Twisting the Pole (3 page)

He took her hand and led her to the chairs, seating her in the one that had his coat of arms on it.

A page brought the ten women and two men goblets of lemonade. The knights bowed to the baron and baroness, they bowed to their ladies and paired off as directed for the first fights.

The first few minutes were about the dance of the battles. At some unspoken signal, the fight turned serious.

Salk’s opponent went flying. He skidded across the dusty ground and ended up leaning against a support post. Salk raised his helmet and confirmed that he was out.

His lady sighed in disappointment.

Cora sat and sipped at her lemonade as Salk waited at the side for his next round.

She spent the next hour watching fight after fight with Salk always coming out ahead.

Finally, it was down to Salk and Tahnk.

Both men were tired, but they faced off with their swords, and the clash was tremendous. They weren’t playing for the crowds; they had some issues to work out.

The metal-on-metal sound was incredible. Cora clenched her fists together and leaned her body forward as she watched Salk take down the leering idiot who had been following her around since the first day she had turned up at the faire.

When Tahnk was finally disarmed, the crowd was up on their feet and cheering. Sir Salk came up to her, and he knelt in front of her again. “I have upheld your honour, Mistress.”

She stood and offered him her hand. “You have done me proud, Sir Salk.”

He kissed her knuckles, and he got to his feet. The smell of male and sweat mixed with metal was coming from him in waves, but in the heat of the afternoon, it seemed completely right and proper.

The baron called him forward, and he took her hand in his gauntleted one, walking her toward the dais.

“Sir Arthwait, you have defeated our greatest knights, and for that, we offer an invitation to the solstice ball for your lady.”

Cora blinked. “That’s tomorrow.”

The baron grinned. “It is indeed. I look forward to seeing your skills in the dance, Artisan Metzger.”

She curtsied and looked at Salk with suspicious eyes. “Did you know about this?”

He grinned. “Yes, but this was the only way I could figure out to get you to the party.”

One of the ladies of the court came and gave her a ribbon that would act as her ticket to the party the next night.

Cora turned to Salk, “Now, what am I to give you for acting so ably as my champion?”

He opened his mouth, but she pulled him down to her and kissed him quickly, to the hoots of some of the bystanders.

He seemed shocked when she let him go, but she smiled, curtsied and left the fight grounds without looking back.

Her grin faded as she entered the kiosks and vendor stalls. She needed a dress.

When she outlined what was going on, to the amusement Viv, she saw the gleam in her assistant’s eyes. She was in good hands.

Viv left her for a few minutes, sprinted through the stalls and came back with a handful of business cards. “Go to each one of these places. I have told them what you need, and they just need to take measurements.”

Two hours later, the components of a spectacular outfit had been accumulated and each vendor had offered her a steep discount. It was now a community event.

Cora was able to concentrate on her work for the rest of the day until it was time to close shop for the evening.

Down the lanes, she could hear the music starting up, and Viv was hopping up and down in her leather slippers as she waited for official dismissal.

“Go, Viv. I will be fine.”

Cora folded the wooden cover over the front of the shop, locked up with hasps and padlocks from the inside and headed out the back. Viv was long gone when Cora was heading down the lane toward the music.

Music had always drawn her. Even as a child, she had delighted in any song, rhythm or steady gust of wind that she could colour in her mind with the idea of music.

She walked up to the back of the crowd and watched the dancers.

The patterns of the dance were amazing to see. The visitors had been taught the steps and faltered a little, but eventually, they were laughing, stepping and hopping with the rest of the crowd.

Cora smiled and clapped to the beat with the rest of the watchers.

Salk was in the midst of the dancers. The young woman who was partnering him looked like she was either going to pass out or hump his leg.

Cora watched for another two dances, and then, she faded back and headed for her tiny house.

She passed through security and headed for the camping lot. Her tiny house was parked in one of the spots and hooked up to electricity and water. It amused her every time she walked up to it. The snowflake magic had given her a tiny, portable castle.

She walked up her steps and slipped inside her home on wheels.

Cora kept the lights on as she worked on designs inspired by the music and dance. She might never have a chance to make the jewellery, but she was happy to have it down where she could see it.

A knock at the door pulled her out of creativity and into the real world.

She moved the small shield that covered the face port and blinked in surprise. “Salk. What are you doing here?”

He lifted a basket. “I have been told that you often skip dinner. I am prepared to keep your strength up so that you don’t miss the party tomorrow.”

Cora smiled. “Come in.”

She opened the door, and he entered the small space.

Salk looked around. “Interesting. There is every comfort of home.”

“Which is fortunate, because it
is
my home.” She took the basket from him and folded a table down from the wall. When it locked in place, she set her burden down and gestured for him to unpack his offering.

He opened the basket, and she grinned as hamburgers and fries emerged. At the faire, the food he had with him was contraband.

“I won’t ask how you got that, just like you will forget that you saw this.” She turned to her small kitchen and knelt, pulling the small hatch in the floor open to retrieve two imported beers.

As she set them down on the table, they frosted over.

He grinned. “Cooler in the floor?”

“Something like that.” She gestured for him to take a seat, and she scooted her stool over to the table. “Thank you for the food.”

“You are welcome. Thank you for the medallion. I was only expecting a ribbon.” He grinned and fished the medal out of his shirt.

The flying reindeer was one of her favourite designs. She hadn’t wanted to sell it, but she wanted someone to have it. The impulse to give it to him had been intense.

“It looks good on you.” She bit into the burger and stifled a moan. Cora tried to keep herself calm as she ate, but she was fighting the urge to stuff it all in her face at once.

Halfway through the meal, she cocked her head. “So, why did you provide me with this luxurious feast?”

He grinned. “I like you. You were not what I was expecting, and I am pleasantly surprised.”

She chuckled. The rumour mill at the faires was notorious. It was a community that stretched from sea to sea and across the oceans. Now with the internet, the rumours and gossip could streak along as soon as someone got out of the public eye so they could text.

Some faires were stricter on the rules of modern conveniences than others, but using a cell phone while in garb was universally frowned upon.

Salk gestured to the tiny house. “So, how long do you live in here?”

She shrugged. “Anytime I am away from home.”

“Where is home?”

“Up north.” She kept it nice and vague. “You?”

“The same. I just came here because I was requested to, but I am very glad I did.” He wiped his lips with his napkin, balled it up and tossed it into the basket.

She tried to change the subject, because his gaze was suddenly intense. “How did you know I like burgers?”

“I asked your assistant. Vivienne was very forthcoming.”

Cora rolled her eyes. “She would be. She is a sucker for a guy in armour, or a girl for that matter.”

“Is Cora your real name?”

“You mean away from the faire? Yes. That is the name on my credit card.” She chuckled. “How about you?”

“Oddly enough, my name was exotic enough for this purpose. Salk Arthwait is my actual name.”

She finished her burger and wedged the last of the fries into her mouth. When she cleared her mouth, she sipped at her beer. “It is a nice name.”

“Thank you.”

Silence hung between them. It wasn’t awkward, but it did give her a chance to finish her beer. He drank his and raised his brows at the flavour, pausing after to read the label. “Where did you get this?”

“At the local vendor. It took a bit of trial and error, but I finally found one that I consider palatable.”

“You did very well.”

She chuckled. It was definitely a change from apple cider, mulled cider, hot cider, cold cider. There was not a lot of variety at the archive of Santa’s workshop. It felt like Santa had forgotten that they were even there on days other than Christmas Eve.

He shifted on his chair, and she got up to clear the bag and fold the cloth in the basket. When it was clear, she set it on the floor and folded the table away.

“Pivot, take a step and we can sit in the living room.”

She walked past him and sat on the couch built into one end of the tiny space.

“How big is this place?” He wandered over and sat next to her at an angle so that their knees touched.

“Two hundred and eighty square feet.”

“Wow. It seems that you have everything you need in here.”

She looked at him and considered her answer. “Yeah, I do seem to have what I need at my fingertips.”

“Was it a custom build?”

Cora laughed, “No, I got it at
Tiny Castles R Us.
”

He snickered. “Fair enough.”

They sat and drank their beer in silence.

Cora asked, “What drove you to the fights?”

“The exercise was entertaining. I am used to having a bit more activity in my life, and this was a chance to reclaim it.”

She nodded as if she understood.

“What about you? How did you come to work with silver?”

She answered honestly. “I learned it at my father’s knee. My mother was a designer, and my father made her sketches come to life.”

“Are they still living?”

“No, they passed on years ago. It still feels like just yesterday.” The truth of the pain was in her voice.

He reached out and put his hand on hers. “I am sorry for your loss.”

She shrugged. “It is fine. I just haven’t had much ability to deal with it.”

Salk nodded, paused for a moment and then asked. “What were you doing when I arrived?”

“I was working on designs. I draw far more than I could ever create.”

“May I see them?”

She grinned. “Of course.”

She got up and went to the small cubby where she had tucked her sketchbook. She turned and brought it back to the couch, sitting closer than she had before, ostensibly to show him the drawings.

She inhaled the scent of him and enjoyed the masculine touch to her quarters. There was something familiar in his scent that she couldn’t put her finger on, and it made her want to investigate further.

He flipped through the designs with intense focus. “These are amazing. Hey, here is the pattern for my medallion.”

She snorted and then fought the urge to grab the book and pull it back. The medallion he was wearing was one of nine designs and the only one she had created. The word Comet was written quite clearly beneath the pattern.

“You drew one for all of Santa’s reindeer?”

She cleared her throat. “I thought that if anyone needed a little Christmas treat, it would be the reindeer.”

“Why did you make Comet?”

Cora licked her lips. “I don’t know. I suppose it was just the design that I wanted to make first.”

He smiled slightly and closed the book. “Well, I have imposed on your hospitality enough for one night. I will see you tomorrow.”

She got to her feet as he stood. “You don’t have to go yet.”

His eyes gleamed. “I think it is for the best. I do have one thing to leave you with...”

She stared up at him, and he kissed her softly, gradually deepening the contact until she was leaning up toward him and clutching at his shirt for balance.

Her heart was pounding in her chest when she finally realized that he was gone. As suddenly as he had appeared at her door, he had removed himself and his basket while she was focused on that small point of contact.

“How the hell did he move that fast?” She scowled at the door and was bemused by the fact that it had been latched. It only latched from the inside, but Salk was definitely gone. She could feel the loss of his company in every inch of her.

* * * *

Salk’s cock was screaming silently at him to return to take what Comet was so obviously offering.

He had never thought that the woman he was sent to seduce could strike at his heart with her creativity, her grace and her spirit, but here he was, in the shadows and watching over her castle.

She smelled of heat and starry skies. He didn’t know how it could be possible, but when he touched her, kissed her, he saw the stars and heavy bands of colour.

Tomorrow, they would have a proper date, and he would be able to escort her home at the end of the night. What happened after that was up to her, but he was hoping to experience more of that heat.

He dispersed himself into the shadows and engaged in his normal occupation of finding the naughty and whispering in their ears details of all their crimes in order to seed nightmares of recriminations. It wasn’t fair, but neither was preying on other members of their species.

Administering shadows was not a job for the weak at heart, and it had been a relief when he no longer had to haul coal around. Salk enjoyed his position with the naughty-or-nice list, even if it took him to the dark places of the human mind. A moment with Comet made up for an entire year of shadows.

* * * *

Comet fidgeted with her silk skirts and touched her hair. The braiding was elaborate, and it was twisted up on top of her head, held in place with her own elven coronet.