Chapter 68

Celestia had always known Amelia as the cheerful, bouncy type, so seeing her suddenly go all serious caught her off guard. She couldn't help the smile that tugged wider at her lips-bright and sunny, enough to make Dexter next to her freeze for a second, a bit dazed. Seeing her dad staring at Celestia with that oh-so-soft expression, Amelia stifled a giggle. The mood around them was easy and light, the awkwardness from earlier totally gone. They looked so natural together, like a tight-knit little family. But just then, Jareth's gaze hardened as he remembered what Amelia had told him not long ago. His sharp, handsome features stiffened, and his entire expression darkened. Without thinking, he blurted out, "No." The word hit the air like a brick, drawing immediate stares from Celestia, Dexter, and Amelia herself. "Uncle Jareth..." Amelia looked up at him with worried eyes, thinking she must've messed up somehow. Her small face scrunched up in distress, lips pouting into the very definiti