Suddenly, Astra’s eyes roll back, and she collapses into the grass.
“Astra!” Lucian drops to his knees beside her as Seth rushes over.
“She’s fine,” Selene says quickly, checking Astra’s pulse. “It’s normal. Her body has been through an ordeal. She just needs rest.”
Lucian looks up at Seth, and I see the rawness in his eyes—the fear and relief and overwhelming love all tangled together. “Let’s bring them to our chambers.”
Seth carefully takes the baby from Selene’s arms and cradles her against his chest. The tiny girl has stopped crying, and her eyes blink up at him.
Lucian gathers Astra into his arms as gently as if she’s made of glass, then stands. He gazes at his daughter one more time, a fierce and protective look crossing his face, before he carries Astra toward the palace with Seth on his heels.
The garden fills with relieved murmurs and quiet laughter, and for a moment, everything is perfect.
Then, Daciana’s knees buckle. I catch her before she hits the ground, scooping her into my arms.
“I’m taking you to our quarters,” I say firmly. “You need to rest.”
She doesn’t argue. Just leans her head against my chest, her body going slack against mine.
The next monthpasses in a fury of blood and retribution.
Theodore’s execution is the first order of business. I stand beside Lucian as they drag the former Council leader into the main hall, and I feel nothing but cold satisfaction as Lucian delivers the killing blow himself. Swift. Brutal. Final.
Then, Lucian seizes control of the Umbra Council, and I watch the King transform into a harder, more ruthless version of himself. Anyone who opposes him gets stripped of power and status. Those with vile intentions—the ones who plotted against Astra, who would have supported Theodore’s war—are executed.
“You’re going too far,” Seth warns him one evening.
Lucian is holding his baby—tiny, perfect, sleeping peacefully in his arms—and his eyes are ice. “I have a daughter to protect. No one will ever threaten her.”
I approve. Every single decision he makes, I approve. Because I understand now what it means to have someone so precious that you’d burn the world down to keep her safe.
With Lucian’s iron grip on the Council, the war Theodore wanted never materializes. The purity faction scatters like roaches do when you turn on the light. Within weeks, the threat is neutralized.
And for the first time in eight hundred years, I can breathe easily.
Daciana lies in our bed,her dark hair spread across the pillow. I can’t stop touching her. My fingers trail through the silky strands, stroking, as I savor the fact that she’s here, that she’s alive, that we’re finally free.
She is two months pregnant now. There’s barely a curve to her stomach yet, just the slightest swell that only I notice. But I notice everything about her.
“So, Celeste was the queen back then,” she says quietly, staring up at the ceiling. “And Theodore’s family was to her what Artisem’s family is to you. Her secret keeper?”
I nod, continuing to caress her hair. “Theodore’s family was unwaveringly loyal. With Cassandra as their prisoner, they knew when we would all be born. When to strike. When to manipulate.” My jaw tightens. “Forcing prophecies from a seer witch is beyond cruel. It destroys them from the inside out.”
“Theodore killed my birth mother.” Her voice becomes softer. “My family.”
“Yes.” I lean down and press my lips to her forehead. “I’m sorry.”
She sighs, the sound heavy with sadness. “So much death and bloodshed. All because those shifters wanted to keep the bloodlines pure.” She turns her head to look at me, and there’s bitter irony in her eyes. “And in the end, Celeste—or whoeverthe first queen was—slept with witches to create a hybrid reincarnation in her own bloodline.”
“The universe has a sense of humor,” I say dryly. “A cruel one.”
“She’s gone now?” Daciana whispers. “Really gone?”
“Really gone.” I cup her face, making sure she sees the truth in my eyes. “Hera destroyed her heart. The curse is broken. There’s no coming back from that.”
Daciana is silent for a moment, then she shifts slightly. “My brothers are still recovering, but they’re both warriors, so they should be fine. Can they…” She looks up at me, and I see the vulnerability there. “Can they visit us sometimes?”
Warmth unfolds in my chest. The fact that she’s thinking about the future—about building a life, about keeping her family close—makes it all worth it.
