The Angel of Paragon by Genevieve Jack

Author:Genevieve Jack [Jack, Genevieve]
Language: eng
Format: epub

Chapter

Twelve

Later that evening, Charlotte finished putting the lights on the massive tree in the great hall and started decorating it with glass spheres she’d had a servant purchase from an artisan in Hobble Glen. Liam said they were a good likeness to the ones he was familiar with. After he’d helped her for some time, she could tell he needed rest and had Cook bring him dinner. At the moment, he was scarfing down a narwit burger with blue chips and enjoying his third glass of tribiscal wine.

“This wine is delicious.” He held the glass up to the light. “If I could re-create this on Earth, I’d make a mint.”

“You might have trouble with that. Tribiscal fruit trees only grow in volcanic soil, and the fruit has to be harvested by hand.”

“We have volcanic soil. I’ll start a vineyard on the big island of Hawaii.”

“I’ve never even heard of that place.” She sighed, her smile turning wistful.

“No?”

“I haven’t spent time on Earth since I was a child.”

He took another gulp of his wine before asking, “Why not?”

“Just never had a reason, I guess.”

He leaned back in his chair, crossing his legs at the ankle. “Bullshit. You said you have an aunt who owns an art gallery in New York and an uncle who’s married to a vampire in Chicago. Also, your entire reason for throwing this Christmas, despite it clearly not being Christmas here, was to impress your mother and aunt who are from Earth. That sounds like at least four reasons to visit, yet you haven’t.”

She busied herself placing another ornament, then dusted off her hands. “I think the tree is looking good.”

“I think you’re avoiding telling me the truth about why your uncle Colin was worried about you leaving Paragon and why you haven’t spent more time on Earth even though you have connections there.”

She whirled on him. “Don’t act like I’m the only one with secrets. It’s pretty clear to me that there’s a reason you don’t believe in magic or relationships. Something more than just a tiff with your family over the environmental friendliness of their business. There was a reason you didn’t go to your father’s funeral and a reason you were hiding at the North Pole during the human holidays.”

He worked his jaw back and forth before draining the last of his wine. “Fine, we both have secrets.”

She turned and stared up at the tree. “It’s late and we need to finish decorating this tree. What’s this thing you’ve drawn on top?”

“A star. It’s usually made out of something shiny. Either silver or gold.”

“I’ll check to see if Alexander has anything we can use.” She added another ornament to the branches in front of her.

“Hey, you can’t just put all the gold ones together. You’ve got to mix up the colors. Spread them out. Put some deep inside the tree and some outside on the tips of the branches.” He set his glass down and rose to join her, his swagger veering toward slightly tipsy.

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