Lorcan knocked on an unassuming door. It opened instantly. A huge guard patted us down. My husband’s scowl as I got frisked was hilarious. To this day, he does not like it when anyone is overly familiar with my person. I bit my lower lip and smiled.
“Keep that up and your birthday evening will be very short,” he murmured.
“Mm, I doubt that.”
We’ve earned our reputation for scandalous PDAs, but even I was thankful for the dark hallway when Lorcan pinned me against the wall and curled his tongue into my mouth. I held him there, wanting more, promising everything, for a long time.
“It’s a good thing I haven’t put on lipstick yet,” I laughed when he released me.
“Go on. I’ll mess it up again later.” Lorcan skimmed his hand down my bare back and waited while I popped open a compact. Then he led me upstairs to the big reveal.
A nightclub. I clapped delightedly.
I outgrew the clubbing scene before I had a chance to really experience it, which is probably for the best. My few forays didn’t go that well. This is a grown-up version, a fancy speakeasy-style club for the rich and famous. Which, these days, includes us.
We haven’t exactly achieved world peace, but Auralia punches far above its weight in terms of global influence. Our mysterious violet liquid, which no one has yet chemically identified, has massively undercut the global use of fossil fuels. By selling it to the biggest polluters and the smallest developing nations alike, we more or less single-handedly took out the oil and gas industry. Climate goals are finally getting on track.
A lot of powerful people arepissed.
Humayun’s petroleum fortunes declined precipitously, which threw Trissau into a bloody succession battle. Interestingly, Sohrab emerged victorious and became king in his own right. He modernized the country to the point that Hallie, Laila, their mother, and Cyrus are free to come and go as they wish. Cyrus moved back home, taking with him a Mysec husband. Trissau is now our closest trading partner.
Ours might not have been a disastrous union, though it wouldn’t have been a happy one. I would always have missed Lorcan, had I gone through with it. (Lorcan is less philosophical about it, barely tolerating Sohrab, and vice versa.)
We sell our energy liquid subject to certain conditions, pressuring countries large and small to invest in decarbonization, education and habitat preservation. Despite this, demand is higher than ever, and our Treasury is bursting at the seams.
The Sentinels were a warning about technology and how much we rely upon it. They were never meant to save us. But their power source has been a gift to all humanity.
“Our table is over there.” Lorcan gestured to an alcove with teal velvet seats and a silver tin wall, the space ornamented with a sparkly glass chandelier. Raina waved.
“This is amazing.” I clutched his forearm and followed closely behind him.
Tovian bussed my cheek in greeting, as did Arya, Scarlett, Hallie and her wife. Laila and Damir sat crushed together at the back of the huge booth, along with Palla and Bennet. Still inseparable.
“Happy birthday!” Arya called out.
Drinks. Cake. Laughter. It’s a night of freedom in the outside world, made possible by the very man who curtailed my first attempted foray all those years ago in Beijing.
I squeezed his knee.
“Raina, you’re not drinking?” Lorcan asked. Tovian smirked. Proud father, again, and the only man I’ve ever met who’s as besotted with his wife as mine is. Raina and I are both incredibly lucky.
“Number five, due next Midwinter.” She sighed. “Hoping for a girl this time.”
Four boys. I can’t even imagine. One is enough for me.
Our son’s arrival was a complete shock. We were expecting a third girl, when out came a little boy instead. Lorcan loves our daughters without question, but he was delighted to have a son. It wasn’t supposed to be possible; he, of course, took this as a sign that the Goddess has shown her favor.
Can’t really argue that we’ve led her country into a golden age. Not that I believe in such nonsense, but the legends are clear. Auralia only sends sons to her progeny when her line is secure.
Ileana—Lili, for short—our eldest, inherited all of my studiousness and her father’s devotion to our religion. She’s likely to become the next High Priestess of Auralia as soon as she’s old enough—a duty I am more than happy to surrender whenever she’s ready.
Catrya, our middle child, is a warrior like her father—all scraped knees and elbows and playing with pointy objects. Palla adores her and Tahra is teaching her all the Covari secrets, alongside Lorcan. He’s also taken the lead in Sethi’s training. Cata’s protege is training her son. There’s a symmetry to it that’s both sad and wonderful. I wish she were here to see it. My father, too. He got a lot of things wrong, but he was still my dad. I like to think he would’ve been a better father to Sethi than he was to me.
I keep hoping Ronan will be a scientist after my own heart. At two, he certainly seems interested in testing concepts like gravity, velocity, and his nursemaid’s patience. I love my children with my whole heart.
Lorcan swept back my hair and leaned in to whisper, “Would you like to dance?”
“Always.”
