retrieve someone who was coming back anyway?”

“Yup. Nice outfit by the way.” She gestured to his change of clothing.

“I snuck out while you were sleeping.” He grinned.

She was back in her normal garb of skirt and blouse with leather bodice.

With the dishes done, they locked up and made their way to the stirring faire.

Cora had to set Viv up to take over the business. It was probably going to be the hardest part of the entire visit to the human world.

Viv’s eyes filled with tears. “Why didn’t you mention you were leaving?”

“I didn’t want it to be hanging in front of you every time we spoke. I have a contract to sign over the entire shop to you, and I will make as much stock as I can today.”

Viv wailed. “I don’t understand.”

“Be confused later. For now, we have a pre-Christmas rush to deal with.” Cora reached inside her and blurred Viv’s memory. Viv could still remember the conversation, but it wasn’t going to haunt her.

It was time to get on with their day.

At the end of the afternoon, Cora looked around. She had gone as fast as she could during the day, but metal melted, poured and cooled at its own speed. She had no input once she had completed her pour until it was time to finish.

Viv was off getting a meal before the evening party started, so Cora signed the contract and left it at Viv’s station.

They had gotten through the day without any problem, but Cora wanted to hug Viv and go. Leaving was never her favourite part of a relationship.

Viv returned, and they chatted for a few minutes.

Cora cleared her throat. “I have to get going. Can you lock up?”

“Sure. Hot date?”

As if summoned by the word
hot,
Salk appeared.

Viv grinned. “You two have fun.”

Cora gave her a hug. “Take care, Viv. Have a blast tonight.”

Salk watched, and he nodded to Vivienne. “Have a merry evening.”

Viv grinned. “That is the idea.”

Cora left her shop, placed her hand on Salk’s and they walked through the small, temporary town until they got to the security office.

“So, we are leaving at dawn?” Salk asked her in a quiet voice.

“Yes. I mean, we could take off tonight if you like.” Cora shrugged. “It makes no difference to me.”

“Would you mind?”

“Nope. I have a small pack with presents for the girls, but if you hold onto that, we can be on our way around three in the morning when there aren’t many folks awake. It is better that way for takeoff.”

“I will agree to your expertise in that matter. What did you want for dinner?”

She bit her lip and looked around. “Can we order Chinese food? I don’t have a cell phone or a computer, so I haven’t been able to spot a menu, but I would love to try it just once.”

Salk grinned, and he pulled a cell phone out of his belt pouch. “I believe we can manage that.”

Cora rubbed her hands with excitement, and once inside the small castle, he scrolled through the menu options on the tiny phone.

The bemused delivery driver arrived an hour later, and Salk tipped him lavishly and brought the giant pile of bags inside.

“Are you sure you can do this?” He gestured at the food as he set it on the counter.

She grinned. “I am a nine-foot-tall deer. I am capable of eating most of this house if I am peckish.”

“Well, then, Mistress. I present your feast.”

Cora spent the first ten minutes working out chopsticks, but when her hand finally knew what it was supposed to do, there was no stopping her.

She plowed her way through some of everything that Salk had ordered, and then, she returned for her favourites.

“I have to say, I am amazed by your appetite.”

She chortled. “It isn’t appetite. It is capacity. They are very different things.”

Salk cocked his head. “Would you be interested in sharing my quarters at the workshop?”

She paused with noodles dangling from her mouth. “Sharing?” She quickly chewed and swallowed. “I don’t understand.”

“I don’t want you to be locked in the workshop again. My quarters are about twice the size of this tiny palace, but I am sure we can also get you some workspace in one of the shops, if you want to continue your designs and metal work.”

Cora put her hand on his. “We will see what kind of strides Ru has made when we arrive. When we get back from our rounds, there will be an entire year to figure out what happens next.”

He jerked his head. “Fine, but if I have to wait for you, I will not be happy.”

Cora laughed. “I look forward to seeing what happens.”

She sat and realized that she was looking forward to something. For the first time in centuries, she was anticipating the future. It was definitely worth the effort it had taken to get here.

In the dark of the night, Cora stepped out of the hatch on her roof. Salk crawled up behind her.

Naked, she looked at him and peeled the snowflake off her belly, setting it back in the tiny box he was holding for her, and he tucked it in with the bag of gifts she had picked up.

“Are you ready to hop on up?”

He grinned. “I could do it now, but someone might call the police.”

She snorted and shifted into her hoofed form. Her rack was large and wide, but as Salk used his shadows to get him into position, they made a perfect set of handles for him.

When he had a hold, she called on her own magic and stepped off the roof, galloping across the sky with increasing speed until she was the streak of her namesake.

Next stop, the workshop.

Well, there is
Twisting the Pole.
Next week is
Blizzard of Heat.

I hope you are enjoying Operation Reindeer Retrieval.

Thanks for reading,

Viola Grace

http://www.violagrace.com

[email protected]

Viola Grace (aka Zenina Masters) is a Canadian sci-fi/paranormal romance writer with ambitions to keep writing for the rest of her life. She specializes in short stories because the thrill of discovery, of all those firsts, is what keeps her writing.

An artist who enjoys a story that catches you up, whirls you around and sets you down with a smile on your face is all she endeavours to be. She prefers to leave the drama to those who are better suited to it, she always goes for the cheap laugh.