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"Trinity needs time to recover." I keep my voice neutral, though something fierce and protective surges through me at the mention of her name. "We haven't discussed what comes after."
My mother's eyes narrow slightly. "The arrangement was temporary, as I recall."
"It was."
"And yet?" She raises one perfectly arched eyebrow.
I look down at Liora, sleeping peacefully in my arms. Her tiny features—so much like Trinity's, yet with unmistakable traces of demon heritage—stir something profound in my chest.
"And yet nothing has gone according to plan since the moment I met her," I admit.
To my surprise, my mother chuckles. "Love rarely does."
I snap my head up. "I didn't say anything about?—"
"You didn't have to." She traces a finger gently over Kaelin's cheek. "I've never seen you look at anyone the way you look at her... or these little ones."
The observation lands like a physical blow. I've been so focused on navigating these unfamiliar feelings that I hadn't realized how transparent they've made me.
"It's not weakness, Vaelrix," my mother says, reading my thoughts as she's always been able to do. "Caring for your family—protecting what's yours—that's our most fundamental strength."
I exhale slowly, looking at my daughter's peaceful face. "I didn't expect this. Any of it."
"The best things in life are rarely expected." She transfers Kaelin back to me with practiced ease. "Now, I have meetings to attend, but I'll return next week with gifts for my granddaughters."
I walk her to the door, both twins cradled against my chest. She pauses at the threshold, reaching up to touch my face—a gesture so unexpected I nearly flinch.
"You've created something beautiful here, Vaelrix. Don't let your pride ruin it."
With that cryptic advice, she's gone, leaving me standing in the doorway with my daughters warm against my chest.
I carry the twins upstairs, their tiny bodies nestled perfectly against me. The nursery I built adjacent to Trinity's room is bathed in soft light from enchanted lanterns that glow like trapped stars. I bought each piece of furniture myself, carved the wooden cribs with protective runes hidden in decorative patterns, selected the softest fabrics for their bedding.
I place them in their cribs with care, marveling at how something so small could command my entire existence so completely. Kaelin squirms, her tiny fists batting the air before settling. Liora simply sighs, her gold eyes blinking slowly before closing.
"How did you two take over my life so completely?" I whisper, trailing a finger over Kaelin's cheek. "I've tracked the most dangerous criminals across two planets without hesitation, but the thought of anything happening to either of you terrifies me."
A knock at the front door pulls me from my reverie. I check that both girls are settled before quietly closing the nursery door, leaving it open just enough to hear if they wake.
Trinity's door is closed, and I pause outside it, listening for her steady breathing. Good. She's finally getting some rest.
The knock comes again as I descend the stairs. I pull open the door to find a courier—a young demon with barely-sprouting horns—clutching a sealed document.
"Bounty Hunter Rennick?" he asks, eyes widening as he takes in my full height.
"What is it?" I keep my voice low.
"New contract, sir. High priority." He thrusts the document toward me. "Commissioner Drez said you'd want to see it immediately, despite your... leave of absence."
I take the sealed parchment, noticing the official stamp of Aerasak's Bounty Commission. "Wait here."
Breaking the seal, I unfold the document and scan its contents. Shock rolls through me as the target's name jumps out at me.
Captain Drez'kor of Galmoleth.
The face sketched on the parchment is unmistakable—the same demon who had his hands on Trinity at that party, the one who planned to claim her permanently. The same one I tricked with a false messenger to get him away from her.
Charged with conspiracy, theft of valuable assets, and abandonment of post.