“I have no idea...”
Sundamar nodded grimly, knowing his work was cut out for him. “Is it okay to bring them out into the light, pale one?” He had no idea what to do.
“Go ahead, but shield their eyes.”
He stepped backward and found a weak ray that flowed through the gilded drapes and fabrics he had lined around the aviary for Yahiro’s sake. His eyes flickered back and forth around his children and his female—wife—watching as Quist moved from behind her slumped shoulders and picked her and their youngest up in his arms and hovered in the air.
The pain on Yahiro’s face shifted back and forth, her exhaustion and strain heavy enough for even he and his brothers to feel. They had a job to do and even though he thought he had started it months ago, he knew with the wiggling ones under his arms that it had only begun. Quist flew them to his side and they went into the light together.
His heart filled with light, pure light, full of serenity, and it strengthened his resolve. It flooded his eyes and brightened them into a glow that cascaded out upon his family.
The babies stopped mewling and his heart stopped with fear. He raised them in his hands and didn’t hear the laughter of the others, afraid the light had hurt them.
It wasn’t until Galan slapped him on the back that he realized the babies and their small wing stubs shimmered in the sun, that the light cleaned them better than the water they’d used and all that remained was gold dust on soft gold skin.
“Oh thank god. I was worried about diapers.”Diapers?Yahiro laughed. “I’m down with alien DNA.” But as she spoke, the youngest latched onto her breast and sucked. “Hrrmm, or not.”
“We’ll figure it out,” Galan said.
“We will,” Quist responded, pressing Yahiro closer into his chest, his wings expanding and circling all seven of them.
“How long were you three children?”
“We never were,” he said. “We were brought forth fully grown. These are the first children to grace a City of Light.” And they were the best. Sundamar held his treasures close.
“Weelll damn,” she muttered, her throat still hoarse from her screams. “You three are in for a real treat when they’re toddlers, especially if they’re toddlers for centuries.” Yahiro was filled with warnings and jokes and threats about many things he didn’t understand. Only things she and Galan seemed to know from the technology in their heads, but he didn’t mind, and Quist taunted her right back in response.
“Good thing you’ll be here to deal with them.”
Ever since Yahiro swallowed Lusheenn and drank down the molten gold of their Creator’s power, she had begun to change—slowly—into her own lighted valos.
Already, he could see his youngest brother itching to fly their female and their children into the sky and take them on an adventure.
The spark had quietly returned to Quist after Yahiro swallowed Lusheenn whole; Sundamar could see a new goal build like sunfire behind his brother’s irises and it filled him with relief. Even though they still had humans to find and save and had the cities to bring back to life, Quist needed a mission to keep his soul powered.
Sundamar unhappily relinquished his children to Galan and Yahiro, until he was given the youngest to hold, a pale little girl who stole his heart. His lips curved into a smile when he noticed a tuft of raven-black hair atop her head.
His heart swelled beyond its walls as he gazed down at his... daughter. The molo took another giant step forward. He created all that was around him, all that he cared about. Yahiro had found his heart, took in his guilt, and his love, and saved all of them.
Today, he would figure out his children. Tomorrow, he would rebuild his kingdom. After that... who knew? There was hope now. And there was light. Glorious light all across the wilds of Sonhadra.
But right now, as he looked upon his daughter, all he needed to do was be with his family.
His eyes landed on Yahiro and a heavy affection bloomed like wildflowers in his chest.Love, Galan called it. Sundamar shared a look with his brother.
They were happy. And in love.
