The Silent: Irin Chronicles Book Five(94)

Daughter of heaven

Daughter of heaven

Reshon

“I have waited so long for you,” Leo whispered.

Kyra put her arms around his neck, holding him so tightly he nearly lost his breath.

“I have crossed continents,” he continued. “I have fought battles. I have seen wonders, my love. But nothing that could ever compare to this moment.”

She couldn’t speak, but he heard her in his mind. He more than heard her, he knew her.

I love you.

You are my mate.

You are my reshon.

You are my home.

Leo felt his magic rise and meet hers in a kiss. Kyra rocked over him as her body tightened around him. He felt the latent power of his climax starting at his toes, growing and building as their bodies and souls became one.

Kyra’s lips met Leo’s, and he saw stars when he closed his eyes, rising and chasing each other across the sky. He heard the chorus of the heavens and the harmony of their union. He heard it as they came together, falling as they flew.





Epilogue





They stayed in Phuket for two weeks, experimenting with magic, touring the islands by boat, and resting. They slept late. They made love in the middle of the day. They went to night markets and swam under the stars.

And then they went home.

The plane to Istanbul landed in midafternoon; they heard the afternoon call of the muezzin as they crossed the Hali? Bridge.

Kyra had been in Istanbul many times, but this time she was returning as a member of a large family, not as a visitor. She’d spoken to Ava on the phone, and her friend had been ecstatic that Kyra and Leo would be living at the house. She was eager for company beyond Malachi’s brothers and Mala, who split time between Cappadocia and the city. She was full of plans and news for her new sister, eager to introduce Kyra to more magical practice as well as having another female in the house full-time.

Kyra was still unsure how well she would manage in a large communal environment. She realized she was tapping her toes and pulling at the seam of the dress she’d bought in Thailand.

Leo squeezed her hand. “Nervous?”

She smiled. “A little.”

“If it gets to be too much, you have to tell me.”

“I will.”

“My brothers can be annoying.”

“I’ll tell you.”

“Especially my cousin. He means well, but—”

“Leo, I promise.” She leaned over and kissed his cheek. “I’ll tell you if I need some time alone.”

Their cab wound through the old streets of Beyo?lu, dodging pedestrians and pushcarts. When they pulled up to the familiar wooden house, she saw Malachi and Ava standing outside, two small children held in their arms.

“The babies?” Kyra asked, her mouth agape.

“Not so small anymore.”

“No, they’re not.” Kyra’s heart leapt at the sight.

The little girl and boy bounced in their parents’ arms, excited and waving at the bright yellow cab. Ava and Malachi scrambled to hold them, picking up a toy that went flying and laughing at their children’s antics.

“Can we have one?” she asked without thinking.

“Please.”

She turned to see Leo grinning.

Kyra’s nerves fled. This was no trial. She would not have to prove herself. This was family. True family. As Leo grabbed their suitcases from the back of the cab and paid the driver, Kyra walked to Ava, who had tears in her eyes.

“I knew it,” Ava said, grabbing Kyra in a one-armed hug. “I knew it. I’ve waited so many years for you two to figure it out.” She sniffed. “And look at me. I’m a mess, but I knew it.”

Malachi looked just as pleased, though he wasn’t crying. “Can I help?” he called.

“I’ve got it.” Leo joined them on the sidewalk, setting their suitcases down.

Malachi reached out for Leo and embraced his brother with a hard pat on the back as the little girl he carried shouted questions at Leo in Turkish.

“Ask me,” Malachi said. “I’ve waited a long time to answer this question for another.”

Leo cleared his throat and stepped back, taking Kyra’s hand in his. “Watcher, does the fire still burn in this house?”

“It does,” Malachi said. “And you are welcome to its light. You and your own.”

Ava grinned. “I totally know what that means now!”

Kyra was still a little confused. “What does it mean?”

“It means you’re home.” Ava grabbed her hand. “You’re totally, one hundred percent, home.”



“I can’t believe they did all this,” Kyra said, staring at the stars from the roof of the new cottage behind the main house. Someone had put a low wooden bed on the roof, covered in blankets and pillows. It was the perfect place to enjoy the night breeze and listen to the sounds of the city.

“They’ve been planning to buy the house next door as soon as the owners were ready to sell. There was an elderly couple who lived there for fifty years. They passed last year, but their children were trying to decide if they wanted the money more than the house.”

“I guess they voted for the money.”

“Which is good for us. Tearing down the wall between the houses was easy and it doubled the garden and courtyard space, which will be nice for the children. Plus”—he tugged a lock of her hair—“I think everyone was getting a little crowded in the main house.”