A knock sounded against the door, hard enough to shake it inside its frame. Luc looked up from the device she’d been tinkering with, realizing as she stood just how bent over the desk she’d been. Her back cracked and popped as she straightened and walked over to the door, just in time for the knocking to begin again.

  She swung the door inward, and Tobias’s fist fell through the open space, inches away from her face.

  “What are you doing here?” she asked, eyebrows crinkling together as she stared at him. She hadn’t expected to see him, or anyone, today, which had made it the perfect time to start working on a project. Without anyone to interrupt her, she should have been able to complete it. “Shouldn’t you be with your family?”

  “Yeah, that’s why I’m here for you,” Tobias said impatiently, as though she just wasn’t seeing the obvious.

  “Last I checked, my last name isn’t Barnes.”

  “That doesn’t matter,” he said. “Now get dressed, you’re coming over. Nobody needs to be alone on Christmas.”

  A sigh slipped from Luc’s mouth as she turned around to change, abandoning her project for another day. There would be no arguing with Tobias, and really, she didn’t want to be alone on Christmas either.

  ******

  “What do you think?” Maisey asked, giving her hair piece one final adjustment before turning around to face her brother.

  He shrugged. “It looks fine?”

  “Just fine? Or does it look like I’m a present?” Maisey asked, reaching up to touch the ribbon. It resembled nothing so much as a plastic bow for a Christmas present, which was exactly the point. She couldn’t tie herself up in ribbons for Tobias, considering she’d be at his parents’ house, so she had to do the next best thing.

  “You’re a present,” Mason said reluctantly. “Can we go now?”

  “Yes,” Maisey said, grabbing her bag of presents from the foot of her bed and slinging it onto her arm. “But we do have one stop we need to make before we can head over.”

  Mason let out a sigh and followed Maisey out of the bedroom. They passed through the living room, where their parents were cuddled up on the couch watching a movie, content to spend the rest of the day by themselves after spending Christmas morning together.

  Maisey hopped into the front seat and started the car as Mason brushed off the snow. There wasn’t much, just enough to dust the landscape with gentle powder, like the perfect Christmas landscape.

  The roads were clear as Maisey started driving, the radio blasting some nonsense Christmas song about kissing Santa Claus. Those songs had only redoubled when a mage had emerged and called himself Santa, but honestly, he should have seen that coming. It was his fault for looking hot.

  “Where are we going?” Mason asked as Maisey turned left away from the Barnes’ farm, rather than toward it.

  “We’re picking up Marie,” Maisey said. “Can’t have Christmas if everyone isn’t there.”

  Mason’s fingers drummed against the arm rest before he spoke. “Did you tell her that?”

  “No? Why does that matter?”

  “No reason.”

  The Blanchet’s long driveway wasn’t as clear as the roads, but Maisey didn’t have any difficulty navigating down it and pulling up in front of the house. Despite the fact that they were miles away from any neighbors or anyone who would easily see their house, it was absolutely covered in Christmas decorations. Lights glowing blue amid the light snow, running up the massive southern style front porch and up the two storied house.

  Leaving the car running, Maisey grabbed a small roll of red ribbon and hopped out, hurrying up the front steps. She rang the doorbell and waited, an eager smile on her face.

  It didn’t take long for the front door to open and an older white man to appear. Just looking at him, you wouldn’t know that he was related to Marie. “Maisey?” he asked, voice pitched up in surprise. “What are you doing here?”

  The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

  She ran the ribbon between her fingers as she smiled up at the commissioner. “I’m here to kidnap your daughter.”

  ******

  Marie sat on the floor playing with Nice when the knock sounded at the door. Her father set down the tie she’d gifted him and stood up, walking over to see just who would bother them on Christmas.

  Maisey’s words more than her voice made Marie whip around, eyes wide.

  “I’m here to kidnap your daughter.”

  Marie jumped up, and Nice sprung to action behind her, significantly less threatening thanks to the floppy fabric candy cane hanging from his mouth.

  “What are you doing here?” Marie demanded, reaching her friend at the front door. Cold cut into the house around her tall, narrow body, leaving Marie shivering. Without her power turned on, she was just as human as everyone else.

  “Like I said, I came to kidnap you,” Maisey said, mouth stretching into a grin. The expression was innocent enough, but the mischief dancing in her eyes and the ribbon strung between her fingers told another story. “We’re all meeting up at the Barnes’s for a Christmas celebration.”

  “You could have just texted me,” Marie said.

  “Where’s the fun in that?”

  “What’s the ribbon for?”

  “You’re going to be Luc’s present, obviously,” Maisey said. “This is for that. Originally, I was going to do it for Tobias but, you know, parents.” She shrugged, her eyes darting to Marie’s father, entirely shameless.

  Blood rushed to Marie’s cheeks as she coughed, then turned her attention to her father. “Do you think it’s okay if I go over?”

  He glanced at Maisey and let out a sigh. “I feel like I should be concerned, but I trust you. Have fun, baby.”

  “I will.” She hugged her father, then ducked back into the entryway to grab her jacket and follow Maisey out onto the frosted porch.

  The front door closed and Maisey turned her mischievous gaze to Marie, ribbon going taut between her hands.

  “You’re not tying me up,” Marie said, taking a step back.

  “Oh, come on, it’d be fun.”

  “For who?”

  “Me! And Luc. Think about it.”

  “I am thinking about it, and no,” Marie said. She darted down the front steps before Maisey could do anything else, slipping into the back seat of the car.

  ******

  “You really have never done stockings before?” Tobias asked as Luc picked at the felt stocking that had been placed on her lap. When Tobias had invited her over for Christmas, she’d expected to maybe share a meal with the Barnes, not for Mama Barnes to promptly throw a matching sweater at her and then give her a stocking stuff full of candy, fruit, and even a few gift cards.

  “Does my mom seem like someone who would do stockings?” Luc asked, reaching into the stocking again. She pulled out another piece of dark chocolate, carefully unwrapping it and taking a bite.

  “Fair enough.” Tobias reached over with his free hand, the other looped over her shoulders, stealing a piece as though he didn’t have a stocking of his own. All of the Barnes’ kids did, Tobias’s older siblings littered throughout the house watching movies, putting together puzzles, or playing games. It was all a little bit much, but it was also probably the best Christmas Luc could remember.

  The front door opened. From her angle on the couch, she couldn’t see it, though the noise was audible, as were the several sets of shoes marching inside. Luc turned toward the sound. Had she missed some of Tobias’s siblings going outside?

  Maisey stepped out of the entryway and into the living room, a wide smile on her rosy cheeks. A bag of wrapped presents hung from her arm, and Tobias slid off the couch to take it from her, carrying it over to the Christmas tree.

  “Those aren’t the only presents I got,” Maisey declared, shooting a wink at Luc. Luc barely had time to wonder what the wink was for before Marie stepped around her, bashful smile directed Luc’s way. “Merry Christmas!”

  “Merry Christmas,” Luc said back. She stood up, walking over to join the others, folding herself into Marie’s open arms. The taller girl’s embrace was even more warm and comforting than Tobias’s. “I didn’t think I’d see you today.”

  “Yeah, well, Maisey decided she was going to kidnap me,” Marie said with a shrug. “Something about me being your present?”

  Luc raised an eyebrow. “Is that so?”

  “Yeah,” Maisey piped up. “I tried to get her to let me tie her up for you, and she said no.”

  “Because it’s a bad idea.”

  “Is it?” Luc asked, unable to hide the interest in her voice at the idea of Marie tied up for her. “Doesn’t sound like a bad idea to me.”

  Luc seemed to catch Marie off guard, but she smiled. “Then maybe I’ll let you tie me up later.”

  “Here.” Maisey smacked a roll of red ribbon into Luc’s hand. “For later.”

  Mason let out a noise of disgust as he split away from them, stepping into the kitchen. “So when’s dinner?”

  “Wait!” Maisey called out after him as a blush raged across Luc’s face. “We have to open presents first! Don’t run away from me!”

  Luc shook her head as Maisey chased after her brother, attempting to drag him back into the living room. This was far from the peace and quiet she’d hoped for today, but she wasn’t complaining. This was by far the best Christmas she’d had in years.