Their intimate Thanksgiving dinner was now serving twelve: four humans, two Nephilim, six fallen angels (three each on the side of Good and Evil), and one dog dressed as a turkey, with his bowl of scraps under the table.
Miles went for the seat directly across from Luce--until Daniel ashed him a menacing look. Miles backed o , and Daniel was just about to sit down when Shelby slid right in. Smiling with a little look of victory, Miles sat on Shelby's left, across from Callie, while Daniel, looking vaguely annoyed, sat to her right, across from Arriane.
Someone was kicking Luce under the table, trying to get her attention, but she kept her eyes on her plate.
Once everyone was seated, Luce's father stood up at the head of the table, facing her mother at the foot. He clanked his fork against his glass of red wine. "I've been known to make a long-winded speech or two this time of year." He chuckled. "But we've never served so many hungry- looking kids before, so I'll just cut to the chase. I'm thankful for my sweet wife, Doreen, my best kid, Lucie, and all of you for joining us." He xed on Luce, drawing his cheeks in the way he did when he was especially proud. "It's wonderful to see you prospering, growing into a beautiful young lady with so many great friends. We hope they'll all come again. Cheers, everyone. To friends."
Luce forced a smile, avoiding the shifty glances all her "friends" were sharing.
"Hear, hear!" Daniel broke the exquisitely awkward silence, raising his glass. "What good is life without trusty, reliable friends?"
Miles barely looked at him, plunging a serving spoon deep into the mashed potatoes. "Coming from Mr. Reliable himself."
The Prices were too busy passing dishes at opposite ends of the table to notice the dirty look Daniel directed at Miles.
Molly was spooning the Shrimp Diablo appetizer no one had yet touched in a growing heap on Miles's plate. "Just say uncle when you've had enough."
"Whoa, Mo. Save some heat for me." Cam reached to take the kettle of shrimp. "Say, Miles. Roland told me you showed o some mad skills fencing the other day. I bet the girls went crazy." He leaned forward. "You were there, right, Luce?"
Miles had his fork poised in midair. His large blue eyes looked confused about Cam's intentions, and as if he was hoping to hear Luce say that yes, the girls--herself included--had indeed gone crazy.
"Roland also said Miles lost," Daniel said placidly, and speared a piece of stu ng.
At the other end of the table, Gabbe cut the tension with a loud and satis ed purr. "Oh my God, Mrs. Price. These Brussels sprouts are a little taste of Heaven. Aren't they, Roland?"
"Mmm," Roland agreed. "They really bring me back to a simpler time."
Luce's mother began reciting the recipe while Luce's dad went on about local produce. Luce was trying to enjoy this rare time with her family, and Callie leaning in to whisper that everyone seemed pretty cool, especially Arriane and Miles--but there were too many other situations to monitor. Luce felt like she might have to defuse a bomb at any moment.
A few minutes later, passing the stu ng around the table a second time, Luce's mother said, "You know, your father and I met when we were right around your age."
Luce had heard the story thirty- ve hundred times before.
"He was the quarterback at Athens High." Her mother winked at Miles. "The athletic ones drove the girls wild in those days, too."
"Yep, the Trojans were twelve and two my varsity year." Luce's dad laughed, and she waited for his token line. "I just had to show Doreen I wasn't as much of a tough guy o the eld."
"I think it's great what a strong marriage you two have," Miles said, grabbing yet another of Luce's mother's famous yeast rolls. "Luce is lucky to have parents who are so honest and open with her and each other." have parents who are so honest and open with her and each other."
Luce's mom beamed.
But before she could respond, Daniel butted in. "There's much more to love than that, Miles. Wouldn't you say, Mr. Price, that a real relationship is more than just easy fun and games? That it takes some e ort?"
"Of course, of course." Luce's father patted his lips with his napkin. "Why else would they call marriage a commitment? Sure, love has its ups and downs. That's life."
"Well said, Mr. P.," Roland said, with a soulfulness beyond his smooth seventeen-year-old-looking face. "God knows, I've seen some ups and downs."
"Oh, come on," Callie chimed in, to Luce's surprise. Poor Callie, taking everyone here at face value. "You guys make it sound so heavy."
"Callie's right," Luce's mom said. "You kids are young and hopeful, and you really should just be having fun."
Fun. So that was the goal right now? Was fun even possible for Luce? She glanced at Miles. He was smiling. "I'm having fun," he mouthed.
That made all the di erence to Luce, who looked around the table again and realized that despite everything, she was having fun too. Roland was making a show of tonguing a shrimp at Molly, who laughed for possibly the rst time in history. Cam tried doting on Callie, even o ering to butter her roll, which she declined with raised eyebrows and a shy shake of her head. Shelby ate like she was training for a competition. And someone was still playing footsie with Luce underneath the table. She met Daniel's violet eyes. He winked, giving her butter ies.
There was something remarkable about this gathering. It was the liveliest Thanksgiving they'd had since Luce's grandmother died and the Prices stopped going to the Louisiana bayou for the holiday. So this was her family now: all these people, angels, demons, and whatever else they were. For better or worse, complicated, treacherous, full of ups and downs, and even at times fun. Just like her dad had said: That was life.
And for a girl who had had some experience with dying, life--period--was the thing for which Luce was suddenly overwhelmingly thankful.
"Well, I've had just about enough," Shelby announced after a few more minutes. "You know. Food. Everyone else done? Let's wrap this up." She whistled and made a lasso gesture with her nger. "I'm eager to get back to that reform school we all go to--um--"