“Uncle!” A tiny voice called from the hall.
I looked behind her to see a beautiful little boy with dark skin and bouncy brown curls running towards us after being set down by Imogen. Grinning, I rushed to catch Jabari and twirled him around twice before carrying him in my arms. His jubilant laughter rang all around our castle, bringing happiness to everyone it reached.
“Look at that, he laughs just like his father,” I taunted, kissing his cheek while his ice-blue eyes glimmered with joy. Except for the crystal eyes, the boy was a mini replica of Kingston… when he still had hair.
Jabari was almost two years old, and I loved his name because it was indigenous to the Cresting Sun Empire. A tradition broken by Raithian when he began to name all of his sentries and slaves with names that didn’t represent their cultures.
“Jabari, meet my friend Suzie.” He blew her a kiss, making Suzie hide against Evie’s neck. “Awe. Love at first sight,” I joked, seeing Kingston glower at me. “Nope. Sorry. It doesn’t have the same effect as before,” I admitted. “You are way too happy now.”
He tried not to smile but failed miserably, and Willow chuckled, pulling him down for a kiss.
“We’ll meet you later for lunch, we have to give our friends the grand tour,” Evanna offered after I introduced Josh, Rebecca, and Ms. Reyes to them.
“This is the Hall of Heroes,” Evie announced when we entered what used to be the Hall of the Forgotten, now opened for anyone who wished to visit and honor our history.
Their gazes went straight to the row of portraits on the wall to our right. King Ezra and Queen Sienna’s portrait hung there, followed by Sacha Skyborne’s painting—Evie’s aunt, who had been a second mother to her after her parents died. My father’s portrait was there too, and a brand-new painting was created for my mother. The plaque at the bottom read…
“Keira Devenish.
The Brave Princess of Caelisium,
Mother to our Dragon King.”
The accord our parent’s signed now hung there too, a constant reminder of their sacrifice. It was right next to a glass case displaying the Dragon Crown, and my father’s sword… their use no longer needed now that there was peace. The Dragon ring, however, remained on my finger.
As it turned out, the Hall of the Forgotten had been the royal library before, filled with thousands upon thousands of books and scrolls that told the history of the Devenish and our world, and now it had finally resumed its purpose.
Once the tour was over, we took our friends to their respective rooms in the castle since Little Suzie needed a nap, and I knew Ms. Reyes, Josh, and Rebecca were probably tired. Promising to come for them later to take them to lunch, Evanna and I retired to our room.
“Come here, Baby.” I pulled her by the waist the second we were alone—with doors that closed this time, thank the gods.
Laughing, she wrapped her arms around my neck. “My king, I’m not sure I should be in the royal quarters with you. What will the queen say if she finds us here alone?”
Lips twitching, I brushed my mouth over hers. “She’d probably ask if she could join us. My queen is freaky like that.”
Evanna smacked my chest, and I chuckled, claiming her lips as mine. Our bodies pressed together deliciously as I deepened the kiss, my entire body awakening for her.
“You know, you looked awfully cute with Little Suzie in your arms…” I whispered. “What do you say? Should we make a tiny Dragon Shifter?”
“Ahem!” The throat clearing was distinctly familiar, and I sighed, letting go of Evie.
We turned to find half of our room swaying as it opened to the Lake of Tranquility.
My mom stood in the center of the entrance; hands held before her while she looked at me with an arched brow.
“Mom, what have I told you?” I fake-complained. “If the boat’s a-rockin’, don’t come a-knockin’.”
Evie smacked my chest again, and I grinned, walking into the Lake of Tranquility with her. Mom had visited us on and off in the past two years, and I was happy to report that she crossed the bridge to peace shortly after the battle. Now, she was on the other side of the lake with everyone she ever loved, including my father.
It wasn’t until I hugged my mom and kissed her cheek that I realized she wasn’t alone. A group of men and a woman stood behind her, all smiling at Evanna and I. I wasn’t even sure if I was supposed to see them, since only my mom had the gift of Soul Walking.
“Braxton,” she began, gesturing to the single woman behind her. “I want you to meet your grandmother, Queen Helena Aeneas.”
Holy shit.
The notion rooted me in place, sort of, because I was not only staring at my grandmother, but at the grandmother who had been trapped inside the Anima Crystallum. A beautiful smile curved the woman’s lips as I slowly walked towards her, reminding me of my mom’s, and she engulfed me in a maternal hug.
“Grandma,” I breathed, hugging her back, and feeling her love engulf me even though we hadn’t just met.
Her hand cupped my cheek when I stepped back. “You are so handsome. Definitely my grandson.”
Everyone laughed around us, but I just hugged her again, feeling truly blessed that I was able to meet her.
“Braxton,” Mom called, and I turned to see her gesturing towards the men. “These are your ancestors, and the Elders. The ones you freed from the crystal.” She stopped near a man almost as tall as Kingston. His face seemed so familiar to me somehow. “This is my granddaddy, Angus Devenish III.”
Of course, that was my great grandfather; his statue stood in the March of Kings next to my father’s. The last great king before my time. A sense of overwhelming honor whirled inside me, and I bowed to him fully, touching one knee to the ground.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, my king,” I offered, completely awestruck by his magnanimous presence. He seemed grander than the Gods.
Smiling, he bowed his head at me graciously. “The pleasure is mine, Braxton. The Devenish legacy is safe in your hands. With you in the Dragon Throne, we are at peace.”
One by one, my mom introduced them all, a privilege I never thought possible.
“Please, allow us to show our most sincere appreciations to you and your queen, for everything you sacrificed and risked freeing Caelisium,” Angus offered with a smile. “The Elders, Helena, Keira, and I, used our combined magic to reunite you, if only briefly. Take advantage of this time, for it shall not come again.”
Reunite us?
Evie and I exchanged a confused glance a moment before they all stepped aside, revealing three people standing behind them.
Time seemed to stop the moment my father began walking towards me, joined by Ezra and Sienna, Evanna’s parents. She ran into their arms the next instant, crashing against Ezra’s chest and they both hugged her fiercely. However, my full attention was on the man still walking towards me, because now I was truly frozen in place.
“Is that really you?” I asked, swallowing hard.
“I think so,” he teased, pinching his cheeks, arms, and chest like was trying to make sure. “Yep. All me. Now, are you going to hug me or just stand there, because Ezra, Sienna, and their daughter are putting us to shame.”