Page 65 of Unfinished

“Thank you. Can everyone else gather some of those big beads you used to decorate R’kash’s room when I first arrived? And I’m sure we still have some corn husks somewhere, right? We can make a similar garland for the tree.”

H’viss spoke up. “Yes. We have many of our own decorations at Evathi—more than are needed for such a small tree.” He narrowed his eyes at their decidedly not “small” Christmas tree and then gave the ceiling a pointed glance, making his opinion very clearly known.

Sienna shook her head. By the time they were done decorating, he’d understand why bigger wasn’t always better. At least this way they’d finish in one day. She moved over to R’kash and found herself extending her arm towards his without even thinking about it, just assuming that his hand would be outstretched and waiting for her. Of course, it was. How wonderful to be able to just trust like that—she hadn’t had that for a very long time.

“Veesha, come with us,” said R’kash.

Veesha looked up and her feathers lifted with interest. Then she hurried over to R’kash, and he took her hand. They walked like that towards the ramps and then up to their room, with Sienna on one side and Veesha on the other.

“This just feels right, doesn’t it?” she asked him softly.

“Yes. Yes, it does.”

He opened the door and they grabbed the bags she needed and headed back to the kitchen. By the time they reached the dining hall, they could hear the other priests talking again.

“Do you think it’s too bright?” asked Villith.

She didn’t have to see him to know that the indignant hiss came from Jesthi. Sienna glanced up at R’kash and smiled when he met her eyes. Then she leaned her head against his arm for a moment before they stepped back into the kitchen.

She let go of R’kash’s arm and stared at the tree in shock. Floating spheres as tiny as peas to the size of a baseball hovered between the branches from the very bottom to the top. The lights glowed a soft gold.

“It’s gorgeous—perfect, Jesthi. Thank you. I can’t wait to see what it’ll look like once it’s dark.”

She could already imagine it though. It’d be magical, like all of those Christmases she’d dreamed of as a child, the ones she’d always wanted to give her own family. She looked around from face to familiar face, and she realized that was exactly what she was doing. It might not have been the family she’d pictured before last June, but this small little group was still a family.

She took Veesha’s hand and led her over to the tree. “What do you think? Isn’t it beautiful? Are you ready to hang some ornaments?”

Veesha gave her a shy smile and followed her over to the counter where R’kash had placed her bags. Then Sienna opened the first and started pulling out containers with shiny globes in shades of red, green and gold. She’d brought snowflakes, stars, and finials, clear glass icicles, and ornaments that looked like tiny little cardinals. She passed out the hooks and handed Veesha one of the sparkliest red globes and showed her how to attach it to the bottom of one of the lowest branches.

“See? Easy,” she told her with a smile.

Sienna got out her old comm device and searched through her library, quickly finding the Christmas music she’d saved before leaving. When the first jingle of sleigh bells filled the air, every Xithilene feather lifted in response. Sienna smiled brightly as R’kash looked down at her device with interest. He picked up a glass icicle and brought it over to her, offering it for her to hang.

“Thanks,” she said.

Her fingers reached for the hook, but R’kash didn’t let go. He leaned forward and kissed her—soft, chaste, sweet—and she almost dropped the ornament by the time he was through. He held his forehead against hers for a moment once the kiss had ended, his lips still so close that if he spoke she’d be able to feel the words before she heard them.

R’kash lifted his head and led her to the tree, and she hung the icicle. Sienna lowered her hand and watched it twirl and spin, glinting amid all of the bright orbs that illuminated the tree. “Jingle Bells” played in the background, and although they’d just started, she couldn’t remember a better Christmas.

* * *

“R’kash,help me with a label for this, please,” Sienna asked the next morning as she picked up a slim package in front of her wrapped in candy-cane striped paper.

“I thought the presents were only for the actual day of your holiday?” he said as he walked over to the table in front of the low Xithilene couch.

“That’s when you unwrap them, but you start putting them out under the tree earlier,” she explained. “You’ll have to teach me how to write Xithilene, or maybe I should get lessons from Faseeth since he’s probably teaching Veesha anyway.”

R”kash’s rattle vibrated high and fast. “No. That won’t be necessary.Iwill teach you.”

Sienna hid her grin. She hadn’t been trying to make him jealous on purpose, but she still liked when he showed a little of his possessive side.

“Why don’t you start with showing me how to write your name?” she asked, pointing to the gift tag on the present.

“That’s for me?”

“Why do you sound so surprised? Of course I have a present for you, and that’s not the only one. I have to admit, most of these are for Veesha, but that’s only because she was so much easier to shop for.”

R’kash lowered himself beside her on the couch, sliding his robes over one arm with practiced ease. He let his fingers ghost over her hair, barely touching, before he stopped to hold her cheek in his warm palm.

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