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Dahlia beamed. “That sounds like a lot of fun!” She then paused to think. “Though, I’m not sure about Magnus. She’s got twin newborns to take care of right now.”
Astrid’s eyes lit up, and it made my pulse skip, reminding me of the family we tried and failed to have back then.Maybe this time, we’ll get another chance.“Even better! My dad is seriously baby-crazy right now.”
Diego barked out a laugh. “Baby-crazy is an understatement.”
After rolling her eyes, Astrid deepened her voice as she mimicked her father. “Astrid, when are you going to give me grandbabies? Astrid, you’re not getting any younger. Astrid, you know the little pitter-patter of tiny feet would make this old man so happy to hear. I know you’re not dating anyone right now, but I won’t judge you if you became a single parent. I think I did a fine job on my own, and we’ve got more family now to help raise kids.”
She then gave such a deep eye-roll I wondered for a moment if it was possible for them to pop out of her skull. “Seriously, a baby, especially two babies, would distract him from pestering me. He’ll scoop them both right up and give Magnus a moment to herself. Hell, he’d babysit any time if she needed. Course, we’d have to figure out the logistics, since he doesn’t know about magic and stuff, but I’m sure we’ll figure it out.”
Dahlia regarded her for a moment. “Really? For someone he doesn’t know?”
Astrid nodded. “Yeah, it’s that bad. Though, like I said before, he’d take anyone in as one of his kids, so it’s not that strange. And you can trust him. He’d treat those babies like his own grandchildren, and I swear, mortal human attributes be damned, he’ll become one hell of a papa bear to protect them if needed.”
Something flashed in Dahlia’s eyes when Astrid mentioned “papa bear” before she made a thoughtful noise. “I’ll have to think about it and bring it up to Magnus.”
Astrid tugged on Dahlia’s arm. “Now, show me the dragon! I wanna see.”
Chapter Nineteen
Diego
Cool metal shiftedin my hand as I absently rolled it. I watched Astrid spar with Kirby, my muscles bunching any time Astrid was thrown down or showed more aggression than I was used to seeing from her. The last few days had been a whirlwind of things to grow accustomed to, and I wasn’t doing so well with it.
It was one thing to learn there was more to our world than you thought, and another to actually experience it firsthand. Magic, gods, the world of the supernatural as a whole, learning which myths and aspects of religion were real and what were fabricated, even learning that some influential figures in history were actually immortals in disguise… it was a lot.
Through it all, Astrid and I had to find our way through the world with our eyes wide open now, and we weren’t going to be the same in the end.
Astrid had already begun to change. Being around these gods and immortals, it impacted her in ways I never expected to see. This aggressive side of her came out more often, but it stayed controlled. She hadn’t had one of her episodes since this change.
I hated violence. I’d rather work things out peacefully than resort to such measures. However, I could see how that didn’t work for everyone. And that included Astrid, it seemed.
I was so worried this new path for her would change the woman I loved into someone I couldn’t recognize. But that hadn’t happened. She was still the same caring and thoughtful woman, to the unfortunate point of self-neglect, whom I knew her to be. She just seemed more… whole now.
When will I feel whole?I looked down at the circular pendant in my hand. Carved into the silver metal was the tree of life and other Celtic symbols. Three lines that looked like ribbons wrapped loosely around the tree and tangled in the roots. A small gemstone surrounded by tiny elements of magic was set into the trunk.
My thumb traced the engraving.Where do I, a mortal with no supernatural abilities to speak of, fit into all this?
I’d promised to stick by Astrid’s side, no matter what, no matter how much this so-called war would wear on my understanding of morals and make me question what was good and evil. But what did that promise mean? What use was I, if I was only in the way?
My attention shifted to the sparring when someone yelled. My heart leapt into my throat at the sight of Kirby slashing a sword Astrid’s way. Astrid lifted a hand and golden light sprang out. It formed into the shape of a shield, blocking the strike and dissipating on impact. She didn’t hesitate to go on the offensive. Her hands moved as if summoning something, only nothing appeared.
Astrid paused and cocked her head, confused. “Weird… my magic is in use…”
My eyes flicked to the dozen or so swords and daggers—more solidified than her previous shield—now surrounding me, their pointed tips angled in not-so-friendly ways. “Uh, Astrid.”
She gasped, and the weapons disappeared. In an instant, she was landing on the deck railing, her beautiful wings spread wide. I couldn’t stop myself from staring.
Aya said angels didn’t exist; they were a myth borne of various other winged supernaturals, including Valkyries. And gazing at Astrid, I could see why they would.
Astrid crouched. “You okay?”
I shook myself and nodded. “Yeah, just a little startled.”
She frowned. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to.”
I poked the corner of her mouth and pushed up. “I know, and it’s okay. Not a bad trick if you learn to do it on purpose.”
She rocked her head back and forth and made a thoughtful sound. But instead of responding to my comment, her eyes flicked to my other hand. “What’s that?”
