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“I’ll have a bit of every kind,” I told Bivar distractedly, looking up to see them.
“For your lady, eh?” he asked good-naturedly. “Hope she has a big smile on her face. Here you go.”
I blinked at him before I realized what he was referring to. There was a legend saying everyone who greeted the Yule lads with a frown on their face would be cursed for the entirety of the Yule. I’d never heard of that happening, though. The parade made everyone so happy, people couldn’t help smiling and laughing.
It was only a legend, anyway. And I was sure my mother had told Scarlett everything she needed to know.
I took the hot paper cone from Bivar and slipped him a coin, waving him away when he tried to give me change. Before making my way back to my family, I watched the parade wind its way closer, already smiling.
The Yule lads were an enchanting folk, and seeing them always gave me joy. They were rather short, around Scarlett’s height, and wore colorful clothing in shades of red and green. Their bodies were lithe and graceful, their skin ranging in tone from gray to purple. Their faces were close in appearance to human, but not quite. They had sharp teeth, bared in wide smiles, their pale eyes slanted upward at the inner corners, and their ears were large and sharp-tipped.
Most of them had long, white or gray hair braided into intricate updos and decorated with colorful beads and jingling bells. Some carried small drums, on which they tapped out a fast, cheerful rhythm. They shouted out rhythmically. Not words, just sharp, encouraging shouts that rose into the air, making the crowd cheer louder and louder.
Everyone who had a flag waved it madly, and some people up the street sang a popular Yule song about a maiden who found a Yule lad under her Yule tree and thought he was her gift. It was a cheerful, bawdy song, and it made me grin, thinking about Scarlett. She was like a gift, too. A sweet, impossible surprise that fell in my lap right before the Yule.
Having looked my fill, I made my way back. People were jumping and laughing, a few of our neighbors dancing in a small circle to the Yule lads’ drumbeat. I spotted Scarlett, but she was facing the wrong way. Instead of looking at the lads, she was turned to Ronan, one of our neighbors, who leaned close to her, talking and laughing raucously.
My heart jolted with unease when she turned her head enough for me to see her close-lipped, forced smile. All the ease and cheer was gone from her face, my favorite glare pinching her eyebrows. Only, it wasn’t directed at me, and that sent a spike of hot jealousy through my chest.
“Excuse me. Sorry, Linda. Sorry, just going through.” I made my way through the crowd, but the lads were almost to us, and the press of excited bodies became much harder to navigate. The pavement had been cleared especially well for the parade, all the snow heaped at the fences reaching above my hips. It meant I couldn’t just circle the crowd. I had to push through.
Scarlett turned away from Ronan, looking at the lads, but he just tapped her shoulder, calling her attention again. I growled, wondering why Ivo, who stood behind Scarlett, didn’t interfere, but he was busy holding Mary on his shoulders and pointing something out to her with a wide smile.
Also, why would he interfere? It wasn’t like Scarlett was his wi… his partner.
My growing anger and jealousy made me double my efforts. I kept a smile plastered on my face just in case, remembering the old legend, but inside I was seething. And even though I got more forceful shoving my way through the crowd, I didn’t make it in time.
I saw the moment it happened. The first row of the Yule lads reached Scarlett, and she turned away from Ronan to look at them, her face tight and angry. One of the lads holding a drum, his clothes deep red and tied with a gold sash, looked right at her. His bright smile turned into an unpleasant sneer.
His eyes glinted, mouth moving as he said something, and suddenly, Scarlett gave a gentle shout like she was in pain.
I dropped the sugared nuts and pushed through the crowd. My mother, who stood on Scarlett’s other side, already leaned down to ask her what was wrong. Scarlett shook her head, rubbing her forehead, and then I was finally at her side, grabbing her shoulder to turn her to me.
“What’s wrong? Where does it hurt?” I asked frantically, taking in her pale face and annoyed expression. It cleared somewhat when she saw me, and she gave me a reassuring smile.
“Just a sudden headache. It’s fading. Nothing’s wrong.”
The parade had passed us, only the backs of the Yule lads visible now. Ronan, who still stood by Scarlett’s side, turned to me with a grin, his purplish fur gleaming in the sunlight. “Pretty bride you got there, friend. I might feel tempted to get one myself. Tell me, are humans good in the sack?” He widened his eyes suggestively, his grin turning leery.
I snarled, making him flinch, and returned his wide grin, showing off all my teeth. “Not your fucking business,” I said, my vehemence surprising me. “Leavemybride alone. You’re making her uncomfortable.”
He huffed, offended, and shot me an unfriendly look. “No need to be so touchy,” he muttered. “I was just making conversation.”
When I didn’t answer, he slunk away, muttering under his breath. Scarlett, who heard everything, smiled up at me, taking my hand. “Thank you. I could have dealt with him but I’m trying not to alienate your neighbors. A fresh start and everything.”
My nostrils flared, anger still buzzing in my blood as everyone around us mingled, talking and laughing, some already making their way up to the main square for mulled wine and dancing.
“Don’t hold back on my account in the future,” I told Scarlett. “If you need to tell someone to fuck off, just do it. If it’s someone I care about, I’ll smooth things over and explain to them they shouldn’t piss you off. I don’t care about Ronan. He can fuck himself.”
Her eyes widened, and then she laughed, true joy sparkling in her eyes. “Wow, the puppy bites! Didn’t know you had it in you,” she said with a smile. “And thank you. It’s kind of nice not to have to defend myself. Though he didn’t really do anything. He was just unpleasant.”
“He spoiled this for you,” I muttered, remembering the sneer on the Yule lad’s face. “And… how are you feeling? Does your head still hurt?”
Scarlett patted my hand and shook her head. “I’m perfectly fine. So, what now?”
I breathed a sigh of relief, seeing no signs of a curse. It was stupid to even worry about it, I knew, because it was just an old tale to make the celebration more exciting, no doubt.
My mother turned to us after talking to Tatiana and gave Scarlett a wide smile. “And? How did you like it?”
