“Is your mom and aunt Gabriela coming for Christmas this time?” I asked Isabella two days before our second Christmas together. We were pulling the Christmas decorations out of storage.

“Mom came to Thanksgiving, so decided to stay home for Christmas and spend it with the rest of the family. Aunt Gabby decided to do the same,” Izzy replied setting a box down. “What about your parents?”

“You know I haven’t heard anything from them since their last letter at the beginning of summer,” I answered as I pulled the last box out and set it down.

“Yeah. Sorry. I was just thinking you might have been keeping it a secret,” Izzy said. We both shrugged and then laughed. “But on the bright side, at least the villagers haven’t asked you to be a snow blower yet.”

“Probably because most of them don’t like trekking out in a foot of snow,” I replied.

“Or that you scared the bejesus out of nearly the whole village when you lost your temper and cracked that boulder just before Halloween,” Isabella retorted. “Though I will admit that lightning striking from a clear sky right where you pointed was impressive.”

“Maybe,” I admitted with a huge grin on my face. Putting the fear of God in them had been Trillium’s idea since once they got over their fear of magic, the villagers had besieged me to do work for them as well as trying to bribe pixies to bond with their children and themselves. It had gotten so bad that the pixies refused to even land on certain homes anymore after they had gorged themselves on treats.

“Oh, wipe that grin off your face. I know you’re not some all-powerful wizard,” Izzy said. I laughed and let the grin slip away. “Willow wants me to start practicing telekinesis after the new year.”

“I think you two are pushing things,” I replied.

“There’s only one way to know for sure,” Isabella countered.

“True enough,” I agreed. “Speaking of Willow. What are her and Lily doing?”

“You haven’t asked Lily?”

“She said it was a surprise,” I replied.

“Willow said the same.”

“I suppose we’ll find out what they’re doing in good time,” I said. “Want to go with me to the village to deliver Simon his order?”

“Let me think…no!” Izzy answered, shaking her head, with a smile on her face. “It’s cold out there.”

“I could make you go as my apprentice; you know?”

“Trudging through a foot of snow to deliver a shipment wasn’t explicitly in the contract,” Izzy protested.

“Playing that game, huh?” I mused. A smile bloomed on my face. I rubbed my chin. “Then maybe I should put you out in the barn.”

“You wouldn’t abandon me to that cold and drafty half building,” Izzy replied. Her eyes wide in mock horror. The smile tugging at her lips ruined the expression.

“Half building?”

“What would you call it? The barn only has half a roof!” Isabella retorted. We both laughed. “I’ll have lunch ready when you get back. Then we can go get a Christmas tree.”

“Alright. I’ll see you in a bit,” I replied. I turned my attention to my familiar and sent, “Lily, want to come with me?”

“No. Willow and I are almost finished,” Lily replied.

“Ok. I’ll see you when I return,” I sent.

*

Izzy looked at Willow and then Lily. “That one?”

“Yes.”

“Yeppers.”

“Ok Jase. Go cut it down,” Isabella said as she pointed at a seven-foot Fraser Fir. The tree was a near-perfect triangle.

“So, I’m just here to do the work and clear the path?”

“Yes!” my three female companions chorused. They then burst into a giggling fit.

“Don’t worry my Jase, Willow and I will get the tree into the planter. You don’t have the fine control to do that sort of work yet,” Lily said.

“Gee, thanks!”

“You’re welcome!” my familiar replied. The two pixies flew to the tree they had selected and then lifted the tree, part of its roots, and some dirt into the air.

“Yeah, I can’t do that,” I admitted as I levitated the stone planter we had brought along under the tree and sat the planter down.

The pixies gently placed the tree into the planter. They flew around it, making sure the tree was secure. The familiars then flew up and down the tree trimming off bits here and there.

“Trimming the tree?” I asked.

“Yep!” Lily answered.

“It’s now perfect with no critters,” Willow added.

“That’s great,” Isabella replied.

“Ok, my Jase, don’t drop it,” Lily said.

“Aye aye captain,” I saluted. Lily laughed and landed on my right shoulder.

“Mush!” my familiar said, cracking an invisible whip. Everyone laughed as we started home.

*

“Jase, Izzy, look!” Lily exclaimed. We walked to the window and looked at what my familiar was pointing at. It was Christmas Eve night and we had been baking sweets late into the night.

“It’s Santa Trillium and her tiny rein-pixies!” Willow said.

“Oh my God!” Izzy exclaimed before bursting into laughter. I quickly joined her. Elder Trillium was dressed up as the mythical Santa Claus complete with beard. Yam was playing Rudolph and had something glowing red on her nose. “Too bad we don’t have those camera things.”

“Yeah,” I agreed as the pixies waved and flew off toward Stonecroft.

“We took pictures,” Willow said.

Before we could ask, Lily answered, “Pixie magic.”

“Right…” Izzy and I replied.

“Don’t forget to leave out cookies and milk for Santa Trillium,” Willow said.

“We’re not leaving cookies and milk out for you two,” Izzy told her familiar. “You can wait until tomorrow for them.”

“Boo!” Willow and Lily pouted.

*

“We changed this song because the original was too long,” Willow said.

“Ok,” Izzy replied.

“Ready?” Lily asked the other pixie. Willow nodded.

“On the 12 days of Christmas our humans gave to us,” the pixies sang. “12 lemon drops, 11 honey candies, 10 cookies, 9 gingerbread men, 8 candy canes, 7 pieces of hard candy, 6 warm doughnuts, 5 different cupcakes, 4 cups of lemonade, 3 cups of coco, 2 whole cakes, and 1 cup of evening primrose nectar!”

“You are not getting evening primrose nectar,” I laughed.

“Why not?” Isabella asked.

“It’s really good,” Willow said.

“It gets them drunk,” I explained.

“It was just the one time almost two years ago!” Lily huffed. She brightened and smiled slyly. “You didn’t say we couldn’t get the rest of the stuff.”

“Uh….” I started. She pouted. “I’ll think about it.”

“Yay!” the familiars cheered.

“Merry Christmas,” Izzy said.

“Merry Christmas,” I replied.

“Merry Christmas everyone!” Lily and Willow shouted.

End