Three heads swivel in my direction, but none of them have flawless brown skin, a riot of dark curls, and fathomless lavender eyes. Instead, I’m surprised to see my brothers and Fiona occupying the couches.

Fiona jumps up and rushes over, giving me a giant hug that I’m slow to return in my confusion. As grateful as I am to see my family, I have to check on Taryn before anything else.

“Where’s Taryn?” Empathy swims in Fiona’s blue eyes, and it feels like my chest implodes, crushing my lungs and preventing any air. “No, she can’t be. What the fuck happened? I need to⁠—”

“Oh, Finn, no! I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean for you to think that,” she rushes out. “Taryn’s in your room.”

My relief is so strong my knees almost buckle, but I brace my hands on the back of the couch and manage to stay upright. Fiona places a comforting hand on my back and explains further. “She was just a little worse for wear, you know? And it was obvious she wasn’t comfortable around us without you, so I suggested she grab a hot shower and rest. But other than being shaken up, she's perfectly fine, Finni, I promise.”

I allow myself the first deep breath I've had since being stuck in that cavern. Standing up straight again, I give my sister-in-law a real hug this time. “Thanks, Fi.”

“You, on the other hand,” she says, pulling away and poking her finger in my chest, “if you ever nearly die on us again, I will personally pass a law that makes it illegal for you to leave this Fort Knox penthouse you secretly built. Do you hear me?” She punctuates her threat with a smack on my arm.

Tiernan walks over and wraps an arm around her waist. “What my beautiful wife means is that you scared the shit out of us, baby bro. You're lucky Caiden and Bryn got to you just in time.”

I’m surprised to hear Bryn mentioned because I don’t see her. Concern for her knots my stomach. “Fuck, man, tell me she and the baby are okay.”

Tier claps a reassuring hand on my shoulder. “They’re both good. She’s resting in the other bedroom.”

I sigh with relief, then frown. “Wait. How did you and Bryn find us, or even know we needed help for that matter?”

Caiden hands me a glass of whiskey—which I gratefully accept and down in one shot—and gestures for me to take a seat. I glance over at my bedroom where Taryn is. “She's fine for now, Finn. The water is still running.”

I nod and accept my oldest brother’s gentle command. Once a leader, always a leader. I sit in one of the armchairs and do my best to relax into the cushions even though I don't think I'll be able to relax until I set eyes on her.

“Bryn sensed your distress,” Caiden says. “We know it's another one of the powers the baby is channeling through her, but we're not sure exactly how it works. The best we can surmise is that, as my brother, our child shares your blood. It's possible that created some kind of connection the baby could feel.

“We were relaxing in our living room and suddenly Bryn sat up with an expression of sheer terror that scared the living hell out of me. She said somehow she sensed someone we loved was in trouble and knew she could find them. With the way this pregnancy has gone, I didn’t question her. We left immediately, and the baby led us right to you.”

It sounds outrageous, but like Caiden said, Bryn’s pregnancy has given her all kinds of powers at random times. We never know what to expect she’ll be able to do on any given day. But this new ability is the one I’m most grateful for. I’m buying that kid a pony when it’s born.

“Then how did you get us out of the room?”

Caiden continues. “Bryn used the telekinesis she gets from the baby, sending powerful vibrations through the wall until it fractured. Once that first crack appeared, it only took a few more seconds for it to blow out but using that much power at this stage takes its toll on Bryn, so she’s been resting since we got here.”

I send up a silent prayer to Rhiannon that Bryn and my niece or nephew aren’t harmed. “What about the civilians?”

Tier answers. “Brynnie-Bear’s explosion didn’t go unnoticed, that’s for sure. It registered on the Richter scale, so the media and everyone thinks it was an earthquake. We have to close the Palazzo for repairs, but the good news is that no one was seriously injured.”

“I remember seeing the explosion right before I blacked out from… Hold on,” I say, trying to get my muddled thoughts together. “Her spell. How long has she been awake?”

Everyone exchanges uncomfortable looks, then Caiden answers. “She was never asleep. After the cavern emptied out, she coughed up some water but was otherwise fine. She gave us the highlights about finding Dad’s secret sarcophagus and Edevane trapping you down there and that she’d put a sleep spell on you that would take a few hours to wear off.”

Realization hits me like a wrecking ball to the stomach. “She never had any intention to use the spell on herself, did she?”

“She isn’t able to cast it on herself, Finni.” Fiona, who knows a lot about conjurers’ abilities since she was raised by one, rests a comforting hand on my arm. “She was trying to make things as easy as possible on you. If it wasn’t obvious from the way she kept looking at you when you were unconscious, casting that spell for you alone would tell us how much she cares for you. So don’t be upset with her.”

My heart races, a storm of emotions—anger, guilt, gratitude, and awe—swirling inside me. How could she sacrifice her own comfort for mine? Why didn't I realize it sooner? I feel a profound sense of responsibility, knowing she endured that harrowing experience alone just to protect me. My chest tightens with a mix of admiration and frustration. But I could never be upset with her for that.

“I need to see her.”

“Finn, stop.” Caiden never lost his kingly presence, and when he uses his commander-in-chief tone, it freezes me in place every time. I narrow my eyes at him, but he isn’t fazed one bit. “You need to fill us in on whatever’s happening with Edevane and what you and the princess have been up to,” Caiden says sternly.

Tiernan pipes in. “Yeah, Lucy, you got some ’splaining to do.”

I flip my middle brother off while addressing the oldest one. “Don't call her Princess; she hates it. And I’ll fill you in after I see her with my own fucking eyes and know she's okay.”

“I’m all right, Finn.”

My head snaps in the direction of the husky, feminine voice that’s become my heart’s anthem. She’s wearing gray lounge shorts and a pale pink cami, the pendant of her Armas resting above her sternum. Her curls are still damp enough that the ends reach the bottom swells of her breasts. She looks Tired and uneasy. Yet she’s never been more beautiful. Because she’s alive, and the last time I saw her, I didn’t think either of us would be.

“Taryn,” I whisper. Spanning the distance between us in mere heartbeats, I frame her face in my hands so I can study her, memorize every violet fleck in her lavender eyes, every freckle, every laugh line.

Her hands come up to gently embrace my wrists. “Finnian, I’m fine.”

My jaw clenches, the muscles ticking in agitation that she almost suffered drowning alone because I accepted her offer without fully understanding the repercussions. “But you almost weren’t, and I’m having a difficult fucking time accepting that.”

“I know. I’m sorry I deceived you, but I’d make the same decision again.” My argument must show on my face because she doesn’t let me get it out. “We can fight about it later. Right now, I owe you and your family an explanation.”

I frown. “What kind of explanation?”

“It’s time I tell you what happened before I left Faerie.”

TWENTY-FIVETARYN

Gods, he’s beautiful. I can’t take my eyes off of him, afraid that if I do, I’ll wake up and realize this is all a dream. But it’s not. I’m here, and he’s here.

Mere hours ago, I thought I’d never see him again. Because while he was certain we’d cross into Mag Mell together, I was certain I was headed for Dubnos with the other damned souls. I’ve known for a long time that I’m too tainted to secure a spot among my ancestors in the afterlife, and I made my peace with that. But before I leave this life for the next, I’m going to do everything in my power to send Edevane there first.

Finn brushes his thumbs along my cheeks. “Are you sure? We can talk in private. I don’t want you to feel like just because my family is here that you need to include them.”

“It’s okay. They saved us when I couldn’t.” Tears prick the backs of my eyes, but I blink them back. “They deserve to understand why, just as you do.”

His jaw tics as he steps in closer. Holding my hands to his chest with one of his, he cradles my cheek with the other. “Don’t open up past wounds as some sort of penance you don’t owe.”

“Then let me because I want to. I want to let you in, and it’s important to me that the ones important to you understand why I’m unable to use my Mystic powers in this fight.”

He nods, then kisses me tenderly. Taking my hand, we head toward the seating area where the others are pretending they didn’t just hear every word of our exchange. Caiden looks at his phone and says, “Connor and Conall are here with Romanov.”

I stop in my tracks. “My brother’s here?” The alarm and locks on the penthouse door disengage a second before it opens and Dmitri steps through, followed by the Woulfe brothers who helped us get Finn here when he was still unconscious from my spell.

“Da, moy sestra, I am here,” Dmitri says with an affectionate smile.

I rush into his arms and the sense of being home washes over me. I don’t think I realized how much I needed him here until this moment. When I finally pull away, Finn steps up and greets my brother with a solemn expression. “I’m sorry, D. I swore I’d keep her safe, and I almost got her killed. I failed you.”

“Nyet, comrade. The rat who sold her out was a newer initiate in our clan named Ivan. During your war with the New Purity Order last year, he found a hag stone and was messing around with it when Taryn stepped into his line of sight. He saw through her glamour and went to Edevane with the information. He recognized her Armas. So you see, it is my fault for not keeping a cleaner house.”

“Excuse me,” I chide, crossing my arms under my chest. “As much as I’m loving this strange display of self-deprecating male machismo, I’d like to point out that neither of you are responsible for me or my safety. I am. Only me.”