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The downpour roared harder outside.

Ronin’s fingertips pressed into Naia’s thigh as he brought his forehead to her temple. “I love you, Naia. Keep going.”

Her heart raced; its rapid beats whirring the blood in her ears. She held her breath, trapping the sob in her lungs. How dare he. A just in-case I love you.

It infuriated her enough to force out a final push.

The sweetest wail filled the room—the most beautiful sound Naia had ever heard.

Ash had her moonlit silver strands and Ronin’s eyes—dark and beautifully alive.

She blinked through her tears to look up at Ronin. He stared at their child in amazement. An awestruck sound left his mouth, eyes glistening as he turned and met her gaze.

She smiled and reached her arms out for Ash.

Tendrils of thick black smoke, flickering with topaz streaks, curled in the air and Cassian stepped out into the middle of the room. Dressed in a tailored suit with his light blonde strands slicked back. Naia’s heart crawled up her throat.

He approached Yuki from behind. Her body stiffened as she swaddled Ash in a blanket. She took her time, delicately tucking the folds around his arms, as if the High God of Death didn’t wait for her to hand him over.

Ronin slowly unbraided his arm from Naia’s leg. He straightened with his eyes fixed on Cassian like a wolf preparing its attack.

Naia’s chest heaved. The dampness of her own blood seeped down her thighs as she assessed how quickly she was healing.

The house trembled as a clash of thunder shook its foundation. A streak of lightning briefly illuminated the window.

Naia’s eyes cut over to the darkening sky through the window. The wind howled mercilessly, causing the tops of the trees to bow. The downpour roared against the roof, deafening in the tense silence of the room. Naia had a terrible feeling the storm was Levina’s and Mira’s doing.

Cassian held out his large hands to Yuki. “I’ll take what is mine now, Ms. Kahale.”

Yuki’s gaze flashed up onto Naia, holding the fierceness of a warrior. Slowly, she rotated to face the High God, the muscles of her jaws flexing, and Naia knew it was taking a decent amount of self-control to keep her mouth shut.

A sharp ardency rose up within her as she watched Cassian cradle her child. She ground her teeth, feeling the throbbing of her pulse in her gums. Tears spilled down her cheeks.

You cannot afford to be useless anymore, Naia.

“Enjoy your freedom, Little Goddess,” Cassian said.

A thick shroud of smoke wrapped around him, and his form flickered. He appeared to be anchored in place, as if gravity refused to release its hold on him.

Cassian breathed out a humorless laugh, carefully eyeing Yuki, Ronin, and then Naia. “It seems you all intend to stop me.”

Ronin jolted into motion first, the syringe secure in his grip.

From his wrist dripped a bleeding slit. A fine trail of his blood slithered across the floor and snapped at Cassian’s ankle.

Cassian lifted his leg and raised an arm as he simultaneously disappeared.

An explosion rang through the air.

The house shook. Pieces of sheetrock and siding flung through the room. Naia sprung forward and winced. Debris sliced her legs and arms. The floor’s jagged planks, warped from the explosion, puddled with rainwater. Wind violently entered the room and ripped down sketches from the wall, sending them swirling and fluttering.

The dust dispersed and Cassian and Ronin were gone, leaving a giant hole in the wall where the window used to be.

Yuki took off towards the door, pressing her palm on her forehead. Blood dripped past her fingers and down her jaw. She ripped the door open and looked over her shoulder at Naia. “I need to protect Avi!”

The witch sat on the living room floor, surrounded by a circle of lit candles and a lethal potion, chanting the incantation keeping the barrier containing Cassian alive. If his concentration broke, they’d be done for.

Disregarding the pain from childbirth between her legs, Naia crawled off the bed.