Page 95 of To Ashes and Dust
Damien knelt beside me at the girl’s level, and the warmth of his expression stirred something in my chest. I liked to imagine it was the way he would have looked at Emilia. “Are you helping your mother train?”
A bright smile spread across Aurelia’s face. “I am! Papa’s resting at the temple, and Momma couldn’t find anyone to watch me, so she brought me with her.”
The smiles left our faces. Her father rested at the temple. Moira’s Rest. My gaze shifted to her mother, who held a somber smile as she brushed her fingers against her daughter’s cheek.
“My mate was Alex,” the woman said somberly, a weak smile on her face. As she gazed down at her daughter, I knew the smile was for her, strength she mustered for her daughter. “He fell on patrol last year.”
Damien placed his hand against his chest, dipping his head. “Aleirene touen enlisno en solos.” I didn’t understand the words, but it hurt to hear them. He rose, meeting the mother’s gaze. “Alex was a strong warrior. I remember him well.”
Her smile threatened to fade, her glassy eyes flickering as she blinked back tears. “Thank you, Lord Damien. He always spoke highly of you. I’m honored he was able to fight at your side. When I heard you were opening training to anyone, I knew I had to come. I hope it’s ok I brought her. I don’t have any family, and I couldn’t find a sitter. She’s really well behaved, she stays out of the wa—”
“She’s always welcome,” I said, and Damien’s gaze flitted to me, a soft smile curving his lips.
“Startin’ them early, I see!” Barrett said as he approached and knelt before the little girl. “Give her a few weeks, and I think she’ll be sweeping my feet out from under me.”
Aurelia snickered.
“Forgive me, I haven’t introduced myself. I’m Lydia,” the woman said warmly, tucking her blonde hair behind her ear.
“Cas,” I responded, but I immediately realized it may not have been necessary. She knew who I was, and the smile she gave only made it more obvious how pointless the introduction was.
“Your father was an outstanding Dendron,” Damien said, his gaze warm as he looked at Aurelia. “I’ll bet you take after him.”
“Sadly, we don’t know what abilities she’ll have,” Lydia said.
I tilted my head to Lydia, brows furrowing.
“My mate and I adopted her two years ago. Her family was killed by darklings, and there was no information on her background, who they were, anything,” Lydia said, the inner corners of her brows curving upward as she ran her fingers through Aurelia’s black hair.
My eyes fell to Aurelia, the smile unwavering on her face, as if she was unfazed to know she was adopted. My heart swelled at the sight of that smile. “That just means the sky’s the limit. You could be anything, Aurelia.”
Aurelia nodded with a smile and spoke again, her tiny voice filling my chest with warmth. “Papa used to take me into the woods and teach me all about the plants. He thought I might be a dendron, but they didn’t speak to me the way others do.”
Damien and I frowned, glancing at each other.
“She says that sometimes, and I still don’t understand what she’s talking about,” Lydia said, smiling awkwardly. “Children say the strangest things.”
“Maybe one day, you’ll grow into those same abilities,” Damien said.
“Maybe I’ll take after Momma,” Aurelia said, smiling as she beamed up at me. Lydia’s smile widened as she glowed with pride.
“Whichever path you follow, I sense his strength in you,mikros,” Barrett said. “He’d be proud to see you helping your mother train.”
Mikros. I’d called the little girl in Moonhaven that. Watching them interact with the child reflected what I already knew. Children were cherished above all else by the immortal race. They were rare, and when they made it safely into the world, they were treated like the treasures they were.
Aurelia smiled bashfully at Barrett’s words as she leaned into her mother, holding her hand. Lydia watched silently, absolute adoration lighting her eyes.
“You want a snack, Aurelia?” Thalia offered, glancing up at Lydia for permission. Aurelia looked up at her mother, who smiled and nodded in return. The young girl turned back to Thalia and nodded.
“There are drinks and snacks inside, whatever you want. Afterward, we can come back, and I’ll show you some basics of fighting,” Barrett said, holding his hands out. Aurelia’s eyes lit up and she hurried toward him. He lifted her up, throwing her up onto his shoulders with ease, her laughter filling the training yard. The eyes of many trainees found us, and warm smiles spread.
My gaze drifted across the faces around us, some still watching us, some not. Seeing both familiar and new, their happiness shining in their expressions, despite everything they stood to face, sparked something within me.
This was what we were fighting to protect. This was worth defending, worth any price. This was where I belonged. My entire life, I’d always felt like an outsider, like a burden. Here, I had a purpose, a place. Here... I felt like I belonged.
Barrett and Thalia took the child into the building, chatting and joking as they went. My heart fluttered when Damien’s fingers laced with mine, and I turned to meet his warm gaze.
“Have the energy to head to the Archivallia?” he asked. “After a shower and some food, of course.”
