Page 72 of Dark Shaman: The Lost Treasure
She glared at him. "I could do with a little less excitement and a little more safety. I will be less worried after the girls turn immortal, but until then, we should be super careful with them."
Kian was about to respond when Esag approached their table with a wooden box. The guy had been in the village for nearly three weeks now, but he still seemed to feel out of place.
"I brought something for the birthday girl." He put the box on the table in front of Evie. "Open it up and see what's inside."
The lid of the box had a small handle and no latch, and when Evie leaned forward and lifted the lid, Amanda realized that it had a magnetic closure instead of the customary latch that would have been difficult for a little girl to open.
"Dollies!" Evie breathed with excitement, and she pulled out the first one.
The figurine was no more than three inches tall and carved with exquisite detail, and so were the others she took out and carefully put on the table. There was a king with an elaborate crown, a queen in a ball gown, a princess who looked remarkably like Evie, and three courtiers in period dress.
"Oh, Esag, these are incredible," Amanda said. "A whole royal family for Evie to play with. I can see her spending hours role-playing with these. Thank you."
"You are welcome," he said with a slight dip of his head. "I used safe paint in case she decides to put them in her mouth."
Evie arranged the figurines in a row and then lifted the princess, examining it with serious concentration before attempting to do exactly what Esag had anticipated.
"No, baby," Amanda gently redirected. "We look at figurines. We don't eat them."
Allegra, who had been watching from her chair between Syssi and Kian, looked up at Esag. "I want a royal family, too!"
"Allegra," Syssi chided gently. "It's Evie's birthday."
"It's all right," Esag said with a smile. "I missed Allegra's birthday, so I owe her a present. I'll carve one for you as well, little princess. What would you like yours to look like?"
Allegra's eyes went wide at the offer. "Can you make Nana in a white dress?"
"Of course." He turned to Phoenix. "Would you also like a figurine set?"
She shook her head. "I'm not a baby, and I don't play with dolls. I play video games."
Andrew laughed, ruffling his daughter's hair. "She's not even four, but she thinks she's twenty."
"Video games are better than dolls," Phoenix insisted.
"I'd rather you spent more time reading," Nathalie said.
She was such a show-off. So what if Phoenix could already read? Amanda was sure that Allegra and Evie would be reading even sooner.
"I should check on the buffet." Amanda rose to her feet.
She'd entrusted the catering to Soraya and her sisters again, and although she was certain they had everything under control, Amanda had learned from experience that it was always smart to inspect rather than expect.
"Everything smells amazing," she told Soraya as she lifted the lid off one of the chafing dishes. "Thank you for doing this."
"It's our pleasure." Soraya smiled. "Cooking for a happy occasion is good for the soul, and the money you pay us is good for our bank account. We are very grateful for your business."
After thanking them again, Amanda walked over to the family table, lifted the portable microphone, and turned to her guests. She turned the device on, tapped on its side to get everyone's attention, and when all eyes were on her, she waved and smiled.
"Thank you all for coming to celebrate our little princess turning one. You have all been part of her first year, and Evie is blessed to grow up surrounded by so much love and with such a large and caring family, not all related by blood, but family nonetheless. So, thank you for being here and helping us raise our little miracle."
Some oohs and aahs sounded, followed by applause, and Amanda waited until they had finished before continuing. "Soraya and her sisters have prepared a feast, and the buffet table is set and ready, so please, eat, drink, and be merry!"
After more applause, people got up and formed a line at the buffet, and once everyone had returned to their seats with their plates filled to the brim, the conversation around the table resumed between tasty bites.
Amanda felt content as she watched her extended family enjoy themselves. This was what life was about—these moments of joy and connection.
"How are you progressing with Khiann's figurine?" Toven asked Esag.
