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“We’re coming,” I called back in reassurance.

I turned to Nik, my hands around his waist, pulling him against me.

His breath fanned across my face and I closed my eyes, wanting to taste him. As if reading my thoughts, he leaned down, capturing my mouth with his. My lips responded without thought, devouring him. His tongue pressed against me and a low groan escaped my lips.

He laughed against my mouth, and it was easily the best thing I had ever heard. I wanted to bottle that sound so that I could listen to it—over and over again.

“Soon we will be standing here, but not among these ruins. But in a castle of our own making. I cannot wait to make love to you in our own bed beneath the moon of Siraleth. To claim you over and over again until there is no doubt in this entire realm that you belong to me.”

“Always,” I sighed against him, pulling his mouth back down to mine. “You’re mine.”

“I’m yours,” he whispered against my lips, breaking the kiss for only a moment to utter the words.

Beneath the Siraleth sun, we began building our future. Began repairing a broken realm.

I was anxious to get out and see the people, to stay in every part of the realm and learn its deepest secrets. But first, I needed to rest. To build our new home. To worship every inch of Nikolai’s body with my own. To cherish the moments I thought I would never be lucky enough to experience.

To grow closer with Annelise and build our relationship from scratch.

To appoint Zion the commander of the queen’s newly established army.

To properly grieve Tyr and Isaac.

But most importantly… to treasure the friendships I was lucky enough to make along the way. I wasn’t sure I would see the other side of this war, and I needed to take a moment to process it all.

I was the queen of Istmere. The rightful heir to the throne.

Daughter of Osiris and Annelise.

Sister to the late Queen Donika.

Best friend to Tess Fowler.

Lover to Nikolai Dragovya, and hopefully more one day.

I’d be lying if I didn’t say I thought he would make an amazing king.

His eyes narrowed at me as if he was reading my thoughts through the bond. I moved a hand to brush back the lock of golden hair that had fallen across his brow. It was growing too long, and I certainly needed to make time to cut it at some point in the coming days.

Tess cleared her throat loudly from the bottom of the hill, and I laughed when the realization hit me that she hadn’t left. She stood there, hands on her hips, tapping her foot impatiently.

I captured Nikolai’s mouth with my own one last time before turning to join Tess. Puck was behind her, a wide grin spread across his face.

I might not be Diana Barnes anymore… but I was Diana Kotova.

The last Stormshade of the Kotova bloodline.

The war was over.

AndI was home.

6 Months Later

When Zion had shown up in Siraleth with an enormous contingent of soldiers from the newly established queen’s army, I was not surprised when the time it took to build the new castle was chopped in half.

Scratch that, we built it in a quarter of the time.

Nik had made good on his promise to make love to me beneath the Siraleth moon in our own bed. Many times.