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“Don’t use magic,” Julie commands, pulling on her wool hat and then her gloves. “I have a feeling you’ve been exaggerating how coordinated you are.”
Hecate stomps to the top of the slope, gazing at the bottom and trying valiantly to hide just how daunted she is by the task she’s about to undertake. Skiing is no harder than flying a broom, she tells herself. She has a satchel of healing potions in case she or Julie gets injured. No, the one thing she’s most terrified of is looking undignified. Falling into a snow pit with her legs sticking out like a graceless ostrich.
“I am very well coordinated, thank you,” she retorts. “I managed to sweep you off your feet, after all.”
Julie rolls her eyes even as her lips twist into a smirk. “I’m honored to be the first person you’re doing this with. Even if it is just because you lost a bet.”
Hecate allows Julie to come closer and pull a grey woolen cap over her head. Her hair is still up in a bun, so the hat doesn’t fit perfectly, but it manages to keep her ears warm. She must look ridiculous already. Julie’s fingers linger on her shoulders, and suddenly, Hecate isn’t particularly irked about her appearance.
Julie chuckles. “I can’t believe you can’t go one week without magically transporting. Is walking really so hard or is it just something you abhor because it’s something us mere mortals do?”
“You know very well that I’m mortal,” Hecate scoffs. “Which is one of the reasons why I’m hesitant to try this--activity you’re so fond of.”
Julie leans up to give her a quick peck on the lips. “A bet’s a bet, love.”
Hecate grimaces as she puts her feet onto the long thin slabs embedded in the snow, and Julie makes sure she’s secure. The sticks in her hands give her pause, but she watches Julie demonstrate how to use them, and even though it takes a few tries, she manages to pull herself along. And then she’s off down the slope. She hears the wind whir in her ears, beneath the wool cap, and the cold nips at her skin. It’s as close as she has felt to flying without leaving the ground. Exhilarating is the word she wants to use. At the bottom of the first slope, she turns to see Julie still at the top. Their eyes meet, and Hecate wishes she hadn’t enjoyed that quite so much. She’s sure Julie can see right through her.
They ski until it gets dark, and then transport back to the castle. Once all the ski gear is stored in the sports shed, Hecate and Julie walk to the front door of the castle, just in time for dinner. Hecate’s gloved hand finds Julie’s, and they stop for a moment before they go inside.
“I know you don’t celebrate Christmas,” Julie says softly. “But I’ll have to try extra hard this year to give you a present that matches the one you just gave me. Happy solstice, Hecate.”