Page 62 of Redeeming the Angel

Large warm, callused hands took mine and gently removed the chisel and shell fragment from my blistered fingers.I looked up at Lucian.

“Kerainne?”He bent down until his face was level with mine.For a moment, I thought he was going to kiss me again.For a moment, I thought I’d let him.“Would you please allow me a chance at another act of atonement?”

“We’ll see.”My voice came out in a rasp.

His white teeth flashed in that charming smile.“I heard that ‘we’ll see’ from you usually means yes.”

“What do you want to do?”

His expression sobered, making me instantly miss the rakish one.“It’s more something you’ll have to do.That day I found you on Earth, I never gave you the opportunity to tell me your side of the story.I need to hear it.I also need to hear everything that happened after I left you.”

“I’m not sure I can.I already had nightmares after telling you about the miscarriage.The day I lost my family and home was so much worse.”And yet, part of mewantedto tell him.Whether to punish him and make him feel even worse for what he did, or to draw pus from a wound, I wasn’t sure.“Can it wait until after Christmas at least?This is usually a happy time of the year for me.And the Solstice is even happier in Aisthanesthai because nowmydaughter is celebrated for saving the world!”

“Then I will wait until you’re ready.”Lucian studied me with an odd smile.“You’re very proud of Xochitl.”

“Since the day she was born.”My eyes dared him to argue.

“You misunderstand me.”He put up his hands as if to ward off an attack.“You should be proud.She’s an incredible being who has done so much good for two entire worlds.”

I couldn’t help a startled laugh from escaping me at the massive turn in attitude towards her.“If winning her over is part of either your atonement or your insane scheme to get me back, I have to warn you that Xochitl carries a grudge longer and harder than me.”

He dipped his head in a solemn bow.“Duly noted.”

Thankfully, he gave my daughter respectful space in the weeks leading up to the Solstice.Still, she seemed to sense some change in his presence in the tower.I caught her giving him the side-eye more than once.Especially during the times he accompanied Razvan to watch them practice the songs her band was working on for their new album.

I had to bite my lips to keep from giggling at the way she looked when she noticed him bobbing his head to the point of almost headbanging and tapping his foot furiously along with the beat.

The Solstice party was held in Zareth’s father’s castle in Niji.Both Xochitl and Zareth were uncomfortable there, with the view of the rubble of the tower Zareth’s half-brother had been building.Xochitl herself had been forced to labor on that monstrosity during her brief captivity.But since she’d been the one to bring down the tower, free the people Stephan had enslaved, and fulfilled the Prophecy by bringing back the son, killing the evil Winter Prince, and crowning the Lord of Storm and Shadow.Because of this, it was a political necessity to celebrate here.

So I did what I always did when my daughter was feeling down over the holidays.I spent as much time by her side as I could, making sure she had her favorite foods and drinks, squeezed her hand when she needed it, and told her how proud I was of her.Lucian kept his distance, instead hanging back and studying the nuances of the holiday customs and learning from listening to the conversations around him.He did this during our times with the First Nations people of Earth, though some of the Aztec customs visibly upset him.He never did understand my love for that tribe, but I loved him for trying.

And fates help me, it was hard not to love him for trying here, with my new family and people.

We finished the guitar pieces shortly before Christmas and watched in fascination as Gabriel assembled it, installing the pickups and tuner components and the strings.

I remembered that part of a luminite wedding ceremony was for the couple to present something they’d created together and did my best to shove the thought away.Besides, this was Gabriel’s design and he was the one who built it.We only created most of the pieces.

Sylvis’s delight at the gift made me warm all over.Despite my young cousin’s terrible deception, it appeared that the couple had a true-bond.

I received my own mountain of gifts.Including one from Lucian.A wood carving of my daughter, her wings outstretched, and playing her guitar.I ran my finger over her features perfectly rendered in seamless dark wood.Tears burned the corners of my eyes.Did he know what such a thing, coming from him, meant to me?

He had a carving for almost everyone.Xochitl got Ronnie James Dio, Sylvis got Ritchie Blackmore, Beau got Geezer Butler, and Aurora got Cozy Powell.Zareth received one of his mother, Bellanatha.The likeness was incredible.I’d met her when visiting Nik during the time she was hiding in Shellandria.Rayven got a replica of his cat, Irving, and Tiana a morel mushroom.Silas got a Scotsman playing the bagpipes, Akasha, a muscle car of some make and model that excited her, and little Kiara a wolf.Razvan, a pipe, Jayden a turtle, a replica of Bela Lugosi as Dracula for Radu, a DNA strand for Lillian.Anthony got a dog, Artavian, a bird, Nik, a dragon, and finally, Del got an elephant.I’d forgotten that Del had loved elephants, and from the astonished look in his ice-blue eyes, it looked like he did too.

Lucian didn’t receive nearly as many gifts, but from his joyous grin, one would think he was a little boy who’d received everything he’d asked Santa for.Razvan had given him a stack of CDs, Radu, a stack of movies, Rayven gave him a bag of a tea blend he’d designed himself.From Tiana, a fully stocked spice rack.Nik and Del gave him a nice ceremonial purple robe with delicate silver embroidery.Gabe gave him an electric kettle and a variety of mugs.Zareth gave him a sword from Shellandria.

The others gave Lucian guilty looks for not having given him a gift, but he didn’t notice.

After we left Silas’s house and crossed the portal to Aisthanesthai, I asked, “How in the fates did you manage to do that many carvings.”

“I partly cheated and made the wood morph at my will.As for the actual carving I did…I’m very fast.I could have finished those guitar parts in an afternoon.”He grinned shamelessly and winked.“I just dragged the process out longer so I could spend more time with you.”

“I should have known.”I tried to muster anger, but couldn’t feel anything but amusement and admiration for his scheme.He claimed to be not smart, and sometimes he could be naïve, but he was honestly very clever.

“You’re standing under mistletoe.I read about what that means.”

“What?We’re standing in the courtyard.There’s no trees.”Then I glanced up to see a sprig of the parasitic plant levitating over our heads.

Before I could scold him for such a silly trick, he bent down, brushed his warm lips over mine, then vanished.

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