"You were with Drak this whole time?" I asked, not hiding the smile on my face.
Kristan glanced away toward the orc, who was approaching with a wide grin.
"Yes. He’s... interesting."
I arched an eyebrow but said nothing. She could tell me everything when we were alone, without so many ears nearby.
"I’m glad he kept you safe." I pinched her cheek with a hand that was now significantly larger than her face. Then I turned to Drak. "Thank you for looking after her."
Drak gazed at Kristan with a look far too intense to be innocent. I felt a twinge in my heart for Kalisha, since the female clearly had feelings for him. Fortunately, she stayed in Oksha to protect the village.
"It was a pleasure, akra’yn," Drak replied, his voice deep and his smile wider than usual. He turned toward Kristan and winked. "She is the most beautiful flower I have ever seen in my life," he said in Okshakai, taking advantage of the fact that my friend only understood the Common tongue.
Kristan shook her head, confused, and giggled.
"What? I didn't understand a single word."
I gave Drak a discreet nudge with my elbow, but he only laughed, amused, and shook his head.
"Nothing much.”
"Well," my mother interrupted with a weary yet satisfied sigh, "I've loved the reunions, but what I really need now is abath and a good night's sleep." She cast a firm look at us. "It’s time for us to leave."
I exchanged a silent look with Malek. There was no doubt there, only the quiet certainty of someone who had already made their choice. I approached my parents, my heart racing.
"Mama, Papa…" I said softly, without preamble. "I’m going back to Oksha."
Her eyes widened.
"But… I just found you again. Won't you stay with us for even a day, Fionnuala?"
I took her hands in mine, gently stroking them, trying to express all that words could not.
"No, Mama. They need me now." Then I smiled calmly. "But Ceilte is in good hands."
My mother opened her mouth to argue, the protest already on the tip of her tongue.
"Darling, Fiona now has her own responsibilities," my father said gently. His eyes, though sad, also held a glimmer of pride. "Let her walk her own path. And when she can, she’ll come to visit us."
My father embraced me, the gesture carrying the weight of a temporary farewell, yet brimming with love.
"Take care of yourself, my dear. And take care of your people."
"I will, Papa."
Leone approached, his blue eyes amused.
"I'm going to miss you, sis. But I know you're in the right place."
"Take care of Mom and Dad, and don't marry the first Fae female they throw at you." I winked at him, and he laughed, pulling me into an embrace.
"I promise to try."
Finally, it was my mother’s turn. She tried hard, but she couldn’t disguise her tears. Sensing that she was about to break down, I hugged her tightly.
“No one ever prepares a mother to lose her little girl,” she sniffled against my chest.
"You’ll never lose me, Mama."
