Selene’s Reviews > Holly > Status Update

Because having them there with her-having them well and happy and alive-was all that mattered.
It was, as far as Blythe was concerned, the
perfect Christmas.

"Merry Christmas, she whispered to whoever might be listening, her voice barely audible over the crackle of the fire and Beasty's purrs.
It didn't matter that they'd spent days dealing with spirits and unsolved mysteries. It didn't matter that their lives didn't quite look the same as others.

Blythe looked around at her strange, chaotic family—at Signa and Sylas laughing, her father pouring tea from his new set, Aris cooing at his cat-and she smiled through the happy tears that welled in her eyes once more.

The room grew warmer, brighter, as the pile of gifts beneath the tree continued to dwindle, Elijah passing out his gifts while Signa helped
Gundry unwrap a new leather collar and deer antlers, on which he began chewing right away.
By the time the last present was unwrapped, they were all seated close, the glow of the fire mingling with the hazy lights of the tree.

"This one's from me," Sylas told her, grinning as Blythe wasted no time tearing into the wrapping. When she saw what was inside, she immediately began to cackle.
"I know what we're playing tonight!" she said, holding up several croquet mallets. Beside her, Aris groaned.
"Dear God, not again...

Blythe's stomach twisted in her own embarrassment for this ridiculous man. But Sylas, to her dismay, was no better.
"And what if I don't want a reward?" he teased, shadows winding playfully around him. He'd found a dent in Aris's armor, and it appeared he was set to dig until he wore through it.
"Dammit, Sylas. Just have a drink with me-"

her husband was trying so hard to open himself
up.
"I will provide you with a beverage of your choice," he told his brother with a sage nod
"A beverage, you say?"
"Of the alcoholic variety, if you so choose.
You may consider it a reward for returning Beasty to me."

"That's enough of that." Aris groaned, waving a dismissive hand. "I took it because I liked it, and now I'm giving it to you, that's all. I figured you'd probably want to have a drink with
me at some point after all of this."
"That's what you figured, is it?" Sylas mused, to which Aris lifted his chin higher. As horrible at this as he was, Blythe could see that

"You kept this? After all this time?" he asked, waving the chalice at Signa. "It's from the night we both discovered mead. Aris was as drunk as I've ever seen him. By the end of the night he'd taken off his pants and was-"

It appeared to be crafted from polished gold, adorned with intricate engravings of vines and flowers that wound around a ruby in the center. Sylas pulled it out, his entire face spreading wide with a grin.