"Someone has to make sure you don't talk our uncle's friend to death before dessert," Eda said, falling into step beside them.
Banu materialised at Nesilhan's elbow. "Those children are the finest things you've ever produced, Nesi. And I include your assassination record in that assessment."
"High praise from you."
"The highest. I never compliment people. It gives them unreasonable expectations." Banu's gaze followed Yaman andEda as they led Sarp toward the palace doors. Something flickered in her lavender eyes—quick and deep, gone almost before I caught it. Pride, maybe. Or the particular tenderness of someone who had watched children grow up and couldn't quite believe how fast it had happened.
Kaan stepped beside Hakan as our group moved toward the palace. His voice dropped, the humor still there but underlaid with something genuine.
"She's remarkable. Your Ada." He said it simply, without his usual edge. "The daughter of Gün Ata, standing in the heart of the Shadow Realm and not flinching. Not many could do that."
Hakan looked at his brother. "She's braver than I deserve."
"Probably." Kaan's grin returned. "But you're an Erlik-blooded shadow lord who fell in love with the Light God's daughter and accidentally unleashed your divine power in bed. If that's not dramatic enough to deserve her, nothing is."
"If I end up liking you," Hakan said, "I'm going to be furious about it."
"That's the spirit. Emir, did you hear? My brother hates me. We're bonding."
"Noted, my lord," Emir said from behind them, his voice perfectly neutral. "I'll add it to the log."
"There's a log?" Hakan asked.
"There is not a log," Emir said. "But there should be."
Nesilhan fell into step beside me, her golden eyes catching the bioluminescent glow of the garden as we left it behind."Welcome to the family, Ada," she said softly. "It's louder than you'd expect."
I looked ahead—at Hakan walking beside his brother for the first time, at Sarp already laughing with Yaman and Eda, at Banu darting between groups like a silver-haired comet, at Emir trailing behind, dignity long since surrendered to this household.
"I think," I said, "it's exactly right."
CHAPTER 28
SHADOW REALM
Hakan
I woke to Ada's fingers tracing patterns across my chest, her light magic dancing playfully across my skin.
"Morning," she murmured against my neck, her breath warm.
"Morning, starlight." I pulled her closer, breathing in jasmine and sunlight. Last night had been extraordinary — meeting Kaan, watching Banu ask whether Ada had screamed during our first time while Nesilhan tried to physically shield her from the fairy's interrogation, seeing my brother formally acknowledge Ada's rank as Gün Ata's daughter with a respect that had surprised us both. And then the children. Yaman with his easy grin and Eda with her father's sharp tongue. A niece and nephew I'd never known existed, leading Sarp off to try shadow bread like they'd known us for years instead of hours.
I'd fallen asleep thinking about Kaan's arm around Nesilhan. The way Emir trailed behind them all with patient endurance. The sound of Banu cackling at something Sarp said as their voices faded down the corridor.
Family. I had a family.
Everything the Light Realm had taught me about this place was a lie. I'd walked through streets where children played freely. I'd watched a woman sell pastries from a cart while shadow-finches stole crumbs from her windowsill. I'd eaten dinner with my brother's family — a shadow lord married to a light-bearer for two centuries, raising children who laughed instead of cowered.
Everything was backwards.
"You're thinking too much," Ada said, kissing my jaw.
"I'm thinking about how much time we have before breakfast."
She laughed. "Not enough for what you're thinking."
"You don't know what I'm thinking."
