“Grab the box,” said Krampus.

“What is this thing, anyway?” asked Ethan.

“You better not try to replicate it at your company,” said Krampus.

“My staff’s evil, but they aren’t demons, so I don’t think they could use your demoncraft to make this,” said Ethan.

“The chains around my neck are magic,” said Krampus. “I can use them to teleport. It’s because of the metal in the chains. Same as the metal on the runners of Santana Claus’ sleigh.”

“So the box teleports shit?” asked Ethan.

“No,” said Krampus. “My pockets are magic too. Lined with a special fabric you can only get in Hell. The fabric can be used to make boxes and pockets with no limits. Infinity bags.”

“And you made this why?” asked Ethan.

“My last two wards from your Clan had no issues getting my pastries and coffee back to the island in good condition,” said Krampus. “This box can carry all the pastries and coffee. They fit inside.”

“Inside that small thing?” asked Ethan. The box was barely as big as a shoebox.

“Yes,” said Krampus. “Avery’s a Christmas elf —”

“A what?” asked Ethan.

“It’s not important,” said Krampus. “She knows I’m a demon. She knows what I can do, what I can make. She’ll be handling the orders until you learn how to handle a box of delicate pastries, just like you’ll learn to decorate that tree with no mistakes and no broken ornaments.”

“Wait, after I learn to carry the stuff, you’re taking the magic box away?” asked Ethan.

“All I care about is getting my coffee and pastries over to Camp Kringle,” said Krampus. “Your discomfort is obviously not my concern.”

“Yeah, I can tell,” said Ethan. “That bed sucks.”

“What do you sleep on at home?” asked Krampus.

“A state-of-the-art foam mattress,” said Ethan.

“Trash,” said Krampus. “That mattress was made by me, by hand, stuffed with horsehair, enclosed in reindeer pelt.”

“You kill Donner and Blitzen to make that mattress?” asked Ethan.

“No,” said Krampus. “Not shifter reindeer. Don’t see the difference it makes, but maybe that’s because I’m a real bad guy. That mattress is the kind kings and queens sleep on, at least in Northern Europe.”

“American kings sleep on foam,” said Ethan.

Avery got the door and let Krampus in. Carol turned. Krampus was carrying his box, but Ethan wasn’t there. She actually found herself a little disappointed that she wouldn’t get to see Ethan that day.

Carol turned back to the register. She gave the couple in front of her their regular order. They’d been buying a lot of peppermint sugar cookies and some eggnog lattes.

“Pandora, this one’s yours,” said Carol. “Extra whipped cream.”

Carol passed the coffee over to Pandora.

“And Jack, iced eggnog latte,” said Carol. “Extra icy.”

“Thanks,” said Jack, taking his iced latte and taking a sip. “Perfect.

Pandora grabbed the bag of sugar cookies and left a tip.

“Hey,” said Pandora. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” said Carol.

“I can tell when someone’s upset,” said Pandora.

“Magic?” asked Carol sarcastically.

“I have two eyes and a high emotional quotient,” said Pandora. “EQ is like IQ for emotions. Anyway. What’s wrong, girlfriend?”

“We are friends, right?” asked Carol.

“I see you more than I see most of my friends, except Jack,” said Pandora. “We’re friends.”

“I have this other regular, cute guy, but he didn’t show up today,” said Carol.

“There’s a whole lot of day left,” said Pandora.

Just then, the bells tied to the front of the door jingled.

Ethan walked in the door, in a clean shirt. He was wearing a pair of work pants which were a bit dirty, but he also had on a pair of clean, dry boots.

“Ethan,” said Carol, as Pandora left the register. “I didn’t think you were coming today.”

“I just had to wipe my boots off outside, so I wouldn’t track the mud in,” said Ethan. “Am I the only one in line?”

“Look around, you big goof,” said Carol with a grin. “What’s your poison today?”

“Dealer’s choice,” said Ethan. “I want what you’re having. Can you take a break?”

“Sure,” said Carol.

Carol rang up Ethan and put his receipt in the special drawer. Then, she made her favorite breakfast combo. She made two cups of tea, made with half a scoop of Irish breakfast tea and half a scoop of Christmas tea. It was malty and orangey and filling. She put one cube of sugar in each cup of tea, as well as a generous splash of milk. She put the drink on the counter. Ethan unexpectedly carried the drink over to a free table while Carol finished up another order before working on breakfast.

“Hey, over here,” said a voice.

Ethan turned. A plump girl with was sitting next to a boy wearing a leather jacket. He assumed they must’ve been in their early twenties.

“Hey,” said Ethan.

“I’m Pandora, but you can also call me Panda Claus,” said Pandora, shaking Ethan’s hand.

“Oh,” said Ethan. “Wait. As in…”

“Santana’s my daddy,” said Pandora. “Adopted me when I was a wee cub. I’m the boss’s daughter. This is my friend, Jack, Jack Frost.”

“Nice to meet you,” said Ethan. “You don’t mean Jack Frost like…”

“Like the ice elemental, yeah,” said Jack. “Just in training. Under my own dad, who, well, I don’t know if ‘adopted’ is the right word. What do you call it when you make a snowman and turn the snowman into a baby in a human body and raise it on your own?”

“I call that one Hell of a night,” said Ethan.

Ethan’s mark burned.

Really? asked Ethan. If Hell’s a real place, why can’t I reference it?

Because it ain’t Christmassy! mooed Prancer.

“My father’s Boreas Winter, who you may know as Old Man Winter,” said Jack. “He works with Pandora’s dad. I don’t know why, but…he always lends Santana extra help when Santana needs it. This year, seven of his ice elementals are helping pull the sleigh.”

“‘Works with’? Works against,” said Pandora. “By the way, Ethan – most of those ice elementals are pretty cold and icy. Don’t expect them to be as chatty as Jack!”

“Whoa, drama,” said Ethan.

“Hey,” said Carol, coming over with two plates. On each plate was a buttery ham and cheese croissant sandwich.

“Hey,” said Ethan.

“What were y’all talking about?” asked Pandora.

“Just making introductions,” said Jack with a wink more devilish than Krampus.

Ethan dug into his sandwich.

“This is good,” said Ethan.

“My favorite thing on the menu,” said Carol. “And by my favorite thing, I mean the whole breakfast side of the menu is my favorite thing on the menu. I love breakfast.”

“Most important meal of the day,” said Ethan.

“What did you eat for breakfast back in New York City?” asked Carol.

“Organic avocado spread over rye toast, with some, uh…caviar,” admitted Ethan. “It’s salty!”

“Caviar? For breakfast? Don’t pull my leg,” said Carol incredulously before laughing. “I don’t think you’ll find avocado toast in this town.”

“Avery’s got a greenhouse where I’ve definitely spied an avocado bush, vine, whatever,” said Jack.

“My pointy ears are burning,” said Avery, walking over to the table with Krampus. Krampus glared at Avery and raised an eyebrow. Had she really forgotten that she wasn’t supposed to mention Christmas magic around her temp? Santana wouldn’t approve of that sort of interfering.

A minute after Avery arrived, everyone’s pocket beeped. Everyone, that is, except for Ethan, who did not have any electronic devices.

“What’s that?” asked Carol.

“Secret Santana details have been sent out,” said Avery. “I was on the committee, so I can help explain without any stupid email. Rules are simple. You have to make a gift for the person you’re assigned. You do not have to keep your assigned person a secret to your friends, but obviously, do not let them find out you are their gift giver and don’t let them figure out what gift you’re giving them.”

“We have to make something?” asked Krampus. “I was just gonna buy someone a bottle of something brown, expensive, and worth a hangover.”

“That’s exactly why the rules state it must be a gift, and it must cost under a hundred bucks to make,” said Avery.

“Try five bucks,” said Carol. “I’m not giving crap, but I’m not spending too much on this.”

“Fair,” said Avery. “We should be getting information about our assignments soon. It’s really starting to feel like Christmas, you guys.”

Krampus checked the notification on his smartphone. Of course, Fate had decided to play a trick on the devil. He knew that he’d end up with her.

Avery swiped into her inbox. She opened the email and saw who she’d been assigned. Really? Maybe entering him into Secret Santana had been Hell of a mistake.

Jack checked his phone. Of course, he’d gotten her. Why wouldn’t Fate cut him a break? Now, the question was, did he tell her how he felt, or would he lose her forever if he made things awkward? The assignment felt more like a curse than a blessing.

Pandora smiled wide when she saw her assignment. Who better to find a gift for than her best friend? The only problem was, she had a massive crush on Jack, and she didn’t want to give him a gift that said they were ‘just friends’…but she also wasn’t quite ready to admit her feelings to Jack. She told herself she’d tell him next year, but she’d been saying that for a while. She knew exactly what she was going to do. The only question was, could she use her power of conjuring gifts out of thin air to satisfy the Secret Santana requirement? It was a question for Daddy Claus…

Carol’s phone beeped. She’d gotten a text on her dumpy old flip phone. There was a name and a few details. Ethan McLean, lumberjack, Camp Kringle. The phone downloaded a pic. Yup. It was the Ethan in front of her, smug mug and everything. Why was Ethan in a tailored suit in the picture? And why did his surname sound so familiar?

Ethan did not have a phone.

“Hey, who am I supposed to match up with?” asked Ethan.

“Here,” said Krampus, passing Ethan his phone and punching in some numbers. “This is the hotline.”

“There’s a hotline?” asked Carol.

“It’s a big deal this year,” said Avery.

Ethan held the phone up to his ear.

“Name?” said a cheery voice.

“Ethan,” said Ethan.

“Ethan what?” asked the service rep.

“McLean,” said Ethan, looking to see if Carol recognized the name.

“Ethan McLean, McLean…there you are,” said the rep. “You didn’t put in a number or address, but you got matched up with someone anyway. Carol. Carol Carter. She works at the Bear Claw Bakery.”

“Oh, okay,” said Ethan. “Thanks.”

Ethan hung up and passed the phone back to Krampus.

“Who did you get, anyway?” asked Avery, finishing clearing out the giant carafes of hot coffee as she closed up the store with Carol.

“You won’t believe it,” said Carol. “I was assigned frikkin’ Ethan.”

“Aww, candy canes!’ said Avery. “I thought I had it bad.”

“Who did you get assigned? Santana himself?” asked Carol.

“Krampus,” said Avery. “I have to make him something. You know the saying, ‘what can you buy for the man who has the money to buy everything’? Well, what do you make for the man who can make anything? You saw the gorgeous box he made.”

“Is that what that was?” asked Carol. “What’s it for?”

“His regular order,” said Avery.

“Seems a bit small,” said Carol. “How’s the coffee and stuff fit in it?”

“Oh, I didn’t tell you? He changed his order,” lied Avery. “Trying to, uh, cut back on sugar and caffeine for his heart.”

“Good for him,” said Carol, dropping the subject. “What do you think Ethan would like for Christmas?”

“If I answer that question, will you send me to HR for sexual harassment?” asked Avery.

“You know I won’t,” said Carol.

“Ethan likes you,” said Avery. “He downright digs you. How about a date with you?”

“I don’t think that’s something he can unwrap underneath a tree,” said Carol.