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I lapsed before her, took her face in my hands, and brought her in for a slow, sensual kiss. My heart had raced the whole time she was gone, and her touch soothed it instantly.

She was okay.

Hana was okay. Venark was okay. Heylel was too.

We had a plan. We were in the mortal world, all the par animarum were gathered behind me, my children were playing in the corner, my wife was home, and we had a plan. Life would return to normal.

I couldn’t believe it. It was too good to be true. It couldn’t have been this easy, could it have?

“They got the barricade down,” Rafael said behind me. “They’re moving in now.”

I pulled away from Véa, turning over my shoulder. “Do they need help?”

“A thousand men should be able to take one into custody,” Lux said. “All’s well now.”

I’d believe that when I saw Michael imprisoned.

For now, I lapsed the gown I’d brought for Véa into my arms and handed it to her. As she dressed, Stella and Cere guarded Heylel while he did the same.

Once Véa was clothed, I helped her to her feet, and we returned to the table at the head of the room.

I gazed upon Hana and Venark embracing one another for a moment, letting relief wash over me. Since the moment they’d died, I’d had hope that they’d return home. Now, they were.

It was far too surreal.

They were in new bodies. The ones they wore may’ve resembled who they’d once been in some capacity, but they were vastly different. What shocked me most was that we knew they’d been together the entirety of this life. These bodies had known one another since their souls were thrusted into them.

But it was now that they held one another so close and wept into each other’s chests. I supposed because the relationship they’d had here was so shallow in comparison to the time they’d spent together.

I wanted to hug my sister. I wanted to tell her how happy I was that she was home. But I wouldn’t break the moment they were sharing for anything.

“What’re you doing, Papa?” Mirobhail asked from the far end of the hall, squinting at me.

We never told them.

When Hana, Venark, and Pa were killed, we never told them. We said they were busy on another world, and that was all. They asked when they could see them again, and we brushed it off with a quick, “Oh, one day, esiasch.”

Now, we had to explain why their aunt and uncle didn’t look how they once had.

I had no idea what I’d tell them when they asked about their grandfather.

“They’ve got him,” Rafael said, exhaling with relief. “They’ve got Michael.”

* * *

An hour later, Véa and the children were back in our home. The respite that came with walking in that door was incomparable. But I needed more than respite. I needed to look the little shit in the eye.

Véa said she would one day, but not today.

As such, I left her with Brynn at home. Rafael, Lux, and I went through the egress to Matriax. Upon landing, Rafael lapsed us to the prison.

Wall to wall Elvan ore. The floors were no different. It reminded me a great deal of the castles on Morduaine. The only difference was the energy.

I wasn’t an empath, but I didn’t have to be. This place was full of so much hate, it swallowed the air whole and infected it with resentment and fury.

From the cells we walked past came phrases I hadn’t heard in so long.

“Bastards don’t deserve kingdoms.”