Page 68 of Nanny for the Demon's Twins

He snorts. "Might as well get it out of the way."

I catch Mira's eye across the room where she's chatting with Arnon, a friend of Vashti. Her smile still takes my breath away.

"Everyone!" I call out, my voice carrying over the chatter. The room falls quiet. "Mira and I have an announcement."

Mira moves to my side, her hand finding mine. The twins crowd around our legs, vibrating with barely-contained excitement - we told them this morning.

"We've decided we're having the mating ceremony next month," I say. We've been taking our time planning, not that it's stopped everyone from asking when it's going to happen. "And we'd be honored if-"

The rest of my words are drowned out by cheers. Arnon actually jumps up and down, while Dezoth's booming laugh fills the room. Vashti dabs at her eyes with her sleeve.

"Finally!" old Kazik shouts from his corner. "Took you forever to finally get it handled!"

Mira buries her face in my chest, but I can feel her laughing. The twins join the celebration, Luna creating tiny fireworks above our heads while Nova turns everyone's drinks different shades of purple.

The celebration winds down as the twins start to droop, Nova's head nodding against my shoulder while Luna fights to keep her eyes open in Mira's arms. The walk home is peaceful, broken only by Luna's sleepy mumbles about purple cookies.

We tuck them into bed together, a routine we've perfected over the months. I brush Nova's curls from her forehead while Mira adjusts Luna's blanket just the way she likes it. Their matching violet eyes flutter closed as Mira hums their favorite lullaby.

"Come with me." I take Mira's hand once we're sure they're asleep.

In the months since I thought I lost Mira, we've worked on our communication. I tell her when something bothers me, she tells me about her nightmares, and we don't let our past hurt us. It seems to be going well.

So I wanted to do this.

In our room, I pull a leather-bound book from my bedside drawer. The cover is worn smooth, edges softened by years of handling. "I've been waiting for the right moment to share this."

Mira settles beside me on the bed, her fingers tracing the embossed demon runes. "What is it?"

"Ash and Sarah's journal. They started it when they found out about the twins." I open to the first page where a sketch shows Sarah laughing as ASh tries to build a crib. "My brother was terrible at drawing, but he insisted on documenting everything."

"They look so happy." Mira's voice catches as she turns the pages. There's Sarah's elegant handwriting describing their first kicks, Ash's messy scrawl telling jokes about midnight cravings. Photos show the proud parents holding their newborns, Sarah's tired smile, Ash's horns gleaming as he cradles his daughters.

"Sarah wrote letters to the girls." I flip to the middle section. "She wanted them to know their story, how their parents fell in love despite everything."

Mira traces Sarah's words with gentle fingers. "A demon noble and a human healer. They must have faced so much opposition."

"Ash didn't care. Said Sarah was worth fighting the whole damn world for." I watch Mira's face as she reads. "Sound familiar?"

She looks up at me, green eyes shining. "Thank you for sharing this with me, Karn. For trusting me with their memory."

"You're their mother now. You deserve to know where they came from. All of it." I pull her close, breathing in the scent of herbs and home. "And you're worth fighting for too."

30

MIRA

The late afternoon sun streams through the garden's floating flowers, pinks and purples that compliment our eyes - Nova and Luna's latest magical creation. The flowers bob gently in the air, creating an ethereal canopy above our gathered community.

"Those little ones have outdone themselves." Mrs. Blackwood adjusts her apron, dusted with the day's flour. She's spent all day baking for our celebration. Her weathered face breaks into a smile as Nova chases a particularly vibrant violet flower. "Though I do hope they don't decide to make my bread float next."

"Too late for that." I laugh, remembering last week's incident at the bakery. "At least they only lifted the honey rolls."

Vashti sidles up beside me, her dark curls adorned with the floating blooms that seem drawn to her. "You look radiant." She squeezes my hand. "Who would've thought that grumpy blacksmith would end up being your perfect match?"

I glance across the garden where Karn stands with Deozth, both men deep in conversation about swords or something. Even now, on our mating day, Karn's sleeves are rolled up, revealing the intricate burns and scars that map his dedication to his craft.

A shriek of laughter draws everyone's attention. Luna has somehow managed to create a shower of rainbow sparkles that trail behind her as she runs. Nova, not to be outdone, waves her tiny hands and turns her sister's hair a brilliant shade of purple.

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