I touch his smile with my fingers. Warmth fills my heart and pushes away my fear, but there’s still more I need to say.
“My magic.”
The word shifts the air, and Kelan’s expression hardens with instinct. “We tried to bind it for a reason.”
“That was our mission, Aura,” Darial reminds me. “What we have done for centuries.”
“What the goddess instructed us to do.” Kelan’s runes pulse with memory.
“And now?” I ask. “What is your intention now?”
“Your magic freed itself,” Ronyn says. “Even if we tried to bind it, it would find a way through.”
“It is beautiful,” I tell him. “The power to heal. The power to protect. Think about what it did tonight. It shielded you. It knocked them back without killing them. It healed us all.”
A gentle warmth starts to gather in my palms, almost like an answer.
“It isn’t within me to destroy,” I continue. “It isn’t meant to burn the world down.”
Kelan studies my hands.
“You said the goddess charged you with containing dangerous magic,” I go on. “Maybe she meant for you to find me instead.”
They remain silent so I continue.
“My magic was a beacon,” I whisper. “It drew you to me. Your seed was the catalyst. Every time you chose me… every time you loved me, it grew stronger.”
Kelan’s throat moves as he swallows.
“If I'm carrying your children,” I say, my voice growing stronger, “I need my magic. It’s part of what will keep them safe.”
A long moment passes, thenKelan inclines his head. “I won’t bind you again.”
Relief washes over me so strongly that I have to close my eyes. Ronyn pulls me to his chest, holding me tightly. Darial wraps his arms around us, and Kelan joins, surrounding us all with warmth and certainty.
“I’m sorry,” Kelan murmurs against my hair.
“For what?”
“For thinking that controlling your magic was the only way to protect you. For not being willing to challenge the commitment we gave to the goddess when we found our mate.”
I smile faintly. “I’m sorry, too.”
“For what?” Ronyn asks.
“For running into the forest alone. For putting myself at risk when there was danger all around. I wasn’t thinking and it wasn’t fair.”
“You were grieving,” Darial says.
Kelan’s hand cups my cheek. “And we should have followed immediately.”
I press a kiss to each of them in turn. To Kelan’s stern mouth, Darial’s soft smile, and Ronyn’s fierce lips.
“I won’t run alone again,” I promise.
“You have your magic, Aura. It’s time for you to learn how to wield it properly,” Darial says.
They settle me between them on the bed, their bodies curling around me. Their hands find my stomach again, gentle, and full of awe.
