Paragon’s two moons had just peeked over the horizon as Charlie boarded the carriage again for home. Liam was already inside, having stormed ahead of her in a huff. She respected him for being the type of man who wouldn’t kill a tree, but the dichotomy between that and his gruff personality gave her pause. Given that he was larger than the average human and had proven himself tough enough to face one of the most dangerous environments on Earth, it made sense that his nature was somewhat rugged and unrefined. She supposed he didn’t have many people to talk to in his line of work after all. But his perpetually sour mood was beginning to grate on her.
Ah well, he wouldn’t be here forever. She’d return him to earth in a few days and then she wouldn’t have to deal with his gray cloud of a personality. And why did that particular reality make her heart feel heavy?
“Is something wrong?” she asked him once she was seated across from him and the carriage was in motion.
His eyes shifted to hers, his face impassive. “No.”
She waited but he did not expound on his answer. Pursing her lips, she shifted in her seat, refusing to let his attitude dampen her spirits. They’d found a tree! She was well on her way to making this party happen. Straightening in her seat, she plastered a smile to her face and asked cheerfully, “What’s next after the tree?”
Cracking his neck, he answered, “We’ll need to decorate it. Stringed lights and multicolored glass balls usually, but anything shiny will do.”
If there was one thing Paragon had no shortage of, it was shiny things. “I have some ideas. Then what?”
He sniffed, his jaw clenching as if he had to think hard about the question. “Cookies.”
“I’ll book some time in the kitchen tomorrow and you can show me how to make them.”
He nodded, his mouth bending into a worried expression. “I’ll, uh, have to try to remember the recipe. I usually have it in front of me.”
“I’m sure we can figure it out. After the cookies?”
“Gifts. It’s customary to choose a little something for each of your loved ones and wrap it in brightly colored paper.”
“Oh, we definitely do gifts in Paragon. That part will be easy.” She grinned.
He did not return her smile but stared at her and sighed before adding flatly, “After that, it’s just a matter of choosing what to make for the meal. I usually do ham. My parents usually do lobster or prime rib.”
“You don’t spend Christmas with your parents?”
“Only if I have to and only for the shortest amount of time necessary to meet my obligations.”
Obligations. Charlie pitied him that. Even when they were in a disagreement, she never felt being in her parents’ presence was an obligation. Was he truly not loved by his family?
“What exactly happened between you and them?” she asked softly. “I sensed before that there was more to your story.”
He scoffed. “Like I said, we just have different values. They wanted me to fall in line working at Morrismart and I refused. I try my best to steer clear of them now.” Liam’s expression darkened just as the carriage lurched to a stop. “Is that the border crossing again?”
She shook her head. “It’s after sunset, so we shouldn’t have to stop.” Charlie pulled the drapes aside to peek out the window and then rolled her eyes. They were in Nochtbend all right, but it wasn’t the checkpoint that had stopped them.
The door flew open, and a vampire with hair the color of ripe wheat and eyes so pale they shone like diamonds in the night stood outside the carriage. She inwardly groaned. It was Prince Cassius, her ex-boyfriend and Master Demidicus’s new second-in-command. He was also the vampire she’d lost her virginity to. Her cheeks warmed at the memory. They’d parted on amiable terms, but he was the last person she wanted to see tonight.
“Cassius,” she said, bowing her head slightly in his direction.
“Princess Charlie,” he said with a swagger. “You weren’t going to pass through Nochtbend without saying hello, were you?”
She coupled her hands at her waist. “My apologies. We are due back at the palace within the hour. I’m afraid I don’t have time for a visit.”
Long fingers extend toward her into the carriage, his sharp, overlong nails glinting in the moonlight. “Nonsense. Come, my dear. We have a fire nearby. Have a visit with your old friend.”
Charlie’s eyes darted to Liam. Until that moment, Cassius hadn’t seemed to notice the human was there—he was too focused on Charlie. But when her gaze shifted, so did his attention. He sniffed the air and turned to face her guest.
“What have we here?” Cassius’s eyes blazed with curiosity.
“Cassius, this is Liam. He’s a guest of the palace. My guest.” By stressing the last part, Charlie hoped to convey ownership to Cassius, vampire language that amounted to a warning for him to control that hint of hunger she saw in his eyes. He wasn’t a bad vampire, and Charlie had never felt unsafe around him, but any vampire could be unpredictable. Her parents had taught her that.
“Liam, you don’t mind delaying your trip to enhance diplomatic relations, do you?” Cassius said through a broad smile.
Liam’s face was hidden in shadow, but he leaned forward into the strip of moonlight that filtered through the open door, seeming to fill the carriage with the breadth of his shoulders. He did not return Cassius’s smile as he responded, “I believe Charlotte just said we need to return directly to the palace.”
