Page 95 of Joined By Magic

The doors opened, and a doctor dressed in immaculate white scrubs waved us through. He bowed to Leo. “Welcome, Your Highness. They’re ready to greet you. Follow me.”

The room looked more like a posh hotel suite than a hospital. Richly furnished with a large table and a sofa decked out in red-and-gold fabric, only the medical equipment discreetly placed in the corner gave away its true purpose.

Talia reclined on the sofa, a tiny bundle in her arms. Her hair, freshly washed, cascaded over her shoulders, and the white hospital gown complimented her glowing complexion. She looked like a fertility goddess. I caught Leo’s eye. Score one to me.

“Hello. Have a seat,” Talia greeted us quietly. She smiled at me. “Come on. You must be dying to hold him.”

I was. Talia passed the baby over, and I breathed in his clean, newborn scent. Perfect. His eyes fluttered open, and I caught a glimpse of deepest brown. He’d inherited those from his dad.

Leo slid his arm around my back, and we studied the baby in silence, as people always do with newborns. There was something magical about brand-new babies. Tiny specs of possibility, everything ahead of them.

The door to the rear of the room opened, and Adante entered, dressed in soft charcoal trousers and tunic. I blinked. I’d never seen him out of his full royal regalia. He looked different. Less scary. He strode over and glared down at me. “Make sure you support his head. They’re very fragile at this age.”

“We’ve done it a few times,” Leo said, exasperated, but he got to his feet. “Congratulations.” The two men performed an awkward back-pat, while Talia rolled her eyes at me.

“So, have you named him yet?” I asked. Leo sat down beside me and squeezed my knee.

Talia’s face split in a wide grin. “Yes. A fight I actually won. He’s named Heston, in honor of my mother.”

“Lovely.” I glanced at Leo. “Nice and simple.”

Adante looked at Talia, and for a moment, his face softened into an indulgent smile. “Not my first choice, but it’s a strong name. Crown Prince Heston.” His voice held oceans of pride.

An hour later, we left them to rest. We walked back through the palace, stopping to sit on a bench in one of the small courtyards. Dusk was falling, and the sunset blazed through the transparent ceiling. I’d admit one thing. The Ataran palace was prettier than Dexia’s, hands down.

A thought nagged me as we sat, fingers twined, watching the sky fade to black. “Do you wish we’d waited?”

Leo turned to face me. “Waited for what?”

“To have kids. Then you could have passed on your strength.” As mixed children, our kids would be non-mages. They wouldn’t inherit any of Leo’s incredible ability.

Leo frowned and gripped my hand. “No. And don’t you dare say that again. I never want to hear that from you.” His voice was stern, edging toward anger.

“Sorry.”

“I mean it. I don’t give a shit about my bloodline. Never have.” He pulled me into a hug. “All I care about is you and the kids. That’s it.”

I smiled into his shoulder. I believed him. He let me go. “Come on. They’ve probably killed the nanny and are feasting on her corpse.”

I whacked him on the arm. “That’s disgusting.”

He shrugged. “Either that or she’ll be having a breakdown. Let’s go and see.”

He took my hand, and we got to our feet. A weirdly normal existence, in the middle of an extraordinary life. I’d change nothing. Not one single thing, if I could. Leo kissed me on the lips, and we set off, walking together.

Talia

The door shut behind them. I sighed and closed my eyes. Adante had kept most visitors away but made an exception for his brother. Usually, I’d be happy to spend hours with Liv, trying to shock her with scandalous gossip or unusual things I’d seen, but the short visit had worn me out. Adante settled next to me, and I handed Heston over to him.

I couldn’t keep the smile from my lips as I watched him cradle our tiny son. He’d struggled during my pregnancy, nightmares about his own childhood returning full force. In the pitch black of our bedroom, he’d clutched his hand protectively over my swelling stomach, promising our unborn child he’d do better. That he wouldn’t turn into a monster, like his father.

Seeing the adoration on his face as he kissed Heston’s forehead, I believed every word.

This time together was a gift. An oasis of calm in our crazy, turbulent life. Adante hadn’t bothered trying to make slow changes in Atar. As soon as the crown was on his head, he announced me as his queen and threatened anyone who spoke out against it with execution. Strong, but it got the job done.

Over the next year, he legalized all mixed relationships, made education free to everyone—mages and non-mages alike—and dropped the guardian shield to permit movement of people in and out of Atar. Many non-mages fled to Alaria, but the huge amount of jobs and industry he created meant some were moving back. Atar was wealthier than ever, and well on its way to becoming a world superpower.

He’d survived four assassination attempts in the first year, but people seemed to accept the changes now.

---