“What is this?”
“Eggnog. Have some. It’s delicious,” her daughter said as she joined them and held out a platter of cookies toward him.
“Thanks, Nikki.” He took one that was a blue mitten.
“You’re welcome.” Nikki pranced off in the same direction her mother had vanished.
Caleb bit into the sugar cookie first, then tried the eggnog. Yeah, okay, it wasn’t disgusting. Wasn’t delicious, but it was tolerable.
“Uncle Cay-Cay!”
He smiled as Xev’s daughter ran over to give him a hug. “Hey, sweetie.”
“Thank you for coming! I just won a bet with Ambrose. Hah! I’m going shopping tomorrow!”
“Of course, you did.” Leave it to Ambrose to bet on whether or not he’d be here. But it was okay. In spite of his ire over being wrangled into this he was enjoying it more than he’d ever admit.
“Hey, Caleb.” Acheron patted him on the back as he came over to him. “Can’t believe you made it.”
He didn’t respond to that. “Where are your kids?”
Acheron jerked his chin toward the stage. “Singing with the Howlers and their mom.”
A beautiful brunette woman around the age of twenty-four came up and placed a baby boy dressed as an elf in Acheron’s arms. It took Caleb a moment to realize this was Ash’s granddaughter Artemisia with her latest son. “Could you hold him a minute, Papa? I have to go change.”
It was only then that Caleb realized the baby had spit up all the way down her back.
Ash took the infant and laughed. He snapped his fingers and Artemisia’s clothes were clean. “I’ll keep the baby. Feel free to mingle.”
She kissed his cheek. “Thank you. Love you!”
“Love you more.”
Caleb suddenly felt out of place. Everywhere he looked, his friends were gathered. Ambrose, Nyria, their children. Fang. Vane. Zarek and Astrid. Valerius and Tabitha with their kids and grandkids. Even Sasha was here with his wife and kids. Urian. Sarraxyn. The list seemed endless.
He knew their joy. He’d felt it so long ago.
No, he still felt it now. Even after all this time, Lil was with him. She continued to live in his heart.
My greatest treasure.
My greatest pain.
He’d known real love and the absence of it burned deep in his soul. Nothing soothed it, and events like this only served to remind him how hard it was.
How much he’d lost.
Why am I still alive?
Obviously, the answer was to suffer.
“Why aren’t you with your brother?”
Caleb turned his gaze toward Styxx who was Ash’s twin. He was on the other side of the room with his wife and herd. “Notice you’re not standing next to your brother.”
Ash laughed. “I was until I saw you, and I will be again before the end of the night.”
“If you say so.” But Caleb knew that in spite of their pasts, Styxx and Ash were best friends. Just as he’d forgiven Xev for letting Lil die.
