Wizards: Tales Of Arcadia

Let Me Have A Little Mistletoe

"Do you want to tell me what happened, Ms Sweet?" Dr. Lake asked gently, but was clearly telling her to tell the truth.

Angel didn't want to answer.

"I went out for a night walk in the woods, to look at the stars, and was attacked by coyotes; I ended up falling and hitting my head on a rock," Angel repeated as an answer. She hated lying, but what was she supposed to say?

That she was attacked by a goblin in a warehouse after being chained to a chair. That she could remember every slash of those claws? That her throbbing head was due to more than just being hit on the head with something?

"Really," Dr. Lake sighed, giving way to a bit more annoyance as she sat down next to her. "Because my son came in about a month ago with those same scratches and said the exact same thing."

"What can I say? Arcadia woods has a coyote problem." It was flat when she spoke, almost a mantra. Dr. Lake picked up on that.

"Well, all I can tell is that these cuts aren't from coyotes. And if you're involved in whatever my son is-" She cut herself off, realizing that she was becoming harsher than she wanted. Sighing, she lowered her head. "Just- just keep an eye out for him. Please.

"Now," Dr. Lake got up, grabbing the chart she had set down and preparing to leave. "You have a mild concussion, so we're going to keep you at least one more night. I'm going to go tell your boyfriend he can see you now."

Angel blushed at the nonchalance of that word, so surprised that she didn't deny it. But before Dr. Lake left the doorway, Angel made sure to say-

"I'll do my best."

. . .

Douxie tried to get her to cancel her performance at the parade, but she wasn't having it.

"Weren't you the one who wanted me to do this?" She asked as Zoe and Anna were doing her makeup and hair respectively. Anna had magic hands when it came to unruly hair.

"That was before-"

"I got kidnapped, I know. But aren't we supposed to keep up appearances?"

"Besides," Zoe interrupted, pointing a makeup brush at him like it was a knife. Douxie certainly acted like it. "If those creeps think they can scare her away, they've got another thing coming."

"Exactly," Angel agreed, looking at the mini braids around her head, little beads of green, silver, and red in them. For the performance, she had those same colors dyed in her hair. At least she had been able to talk Zoe and Anna into letting her wear a toned down suit, not a dress. "I wanna show that I'm not afraid. Well, I am, but I won't cower and hide. I already went down that route with Bular."

"But-"

"No buts, Douxie. Now, go get ready for the show."

. . .

By the end of the week, she was exhausted. She sang five consecutive times on the float that first day, twice on stage. After that, anytime she went out to try and get some shopping done, people pestered her about her performance and how good it was.

Christmas morning came too soon for her liking because it meant that school was starting back up soon and she loved having days with just her and Douxie and Arch. And sleeping in. That was good too.