Lila had them marching in neat lines while Thorne and Elara knocked them over with delighted shrieks. Their laughter carried on the evening wind like something sacred.
Darius rested his healed arm around my shoulders. Kane sat on my other side, fingers laced with mine. Rylan leaned against the railing, watching the children with a soft expression I rarely saw on him.
"We get to raise them," I said, almost disbelieving the words. "No more running. No more ancient grudges demanding their blood. Just us."
Kane squeezed my hand. "Just us. And whatever trouble these three decide to cause."
Rylan grinned. "I'm teaching them how to swing an axe properly. Starting small."
I laughed despite the lingering aches in my body. The sound felt foreign but right. The bond between the four of us had settled into something warmer, deeper than the desperate fire that carried us through the war. It felt like home now.
