Epilogue
KASTIEL
Astorm rolled in over The Abyss while Isolde and I stood on our private balcony, the wind tugging at her hair and carrying the faint scent of rain.
Lightning flickered in the distance, mirroring the soft silver-blue glow that now lived permanently in her aura.
The lightning-shaped mark over my heart pulsed warmly in response, a constant reminder of the night she had finally claimed me as completely as I had made her mine.
Below us, in the sheltered courtyard, our daughter, Elowen, was helping guard the imaginary gate made of tree branches, twigs, and leaves.
At five years old, she already had her mother’s emerald eyes and a tiny spark of storm-succubus lightning dancing at her fingertips. She was currently chasing Draven, Adan and Calliope’s eight-year-old son, who was striding around with all the bossy authority of his father.
“No, Elowen, you have to stay behind the line!” Draven called, small flames sparking in his palms. “I’m securing the perimeter.”
Elowen stomped her foot, a little bolt of velvet lightning crackling harmlessly against the ground. “But I want to help! Mama says storms are good at fixing things!”
A low chuckle escaped me. Beside me, Isolde laughed softly, leaning into my side.
“She’s definitely your daughter,” I murmured, pressing a kiss to her temple. “Already arguing with authority and using her power to prove her point.”
Isolde’s smile was radiant. “And she’s got your stubborn streak. It doesn’t matter that he’s three years older than her. She won’t back down even when Draven tries to boss her around.”
We watched as Draven finally relented, letting Elowen add her little lightning sparks to the protection around the fake gate. The two children’s powers complemented each other perfectly—hellfire and lightning working in tandem.
My chest tightened with profound awe.
In all my years, I never thought I’d have a family of my own. But Isolde had quickly become the center of my world that night more than six years ago. And now we had a daughter who’d wrapped me around her tiny finger the moment she was born.
Isolde tilted her head up, her fingers tracing the lightning mark over my heart. A playful spark lit her emerald eyes.
“Look at you.” She pressed a quick kiss to my mouth. “You’re smiling like the weight of the world isn’t on your shoulders.”
The pull at the corners of my mouth was no longer unfamiliar. She and Elowen had softened my hard edges. But I fought even more fiercely for the security of The Abyss, because this was their home. And their safety was my top priority.
“Because it isn’t.” This time, I was the one who kissed her, and it lasted until her pretty eyes were hazy with passion.
“You gave me everything I ever dreamed of and more. Sometimes, it’s hard to believe this is really my life.
That I’m not back in the pit I’d dug for myself centuries ago, where Varak discovered a new way to torture me with a future so perfect, it shouldn’t even be possible. ”
“If you ever truly doubt it, let me know.” Her eyes shone with love and joy. “And I’ll remind you of how we made something so beautiful.”
I rested my forehead against hers, holding her close as the storm rolled closer. Below us, Elowen’s delighted laughter mixed with Draven’s bossy instructions, the next generation already learning to wield their power together.
Whatever future came next, we would face it together. And we’d come out the other side even stronger because we were more than fated to be together—we’d been made for each other.