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“Those are my favorites,” she said dreamily. “I love thetraditions and the sweet small towns with all the side characters.”
As she spoke, the air grew cooler. One minute she was watching the mist from the waterfall swirl in the air, the next it had become tiny snowflakes.
“Are you doing that?” she asked, breathless. “Did you just make itsnow?”
“Yes,” Oberon told her.
She lifted her arms, feeling the delicate, icy kisses on her hands and laughing when she realized they were actually cold.
She stuck out her tongue to catch one.
It melted instantly on her tongue, leaving the taste of winter behind.
“It’sreal?” she asked Oberon, amazed.
“The snow is very much real,” he told her.
“I know it’s not possible that everything here is real,” she said. “But I honestly can’t tell what’s real and what isn’t.”
“Thank you,” Oberon said, the blue sphere glowing brighter for a moment. “That means I’m doing my job. If I do it well enough, the illusion will never be broken.”
Snow was falling in earnest now, dusting the grass and trees, the flakes bigger and lacier than before.
“This is the most romantic thing in the world,” she cried, spinning around in the snow. “You’re incredible.”
“Who are you talking to?” Stark’s voice boomed out in the open living space.
Olivia stopped spinning and turned to the open balcony door.
“Good morning,” she said, feeling her cheeks heat. “I was just talking to Oberon.”
Somehow, Stark was even more handsome this morning than he had been last night. It looked like he had simply pulled a robe on over his naked form. She could see the flat planes of solid green pecs peeking out of the top of the robe. His mane of raven-black hair was tousled, and she remembered why.
But when he burst onto the balcony, looking around as if she might have a secret lover with her, she stopped noticing how handsome he was.
“You were really talking to the computer?” he asked, turning to her, his eyes flashing.
Is he jealous?
It was insulting that he thought she was out here flirting with someone, but there was a tiny part of her that loved the idea that the big man was so possessive.
“Of course I was talking to the computer,” she said. “And look, he made it snow for me.”
Stark frowned.
“You can’t frown at snow,” she told him reasonably. “Look at how pretty it is.”
But he only spun on his heel and marched back into the house.
She followed him, feeling weird about closing the door behind her when Oberon’s sphere was there.
But it had disappeared.
“There are energy drinks in the fridge,” she told him. “And I’m sure there’s coffee and other stuff. Do you want some?”
Did Maltaffians even drink coffee? It seemed to her that just about all life forms did, but she wasn’t sure.
Before he could answer, there was a knock on the door.
