Epilogue
WILLOW
A YEAR AND A FEW MONTHS LATER
I can’t remember the last time I’ve gotten a full night’s sleep. In fact, my sleep became interrupted around my seventh month of pregnancy.
Now that I’m eight months postpartum, sleep is unbelievably sparse.
I feel a tiny knee drop on my head and groan.
Iris .
Her knee slips, and my eight-month-old daughter careens over the edge of the bed. I catch her with a magic grasp and raise her in the air.
When I turn onto my stomach, she’s floating right above me, giggling like she wasn’t about to just bump her head.
Silvera barks, and I eye her. “You were supposed to be watching her.”
Silvera rests her chin on the edge of the bed as she looks from me to Iris, forever the protector. Ever since Iris was born, Silvera has been right at her side, guarding her crib and looking out for sharp corners when she started crawling. Nudging her to safety whenever there is even a sign of her getting hurt.
“Iris, if I didn’t know any better, I’d think you’re trying to fall on purpose,” I say, lowering her to my chest.
“She is.” Caz’s voice fills the room as he emerges from the bathroom. “By the way, War broke the tub. It’s literally in ruins.”
Our son Warren floats out of the bathroom without either of our help, his body radiating with gold light. Cerberus dashes past, muzzle pointed up as he keeps an eye on our floating baby.
Caz catches Warren before he can drift out the open balcony doors and closes them behind him before collapsing on the bed.
“These kids are going to drive us crazy one day, aren’t they? He says, lying right next to me.
“Aren’t they already doing that?” I laugh.
Twins. Who would’ve known?
All this time I thought there was only one baby in there. We never sensed two heartbeats, yet here they are. Iris and Warren, our adorable, trouble-making twins.
Hassha said the same happened to her with Minka and Maia. She expected only one but got two. She believes it happened to create an even split of energy. So that one tiny person doesn’t hold so much power.
Iris couldn’t look more like her father. Her skin is lighter than War’s, her black hair thick, coily, and streaked with white. Just like Caz, her eyes are icy blue while War’s are light brown.
War has looser curls and dark brown hair, no streaks. If you saw him in public, you’d assume he was a regular commoner’s baby. Caz believes that’s a good thing, says it’ll make War a good spy if he ever needs one.
Iris’s fists spark to life as she grabs War, gnawing on his cheek while he suckles on his fingers. Both of them are teething. We learned early on during crying spells or stubbornness that Iris’s radiance is pink.
“She’s going to be just like you, you know?” I glance at Caz. “Look how she manhandles her brother. He’s going to have to stand his ground one day.”
“Yeah, but he’ll handle it well.” Caz watches them with easygoing eyes. “He’s a lot like you. Not easily angered. But when he gets mad and is ready to defend himself, no one fucks with him.”
“Shut up,” I laugh. “I’m not like that.”
“Oh, you are,” he chuckles.
“Think Maeve and Jun will be able to handle them tonight?”
“They’ll have no choice. I need a night alone with my wife.”
He nuzzles his nose in the crook of my neck, and Iris clearly doesn’t like that because she releases War to paw at her daddy’s face.
“What’s that, my little riot? Are you jealous?” he coos in a sing-song voice. “Don’t worry. There’s plenty of love for you too.” We swap babies, and he nuzzles all of Iris’s chubby little folds, making her giggle endlessly.
War rests his head on my stomach, tilting his head to look up at me with those doe eyes. My heart swells, and I sit up to kiss his forehead.
I like to think he’s a lot like Warren in spirit. He’s gentle, and I have a feeling he’ll be soft-spoken and easy-going just like his uncle was.
When I look at Caz and see him playing with our daughter, using his magic to make her float and bounce, a warmth takes over me. My body glows with adoration.
Each gentle toss up and Iris squeals, her hands spread wide. The most adorable smile lights up Caz’s face as he gazes at her, soaking in the joyous sound. I’ve never seen him so happy. So complete.
This is exactly what I wanted our life to be like…and I suppose the powers are a bonus. Regardless, I wanted someone I could share mornings like this with. Someone I could wake up to only to learn that I love them even more than I did the day before.
There was a time when neither of us were sure of our lives or fates. A time when we were miserable, hopeless beings lonely in heart.
At that point, life wasn’t worth living for either of us, but it’s amazing how quickly so much can change when you find the right person to love you at the worst of times.
There is no one and nothing in this world, on Earth, or in any universe that can split us apart.
Why?
Because he is mine, and I am his.
Forever then and forever now.