16. Dezoth
16
DEZOTH
T he front door bursts open with a familiar chaos as the twins barrel into my home like twin whirlwinds of copper curls and magical sparkles. Luna leads the charge, her violet eyes already scanning for Rose while Nova follows close behind.
"Uncle Dez!" They squeal in unison, pausing just long enough to wrap themselves around my legs before darting toward Rose, who rushes forward with a bright smile.
"Your house is still standing, I see." Karn steps through the doorway, his broad frame filling it completely. The girls have decided to coordinate a weekly dinner for us, and I try not to let myself let this affect me too much. This is not my family like it is for Karn, I have to remind myself.
"Barely." I cross my arms, watching as Mira slips in behind him, her movements fluid and precise even while carrying a covered dish.
The little girls converge in the center of my sitting room, their excited chatter filling the space. Luna's already conjuring tiny sparkles that float around them like fireflies, while Nova attempts to change the color of Rose's dress from brown to purple.
"Girls, careful with the magic." Ada's voice carries a gentle authority that has all three looking up at her with wide eyes. She kneels down, her braid falling over one shoulder. "Why don't we save the sparkles for after dinner? Luna, those are beautiful colors you're making."
Luna beams at the praise, the sparkles fading as she nods. "Can we have a tea party later?"
"Only if Cappy Dez joins," Rose adds, shooting me a hopeful look that makes my chest tight.
"Yes! Uncle Dez and Uncle Karn!" Luna agrees.
Mira chuckles behind us, knowing that we are not getting out of this. I watch Ada guide them toward the dining room, her movements sure and confident as she manages their energy. She doesn't flinch when Nova's magic accidentally turns a vase blue or when Luna's excitement causes a few books to float. Instead, she redirects each magical mishap with grace, turning them into teaching moments.
This is what my home could have been with Raina. What it should have been. The thought hits harder than expected, watching Ada mother not just her own child, but the twins as well. She has a natural way with them that reminds me of everything I once dreamed of.
And looking at three children that all share demon and human heritage only rubs at the wound that has not healed. I don't know if I'll ever recover from losing Anthea. But I might have found a way to make it more manageable.
"You're staring," Karn mutters as he passes, low enough that only I hear. I shoot him a glare, but I was. I can't stop looking at Ada.
I follow the energetic trio into my dining room, where Rose has taken charge of seating arrangements with all the authority a four-year-old can muster.
"Luna sits here, and Nova here," Rose points to chairs on either side of her, her violet eyes bright with excitement. "Because they're my cousins now."
"Are we really cousins?" Nova asks, climbing onto her designated seat while her copper curls bounce.
"Of course! Cappy Dez is like my uncle too, so that makes us cousins." Rose's logic makes the twins beam with delight.
"Cappy Dez?" Luna giggles, testing out the name. "I like that better than Uncle Dez."
I catch Ada hiding a smile as she helps the girls get settled. Her fingers brush mine as we both reach to steady Nova's chair, and the contact sends an unexpected jolt through me.
"And this is where the fancy plates go," Rose continues her tour, pointing to the settings I'd pulled out specifically for tonight. "Cappy Dez says they're for special occasions, and family dinner is special."
Mira exchanges a knowing look with Ada across the table as she sets down her dish. "Very special indeed."
"Uncle Karn never uses fancy plates," Luna announces, drawing a mock-offended look from her uncle.
"That's because you two would float them to the ceiling," Karn rumbles, but his eyes are soft as he watches the girls interact. And then, like it hits him, he adds, "Don't do that with Uncle Dez's plates."
"Only sometimes!" Nova protests, then demonstrates by making her water goblet change from crystal to sapphire blue.
"Nova," Ada and Mira chorus together, though neither can quite hide their amusement.
"Sorry," Nova whispers, returning the goblet to normal. "But Rose likes the blue better, don't you?"
Rose nods enthusiastically. "Blue is pretty. But Cappy Dez says magic is for after dinner."
The pride in her voice when she quotes my rule makes something warm settle in me. I catch Karn watching me with that knowing look of his, but I ignore him in favor of helping Ada serve the food.
Luna looks up from her plate, violet eyes wide with innocent curiosity. "Miss Ada, are you going to be like Mama Mira? She takes care of us and lives with Uncle Karn."
The fork in my hand freezes halfway to my mouth. Ada's shoulders tense, her braid slipping forward as she ducks her head.
"And is Uncle Cappy Dez going to be Rose's new dad?" Luna continues, oblivious to the way Ada's knuckles whiten around her utensils. "Because Rose needs a dad, and-"
"Luna," Karn's deep voice carries a warning, but it's too late.
Rose's small face scrunches in confusion. "But I had a dad. Mama said-"
A sudden yelp from Nova breaks the mounting tension as her plate of vegetables launches toward the ceiling. Beans and zynthra rain down, scattering across the table while peas bounce off Karn's head.
"Nova!" Luna squeals in delight, promptly forgetting her previous line of questioning.
"I didn't mean to!" Nova's eyes go wide as she watches a zynthra land in my water glass with a splash. "They just got excited!"
Rose giggles, reaching up to pluck a floating pea from the air. "Can you make mine dance too?"
"No more floating food," Mira says sternly, and both twins pout. I have a feeling this is a common problem in their household.
I stand to help gather the airborne vegetables, watching as chaos unfolds around my usually quiet dining room. Luna attempts to catch the falling food with sparkles, creating tiny firework bursts of light. Nova's magic responds to her sister's, turning each vegetable a different color as they fall.
Rose bounces in her seat, clapping as a rainbow-hued green bean lands on her plate. "Cappy Dez, look! It's prettier now!"
The pure joy in her voice breaks through my usual stoic facade. My dining room might be a mess of floating, color-changing vegetables and magical sparkles, but the sound of children's laughter fills every corner. Even Ada's tension eases as she helps Nova corral her wayward magic, her gentle instructions mixing with the girls' giggles.
This chaos - this warmth - feels right in a way my empty house never did. Like these walls have been waiting for exactly this kind of life to fill them.
After helping clean up the magical vegetable disaster and making it through the rest of dinner, I watch the girls drag Mira into their tea party. Rose has somehow convinced them all to wear the flower crowns she made earlier, and even Ada sports a crooked circlet of purple blooms. I know it's only a matter of time before Karn and I are dragged in there, too - not that I mind.
Karn catches my eye, nodding toward the kitchen. I follow him, leaving the sounds of tiny giggles and clinking teacups behind.
"You're not subtle." Karn leans against the counter, his copper hair catching the lamplight. "I see how you look at her."
"I don't know what you're talking about." I busy myself organizing already clean dishes.
"You know, I only ever intended to help Mira out for a little while." His voice softens. "When she first showed up at my shop, covered in dirt and terrified, all I saw was someone who needed help. But watching her with the twins..." He trails off, a fond smile playing at his lips. "Sometimes family finds you when you least expect it."
I set down the plate I'm holding harder than necessary. "Ada's situation is different."
"Is it?" Karn raises an eyebrow. "A human woman on the run, protecting someone precious, finding shelter with a demon who never thought he'd have a family?" He chuckles. "Sounds familiar to me."
Through the doorway, I catch sight of Ada helping Rose pour 'tea' for her stuffed animals. Her braid has come loose, honey-blonde strands framing her face as she laughs at something Nova says.
Sometimes, she looks so beautiful it hurts. It's been pulling feelings out of me that I thought were long gone, and the more I'm around her, the more I wonder if Raina ever should have been my mate. Not when the way I feel about Ada is so much more intense.
If she leaves, I'm not sure I'll recover. Especially when I'll lose Rose, too. That's what I need to figure out how to stop getting so attached.
"She doesn't trust demons," I mutter. "Can't blame her, after what happened."
"Mira didn't trust anyone when she first came to me." Karn's violet eyes hold mine. "Trust takes time. But those girls in there? They're already family. And Ada..." He glances toward the sitting room. "She's starting to see it too."
I watch as Ada catches Rose trying to add real sparkles to the tea. Instead of scolding, she gets Nova to show her how to make the sparkles dance above the cups instead, her warm brown eyes bright with affection.
"Just don't wait too long," Karn pushes off the counter. "Some things are worth the risk."
His words stay with me as we head to the living room to watch the kids play. It's only when they start to yawn, the three of them obviously drooping that Karn scoops up the twins and they tell us goodnight.
Ada picks Rose up after they're gone, and she's already mostly asleep as she carries her down the hall. I follow after her, feeling far too attached to this beautiful woman and her sweet daughter.
I linger in the doorway, watching as Ada kneels beside Rose's bed. Her fingers move with practiced grace, tucking the blanket around Rose's small form while humming a soft melody. Rose's violet eyes fight to stay open, her honey-blonde curls spread across the pillow like a halo.
"Mama, can you tell me about the sparkles again?" Rose's voice comes out sleepy, her tiny hand reaching for Ada's braid.
"Tomorrow, sweet girl." Ada smooths Rose's hair back, her touch gentle. "It's late, and good little girls need their rest."
"But I'm not tired." Rose's protest ends in a yawn. "Can Cappy Dez teach me more magic tomorrow?"
Ada grins over her shoulder at me, and my chest constricts. "We'll see. First, sleep."
"He makes the best sparkles." Rose's eyes drift closed.
She smiles at her daughter as she brushes a hand over her forehead. "Yes, he does."
"Goodnight, Cappy Dez," Rose mumbles.
"Goodnight, little flower."
Ada kisses Rose's forehead. "Goodnight, sweet girl."
I start to turn, not sure if Ada will sleep now, too, but she rises gracefully, pressing a final kiss to Rose's forehead before moving toward the door. To me.
"She's getting stronger with her magic," I keep my voice low as Ada approaches. "She has remarkable control for her age."
"Like her father." Ada's words carry no bitterness, just a quiet acceptance. That seems to be getting easier for her. She pauses beside me, close enough that I catch the scent of herbs from her garden. "Thank you, for teaching her. I... I know so little about demon magic."
The admission clearly costs her, but there's trust in it - fragile and new. Karn's words echo in my mind as I watch her fidget with the end of her braid, a habit I've noticed emerges when she's uncertain.
"It's my honor," I tell her softly, meaning every word. The sight of them together, mother and daughter, has awakened something fierce and protective in me. Something I thought died with Raina and our unborn child.
I need to start taking chances. Stop fearing everything when it comes to her. So, I hold my hand out to her. "Tea?"
Her smile is soft and sweet and it steals my breath. "I'd love to."