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“Did you like the book?”
“Very strange. But so is this village today.”
She joined her friend at the desk by the fireplace and set the mugs on top of it.
Lisette said, “Someone’s playing not-so-secret Santa.” She inclined her head to the left and Jade’s gaze followed.
Four boxes of books were stacked in the corner.
“Where did they come from?” Jade asked as she wandered over to the new collection.
“Found them sitting on my doorstep when I arrived this morning. I dragged the boxes in and now I’m trying to find space for them because they’re very exciting titles.”
Jade knelt and sifted through the hard- and paperback books. “Not all of them…” She extracted three textbooks from the bin, a smile playing on her lips. “Geometry, Calculus and Trigonometry.” Under her breath, she muttered, “What a smartass.”
Standing, she turned back to Lisette and said, “The Leightons have cranberries and oranges to make muffins with and the coffee shop has a variety of new spices. Take a sip.”
“It does smell delicious. All of this had to have come from the castle.” She speared Jade with an inquisitive look. “Why is the Demon King suddenly so generous toward the villagers, I wonder?”
Jade sipped her own coffee, then shrugged. “’Tis the season?”
“I’ve lived in this village since it was established, Jade.” With an indignant huff, Lisette added, “Don’t be coy with me. I know you better than that.”
She sighed. Again with that reputation of hers. “Maybe he’s feeling guilty over the attempts on my life.”
“Or maybe he’s taken a liking to you.”
Jade’s stomach fluttered. She had to suppress another smile. “I wouldn’t make too much out of it.”
“Jade.”
She drank her coffee, averting her eyes. Lisette did not give up.
“You do understand the ramifications of an association with him?”
/> Thinking back to her conversation with Davian about her ability to open up to him and Sheena more so than her human friends, she dug deep to be honest with Lisette.
“I can’t say I know for sure what I’m doing. Yes, I understand the ramifications. The dangers. The insanity of it all. But he’s not what I’d originally thought. And he doesn’t dislike humans. He has many regrets about the war—in fact, he never wanted the destruction that occurred.”
Lisette set aside her cup. “You’re being sympathetic toward a demon.”
“Not sympathetic. Empathetic, maybe. He’s not the first to unleash an army on human beings, you know.”
She scoffed. “That’s hardly a defense.”
Jade stood and crossed to the fiction section of the library. She scanned the shelf she was all too familiar with and retrieved a novel. Returning to the table, she handed it over.
“North and South?” her friend asked. “What about it?”
“You do recall the Civil War, right?”
Lisette glowered. She laid the book down, not saying anything more.
Jade sat across from her. “I’ll never be disconnected from my feelings or the experience of being a human in a world under demonic rule. But I do like the idea of peace.”
“At what price?” her friend pointedly asked. “You could find yourself in a very difficult and perilous position if you’re not selective about the company you keep.”
Jade knew better than to argue further. Lisette made sense, after all.
