Page 44 of Demon Daddy's Secret Twins

Kaelar tugs my hand. "Watch this!" He dives under, his small form cutting through the crystal water. When he surfaces, his grin stretches wide. "Did you see?"

"I did." Pride swells in my chest. "You're getting better at holding your breath."

Sorien wades closer, those mismatched eyes studying my face. He has her way of looking right through people, seeing what they try to hide. "You're sad."

My wings curl forward, sheltering him from the breeze. "Not sad. Just thinking."

"About Mama?" He presses his small hand against my chest. "She gets that look too."

The tightness in my throat grows. Of course she does. We both lost something precious - time we can't get back. But maybe...maybe we haven't lost everything. We can figure this out, how to forgive and trust each other.

I need to talk to her. Really talk, not just these careful exchanges about the boys. We need to clear the air between us, drain the poison of misunderstanding and hurt. Because watching our sons play, seeing how they've grown without me - it's not enough. I want all of it. The quiet mornings, the shared smiles, the family we could have been.

The family we still could be.

I shift closer to the water's edge, keeping both boys in sight. Kaelar dives under again, popping up near his brother with a splash that makes Sorien giggle. Their joy spreads through my chest like sunlight.

"Watch!" Kaelar waves his arms, trying to swim in circles. His movements are uncoordinated but determined, just like everything else he does.

Sorien inches deeper, the water now at his chest. His different-colored eyes track his brother's motions, studying before he attempts the same. Always the careful one.

A strange ripple passes through the air. The gold lines along my arms begin to glow, responding to... something. Magic crackles across my skin, foreign yet familiar.

Kaelar stops swimming, his small face scrunching in confusion. "My hands feel funny."

Sorien's eyes go wide. "Mine too?—"

The water around them starts to churn. Their bronze skin takes on an otherworldly sheen, power radiating off them in waves I've never felt before. It's raw, untamed - a spike of magic responding to their excitement.

"Boys—" I surge forward, but the magic pulses outward. I press against it, moving closer, but they aren’t quite in reach.

Kaelar reaches for his brother, their fingers barely touching. Sorien's mismatched eyes flash both glowing like embers. The air grows thick, heavy with power that shouldn't be possible for children their age.

Magic explodes around them in a blinding surge. Water sprays up, obscuring my view for a fraction of a second. When it clears, the waves settle back into gentle ripples.

My sons are gone.

The world stops. My heart pounds against my ribs as I surge through the water, wings spread wide. "Kaelar! Sorien!" Their names tear from my throat, echoing across the empty beach.

Nothing.

I dive beneath the surface, scanning the crystal depths. No sign of bronze skin or dark hair. The water's too calm, too still - as if they were never here.

Magic still crackles in the air, remnants of whatever power just manifested. The gold lines across my skin pulse with it, responding to their energy. Our magic is so closely tied to emotion, and they must have been too excited to control it.

I burst from the water, wings spreading wide as I launch into the air. The beach blurs beneath me as I soar toward the village center. Lamain will know what to do. He has to. He's protected this island for years, knows its magic better than anyone.

The treetop paths flash past. I spot his home - larger than the others, with intricate protective runes carved into every surface. My feet hit the platform hard enough to shake the boards.

"Lamain!" I slam my fist against his door. The wood cracks under the impact.

The door swings open. Lamain stands there, his massive ram horns catching the morning light. His indigo eyes narrow at my state - soaked, wild-eyed, magic still crackling across my skin.

"The twins—" The words catch in my throat. "They're gone. Their magic flared. I couldn't—" I grip the doorframe, wood splintering under my fingers. "Help me find them."

His expression shifts from confusion to sharp focus. "Tell me everything. Now."

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