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She stood behind him but didn’t have to wait for her turn. The shop owner, Judith Mills, came out with two large ceramic mugs, their standard to-go cup that everyone who ventured away from the shop returned at the end of the day.
Judith ceremoniously handed them over. Jade had to clamp her teeth over the flap of the paper bag of muffins as she accepted the mugs.
“Take this to Lisette. She will love the combination,” Judith said.
Jade’s brow furrowed.
“Don’t worry about paying me. You’ve been through hell from what everyone around here has heard. We’re all happy you’re okay, Jade.”
Emotion swelled within her at their concern for her well-being. She nodded, since she couldn’t speak around the bag. Judith patted her on the cheek and then turned away.
Carefully making it to the library, she kicked the door with her booted foot and Lisette pulled it open.
“Oh!” the older woman exclaimed as she held out her hands just as Jade released the bag from her teeth.
“Surprise,” Jade said. “I’ve become Alice.”
“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 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. “All of them except these.” She pulled out three textbooks, a smile crossing 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 kingdom.” 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. “It’s Christmas?”
“I’ve lived in this village for thirty-five years, Jade.” With an indignant huff, Lisette added, “Don’t be coy with me. I know you better than that.”
She sighed. “Maybe he’s feeling guilty over the attacks.”
“Or maybe he’s taken a liking to you.”
Her 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 Darien 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 wars—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.”
