Page 60 of Awakening

Tears pricked the corners of his eyes as he watched her happily descend the mountain. Her words would never be true, no matter how hard he might wish them to be. Home was not here in this cursed realm, and when he succeeded in gathering the blood of Arthur, he would escape the dark magic that had made everything here—including that precious little girl—feel so real, and Emma would be lost to him forever.

***

“Emma, wait.” Trystan scrambled down the verdant, rocky terrain after her, realizing he should probably be the one to break the news to his husband. He caught up with her in the little vegetable garden at the bottom of the hill and lightly grasped her arm. “Emma, why don’t you and Artemis see about catching some fish for breakfast while I speak with your father about our journey?”

“All right.” Emma ran to the side of the house and grabbed a spear resting against the mud and stone. “Fish, Artemis!”

Trystan couldn’t stifle his smile nor the warmth spreading in his heart as he watched Emma bound toward the creek with limitless energy and excitement. He’d never realized how much he’d truly wanted children until she’d come along. Images flashed in his mind. Visions of him holding her when she could barely walk… nights staying up with Myrddin, taking turns looking after her when she was ill… teaching her how to spear fish… Myrddin telling her stories of dragons and mermaids, filling her life with wonder and magic…

Memories. All of them. At least it felt that way.

Trystan closed his eyes, pressing his lips firmly together. “This shouldn’t feel so real,” he whispered, but he couldn’t shake the fact that, in a way, it was.