“It's not more. It's just the timing.”
Sever nodded. “And I'm just upset about that timing too.” He looked down at Miri and smiled. “But look at her. Look at what you've given me. How can I be upset with such beauty in my life?” He lifted his stare back to me. “You are my miracle. You know that.”
Sever tapped the intricate design of a shining purple star surrounded by thorny vines that was tattooed over his heart. That was me, my symbol, inked there when Sever believed he'd never see me again. He had wanted a physical representation of what I'd given him—my magic and love. Now, it meant so much more. Those vines spread out as if growing from his chest and wrapped around his left arm. Again, so symbolic. As if the inktraced the path of his new magic. Sever had been practicing and could now produce thorns. Not Firethorns, not yet, and maybe not ever. Who knows how my blended elemental magic—only possible because of my humanity—would manifest in him? But the fact that he could do a version of my magic at all was as miraculous as he declared me to be.
I laid my hand over the star tattoo. “You are my miracle too. I never imagined I'd love another man, much less an Angel.”
He clasped my hand to him. “Things may be hard for a while, but I've faced worse without love to support me. With you and our family by my side, I can face anything. Your temporary absence changes nothing. You are always here.” He pressed my hand to him. “And I know you will always return to me. To me and our little girl.” He looked back at Miri with a blissful grin. “We have a daughter.”
“We have a daughter,” I repeated, keeping my gaze on him. “Thank you, Sever.”
Sever looked up in surprise. “As you pointed out during her delivery, I had little to do with it.”
I snorted. “I'm not thanking you for her, though you had a lot to do with her. I'm thanking you for this. For your love and support.”
He lifted my hand and kissed it. “Forgive me for saying this, but it helped to see you so broken up over leaving her.”
I chuckled. “Afraid I was a cold woman who could cast her children aside?”
“No.” Sever went serious. “Never. I know you too well. I know how dedicated you are to your family. But you are alsodedicated to your gods. To your worlds. All of them. You are the Trinity Star, but you are also the Queen of Unseelie and Seelie, the World-Strider, chosen one of the Twin Gods, and the Queen Mother of Heaven. That's a lot of crowns on your head. Which means a lot of weight on your shoulders. And on top of all that, you carry the title of Ambassador.” He shook his head. “That Gorgon cut me to the core yesterday. Her words were my own—what I've been thinking ever since I left Heaven.”
“Because of me?”
“I'm not blaming you, my love.”
“No, but you feel wrong for leaving Heaven because I take on so much.”
“Yes, I suppose so. I feel a bit inadequate.”
“You ruled for thousands of years. I've been Queen for less than a decade. And I barely rule.”
“That's not true.”
“Yes, it is.” I stood up, his arms sliding away, and laid our daughter in her elaborate amethyst crib—a gift from her grandpa. After settling Miri's blanket around her and closing the velvet curtains so the sunlight wouldn't bother her, I turned back to him.
Sever had gotten up and now stood there, his wings folded behind him. Just like Raza, he was dressed only in a pair of shorts. The sight of all that golden skin covering an Angel's worth of muscles drove the breath from me. But again, his expression brought me back to what was most important—love, not lust. I went into Sever's arms, and he folded himself around me.
After taking some strength from his embrace, I leaned back and looked up at him. “I couldn't do this alone, as you did. Danu gave me four husbands because she knew that. You are the reason I can go to Earth to help my people, Sever. You are staying behind, sacrificing more than any of us, so that I can do this.”
“But you're the one who will do the hunting and the . . .”
“Extinguishing?” I smiled wanly at him. “Yes, we will do what needs to be done. But action is easy compared to inaction. Waiting, wondering, and worrying are the hardest bits. It would kill me to sit here and smile for the children while you were off fighting for the Gods. I know that, and I'm so grateful to you for being willing to do it for me. Especially since I don't know if I could do it for you.”
Sever's shoulders straightened. His wings lifted as did his chin. “I didn't think you could become more miraculous.” He grinned and shook his head. “But I shouldn't be surprised. Thank you for reminding me of who I am.”
“We support each other. That's how this goes.”
He bent forward and cupped my face. “Then do what you must without a heavy heart, my love. Instead, rejoice in what we have. I'm grateful it is not our family being hunted. And in that gratitude, I can be generous. All of those Kumihos are someone's child, someone's family. I'll stay here and defend our family so you can defend another.”
“Thank you, Sever.” I pulled him down into a kiss.
As our lips melded, so did our halos. I felt him within and around me. Everywhere. Sever was right; there was no leaving him behind. I would stay with him, and he would go with me.That's how it would be with us. Forever. And what could be better than that?
Chapter Ten
“You're still here?” I asked Star as I came down the main stairs into Twilight Castle's entry hall.
Astaroth, standing atop the silver star on the floor while he spoke to my father, was dressed for war. His King's Guard stood off to the side with a couple of my father's guards. They weren't the only royal guards in the room. Two knights from each of the other King's Guards—Raza's, Tiernan's, and Daxon's—stood along the wall as well, along with Ainsley and Torquil from my Guard (Torquil having specifically requested to join). I was surprised to see Desmond there with Rodaidh. He was Daxon's number one and usually stayed in L.A. to run things when Dax was gone. But I wasn't as surprised by him as I was by Star.
