“Three times,” Grandma corrected. “And I won them all. Now, are you boys going to explain why you’ve dragged my granddaughter into what I can only assume is some sort of magical legal situation, or do I need to start billing you for my time? My hourly rate is astronomical.”
Mom, who’d been staring open-mouthed at the antlers, finally found her voice. “They have…they’re…Sylvie, why do they have those growing out of their heads?”
“Those are antlers, Mom.”
“I can see that! Why do they have antlers?”
“Because they’re reindeer shifters who work for Santa Claus and need legal representation to unionize against exploitative labor practices,” I explained in one breath, then immediately regretted it as both women turned to stare at me.
“Santa Claus,” Mom repeated flatly. “TheSanta Claus.”
“Actually, he’s more of an ancient magical entity,” Aleksi added matter-of-factly. When everyone turned to look at him, he shifted uncomfortably. “What? It’s true.”
Grandma Rose leaned back in her chair, a slow smile spreading across her face—the kind I recognized from every courtroom story she’d ever told. “So, you need my granddaughter’s help for your…employment negotiations with an old god?”
The men exchanged glances. “Yes…” Kenai answered hesitantly.
“And I’m assuming your interest in her isn’t entirely professional, given the way you’re hovering around her like she might evaporate.”
“Yes, they’re all my…mates.”
“Mates?” Mom asked. “Like friends?”
“No, Mom, not like friends.”
“I’m just trying to understand! My daughter left for Christmas and came back with three…three reindeer boyfriends who want to sue Santa?”
She kept looking at me, and for the first time in years, I had no idea what she was thinking—and it made me nervous.
“Oh honey,” Mom tutted finally. “After what we ladies have been through, don’t we deserve a little treat? Or three?”
“MOTHER!”
“What? I’m just saying, if magic’s real and Santa’s real and you get three gorgeous men out of the deal, that seems like a win to me.”
Grandma Rose made a sound that might’ve been a laugh. “I assume you’re not here just to introduce us to your harem.”
“They’re not my?—”
“Technically, we are—” Taimyr offered helpfully.
“You need legal help,” Grandma Rose cut in. “Obviously. The question is what kind?”
I took a deep breath and launched into the explanation: the North Pole’s labor practices, the years of failed organizing attempts. Grandma Rose listened with the same intense focus she’d always had, occasionally asking sharp questions that cut right to the heart of the issue.
“And you need this done by Christmas?” she asked.
“Christmas Eve. That’s when the final negotiations are scheduled.”
“That’s two days away, Sylvie.”
“I know.”
She looked at me for a long moment, and I saw something shift in her expression—pride, and that fire I’d always admired so much.
“You sound just like me,” she murmured. “Then let’s not waste time.”
“You’ll help?”
