Merry Christmas and Happy New Year everyone!

I do not own The Magic Thief

Connwaer.

I couldn't remember the last time I had celebrated Christmas. Embre told me we did do it when I was a lot younger, but I hadn't celebrated since then. Since I had been alone I often forgot about the holiday and focused on keeping warm and finding food. Rowan was throwing a large party at the Dawn Palace with lots of food and dancing on Christmas Eve. Embre was opening up Dusk House for a celebration as well, which was something that both the Twilight people and myself were in shock about.

At home, Benet and I had finished putting up our tree and I sat at the table admiring it. A few coloured glass balls hung from branches and a golden star sat on top of it all.

"Benet, what are you getting Nevery for Christmas?"

"It wouldn't be a surprise if I told you." Drats. I took a sip of my tea, my eyes drifted to the window where I saw fat snowflakes fall. I knew what I was going to buy for the others, but Nevery was impossible. I couldn't ask him either because then he would know what I was going to get him.

"Could you give me any ideas?"

"You're thinking about it too much. You lot are more alike than you know. Whatever you would want, he might want it too." The door opened, a pair of shoes tapped against the floor before Jo came into the kitchen in her socks. Since I had banished Crowe, Nimble, and Sootle, her and Den had become friends to me. Embre had their names, the names of the other mudlark kids honored at the ceremony him, and Rowan hosted. Jo and Den didn't exactly live in Heartsease, but they sometimes spent the night here.

"Afternoon Conn."

"Hello Jo." She took a seat beside me. Her hands were cold in mine as I tried to warm them up.

"Either you're nervous or you missed me something terrible." She smiled her hands still in mine.

"Both."

"It's always nice to be missed. I guess I missed you as well. Now what's got you all troubled?"

"He don't know what to get Nevery for Christmas."

"Thanks Benet." I said dryly, the sound of Jo's snickering filled my ears.

"You'll think of something. If you wanna know someone who's hard to shop for, you need to look at yourself."

"I'm not that difficult."

"That's what me and Den thought before we had to find something."

"So you did buy me a gift."

"You better have got us stuff too." She tried to sound serious but the grin on her face gave her away. I don't think she cared that much if I gave her gift. Of course, that didn't stop me from thinking of one, but even she had been a challenge.

"Yeah, I got presents for you and Den. At first I wanted to get you a pair of gloves and a hat, but you won't even wear mine so I decided that wasn't a good idea." She took her hands back. I finished my tea as she unwound the scarf Benet had made her. As soon as it hit the table, Pip nestled on top of it as if it was a new nest.

"Benet, are ya sure you used regular yawn?"

"Pip is Conn's dragon and you're questioning why it acts the way it does?" Nevery's voice made me jump. I hadn't expected him to be back so soon. Benet set two cups of tea on the table and a plate of biscuits. Pip sniffed at Nevery's cup until it concluded there was no black powder in it. Nevery had a rule about Pip sitting on top of the table we eat off it, but if we let it take Jo's scarf, we may never get it back. I had tried to give Pip other things to make nests out of, but it liked knitted clothing best."

"Have you decided if you and Den are coming here on Christmas Day?" Nevery questioned. I knew he was having the magisters and some other wizards for lunch as well, which I was surprised all considering how he felt about some of them.

"I guess we could"

"You're both welcome to."

"Thanks Magister." Nevery's eyes locked with hers. "What?"

"Nothing. Benet, leave the pot and come join us."

"How about a new scrying globe?"

"No Ro. He has four and I'm the one who has to keep them clean."

"A new waistcoat?"

"No."

"Conn, this is taking more time than I thought it would." Rowan, her fingertips stained with ink, sighed. I had four more days until Christmas and I had nothing to give Nevery.

"I just don't know what he wants. I mean, he has books and a house and he never asks for anything. Both you and Embre have those things, but I found stuff for you two."

"You know, sometimes people don't want to tell other directly what they want. Sometimes they hint at it in other ways hoping someone takes notice." The more I thought about it, the more her words made sense. I hadn't been paying enough attention.

"Thanks Ro." I stood from my chair. Looking at her, I saw how tired she was. Being the Duchess wasn't an easy job, I knew that much, and I also knew Rowan didn't like spending most of the day inside. With Miss Dimity following her around everywhere, I knew she felt like every second of the day was filled with more meetings and even more paperwork. I spotted the dry quill by the edge of the desk and an idea came to mind.

"Ro."

"Yes?"

"Guard up!" I took the quill and batted hers as soon as it was lifted from the paper. She stared at me in shock for a second before jumping out of her chair and coming 'round the table. Tap, tap, tap went our pens as she kept advancing on me. I forced her two steps back, but her next move sent me four closer to the wall.

"You've improved Conn." She took another step. "But not enough." With one quick jab, my back hit the wall. I dropped the pen and grinned at her. For the first time in a while, she smiled back and laughter erupted from her throat.

"Oh Conn, it's been too long since I've had the chance to swordfight. Even if these aren't the best weapons I have ever seen." That much I knew to be true. When Rowan had become Duchess and Miss Dimity and her advisors ruled that her sword craft lessons would no longer be of use to her, Argent had left the Dawn Palace. From what Rowan had told me, he had been asked to teach a princess in Ennis sword fighting, and as far as I was concerned, he was going to stay there.

"Yet you still won."

"I was trained for years Conn, you had a few lessons. One in which you jumped into a bush as a form of defense." Our laughter was cut short when a series of knocks came at the door. Without hearing her, Rowan and I knew who would be on the other side.

"Duchess Rowan, I beg your pardon, and I am so sorry to interrupt your little…"She looked at me, her eyes bulging slightly less than before. " Get together, but you must have those merchant guideline papers signed and sent out by four o'clock." Rowan took my quill from my hand, gripping both of them as though she were strangling them.

"Yes, of course. Conn was just heading out. Would you please escort him to the front doors? Also, I would like another pot of tea if that is alright?"

"Yes, of course your Grace. I will send a servant to bring it in for you." Rowan went to sit down at her desk again. Though before I left, I noticed her shoulders seemed less heavy, and she had an odd smile on her face as she busied herself once more.

The Sunrise part of the city was busy with people walking in every direction through the snow covered streets. Shops were bright with werelights and the smell of baked goods wafted through the air.

"Afternoon Connwaer." A man said, taking off his hat as a greeting. I returned the favor, though I had no idea who he was.

"Hello there Magister, would you like a hot meat pie on this cold day?" A woman held out a small square pasty wrapped in cloth.

"Thank you…"

"Mrs. Yarly. And you are welcome my lad, Merry Christmas." I put the package in my coat pocket. I would split it with Pip when I got home to Heartsease. As I walked down the street, passing people who nodded and said hello and "Merry Christmas" to me as I went along. Though I hadn't expected people to treat me any better after I had saved the magics, it felt nice that people noticed what had happened. I stopped by a shop window, a carpenter's store, peering at the Nutcracker's, wooden dolls, and toy soldiers.

Then I saw it.

It was made of a dark wood and split into sections. It sat on a table and in front of it stood a piece of folded paper with the price.

"Hello young sir, how may I be of service to you?" The shopkeeper, a middle-aged man with a mess of dark hair on top his head said.

"That shelf there, would you say it can help keep someone organized?
" Yes, the compartments can hold letters, books, small tools, it is great for those who are busy and have little time to put things away nicely."
"How much does it cost?"

"This one here, the last one of the twenty five we made for Christmas will cost you three copper locks and a silver. Where is it going, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Can someone bring it to Heartsease Island?"

"Today?"

"Yes." The shopkeeper looked between the shelf and me. The person didn't need to be that strong, just strong enough to hold the weight of the shelf for a short distance.

"I'll see what I can go my lad, but rest assured I will try my best to have it delivered to you today." I paid him and walked back into the cold afternoon. Snowflakes were starting to fall as I walked back through the streets.

Nevery was going to love this.

It had finally arrived, the day everyone had been anticipating and worrying about since the first of December. Jo, Den, Embre, Sparks, Rowan, Captain Kerrn, Benet, and of course myself were sitting around the Christmas tree in Heartsease's kitchen. Most of the gifts had been opened and wrapping paper lay scattered around the base of the tree. Rowan had gifted me two new books about magical abnormalities and one that was something she said was fiction, which meant it wasn't real. Embre had made a small box that contained smaller boxes inside of it that had pyrotechnic materials labeled and organized. Neither of us had missed Nevery's keen gaze when I had opened it.

Both Benet and Nevery had given me new clothes, including another knitted sweater in a dark green. Once Pip had taken one sniff of it, it scrunched its nose and sat away from it, staring as though it were going to come to life. A new set of pens, ink, and a journal came from Den and Jo, and I discovered Jo had tucked a hand written note inside I'm sure Den wasn't supposed to see.

There was only one gift left, my gift for Nevery sitting under the tree. He reached for it and lifted it onto his lap.

"Boy, you better not have spent a fortune on this." He looked at me, his fingers on the paper that hid the gift underneath.

"You'll never know anyways Nevery." I grinned back at him. He shook his head, but chuckled as he tore the paper. Once he saw what had been underneath, his eyes widened, his mouth opened but not words came out. For a moment, I didn't know if he was shocked or angry at the gift.

"Conn…this is…I mean, you didn't have to, but it's beautiful indeed." For the first time since I had known him, Nevery was at a loss for words. I breathed a sigh of relief, that must mean he likes his gift. From across my chair, Rowan winked at me. True, I had been listening been listening to Nevery over the past few weeks, but I hadn't paid attention until I had talked to Rowan. He was always searching for papers he had set down, a pen and inkbottle, and thin books referenced when making notes. The shelves were stuffed with books, and everything else had been set in piles on his desk.

"It'll keep you organized so you don't lose any more important papers."

"Indeed, boy I believe it will."

"And it can sit on the table so you don't have to get up to get more paper or ink."

"I can see that as well."

"Merry Christmas Nevery."

"Merry Christmas Conn." To that, everyone held up his or her glass of ale and we drank. Whether it be to the memories we had made, or to the ones that were yet to happen, we drank to everything that would happen between today and next Christmas.