Christmas Goose

by Zenina Masters

  Arkenon was setting the table, an older man was helping move platters to the table and a younger man, who looked a lot like Arkenon, was folding napkins.

  Windi hauled Tyla into the bathroom, and they both washed their hands; an impromptu water fight left them both damp but otherwise exceptionally clean.

  They were both a little sheepish when Agnes glared at them. Tyla was handed a kitchen towel while Windi got one draped on her head.

  “These are excellent socks, Mrs. Talifor.”

  “Aggie.”

  “Aggie. They are both warm and exceedingly fun.” Tyla smiled.

  “Child, it is like you have never had fun before.”

  Arkenon butted in, “Father, this is Tyla. Tyla, this is Andros Talifor, oh, and my brother Argus.”

  Argus was next to her filling her water glass. “Pleased to meet you. I was beginning to think that Ark was just going to tattoo himself a girlfriend or get a mage to enchant an alluring snowwoman for him.”

  Windi laughed and started passing the bowl of bread around. Being of a bird species, Tyla was all in favour of the bread.

  Aggie stood up and started measuring out bowls of stew, which were passed around the table. There was a jovial community in the meal, and Tyla loosened up enough to kick Ark under the table when he made a joke.

  Her mood dropped with a thud when Argus asked, “So, Tyla, why aren’t you spending the holidays with your family?”

  Tyla didn’t know how to answer, but Andros answered for her. “Because she is with us, Argus, that is all you need to know.”

  He blinked in comprehension and nodded. Apparently, mysterious visitors at the holidays were to be expected.

  “So, Chuck grew up here?”

  Argus looked up. “You have met him?”

  Tyla realised that there was only one way for her to have met the snake shifter. She had to have been in the Crossroads. “Um, I am friends with Ivy.”

  He deflated. “Oh, I thought that you had secretly gotten hitched at the Crossroads or something.”

  She raised her hands. “No, no hitching.”

  The Talifor family laughed. It was a good laugh, and Tyla joined in.

  Windi rattled off their plans for the following day, and Argus offered to drive them into town to visit the mall. Ark’s head came up, and he gave Tyla a significant look.

  After dinner was over and the dishwasher was humming away, Ark asked Tyla to come outside with him so he could show her the expanse of the family farm.

  Aggie gave her a pair of slippers and a heavy shawl. “Stay on the porch. Don’t let him lure you in for a face wash.”

  Tyla thanked her and met up with Arkenon on the porch. The moment the door closed, he put his arms around her and cuddled her close. “I just want to put on a bit of a show in case Windi is peeking.”

  “How romantic. What did you want to tell me?”

  He reached into his pocket and pulled out a wad of money. “Here, take this for your shopping tomorrow. You can pay me back later.”

  She blinked rapidly at the sweetness of the gesture. With her concentration and focus on her hair, she reached up and pulled a feather off her skull at the base of her neck. “I can pay you back now if you are willing to get this turned into cash when I am away from here.”

  He blinked in surprise as she extended a feather that was a solid two ounces of gold.

  “I didn’t realise that you could just remove gold from your body like that.” He scowled.

  “My brothers used to pluck my feathers until they found out that it took ten years for a gold feather to grow back. After that, they snuck into my room and cropped my hair for extra money.”

  His arms tightened on her and she squeaked. “That is obscene.”

  “That was my childhood. It got a little better when I could begin making money for the family. At first, I directed my father’s investments, but it became apparent that I had to be directly involved in the process to cause the money to flow, so we started trading online.”

  “Wow. So, you weren’t kidding. Your family was completely obsessed with your monetary involvement.”

  “Yes, I imagine that they are a little freaked out by now. I used to transfer the money to the family members once a week. Yesterday was payday.”

  “How many people are dependent on you?”

  “Forty-six counting my niece, but she has a trust that will support her and her mother well, as long as the family doesn’t sponge off it.”

  He rubbed his chin on the top of her head. “That sounds like you are worried.”

  “They are so used to it that I wish one of them had a sense for any kind of business. They will still get their money from their accounts; I am just not going to refill them again.”

  “How much is in each account?” He swayed with her, and she sighed and leaned against him, the feeling of the warmth of his body against hers was hypnotic.

  “About three million. It won’t last long the way they spend.”

  He paused for a few seconds before he resumed his slow rocking. “Three million each?”

  “Yes.”

  “How long did it take to set that up?”

  “Two years. It was when I was starting out. Now, I could call that money together in a matter of days.”

  “You are kidding.”

  “Nope.” She inhaled and moved closer to him. He smelled warm, musky and comfortable. She rested her head on his chest and smiled.

  He continued to sway with her. “We don’t want you for the money. I am actually seeing sides of you I never imagined you had.”

  She laughed. “When Windi hauled me into the dining room like a fighting sheep?”

  “That was one moment. The water fight was another.”

  “That was a lot of fun. Your family just lives on the outside of their skins. It’s nice to see.” She kept her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes to enjoy the rocking.

  “I was going to ask you to lend me money with the feather as collateral. Is there a casino nearby?” Her bald query showed him her hand, so to speak.

  “What are you planning there?”

  “Just enough for some clothing and to get through the holidays.”

  “What will you do afterward?”

  “I don’t know. I am trying not to plan too far ahead in case my family gets me back. I don’t want to have to throw away all my plans for a future before I can even figure out what I want.”

  They stayed outside until her nose grew cold, and they agreed that it was time to go inside. A round of hot cocoa and agreement for a departure time and Tyla headed for bed.

  She had Christmas shopping to do, and she needed the casino to bump up her efforts. It was no fun shopping on someone else’s dime.

  Chapter Seven

  After a night’s sleep that was second only to her time at Teebie’s, Tyla got up, and after waiting her turn for the bathroom, she sat down to the most boisterous breakfast that she had ever been part of.

  Ark and Andros were going to cut a Yule log for the fireplace with Aggie supervising. Windi and Argus were coming with Tyla shopping, and Tyla was steeling her nerves to be surrounded by people.

  With breakfast cleaned up and a promise to pick up takeout on the way home, their trio left the Talifor home and piled into an SUV.

  Tyla sat in her borrowed clothing and asked, “Is there a casino nearby?”

  Argus looked at her curiously. “Sure, it is on our way into town. Why?”

  “I would like to stop there for an hour please. I need to get some money.”

  “Why not use a bank machine?” Windi smiled.

  “Because I need to generate money. Please?”

  Argus nodded. “You are the guest.”

  Tyla sat and put her hand in her pocket, clutching the wad of cash. She hoped that her talent still worked with the charm on. She would start small and see what happened. Even a few hundred of her own would make her feel better.

  The casino parking lot had a surprising amount of
cars in it. With her borrowed boots crunching on the ice, she followed Windi’s lead and scuttled for the entrance.

  Inside, Windi nodded to the security guards, and as a group, they made their way to the VLT’s.

  It was important to pick the right machine, so Tyla walked the aisles for a few minutes before sitting at the Golden Goose machine. She slipped a twenty into the slot and read the instructions. With a few selections, she began to play.

  Windi and Argus stayed nearby.

  When Tyla’s machine began to sing, she cashed out and put in another twenty. It was the same thing. She watched the animated characters march across the screen, watched the golden eggs line up, and then, the machine sang its song.

  Tyla pulled the second win ticket and put it aside. Now for a little more.

  In twenty minutes, she had moved machines four times and had a stack of win tickets that were split three ways to get them cashed out.

  Four thousand nine hundred dollars later, she put the original three hundred in her pocket, and she and her stunned companions got back in the car. It had been one hour precisely.

  Windi looked at her. “How did you do that?”

  In the centre of the back seat, Tyla shrugged. “Practice. I have a knack for knowing which machines are going to pay out.”

  “Why did you take the winnings in small payouts?” Argus asked over his shoulder.

  “Oh, I don’t have identification on me, so it is just better for me to keep from having to register my winnings. A big win would have gathered attention, and by keeping the wins relatively small, security doesn’t ping.”

  Windi nodded. “So that is why you changed machines, so they wouldn’t think you were cheating.”

  Tyla smiled brightly. “Right.”

  Argus looked at her in the rear-view mirror. “Can we do that again?”

  She sighed. “I suppose we could if you want to.”

  Argus blinked. “I just thought you were having fun.”

  Tyla laughed, “When I would have fun doing it, I will gladly do it again. I need to bring my ID though. I left it behind in case my family comes looking for me. I am trying not to draw any attention today.”

  The siblings nodded. “Gotcha. First stop is clothing, second is anywhere you choose. Then, we eat, and then, we dive back into the mall madness.”

  Tyla chuckled. “It sounds like a plan.”

  Argus grinned. “So. We attack!”

  They drove through the mall, and the first thing on the agenda shifted into a wallet that would allow Tyla to put all of her loot in one place. The next item was a purse and then there was no stopping them.

  Tyla was exhausted by the time she had a festive and insulated wardrobe. Argus was along to carry the bags, and he had no trouble waiting outside the fitting room of the lingerie shops while Windi and Tyla made some picks.

  She staggered when they left the final clothing store. “I think food now.”

  Windi nodded. “Agreed. I want to sit down and have people bring me food.”

  Argus poked his head over the parcels. “I could eat.”

  Tyla got a storage locker and shoved her bags into it. “This way, we can start fresh later.”

  Windi nodded. “Right. Come with me. I know just the place.”

  Her instincts were correct. Tyla sat and was amazed at the amount of dishes involved in a tapas bar. The siblings chattered, and Tyla asked questions and ate the grape leaves stuffed with something, the pickled tentacle of something else and vegetables soaked in the oil of Mediterranean olives. Tyla ate until she groaned.

  Her beverage selection always leaned toward lemonade, and today was no different. When they finished the meal, Tyla put the money out for the bill, but Windi pushed it back. “Your day, my treat.”

  “That isn’t necessary. Your help is very much appreciated.” Tyla was bewildered. No one ever refused money.

  “I am enjoying this. I have never seen someone dress from the skin out for an entire season in one jump before. What are we doing next?”

  Tyla fished in her wallet for the scrap of paper she had torn out of her notebook before she slept. “I need a jewellery store, a kitchen-supply shop, hunting supplies and a lottery counter.”

  Windi grinned. “And you shall have them.”

  Tyla insisted on going into the shops alone so that Argus and Windi had no idea what she was buying. It was a heady thing to buy items for others that she picked out by herself. Even with the crowds and the three people who tried to delve into her purse without her noticing, she was having an excellent time.

  Once she had all of her selections ready, she had one final stop. A quick dip into the fabric store for needles, thread, cord and black satin and she was done.

  Her companions looked as exhausted as she felt, but they grabbed a selection of takeout items via Windi calling ahead and Argus picking things up.

  The vehicle was a conflict of scents, and Tyla sat in the back surrounded by bags, boxes and food she couldn’t identify. All in all, a very successful day.

  A huge log was lying in front of the house, and to Tyla’s amazement, it looked like it had simply landed there. No drag marks, no footprints.

  “If you ladies bring in the food, I will start making the pilgrimage with the parcels. If you wait for me, the food might get cold.” Argus gave a sigh of long suffering.

  Tyla felt bad. “I can bring in most of my stuff.”

  Windi loaded her arms with pizzas. “Ignore him. He can carry it all and then some. Bird shifters are stronger than we look.”

  Tyla nodded and headed for the house with her burden. The door swung open when her feet thudded on the porch.

  Ark grinned, “Welcome home. Do you need a hand?”

  “I need to get inside. Argus needs a hand. I went a little overboard.”

  Ark moved past her, and she realised that he was wearing a tight t-shirt on his torso and his tattoos were exposed. She hadn’t seen them before.

  She wanted to keep looking, but Aggie was there, taking the boxes and urging her to take her boots off.

  Andros went out with the others, and as the parade of bags began, Aggie gave her a look of respect. “Shopping seems to be a talent for you.”

  “It seemed like more of a calling at the time, but I am done now. If I think of anything else, I will have it mailed to you next year.” She smiled brightly.

  Three fully loaded men walked in, put the bags down, turned around and went back outside.

  Tyla winced as Windi sailed past with the rest of the food bags.

  Dinner was a spread of pizza, pasta, Chinese and barbeque. It was all put out on the table and the chaos commenced.

  As they all sat around and their bodies hummed happily, Arkenon asked, “So, anyone up for snowmen under a full moon?”

  Aggie snickered. “I think we are all just going to sit in the living room and digest for a while.”

  “Tyla?”

  Tyla blinked. “Um, I don’t really know what that entails.”

  “I will teach you. Do you have gloves in that pile of shopping detritus?”

  She snorted. “The detritus has not shown itself yet. Wait until I start unpacking.”

  She grabbed the present bags and pulled them to the room she was sharing with Windi. With care, she tucked the bags under the bed and smoothed the blankets over them. Grinning, she tucked Windi’s present inside the closet, inside a pair of boots.

  With the presents hidden, she returned to the living room and pulled a puffy coat and a pair of gloves out of her bags. She yanked on the tags, but they wouldn’t snap.

  Ark appeared and snapped open a knife. He handed it to her, and she cut the tags off her loot as quickly as she could.

  Once she was finished, she folded the knife carefully and handed it back with a smile. “Thank you.”

  “So, snowmen?”

  She nodded. “Sure. You will have to explain the procedure. I have seen them in cartoons but never in person.”

  Tyla pulled on fluff
y, weatherproof boots and her new jacket. With her gloves in place, she nodded cheerfully. “Ready.”

  Ark put on his own outdoor gear and opened the door. “After you.”

  She preceded him into the snow glistening in the moonlight, and she smiled happily at the great expanse of nothing in front of her. “This is very beautiful.”

  He stood behind her and put his arm around her shoulders. “It is.”

  She looked back at him. “How can you bear to leave it?”

  He smiled. “Because I know that it is waiting. I started my career in an effort to make money, to have a job that I was really good at and to bring some of my dreams to life. My parents never judged me for my choices; they merely welcomed me home no matter how much ink piled on my skin. It is not something I will ever take for granted.”

  She blinked away tears that threatened to freeze on her lashes. “Okay. How do I build a snowman?”

  He grinned and walked with her into the pristine front yard. “Well, like many men, this begins with balls.”

  Her laughter burst out of her, and he gave her a quick kiss on the lips before he turned and explained how to make a quality snowman.

  She really hoped he liked the present she got him. It had been tricky enough to get to a computer with a prepaid credit card. The call to Krisia had been nearly impossible, and she could only hope that Chuck brought the main part of the gift when he arrived.

  She rolled her snowman base into a waist-high ball while trying not to panic over having half a gift for the one person she wanted to see happy. She now understood the correlation between Christmas and stress. It was amazing how much she had learned today.

  Chapter Eight

  She looked at her effort and grinned happily. “He’s adorable. I am naming him Gerald.”

  “I have no idea how you did that. My snow wouldn’t stick together.”

  “It’s the golden touch, Ark. Oh, that reminds me,” She reached into her jeans and fished out his original money, “There you go. Thank you for the loan.”