The bed cradles us, its silken sheets cooling against our overheated skin.
Outside, the sea hums its eternal rhythm, not menacing but gentle, like a lullaby sung just for us.
For a moment, the past is nothing more than a shadow lingering at the edge of the room.
It cannot touch me here.
Not when Phoebe—perfect, precious, utterly present—lies against me, her small body curved to mine, her trust wrapping tighter than any chain.
She doesn’t just hold my heart.
She holds my future in her hands, and I let her.
I close my eyes.
And when the dark comes, it does not frighten me. Doesn’t hold ghosts.
For the first time in my long life, it feels safe—because she is beside me.
Because if the night dares to wake me with my past sins, Phoebe will be here to help me face them.
And for the first time, I believe that will be enough.
For the first time, Kael of Nightfall, Titan Lord of Water, is whole because I have found my true viyella.
Epilogue 1: Phoebe
A Few Days Later—Castletide
Kael is in a meeting with his brothers from other mothers—the other Lords.
Air, Fire, Earth.
Alaric, Thorne, and Dagan.
Yeah, the whole elemental Avengers lineup.
It’s still surreal.
I keep having to remind myself that this is my life now—living inside what is basically a fantasy romance novel.
Only this one comes with a lot more blood, politics, and responsibility than the paperbacks ever warned me about.
Kael and Alaric created a sort of FaceTime Mirror for me and Jules to chat daily, and we make time to do so daily.
It’s nice to have a friend.
And really, I have a couple of them, I think, and I smile at that.
Amber hums softly as she works beside me, quill scratching against parchment.
We’re going through the list of villagers who came flooding into Castletide for protection during the battle.
Kael was thrilled when I told him I wanted to be involved.
I am theLadyof Castletide, after all.
It’s kind of my job to help put things back in order. The thought makes my chest ache a little, in a good way. So here I am, checking names, sending families back to their homes with enough food and supplies to help them rebuild.
