Chapter Thirty-Seven
Skylar Cathal
The aroma of the meal filled the sitting area outside the library at the Summit Palace. Fresh mozzarella, herbs, and warm bread consumed the space as slices of my pasta dish lay on plates, served along the table in the corner.
There were no silver platters, no polished glasses.
Something that was just us. I glanced around the area and smiled to myself, seeing all our friends and family gathered in this special place.
They were sprawled across couches and cushions, with a cup of wine or tea in hand, laughter bouncing off the walls like rays of sunlight through stained glass.
It felt right. Real.
No titles, no crowns. Only hearts beating together in the calm before the storm.
I nudged a cushion toward Idris, who cradled Ember in her arms, the tiny newborn blinking up at the firelight with wide and curious eyes.
“Careful with that mug,” I teased. “You don’t want tea spilling on you or the little one.”
“I wish it were wine.” Idris laughed, a warm sound that made my heart sink in a wave of comfort.
“Ah, right,” I said, glancing down at Ember. “Well, I’d say she’s worth the sacrifice.”
Idris smiled, her eyes softening as she looked at Ember’s beaming face.
“I agree,” Adohan said, draping an arm over Idris’s shoulders, his gaze gentle as it rested on Ember. “But I must say, our daughter is only so beautiful because she takes after her mother.”
The baby cooed, tiny fingers stretching toward her mother’s face.
“Yes, little one?” Idris whispered.
Ember’s eyes widened at the sound of her mother’s voice, then darted toward Adohan.
A wide smile spread across his face as he leaned closer. “Let me have her for a moment. I’ll take her for a trip around the room.”
Idris nodded, trusting him completely. He cradled their daughter in his arms before lifting her above his head and spinning her gently through the air.
“She loves that,” Idris said with a sigh. “It’s the same flying game he played with the boys when they were little. They adored it.”
Astro and Finn were already in Solace, looking over our army in preparation for our arrival tomorrow.
“Perhaps she’ll take to the pegasi like her brothers,” I said, smiling as Ember happily cooed in Adohan’s arms. “Causing all kinds of trouble in the skies, I assume.”
Gunnar leaned back against the couch, watching the scene with a grin. “I’m sure she will be a handful. But thankfully, she has all of us to help look after her.”
“You?” Idris arched her brow at Gunnar.
“What? I can’t lie. I have a soft spot for babies. The little toes and noses are so cute.”
“This… coming from the general of Silver Meadows?” I glanced at my cup of wine. “How many of these have you had?”
“Not enough for what we’re soon to face, I assure you,” Gunnar said, lifting his cup.
“Enough,” Idris scolded, smacking the back of Gunnar’s head. “No talk of doom and gloom tonight.”
Gunnar rubbed his head before tipping it back and emptying his wine. “Fine. I’ll need a few more of these then,” he said, rising to refill his drink.
I scooped a bite of the layered noodle dish and lifted it to my mouth, savoring the mix of flavors Daxton and I had spent all afternoon perfecting.
“Tonight is meant to be an escape,” I said. “To remind us what’s worth fighting for. Not the battle, not the victory… but this. All of us, here, together, laughing like idiots in a room that smells of good food and old parchment from the library.”
“It’s perfect,” Idris said, giving me a side hug.
As I finished my plate and moved around the room to greet the rest of our guests, I noticed my mate sitting by himself near the hearth.
Daxton was quiet, letting the room breathe around him, understanding that silence sometimes said more than any speech ever could. But tonight, the quiet around him felt different, heavy, lingering, like he’d wrapped himself in it on purpose.
“Hey.” I nudged gently through our bond, brushing a thread of my magic along the tether between us. “You alright?”
He turned his head, and when his silver gaze met mine, the breath left my lungs in one sweeping rush.
Gods. Sometimes, I forgot what it felt like when he truly looked at me—not as his queen, not as his alpha, not as a weapon in the coming war, but as the female he loved with a ferocity that could split the world open.
He wasn’t just looking at me.
He was seeing me, all the way down to the raw, unpolished edges of my soul.
“As long as I have you, Spitfire,” he said, the words quiet but carrying all the weight of everything living and breathing in this world. “I’m home. No matter where we are in this life or beyond the crossing.”
The bond pulsed, warm and steady, curling around my center. My heart ached at the love I sensed from him, crashing over me like a tidal wave. Sometimes, I wondered how a single male could possess such strength and still have a softer side reserved for me.
“I’m nervous,” I whispered through the bond, though the words barely formed before he caught onto my emotion stirring beneath.
He sweetly smiled at me from across the room, and the world went still for half a breath.
“You don’t have to be,” he replied. “Remember, you’re not alone. You’re never alone. Trust that I’m always with you.”
I crossed the room to him as he stood with arms outstretched to bring me into his embrace. I swallowed hard, feeling tears prick behind my eyes, not from fear, but from the way he loved me. From the way he chose me, again and again, knowing without a doubt I was his.
“I love you,” I said softly, the words slipping out as I buried my face into the nook of his neck.
A low hum vibrated through his chest before he said, “I will always find you, Spitfire.” He leaned closer, his lips brushing my cheek. “We will always find each other.”
He leaned back as his gaze swept across my face, like he was committing each feature to memory.
“Tomorrow, we travel to Solace, and soon, we face Minaeve and King Taran on the battlefield,” Daxton said in a commanding yet empathetic tone. “But we fight knowing we carry all of this with us.” He wrapped one arm around my waist as he motioned to the room. “Our family.”
He turned his gaze to me, a small smirk tugging at his lips. “Our people… united as one.”
As everyone ate and drank themselves into bliss, I reached over to the hearth and gave the coals a gentle nudge. Flames leaped higher, warm and golden, flickering across the room. A spark that helped the room glow brighter. Allowing all of us to feel a little safer, a little warmer.
Daxton’s attention moved to the High Prince of Crimson City, who finished a trip around the room with his new babe. “Adohan,” he said, gaining his focus. “Your friendship has anchored me through storms I didn’t think I could survive. I owe you my thanks a thousand times over, my friend.”
Adohan gave Daxton a respectful nod as he handed Ember back to Idris.
“And you’ve anchored me, helped protect me and my family for centuries.
I’m honored to call you my king, and Skylar my queen,” he said, with a shallow bow toward me, before rising and laughing lightly.
“Although most of the trouble did start with Castor…”
Idris giggled, swatting at her mate playfully.
“I always strive to keep things interesting,” Castor bellowed from his seat across the room.
I chuckled, watching as Nyssa signed to him, “There will never be a dull moment in our long lives together.”
“None,” Castor said as he pulled her in for a kiss.
Daxton’s eyes moved to Gunnar. “Gunnar. Your strength is unmatched, not only in battle, but in your heart. You carry others when they can’t carry themselves. I would not march into battle with anyone else at my side.”
“You flatter me, High King,” Gunnar said, lifting his cup full of wine before taking a sip. “But we all know who the spitfire is around here.” He peered around Daxton to give me a wink.
I laughed, shaking my head at him with a sarcastic reply. “You mean me?”
Gunnar grinned. “And now you have the firepower to back it up.”
“You know what,” I said, threading my arm into Daxton’s. “I believe your most underrated skill is your charm. If you show your true colors to the right female, who knows what the gods have in store for you.”
Gunnar feigned offense, clutching his chest dramatically. “I’ll have you know, my charm is a weapon I’m excellent at utilizing. I just haven’t dared try it on you, my queen.”
“And for good reason,” Daxton added.
“Cheers!” Gunnar said, raising his cup.
“Castor,” Daxton said to the room, and my chest tightened, feeling his emotions flow into me.
The now High Prince of Silver Meadows rose from his lounging position in a chair near the entrance, with Nyssa standing quietly at his side.
I watched, my heart tightening as Daxton released me and crossed the space to his brother.
There was something almost sacred in the way they moved toward each other, a history of battles fought side by side, secrets shared, and loyalty tested in ways only they would see.
“Castor, my brother, my forever loyal companion.” Daxton’s voice wavered slightly as his silver gaze locked onto Castor’s.
Across the crowded room, a silent exchange of emotions passed between them. When their arms met in a firm embrace, the room seemed to hold its breath. Even the laughter and chatter faded to the background, leaving only the quiet intensity of their connection.
“I’ve relied on you more than anyone will ever know,” Daxton said in a low balanced voice. “Your silver tongue has gotten us out of more problems than it’s caused—thank the gods—and I’m forever grateful to have you in my life.”
Castor’s lips twitched, a mixture of pride and humility in his expression. My chest ached at the sight of it—the raw honesty and vulnerability shown between the brothers.