Page 371 of The Gods Order

“Be nice to my sons, little troublling.”

I scoff.

“Your sons are in great hands, thank you very much.”

He shoots me a wink, shoving Meridamus out of the doorway so he can walk through. The two of them start fighting like children, so all Meridamus offers me is a bellow of goodbye as he chases Derivius down.

I’m honestly happier than I can express that over the years, they completely mended their friendship.

Granted, Iric says it’s trauma bonding between them from the damage the goddess did to the two of them.

I don’t push that subject, though.

They’re immortal. They’ll figure it all out, eventually.

The porch falls into a comfortable silence as my men and I are left alone. I sink farther into the swing as they all claim a place with me, stretching my blanket out until it covers them as well.

Kyzen settles beside me, his arm immediately finding its familiar place around my shoulders. Amick’s hand comes to rest on my thigh as both Creed and Riven reach over them to touch me.

Riven’s fingers disappear into my hair, slowly massaging my scalp while Creed’s hand settles against the back of my neck.

The steady rhythm of Riven’s humming drifts through the quiet night. Above us, the stars glitter endlessly across the sky. I smile.

“It still feels surreal sometimes, doesn’t it?”

No one answers my whisper of a question at first.

They don’t need to. Their souls and our bond speak a book’s worth of words with a single flutter.

“It feels like an eternity,” Kyzen says at last, his thumb brushing across the impression of the timepiece in his pocket that I gave him all those years ago. It still thuds to the beat of my heart. “Every second spent with you is better than the last.”

His eyes meet mine, warm and unwavering.

My, time has changed this man of mine.

He doesn’t shove his hands into his pockets anymore. His gaze doesn’t grow distant. The sunsetter with a sword going through it that’s still tattooed on his heart—that could’ve been removed by a couple of beings now—doesn’t bother him at all. If anything, it reminds him daily of how much he appreciates our time together.

Amick laces his fingers through mine and squeezes.

“I spent so many years searching for answers to so many different things. But you…still to this day, are my little anomaly. You’re my never-ending text, Mysenta.”

Emotion catches in my throat.

“Are you ever going to tell me what that means?” I ask.

A quiet, tender smile touches his lips, and I smirk at his adorable dimple. He doesn’t hide it from the realm anymore, but it’s still mostly reserved for me.

“It’s old Valorian with an Edistoia dialect,” he says. “It means my guiding star.”

My mouth parts, and he laughs low, rubbing my bottom lip with his thumb.

Creed lets out a soft breath beside us, stroking my neck in a soothing caress.

“Yeah,” he says. “Sometimes it does feel surreal.”

My gaze finds his.

“Not because I can’t believe we made it. I always believed we’d find a way. It’s everything that came after.”