Berries and Greed

He was apparently oblivious to the hard edge in my voice, because he grinned.

“Oh, just a nickname I came up with when we were kids. Mix of Greid, grody and chode. I’m just”—he shoved his hands in his pockets and rocked back on his heels with a faux-humble shrug, his grin turning sheepish—“a creative guy like that, I guess.”

I gave him my best unimpressed look. “Real creative. But hey, maybe I can come up with a nickname for you.”

That wiped the grin off his face, gaze turning wary as he eyed me. “Like what?”

“I’ll think of something.” I gave him a sweet smile. “Your mom told you to help Greid with the bags.”

His ears fluttered, and after a few seconds he slipped his hands out of his pockets to take three of the bags from Greid, who was watching our exchange in silence.

After Nuni had slunk off without another word, Greid leaned down and whispered, “That was hot.”

Chuckling, I took one of the bags from him now that my hands were free. “Now I have to come up with a stupid nickname for him. One that he’ll hate.”

“Pooni.”

I burst out laughing as we shrugged off our coats and hung them with all the others. “Fittingly juvenile. I like it.”

“Whose dog is this?” a voice called, before a demiurgus lady in a fluffy red sweater appeared in the hallway. She looked almost identical to Una, so I was guessing this was Greid’s Aunt Indi. “Oh, Greid, my angel! You’re here! Why are you just standing in the hall?”

She rushed forward and grabbed Greid’s face, pressing a big kiss to his cheek, then turned to do the same to me. “You must be Beryl. Merry Christmas! Aren’t you precious? So tiny. Look at that hair. You’re beautiful. Come on, come in. Do you want a drink? Greid, what does Beryl drink?”

I glanced back at Greid with wide eyes as Indi swept me along, out of the hallway and into a living room. There was a big Christmas tree in the corner decorated with green and gold and red, and—I tried to quickly count—more than a dozen stockings crammed together on the fireplace mantle.

“Everyone, Beryl and Greid are here!” Indi announced. “Bax, get Beryl a drink. Nuni, help your brother with the bags.”

“I already helped him with the fucking bags,” Nuni grumbled. “He can carry two bags, Auntie.”

“Help your brother with the bags.” She tapped him on the back of the head as she passed him, which made him frantically reach up to check his hair. “Now, who haven’t you met yet, Beryl? Daga and Tuvin are helping their mother in the kitchen, and I think Laki and Suni are on the back porch smoking…”

“They are?” Greid asked eagerly, but took my hand with a sheepish expression when I shot him a warning look. He could not just slink off to get high with his siblings while I endured this.

“Honey, maybe Beryl doesn’t want to be paraded around.” A bald demiurgus with a cheerful smile appeared, handing me a flute of champagne. “I’m Bax, Indi’s lifemate and this lot’s uncle. Lovely to meet you.”

“And you.” I took a sip of champagne to calm my nerves and smiled in relief when I saw Kiti ambling over with a grin. “Hi, Kiti.”

“Hi, babe.” She kissed my cheek. “Just let Aunt Indi do her thing then come sit with me and Sorin. Hi, dork.”

“Hi, buttface.” Greid gave her shoulder a weak shove as I peered behind her to wave at Sorin, who was sitting on the couch with a baby in his arms. He wiggled his fingers back, his thumb being held in a death grip.

“That’s one of Daga and Elern’s rugrats.” Kiti leaned in closer and muttered, “They’re too young for me to tell them apart.”

“Oh, don’t be ridiculous, Kiti,” Indi scolded. “There were eight of you and we could tell you apart from the moment you were born. Especially our little kushka.”

She pinched Greid’s cheek, making him squirm and mumble, “C’mon, Auntie.”

“Oh! And this is Daga’s lifemate Elern, with…” Indi peered closer at the baby in the demiurgus guy’s arms as he wandered into the room. “Well, anyway. Elern, this is Beryl.”

“Hey.” He looked a little frazzled as he bounced the baby. “Nice to meet you. Hey, Greid.”

“Hey.” Greid had barely got the word out before Indi was ushering us along, through a wide archway and into a steamy kitchen.

I was introduced to Greid’s sister Daga, who had a baby on each hip, and his brother Tuvin, who was stirring something on the stove while Una barked orders at him as she fed Jake chunks of beef. Then I was swept through a side door and outside to the back porch, where Laki and another of Greid’s sisters, Suni, were lounging on the ice-crusted garden furniture and sharing a joint.

“I’ve already met Beryl, Auntie,” Laki said when Indi tried to introduce me, lifting a hand in salute with the joint clasped between their fingers. “How’s it going? ’Sup, Greid. Want a toke?”

“Hell yes.” Greid tugged me forward. “We’ll be back inside in a minute, Auntie.”

Indi tutted. “Fine. I have to go and help your mother anyway. Do you need a top-up, Beryl?”

I’d barely taken a sip. “I’m fine, thank you.”

“Just help yourself when you do.” She squeezed my arm before vanishing back inside, and I took a calming breath.