“Celebrate.” Jirni nodded. “We advanced our investigation about the instigator of Kamila’s murder, acquired a better understanding of the Council, and learned about a threat that would have otherwise blindsided us.
“Now instead, we have the time to prepare. Why fight as we are now when we can ask for Vastor’s help? For Lith’s help? By the time our baby girl is born, you might be an Awakened.
“A bright violet Awakened who’d still lack Jiza’s experience but with a Royal Fortress armor and the gods know what new marvels Forgemastered. No, biding our time was the right choice.
“Let them come. Even if Oghrom Gernoff himself comes at our door, I’ll usher him in and have him buried under the bushes of roses.”
***
Verhen Mansion, a few days later.
Surin seemed to share her mother’s wish to not steal the thunder of Kamila’s first pregnancy and came into Mogar a week after Elysia’s birth, when the celebrations were already over and people had started to relax.
Surin wasn’t Awakened nor did she carry a groundbreaking bloodline, but her birth was no less celebrated and Elina found her to be the most beautiful baby on Mogar. She and Raaz cried a lot, thanking Salaark, Tyris, and Faluel for their help in the delivery.
“Finally! I’ve graduated from being the youngest.” Aran said like somehow it was his own achievement.
“Poor girl.” Leria nodded. “Surin will need lots of help. Luckily for her, I’ll protect her from you.”
“Hey!” Aran said in outrage. “I’ll be a big brother as good as Lith.”
“Yeah, right. And since we’re spouting nonsense, I’ll be as powerful as Grandma!”
“I still can’t believe this.” Lith Hushed the quarreling kids while looking at the two baby girls sleeping in nearby cribs, both built by Bytra. “In the span of a few days, I’ve gotten a daughter and a little sister.”
Surin had Elina’s hair, but they were so light that they were strawberry blonde, streaked yellow and orange all over. She also has Raaz’s dark brown eyes and a cute little face.
When sleeping beside Elysia, they looked like sisters.
“Who’s up to another party?” Leegaain asked and everyone agreed.
Surin had no Guardian looking over her shoulder but that didn’t make her family love her less.
Even though her body had completely recovered from giving birth, Kamila was still wavering on her feet, needing to lean on Lith and Ragnarök whenever she felt dizzy. She had yet to get used to her reduced strength and the fact that her mood was sour didn’t help.
She had already discovered how hard being a parent was and she felt worse about herself with each passing day. When she held Elysia, her heart was filled with love but she missed the connection she had enjoyed with her daughter while the baby was still in the womb.
Whenever the baby girl cried, Kamila didn’t know what to do whereas Elina handled it through experience and Lith via his Dragon scales. Elysia always shapeshifted along with him, allowing Lith to understand how she felt and for what reason she was crying.
Kamila found herself trying to shapeshift out of habit multiple times a day and every time nothing happened, she felt like her body had betrayed her. Like something vital had been taken away from her.
The party for Surin’s birth was held at the Verhen Mansion again because Solus and the tower were still recovering from their own breakthrough. To build the new floors and synergize them with the old ones, the tower needed time, loads of world energy, and resources.
Sure, the tower could turn common ground and rock into everything it needed, but the process still created a crater and then the world energy had to rearrange everything down to the molecular level.
“Congratulations, Mom. You did an awesome job with Surin.” Solus said. “I’m sure she will grow to be as beautiful as Tista and as smart as Lith. Hopefully, also less jaded.”
“Hey!” Lith said.
“Thank you dear.” Elina chuckled.
Unlike Kamila, pregnancy had given her only trouble so getting rid of all the side effects and hormonal imbalance had put her in a good mood. That and Salaark’s treatment made Elina feel twenty again.
“Are you sure we can take the crib? I know you made it for Elysia.” She asked Bytra.
“Of course you can.” The Fourth Ruler of the Flames looked at the babies with stars in her eyes. “Gods, I’m so envious of you. Us hybrids are all sterile and we’ll be until we find a cure for our condition.”
“Well, at least you can afford to wait.” Elina sighed, thinking about her body getting older by the day. “You girls are going to live forever whereas this might be my last ride.”
“Don’t say that!” Zoreth hugged Elina. “Byt, don’t spoil the mood. This isn’t a funeral but a birthday party.”
“I’m sorry, Zor.” Bytra lowered her gaze.
She had seen how happy her wife was while holding Elysia and Bytra wished there was a way to give Zoreth a child of her own.
“Can I?” Trion pointed at Surin and Elina replied by putting the baby in his arms.
“It’s not that you can, you must. You are her big brother.” Elina replied.
The celebrations went wonderfully, with people laughing, crying, and every girl of marriable age being pestered by her respective parents for a similar gift.
By the end of the day, Valia, Tista, and Gilly were more exhausted than the babies.
“Somebody please kill me again.” The Demon was still of a shade of purple after her parents had dragged her to know every single male member of the Nest and the Brood.
“At least you can hide in the shadows or go back to Lith’s feather.” Tista replied while trying to get rid of the massive headache she had.
Her whole family but Lith had talked her into settling down until her ears bled. They had been relentless, tagging in whenever she was about to run off. Zinya, Elina, Rena, Kamila, and even Salaark had kept Tista in a corner the whole day.
“Why me? I’m the youngest here?” Gilly groaned. “I’m nothing special!”
She felt just like Valia, but worse. On the one hand, she wanted to be left alone. On the other hand, she had no idea how much time her father had left.
The idea of him disappearing before she got married and never meeting his grandchildren was killing Gilly.
The three girls kept groaning for hours, comparing their situation and making it a misfortune contest. The rest of their respective families, instead, were on cloud nine.
After realizing how badly he had failed as an older brother, Trion was eager to make up for it with his little sister and niece.
Raaz and Elina loved being pampered for once. Their every need was catered for and they could fully appreciate parenthood without a single worry. Elina could rest while Raaz could help her since the fields were taken care of.
The fact that no illness could befall either mother or daughter was a huge relief as well.
Rena was so happy that she had almost overcome the big scare from the triplet’s birth.
