Page 198 of Song of Her Siren

I remembered Tari telling me Helian had spent months recovering from broken bones after his first flight with Radnor.

Helian’s cheeks colored. “He’ll be fine.” Then he handed Isabeau to her mother. “But Radnor and I will go flying with them just in case.”

Will you go flying with me, Goddess?Isa projected to me through thought.

I squinted up at the sky, the evening sun piercing my eyes.I will go with you tonight if you like.

My sister and her family had only just arrived, and I was anxious to spend time with Isabeau. My mates and I still hadn’t been blessed with our own children, so I relished every opportunity to hold Isabeau.

“Happy Liberation, Auntie!”

I gave a start when Ember and Aurora giggled behind me. I turned toward them as they walked into the garden with Cassandra and Gadea behind them. Aurora held her betrothed’s arm, a permanent smile etched into her features, and Ember carried a little black rabbit, Demon’s son Beau, in her arms. Demon and Angel had both passed peacefully a few years ago after a long, happy life together (not even Tari can heal old age), but not before giving us an accidental litter after Finn had mixed up their herbs to prevent pregnancy with the Sirenshade herb, the same herb Tari had accidentally given Helian when they’d first met.

Everyone had received a bunny from that litter—my parents, Aurora, Ember, and even me. My mother doted on her rabbit as if it was her child, letting him sleep in their bed and steal salad off her plate. Aurora had lost interest in her rabbit after falling in love with Teddy, so now I had two rabbits, both girls with soft, white fur. They lived in our garden during the day and slept in our sitting room at night. Sometimes Tari and Ember caught them playing with the spirits of Demon, Angel, and Wolfy in our garden.

“Happy Liberation, girls.” I sat up, warmth flooding my heart when the girls each kissed my cheek. “Good evening, Teddy,” I said to our cousin, a handsome duke now who was set to wed Aurora this summer.

Helian pulled out chairs for Cassandra and Gadea opposite us. I licked my lips when I saw they brought three bottles of spiced wine from Elisi. Adrean sat at the far end of the table, careful to look anywhere but in Cassandra’s direction. After all this time, I would’ve thought they could talk amicably. They shared two brave shifter sons and four shifter grandchildren, after all. I supposed ignoring each other was better than acknowledging that one night of passion they’d spent together, which had resulted in Ash and Finn being born and then Fachnan launching a deadly attack against the shifter kingdom.

Helian followed his son, and they quickly mounted their dragons at the edge of the garden before launching into the sky.

A gleeful roar sounded above us, and Triss landed clumsily nearby, squashing a row of potted plants in the process. She was almost as big as her mother now and considered in her teen years, though she was still as clumsy as a hatchling. She bound up to Ember and Aurora like a playful puppy, licking each of their faces with a long, forked tongue.

“Ugh,” Aurora grumbled, making a face while wiping off dragon spit.

Triss pouted, but Ember rubbed her dragon’s scales. “It’s okay.” She rolled her eyes at Aurora. “I’ve seen Teddy leave just as much spit on my sister’s face before.”

Teddy flushed and Aurora stuck her tongue out at her sister.

Ember handed her rabbit to Aurora and adjusted the saddle on Triss’s back. “Are you coming?” she asked her sister.

Aurora gave Ember an apologetic look, holding up the rabbit. “I’ve got to watch Beau.”

We all knew the truth of the matter was she didn’t want to leave Teddy’s side. They had fought most of their childhood like cats and gnomes, but once Aurora had come into womanhood, something changed. Oh, she still played with slingshots and had even become proficient at the bow and arrow and sword, but she also began dressing more feminine and plaited her hair and wore light face paints. It hadn’t taken long for Teddy to court my niece. They were fated mates, after all. Now they were inseparable, and I couldn’t be happier for them.

Ember and Triss launched into the air, the dragon’s wings beating down on us and blowing napkins off the table. Aurora ducked, shielding her head. She yelled up at them. “You’re messing up my hair!”

Ember laughed as they flew away.

Teddy pulled out a chair for Aurora. She thanked him with a kiss before sitting down and piling tarts on her plate.

Tari spun in her seat, handing Isabeau to me. I gladly took the baby. I’d been looking forward to holding her all day. She blinked up at me with wide eyes, then turned toward Tari, confused, no doubt to be seeing her mother’s mirror image. Tari had filled out a bit more after birthing six babies, and her hair had a few more white streaks than mine, but we still looked the same.

“Where are your other grandparents?” Tari asked the girls.

“They refuse to attend unless you put a tau stone on baby Isabeau,” Aurora drawled, then shared a sly look with Teddy.

“What?” Tari lifted her eyebrows at her daughter. “Why?”

Teddy loudly cleared his throat, his auburn wings twitching. “I had a dream last night that she will grow up to be a powerful fertility witch.”

“A fertility witch,” Nikkos blurted. “Like our mother was?”

Teddy smiled. “Indeed.”

I clung to my niece, gasping at a strange buzzing sensation that traveled from my hands to my womb. I gaped at Teddy like a gnome caught in a hawk’s gaze while summoning the nerve to speak. “Did you see any children in our future?”

He took a long sip of wine while eyeing me from over the rim of his goblet. “Three sons who all look like their fathers.”

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