Chapter 3

M y first bit of good luck since… well, ever! Meeting a wizard-errant who can show me around this strange – but amazing – place.

Margot knew there were some witches and wizards who chose to keep themselves separate and live full-time in the non-magical world, for various reasons of their own. It was a little contentious, actually, since most witches and wizards had long ago decided to simply keep themselves to themselves. But Margot had always thought it sounded quite romantic and exciting to strike out by yourself.

Too bad I would never be able to, she thought, biting her lip and stealing a glance at the man walking next to her – Levi Thorne, he'd said his name was.

She could right away see why he had decided to live independently. He was calm, cool, confident – and strong -looking too. He could clearly handle whatever situation he might be thrown into.

And… um, he's kind of handsome as well…

Kind of was putting it a little mildly, Margot thought, as she looked away, feeling a flush creeping up her cheeks. Levi was unlike any of her classmates at the university, that was for sure – he was tall and rugged, with larger muscles than she had ever seen. A lot of wizards didn't tend to be all that physically strong, given that they could use magic to easily accomplish whatever it was they wanted, but clearly Levi hadn't chosen that path.

He looked like even if he lost his magical abilities somehow, he'd be able to survive perfectly fine in the wilderness on his own – catching his own food, building his own shelter, doing bare-handed battle with a pack of wolves to keep Margot safe from harm…

She shivered, even as she berated herself. She'd only just met this man! She had a job to do! She didn't need to be wasting her time fantasizing about him!

But she found that this was easier said than done.

It didn't help that Levi was just also incredibly good-looking – with hair as black as night, piercing blue eyes, and a strong jaw with just a hint of stubble. She'd never thought of herself as being interested in the strong, silent, protective type, but now that she'd met Levi, she couldn't imagine being interested in anything else. Any one else.

I bet he'd somehow look even more handsome if he smiled.

Margot blinked in surprise at her own train of thought. It really was none of her business as to whether he smiled or not… but, she had to admit, the fact that he hadn't smiled once since she'd met him was a little disappointing. Hopefully she wasn't that terrible of a companion!

Well, maybe she would just have to make sure to do her part to be a good companion as well. Admittedly, she was spending a lot of her time ooh ing and aah ing over all the decorations and festivities, and asking questions about Christmas. She hadn't really asked him much about himself.

She resolved to change the topic… right after he finished telling her about advent calendars.

"So, each day you open the corresponding window in the calendar," he said, with what appeared to be a mild grimace. She wasn't sure quite why he wouldn't like advent calendars – they sounded quite delightful to her! – but then again, she didn't know his background. Maybe his magic was based around numerology or telling the future, and he didn't like associating a particular number with a particular unknown object. Magic users could be quite strange sometimes in what they did and didn't like, depending on their magic. She wouldn't have picked Levi as an eccentric type, but appearances could be deceiving.

In any case, he was providing her with vital information, and she really should have been paying close attention, instead of contemplating the way his light eyes contrasted with his dark lashes, or admiring the juxtaposition of the pure white snow against his black hair.

She made sure to nod extra enthusiastically. "And then what happens when you get to 25? Do you summon Santa Claus, or does he just appear on his own?"

He looked at her a bit strangely, then shook his head. "No, you just get another piece of cheap candy that's gone past its best-before date. Or whatever it is that you get in your calendar – they have all kinds of stuff these days."

"Oh." It seemed like a bit of an anti-climax – but then again, she supposed that it was just an accessory item that allowed children to build up some excitement in the lead-up to the big day. She brightened. "I would very much like to have an advent calendar."

Levi shrugged. "Well, it's almost Christmas, so it wouldn't be much good now… but you could get one going cheap, at least."

"Maybe I shall." With determination, she changed the subject so that Levi would have a chance to talk about himself – and, admittedly, so that she could satiate her curiosity about him. "So, what made you decide to come out here on your own, and leave behind your own people?"

He stopped in his tracks and looked at her with an expression that was somewhere between curiosity, caution, and confusion. After a moment, he said, "What do you mean, ‘my own people'?"

Margot was aware that the magic world was largely a secret in the non-magic world, and so she dropped her voice to a whisper, painfully aware of how close she had to lean to him – and how much taller than her he was! "You know. Outside of the realm of regular human existence."

Now he definitely looked taken aback. "You can tell? How do you know about that?"

"Of course I can tell!" she said, feeling a surge of triumph at having worked it out.

I knew it! I knew he was a wizard!

She had already been almost certain – after all, he could see Monty, and he'd offered to help her despite the fact that he was busy with his great aunt's bookshop. The wizards-errant of the stories she'd grown up with were always going out of their way to help people, even when it wasn't in their own best interests.

But now… now she knew for sure. He was a wizard, and he knew about human culture – if anyone could help her find the flos nivis , it was him.

She practically floated as they walked along the path that weaved through the town, sometimes passing charming little cottages, sometimes winding through the trees. It really was like a little slice of heaven, the snow crunching under their boots, the sky turning clear and blue as the clouds lifted, the stark branches of the trees dotted with color as little pink-and-gray birds scurried about. The air was so crisp and clear that it invigorated her with each breath.

Levi must have noticed her staring up at the birds in the trees, because he turned his head to look as well. "They're rosy finches, I think," he said absently. "My great aunt mentioned them once in a letter she sent."

"Rosy finches," Margot repeated, staring in rapt wonder. They really were lovely, with their little round pink bellies, all fluffed up and warm for the winter. "Are they a Christmas thing?"

"Just more of a winter thing, I think," Levi said, squinting up at them against the glare of the sun.

"Well, I think they're wonderful," Margot said. And she did. She'd always been warned against the grime and crime and general untrustworthiness of the non-magical world, but she thought that it was positively enchanting. Even the bus had been a new experience!

They watched for a couple of minutes more before the birds flitted off, and then continued down the path. Margot could hear a distant clamor up ahead, of people chattering happily and other noises she couldn't quite pick out, and she picked up her pace. Maybe there was some more Christmas culture to be discovered!

Levi caught up to her in a couple of long strides. "Where are you off to now?"

"To whatever that sound is!" Margot said giddily, high-stepping through the snow. "Perhaps there will be some eggnog!"

Margot thought she could hear the slightest exasperated sigh behind her, but surely she was mistaken. Who wouldn't be excited to go on a mission to search out some Christmas cheer?

"Oh, hey," Levi said suddenly. "Is, uh, your cat okay? I haven't seen him for a while."

"Oh, Monty?" Margot replied, feeling touched that he would think to check on Monty's wellbeing, even as she was confused as to why he would do so – all wizards knew that familiars could look after themselves, after all. "Yes, he's fine. He'll catch up at some point."

"Are you sure?" Levi asked as he looked around, his expression dubious. "It's freezing, and he doesn't know the area."

"Positive," said Margot, even as she called out mentally to Monty to come back from wherever he'd gotten to. She knew he was fine, but apparently it was bothering Levi enough that it was weighing on his mind. It was kind of sweet, really.

Yes, yes, I'm coming, Monty said with a world-weary sigh, and Margot turned to see him trotting up the path behind her. He'd clearly been rolling around in the snow for some reason, if the state of his fur was anything to go by.

"Here he is!" she exclaimed, scooping him up so he could perch on her shoulder like some giant hairy gargoyle.

I have no need of such modes of transportation, he huffed.

Well, go on then, she said placidly. Hop down, if my shoulder isn't good enough for you.

Monty sniffed. It will suffice, I suppose. But I'm only here because it pleases you, and I am nothing if not magnanimous.

Mm-hmm , Margot said, nodding a little . It has nothing to do with you warming your paws on my shawl.

Naturally.

In any case, she saw a brief flash of relief on Levi's face, before it resettled into its habitual… well, not scowl , exactly, but certainly he wasn't the exuberant type.

It made her stomach glow a little with a happy warmth. She wasn't sure why she cared so much that he was concerned for Monty's wellbeing, but she did.

"Let's go!" she said, racing forward once more. Now that she was closer, she could smell all kinds of wonderful things – food this time, not books – and she suddenly realized that she was ravenous .

The trees became less dense around her, and she found herself out in the open once more – to see a dazzling array of stalls spread out before her, each more enticing than the last, decorated in lanterns and lights and baubles and – and all sorts of things! Everything was decked out in green and red, which, thanks to Levi, she knew meant only one thing: Christmas .

Meats were sizzling and sending steam up into the frigid air; people were serving up cups of something that smelled warm and spiced; children were running around excitedly clutching on to what she now recognized as candy canes . An enormous tree towered above it all, shimmering with tiny twinkling lights and with a golden star perched on the very top. Heavy clouds were rolling in over the mountain once more, tiny flakes of snow just beginning to tumble down.

All of the research she had done hadn't begun to prepare her for just how marvelous it all was! She felt like she was in a waking dream, dazed and amazed.

Where should I even start?!

Luckily, Levi seemed to realize that she was feeling a bit overwhelmed.

"You said you wanted to try eggnog?" he said gruffly.

"Oh – yes! I've read about it – the book said it was like the nectar of heaven," Margot said, excited at the idea of finally getting to try the foods she'd only ever read about. "And then, perhaps… some roasted Christmas turkey? With stuffing? And all the trimmings?" She didn't know what trimmings actually were , but she knew she wanted to try them.

Levi's frown deepened a little. "Well. I'm not sure we'll be able to get a whole turkey with stuffing and trimmings, but we should be able to get something to eat. And there must be an eggnog stall here somewhere."

"I'm very happy to give anything a try," Margot told him, meaning it. She knew she should be off looking for the flos nivis , but she'd only just arrived. Surely no one could begrudge her spending just one afternoon indulging her curiosity – and stomach?

Levi glanced around, before pointing at a stall with a red and white awning, festooned with trailing holly leaves and dripping with sparkling lights. "Well… there's a goulash stand over there that smells pretty good. How about that?"

"Goulash?" Margot asked, never having heard of it. "That sounds wonderful. Lead the way!"

Was it her imagination, or did Levi's face twitch just a little as she impulsively grabbed his hand, towing him over to the stall he'd pointed out, and from which a truly amazing scent was emanating?

Um.

She really hadn't meant to do that, she thought, wondering if she could discreetly drop his hand… though would that just be even more awkward somehow than just keeping hold of it? His hand was so warm, and it felt nice in hers… like they'd been made to fit together.

And now I'm just having silly fantasies again, Margot scolded herself as they reached the stall. Please just stay focused, Margot!

Monty's claws in her shawl seemed to be the timely reminder she needed, and she quickly slipped her hand out of Levi's when they reached the stall. If Levi minded, he hadn't said anything – but Margot did notice him staring down at his hand after she'd let it go.

"Welcome to Kovacs's Goulash Stand!" The man behind the stall's counter beamed at them. "What can I get for you today?"

"Oh… well, it'll have to be goulash, surely," Margot said, watching as the man lifted a lid from a massive cast-iron pot, letting a rush of steam carry the truly amazing scents of beef, cinnamon, cloves, paprika, garlic, and many other things Margot wasn't sure she could identify up with it.

"Good choice, considering that's all we have," the man behind the counter chuckled. "Here you go – two serves."

He ladled the thick, creamy-looking stew into two bowls, and then placed two steaming-hot bread rolls on a couple of plates. Margot could feel her stomach growling louder and louder with every passing moment.

"That'll be ten dollars," the man said, once he'd passed the tray with the goulash and rolls to Margot.

"Oh… um, of course!" Margot said. She'd read about this too, of course – things didn't work here like they did in the magical world, where people mainly just bartered or traded items for what they needed. No – here, they used money.

"Don't worry, I'll get this."

Before she could find a place to put the tray and begin rummaging in her tote for this money , Levi had gotten out his own wallet and paid the man. Margot gave the wallet a glance – it looked like just a regular wallet, no pocket dimension included. But she supposed it wasn't always needed, and if he was used to living here, then Levi probably just didn't bother with such things for his everyday life.

"Oh, that's very… very gentlemanly of you," Margot said, smiling up at him. It must have been true, what they said about wizards-errant: they really were helpful and kind.

"It's nothing," Levi muttered, though Margot thought she could see just the tiniest hint of a blush beneath the very manly stubble on his cheeks. "Should we find a place to eat?"

You know how I feel about human food, and yet, I admit that this goulash does smell quite delicious, Monty told Margot as she followed Levi through the tables of red and gold decorated wooden tables, most of them filled with laughing families all enjoying the food the Christmas market had to offer.

How delightful , Margot thought as she gazed around. So far, Christmas had been even more amazing than she'd imagined.

Levi led her over to a table that was slightly apart from the others, in a less full section of the eating area, and at the foot of the decorated pine tree with a blazing star adorning its point.

"We can sit here," he said, as he took his bowl and plate from her tray. "I have a few things I'd like to ask you."

"Oh, anything," Margot said as she sat across from him. "I guess I should also explain myself too – like why I'm here, and how you can help me. I promise, I'll be sure to tell everyone when I return how gallant you were. It will look very good on your record of achievements and good deeds."

Levi opened his mouth, then closed it again. Then he picked up his bread roll and dipped it into his goulash.

Margot followed suit. She wanted to make sure she did things right.

But the moment she put the roll in her mouth, all thoughts of propriety flew straight out of her head.

The flavors!

She'd never tasted anything quite like this before. It was spicy and savory at once, thick and creamy, hearty and nourishing. The bread roll was toasty crisp on the outside and warm and soft in the middle, the perfect accompaniment to the incredible stew.

"Wow, this is amazing! An incredibly good choice!" Margot said, belatedly realizing she was talking with her mouth full.

Levi nodded, chewing on his own mouthful of goulash. He at least remembered to swallow first before he said, "Okay, I have to admit, that is good. I guess I can say there's a few good things about Christmas after all."

"Isn't everything about Christmas good?" Margot asked, tilting her head a little. Levi had said it as if he didn't think so.

"Well… let's not get into that right now," Levi said, before scooping up another mouthful of goulash with his spoon. Margot shivered a little as he licked his lips in evident pleasure. "Right now, what I really wanted to ask you was… how do you know what I am?"

Margot blinked in surprise, even as she savored another taste of her goulash.

What did he mean by that? He could see Monty – who was currently sitting on the edge of the table, batting lazily at a little horse ornament that dangled from one of the boughs of the tree – after all. Maybe he just hadn't been expecting a witch to show up and request a boon from him?

"Oh… well, I guess I just figured it out," she said. "After you said you could see Monty, well, it was just kind of obvious."

"You keep saying that I can see Monty," Levi said, frowning. "But… he's right there? He's a little hard to miss."

Margot smiled fondly at her familiar. She supposed it was true – he was a pretty big cat, and very fluffy to boot. It was definitely good that only witches and wizards could see him right now, as he climbed his way slowly up the Christmas tree, poking at shining ornaments as he went.

"I suppose he is," she said, as Monty moved on to sniffing at a silver bauble, poking at it curiously with his nose. "But you know what I mean. He's not revealing himself to people right now. I read that animals aren't always welcome everywhere. But since Monty's not really an animal I thought it would be okay to bring him."

Again, Levi opened his mouth and then closed it again, before giving Monty a very hard look, as if he was trying to figure something out.

"He's not a shifter though," he said at last. "And neither are you. So how –"

"Warm spiced wine! Get it here! Warm yourself up on this snowy day! Ho ho ho!"

Whatever Levi had been about to say, he was cut off by the sudden arrival of a man by their table, a tray of steaming hot drinks attached to a strap around his neck. From each of the cups, there flowed the scent of anise, cinnamon and orange.

"I'll take two!" Margot said, unable to let this incredible scent go by. And this time, she managed to get her money out of her tote before Levi could move, handing the piece of paper to the man with the tray. Margot was still a little unclear about how a piece of paper with some little drawings on it could be traded for such delicious food, but if that was the way things were done here, then she wanted to stick to it.

"Uh… you wouldn't happen to have anything smaller, would you?" the man asked, looking down at the paper in his hand. "It's only two bucks a cup, and this is a hundred."

"Oh…" Margot said, feeling a little crestfallen. "I'm afraid they're all like that."

"No problem, I'll handle it," Levi said, once again taking out his wallet.

Margot felt a little embarrassed. She didn't want Levi to use up all his little papers with pictures on them on her.

But then… he said something about shifters, didn't he? What do shifters have to do with anything? she thought, as Levi paid the man for the drinks.

Of course, Margot knew about shifters – there were plenty of shifters who were also witches and wizards, mainly ones who had strong magical abilities, like unicorns, pegasi, and wyverns.

But she couldn't for the life of her work out why he had brought up the idea of her or Monty being shifters. She hadn't said or done anything to give that impression, surely?

Confused, she took the cup of wine with a murmur of thanks, and brought it to her lips to buy a few seconds while she thought.

Part of her wanted to savor the heavenly, heady aroma forever, while the other part of her just wanted to tip the whole lot into her mouth right now, scalded tongue be damned.

In the end, she compromised, and took a tentative sip, letting the sweet, spicy wine warm her from the inside out. Her eyes slid closed in pure contentment.

"Mmm," she said happily. "This is the most unmagical thing I've ever tasted. Thank you so much for procuring and paying for it – I will return the favor tenfold, I swear!"

She opened her eyes just in time to see Levi blinking in confusion as he took a sip of his own wine. He seemed to do a lot of that – she wasn't quite sure why. Maybe he had been out in the non-magical world for too long, and had forgotten how wizards and witches tended to talk to each other?

"No problem," he muttered.

She watched, entranced, as he appeared to undertake some kind of arduous battle within his own mind. What was it that he was thinking about? Margot honestly had no idea.

Eventually, he seemed to come to some kind of conclusion, because he squared his shoulders, set his jaw, and raised his head to look her in the eye. His gaze was intense, and she couldn't help but shiver just a little.

"Margot, look," he said, his voice low, just for her. "I feel like there have been some misunderstandings here on both our sides, and I think we should clear them up before we go on any further."

Taking a deep breath, he plowed on. "Hi Margot, I'm Levi Thorne. I'm a chimera shifter. Nice to meet you."

He held out one arm across the table, his hand pointing toward her, and Margot took a moment to take everything in. A wizard and a chimera shifter? He had to be very powerful indeed!

Still, maybe that explained why he was so taciturn. Chimeras were notoriously private, isolation-loving beings – the fact that he had offered to help her at all was quite an honor.

She didn't know what to do about the hand he was holding out to her, though – and the longer he held it out, the more his face fell. Not that there was much change in his expression, but there was enough that she could tell he was disappointed.

But what did he want her to do?

In the end, she reached out and took his hand in both of hers, and his eyes widened slightly in surprise. A nice little warm thrill went through her fingers at the contact.

"Hi, Levi," she replied. "I'm Margot Delgard, and I'm a witch, of course. It's nice to meet you, too."

His eyes widened still further. "A witch?" he said, pausing for a long moment. "… Well. That makes a lot more sense."

"And you're a wizard," she continued, still enjoying the feeling of his hand in hers. "A chimera wizard is highly unusual – I've never met one before."

"Wait – what?" Levi jumped a little. "A wizard? No. I'm just a chimera shifter. And not even much of a chimera shifter at that."

Margot's stomach dropped.

What? He's not a wizard? How did I get it so wrong?!

"You're – you're not?" she exclaimed, acutely aware of how hard she was gripping his hand. "But of course you are. How could you not be? You can see Monty!"

"Why wouldn't I be able to see him?" he asked, eyebrows pulling up in confusion… before, suddenly, understanding spread across his face. "I think I get it. Monty is your familiar, isn't he?"

Monty stuck his nose in the air. I prefer to think of you as my familiar, but whatever helps you to sleep at night, I suppose.

Zip it, Monty! she yelled. This is not the time!

"Yes," she said, barely aware of the words that were tumbling out of her mouth. "Yes, he's my familiar. And you're… you're really not a wizard?"

She forced herself to look up at Levi's face again. He shook his head, solemn. At least he didn't seem angry, but, still – Margot had never been so embarrassed in all her life, and that included the time she accidentally committed magical arson.

Chimeras were reclusive and mercurial creatures. They generally didn't want anything to do with anybody. The fact that she'd been nattering away all day to a chimera she'd only just met – and asking him about Christmas , of all things – well, she was positively mortified. The only reason she had bothered him so much was because she had thought he was a wizard-errant!

"I'm so sorry," she said, loosening her grip on his hand with a force of will. "Please forgive me my intrusions – I will leave you to go about your day." She dug about hurriedly in her tote, pulling out a fistful of paper money and shoving it toward him. "Here. Please take this – I hope it covers the food you so kindly purchased for me, as well as the time I've caused you to waste."

"What?" Levi said, and the stupefied look on his face would have been funny if she hadn't felt so awful. He gently pushed her hand away. "I don't want your –" He looked again, his eyes widening. "Your eight hundred dollars? "

"Please," she begged. "It's the least I can do."

"Look," Levi said with a sigh, still refusing to take the money. "I wouldn't have come along with you if I hadn't wanted to, okay? I admit that Christmas isn't my favorite thing in the world, but… I did want to know more about you. To spend time with you."

He was almost mumbling by the end of his little speech, but Margot barely noticed, she was so over the moon.

He – he wants to spend time with me? Because he wants to, not because he feels obligated?

"Really?" she whispered, barely daring to believe it.

He nodded. "Really." A ghost of a smile crept over his face, and she couldn't help but smile back. Even Monty sticking his tail in her face couldn't dampen her joy.

They say that Christmas is a time when wonderful things happen… and they're right!

She was so happy that she could feel it in her stomach, a warm, joyous tingling. Her life had been so overwhelming lately, the threat of failure hanging heavily over her head… and now, this handsome, kind, wonderful man wanted to spend time with her. Such things would have felt impossible just a few short hours ago.

"So," she said, barely daring to believe that today was really real. "What do we do now?"

Levi took another sip of his wine. "Well, you said you wanted to try some eggnog, so how about we go see if we can find some? And then you can tell me more about this research assignment of yours. Now that we both know what each other's deal is, maybe I can help you out. I don't know much about magic, but I do at least have a bit of experience dealing with regular humans. Maybe between the two of us, we'll have a chance."

"You mean that?" Margot said, unable to keep the silly grin off her face. "You don't have to get back to the bookshop?"

"It can wait a day," Levi said quickly. If Margot didn't know better, she would've thought that he didn't want to go back there. But who wouldn't want to go to such a wondrous place?

"Okay," she said, downing the rest of her rapidly cooling wine. "Let's go find some nog."