“I’m sure he’ll love it,” I whispered into her ear as she slouched on the couch.
“He better. I searched forever for something,” she said, watching as he opened the box.
Barrett removed the lid of the small box, and for a moment, he stared at what was inside.
“Well?” Cassie said, shifting in her seat.
I lifted my chin, trying to catch a glimpse of what she’d gotten him.
He lifted up a single black pendant earring. Dangling from the small hoop was a black dagger, not quite like the weapons we wielded but similar still.
“I didn’t really know what you liked, but I know your ear’s pierced, so I thought you might like a new earring,” she said nervously, as if she needed to explain the gift.
He smiled as he looked at it and, without saying a word, he set the box down, before reaching up to replace the earring he wore with the one Cassie had gifted him. He dropped his hands and turned his head to the side. “How do I look?”
“Sexeh!” James chanted.
“I think it looks great on you,” Cassie said with a warm smile, her happiness filling my lungs like the scent of wildflowers. I wished she could always feel this happy. I’d have drowned in it if I could.
“Thanks, Cas,” he said, hurrying over to her and pressing a kiss to her cheek. “I love it.”
She smiled warmly. “You’re welcome.”
“I think Zephyr should go next,” Vincent said, and Zephyr drew a deep breath before heading to grab another present.
Zephyr gifted Anna a basket of what he swore were top of the line garden tools, and I’d never seen her smile so widely. After that, one by one everyone exchanged gifts. Thalia had gifted Vincent a baby carrier, and Cassie had nearly melted at the thought of Vincent carrying around what he swore was a baby girl. Vincent gifted James a new pair of earbuds to block out Barrett and Thalia’s arguments while he worked, to which I’d barked out a laugh. Barrett had proudly gifted Thalia a set of lingerie, to which I’d rolled my eyes.
“You wish you could see me in this,” she teased, inspecting the delicate maroon lace.
“Maybe one day I will,” he taunted, and she narrowed her eyes at him before laying the fabric back in its box.
“Thalia’s just too in love to find the words for how she feels,” Barrett said before she could say another word, and her lips parted as he looked at me. “You’re last, Damien.”
Cassie snickered as Thalia started to argue with Barrett, who waved his hand at her.
“I know, I know it’s just the perfect gift and you can’t wait to wear it,” Barrett said, turning his back to her. “It’s okay, Thalia. I understand how touched you are, but Gods, it’s not like you to be so lost for words. I’m touched you love it so much.”
I slid my arm out from under Cassie and rose from the couch as Barrett and Thalia proceeded to bait each other before it quickly escalated to them bickering. Cassie watched me with curious eyes as I grabbed the box I’d wrapped just a few days ago.
“Here,” I said, holding it out to her, and Barrett and Thalia quieted, curiosity outweighing their argument.
She took it eagerly, excitement painted across her sweet face as she set the box in her lap. The others tilted their heads as she tore into the wrapping. I hoped she liked it.
Her eyes lit up as she opened the box to find a few items inside.
“I wasn’t quite sure what to get you, so I got you a few things,” I admitted as I eased onto the couch beside her.
She began pulling out the contents. First was a paper bag with Elythian inscriptions written across the paper. She frowned as she tried and failed to read them before glancing at me.
“It’s Sonnun tea,” I explained. “It’s an herb from the Godsrealm that can grant dreamless sleep. It’s hard to come by, but it helped you once before, so I thought it would be worth the effort.”
Lucia had suffered terrible nightmares for a long while after I found her, and this had been one of the few things that had aided her until she could work through the ghosts haunting her.
She unfolded the top and smelled the tea before letting out a near groan of satisfaction, looking up at me with wide eyes. “Oh my god. It smells amazing.”
A smile tugged at my lips as she set the bag aside and reached in for the next item with an excitement I hadn’t seen since she’d walked into her library for the first time.
The next item was a book, and she turned it over to see the title. Sadly, she wouldn’t be able to read it; I would have to help her.
