Page 11 of Barbarian's Treat

"Perhaps you could make our smaller son a very good costume. Have him impress the other boys."

Scraping the last dried bits of hraku caramel off my spoon, I consider this. "I'm not much of a seamstress, but that's not a bad idea. Maybe I'll ask Tiffany for help. You know she's making costumes for their entire family? Do you want to dress up with the boys?"

Pashov grins up at me. "I can. Should I be a unicorn?"

I'm utterly flummoxed by his suggestion. "How do you know what a unicorn is?"

"Harrec suggested it. He said Kate mentioned it is a creature with one horn. Is it insulting?" He touches the nub of his broken horn, where we've been so happy to see some growth again. Not enough to be a visible change, but it's there.

I can't decide if I'm annoyed or not. Kate obviously mentioned unicorns and Pashov in the same sentence to her mate. Unicorns aren't a bad thing, and Kate isn't a cruel sort. She's just awkward at times. I get to my feet and put aside the pan before making a decision. "Unicorns are special magical creatures. I'm going to say it's a good thing."

"Then make me one for your celebration," he says, and jumps up after me. He wraps his arms around me, one sliding to my butt. "No tail here. Maybe you should get one for your costume."

Even when his memories disappeared, Pashov's love for grabbing my butt remained. I grin at him. "You wouldn't know what to do with me if I had a tail."

"I would flip it aside and do the same things I always do." His eyes heat and he pulls me toward him.

I'm suddenly very glad I sent the kids out.

CHAPTER

NINE

JODEN

I shovemy knife into the side of the large not-potato, eyeing my mom as she puts a bowl right next to me.

"Make sure you put all the scraps in this bowl, baby. We don't want to waste anything."

"Sure, Mom. Thanks," I say and carve a chunk off of the surface as my mom kisses the top of my head and then flutters off to see how my sister is doing.

At my side, Kae leans closer, her small knife in her hand and an equally large not-potato in front of her. "Has anyone said what are we supposed to be making?"

"I have no idea. But my mom is having fun so I'm going to keep cutting until it looks like something." I shrug and chop another chunk off, lopping it into the bowl. "It's fun to cut this, anyhow."

Today is the day that all us kids are working on holiday preparations. Mom insisted me and my sisters stay with her today and now we're all gathered in the longhouse with knives and not-potatoes and we're supposed to be carving them or something. Mom got excited and started rambling and I thinkshe forgot to tell us what we're supposed to be making, but that's kinda typical for my mom. I figure if no one tells me, I'll make my own thing.

Kae isn't satisfied with my answer. She always has to know everything. She raises her hand and when Claire comes over, whispers to her. "What is it we're carving?"

"Oh, anything you like!" Erevair's mom touches her shoulder, beaming. "Back home they were jack-o’-lanterns with faces, but it doesn't matter. Just make whatever you like."

And she wanders away again.

I look at Kae. "That clear it up for you?"

"No." She sighs. "But I guess I can put a face on it? This is a weird custom."

"Humans are weird," I agree. They love all kinds of strange things.

"You're half human," Kae reminds me as she studies her not-potato diligently. Then she takes it into her lap and starts shaving down pieces around the top of it. "Maybe I can whittle this part down to make a brow and some ears."

I ignore her comments, because I'm not much interested in carving. Maybe Kae is because her dad likes to carve, but mine is a hunter and I want to be like him and hunting, not sitting around putting a face on a vegetable. Even now, Father is out hunting and I'm stuck here with the other kits when I'd rather be with him, checking traps. I eye my mother, and she's got my littlest sister in-between her legs, holding a knife as she helps Shae cut a smile into what's probably going to be tonight's dinner.

Vekka wanders over to where we're seated. She has a doll tucked under her arm but no vegetable with her. My ears get hot as she stares down at my barely carved root, as if she's judging it.

"I'm not done yet," I say hotly.

Vekka gives me a startled look, then tosses one of her curly ponytails. "I didn't say anything!"