Page 27 of Kringle and the Kraken

Angry footsteps sounded in the hall followed by Delmar bellowing angrily for Tidewell, and the sprite winced. He lowered his voice and spoke in barely more than a whisper. “I have to go, but yes, I think you are the only one who can. Keep doing what you are doing. And talk to your family. You need to know who you truly are.”

Tidewell stepped behind me and opened the door a crack, peering into the hall before he left me standing in the middle of the room, dumbstruck.

I’d come to Lifeboat to start a new adventure. Looked like I walked into a hell of a lot more than I’d bargained for.

CHAPTER TEN

KRIS

“Levi?”

He pushed through the beaded curtain that led from the storage area at the back of his shop out into the storefront, a giant box balanced in his hands.

“Hey! You’re early.”

“Yeah, I saw the guys working on the window and figured I’d pop in to see how it was going.”

The box in Levi’s arms started to slip, and he hefted it up on his hip. “They’re almost done. Since you’re here, you can help me with this.”

I followed him, and he lifted the box onto the front counter, brushing his hands off before reaching for me. His lips met mine in a quick kiss.

“Hi.” I let my forehead rest against his.

“Hi.” Levi squeezed my hips, and the pressure made my dick take notice, but we were due at the KELPS holiday event in a little over an hour, and there wasn’t time to start something we wouldn’t be able to finish.

Instead of hauling Levi into his back room and bending him over his desk, I stole one more kiss, then stepped back to look at him.

“Okay, seriously, how many of these shirts do you own?”

Today’s shirt was dark green with a tentacled nutcracker on it surrounded by the wordslet’s get kraken.

Levi laughed. “Too many, but this one is brand-new. It was one of my options for Thanksgiving. I figured since we’re going to a Christmas party with the local Kraken Enthusiast and Lore Protection Society it was more than a little appropriate.”

“The guys are going to love it.” I tipped my head toward the box. “So what’s all this?” I peeked over the edge of the box. “Decorations?”

“Yep.” He reached into the box and pulled out a paper-wrapped bundle, unrolling the wrapping until a ceramic figurine was revealed. I’d seen similar small statues displayed around town.

“I appreciate your dedication to the nautical theme. Where did you manage to find a mermaid Santa statue?”

For a second, Levi looked confused, and then he started to laugh. “I don’t really celebrate Christmas, remember? This isn’t Santa. It’s Poseidon.”

Upon closer inspection, I saw the trident in the figure’s hand and the coral crown on its head. Some of the versions I’d seen decorating other businesses in town showed Santa—Poseidon—in a yellow raincoat, rain hat, and boots so he looked like a holly jolly Gordon’s fisherman. I’d thought there was a previously undiscovered market for nautical Santas, but learning the figures were actually Poseidon made so much more sense.

“I’ve seen these all over town in a lot of the stores and in people’s front windows.”

“Yeah, a lot of people in town celebrate Poseidonia like I do.” Levi lifted another decoration from the box. This one reminded me a little of a menorah, but instead of candles, there were holders for five glass vials that looked like test tubes from a science lab. I’d seen these around town over the years too. “Thisis Poseidon’s trident. On the first day of Poseidonia, we collect sea or lake water in this large vial, and over the next four days, we pour a little bit of water from the larger vessel into the smaller ones. The large vessel represents Poseidon’s reign over the seas, and the smaller vessels represent each of the oceans. The act of pouring the water reminds us of the gradual return of Poseidon’s power after the winter solstice. The holiday marks the beginning of winter and our new year, and we exchange small presents that symbolize our wishes for friends and family in the coming year.”

My fingers itched for a notebook so I could write everything Levi was explaining down and use it for a future course. “That’s fascinating.” I ran my fingertips over the teak and brass trident. “When does Poseidonia begin?”

“It depends on when the winter solstice falls, but usually on December twenty-first or twenty-second, and it lasts for the four days following, so usually until December twenty-fifth or twenty-sixth. This year Poseidonia is December twenty-first through the twenty-fifth. A long time ago, the whole period was marked with festivals and ceremonies, but nowadays, most people celebrate privately with family and friends. In Baleen, there is a big event with food and music on the first day of Poseidonia, but I get the feeling there isn’t anything like that here.”

I shook my head. “No, I don’t think so. At least, I’ve never seen anything like that.”

“Figures.” Levi pulled a seashell garland from the box, and without being asked, I started helping him to untangle it just like we’d done with all the strings of Christmas lights when we’d helped my family decorate on Thanksgiving.

When we had it neatly arranged on the counter, Levi looked at me. “You know, I haven’t felt much like celebrating my holiday recently either, but since I met you, everything feelsdifferent. It’s like that warm glow I used to get during Poseidonia when I was a kid has returned.” He brushed a hand over the box. “I can’t remember the last time I decorated for Poseidonia or even pulled out my trident, but I want to celebrate this year.”

I felt the same way. My feelings about Christmas were all knotted up in the fact that the holidays were my family’s business, but there was something about this year that made me feel like I wanted to get into the spirit. Maybe not to the extent my family did but just a little. With Levi. “I understand the feeling. Maybe we could celebrate together.”

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