Page 211 of The Other Omega

Caius’s present took two of us to bring over. I pulled off the paper to reveal the dartboard and a fitted case of darts, each one dark silver and engraved with the Stormforge mark.

“It’s an Earth game,” I explained. “People play it in pubs, which are places you go for a strong drink and a chat. You hang the board on a wall, stand a certain distance away and throw the darts. Different parts of the board are worth different points, so you compete to see who does best.”

Caius picked up a dart, balanced it in his palm, then looked at the board.

“Target practice scored by accuracy.”

“Exactly. But it’s meant to be fun.”

“It appears to be both.”

“I thought you might like it.”

“I do, my love.”

Lucien unwrapped a small display dome made of glass and metal. Inside, a slender support held a single leaf upright. It had the pointed shape of the leaves on one of his favourite trees, with the dark green colour and silver veins of another.

He leaned closer to the glass. “What species is this? I do not recognise it.”

“You wouldn’t. It’s new.” He looked at me, and I smiled. “Eira, Titus and I worked on it for months. We joined living parts of two trees and got them to grow together. Most of our attempts didn’t work, but we finally managed.”

I pointed to the leaf. “Both of your favourite trees are in there. We called it Chimaera.”

Lucien looked back at it, studying the shape and every vein.

“You made the two trees grow together?”

“Yes. They’re still in the garden.”

His hand closed over mine on the rug. “It is extraordinary, my darling.”

Then he smiled, and I forgot all about the leaf. It was only a little smile, but I loved it. Before I could say anything, he leaned over and kissed me so gently that I wanted to give him his present all over again.

Leon’s present was a snow globe. He turned it in his hands, looking at the tiny garden inside. I sat on the grass with a baby on each knee, and all three of us smiled.

“What is it?”

“A snow globe. Some people collect them on Earth. That’s the girls in the garden and me.”

“I recognised you.”

I took it from him and shook it. Silver flakes swirled around the little figures, then settled.

Leon watched them fall. “It snows inside.”

I smiled. “If you like it, I can give you one every year.”

“I would like that, sweetheart.”

“May I examine it?” Lucien asked.

Leon passed it over, and the globe went around all five of them. Caius examined the base, Darius held it up to the light, and Alaric turned it carefully before handing it back.

“It is very beautiful,” Leon said, watching the last flakes settle.

Darius opened the engraved wooden box. The lid held a family portrait of all eight of us in the garden. I sat beside Alaric, holding the twins, with my other four mates standing around us.

“There are three thousand pieces,” I told him.