“It’s a book of legends from The Godsrealm,” I explained. “I can read it to you if you like.”
“Oh my goodness, I’d love that,” she said excitedly before flipping through the book to find the illustrations decorating the pages. She stopped on the drawing of the Eternis Moth, its wings inked out across the full spread of the pages.
“I’d love for you to read these stories to me,” she said, and for a moment her smile turned somber. “I want to learn everything I can.”
I pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Anytime you want I’ll read it to you. Maybe I can teach you the language.”
Her gaze snapped to me, her hazel eyes lighting up. “Would you?”
“Of course. We all can help in that,” I said, nodding to the others, who all murmured their agreements.
She set the book aside and looked into the box. She frowned as she caught sight of the last item, and as she pulled out the little package, she lifted her eyes to me. “White charcoal?”
I fought the smug grin on my face. “It’s for your art.”
She looked back down at the package. “Wait, I think I’ve heard of it.”
I scooted closer to her, tilting my head to look at the white sticks in her hand. “You use a lot of charcoal. I found this when I stopped into an art supply shop, and I thought it would be perfect.” I slid a smug grin her way. “So you might add some light to your darkness.”
She turned her face to me, and I could see her fighting a smile. She drew her lower lip between her teeth, and she let out a snicker as she looked back down at her gift.
“Gods, what a sap,” Barrett said, huffing a laugh.
“Perhaps you should take some lessons from him,” Thalia said, knocking back her drink. “Maybe you could finally woo one of those females you’re always talking to.”
“Don’t need romance when you’ve got these looks,” he said, wiggling his eyebrows at her, to which she rolled her eyes.
Cassie shifted closer to me, drawing my attention back to her as she pressed a kiss to my lips. “They’re perfect.”
22
CASSIE
The front door closed, and I looked over my shoulder as Damien reappeared in the living room after seeing everyone off. “Well, that was fun.”
I snickered. “Maybe we should have let them stay the night. Sounds like you miss them already.”
“I love them, but I want you to myself,” he said as he eased onto the couch.
I stood, and his brows furrowed. “You leaving me, too?”
“I’ll be right back,” I said, and I kissed his cheek before hurrying to my library where his second gift was tucked away. Excitement swelled in my chest as I found the present, wrapped in the prettiest metallic black paper, and returned to his side. I stopped at the edge of the couch when I realized he also had a present in his lap, a coy smile on his face.
“Looks like I wasn’t the only one who couldn’t settle on one thing,” he said.
A sheepish smile spread across my face. “It’s nothing special. I thought you might like it, though.”
I held out the present for him as I sat down on the couch, and he pulled at the paper, revealing a book. His eyes trailed over the cover.
“It’s the first book in a series I think you’d love. I hoped maybe you might be able to read more... like you used to.” One corner of his lips kicked up, and I continued. “Sabriel is one of my favorites. It’s a story about a girl whose necromancer father goes missing.”
“Sounds like you might need to make room for me in that library,” he teased.
A snicker bubbled up my throat and I nudged him with my shoulder. “I think I can spare a bookshelf.
“Maybe I’ll start it tonight,” he said, absentmindedly flipping through the pages.
My eyes lit up. “Really?”
