Page 308 of Vasmora

“But you still love him. Even when he’s naughty.”

Particularly when he’s naughty.

Lowering, I yanked on his small tunic, tugging him closer, and planted a kiss to his forehead. “I love you both more than anything in this world.”

“More than the sun?” he asked.

“More than the sun.”

“More than the moons?”

“More than the moons.”

“More than Uncle Branimir?”

The question struck me like a bucket of icy water. Of course he knew of his namesake. We’d made a point to tell him stories about his uncle throughout the years, but I’d never heard Branimir mention him prior to then. I studied him for a moment, his gaze steady and unwavering. “What would make you ask that?”

“Because he said he misses you and Daddy very much.”

The shock of his words gripped my throat, rendering me momentarily speechless while I puzzled their meaning. “Have you … seen uncle Branimir?”

I’d wondered if my son would inherit any of my abilities. Hard to know at his age, seeing as he hadn’t yet ascended into his blood magic. Up until that point, he’d only manifested a tolerance for sablefyre.

He shrugged. “Sometimes. We like to sit on the balcony and watch the stars.”

My mind reeled back to the few nights I’d seen him sitting on the balcony before bed, holding his stuffy, a ragged teddy bear Rykaia had gifted him at birth. “Is that so?”

“He told me, someday I might get to touch one of them.”

The tension in my face eased with a smile, and I ran my hand over his loose curls. “Maybe, someday, you will, Love.”

As if sensing it was time to go, Raivox hopped over to us, each thump against the ground sending a deep vibration up my legs.

With Branimir’s hand clutched in mine, I led him up the Corvugon’s foreleg and lifted him into the training saddle strapped on the back of Raivox, before settling in behind him. After years of riding, I no longer needed to grip the horns. Although I’d learned how to use my glove to secure myself, Raivox tended to be a bit more cautious when Branimir rode with me.

He flapped his wings, sending us up into the air, and Branimir stood up from his saddle, a howl of excitement tearing out of him. Chuckling, I yanked the little daredevil back down, as I’d had to countless times before.

As we ascended, I peered down on The Hovel, a far cry from the slum it used to be. Calisza had taken steps to improve sanitation, ensuring fresh water and food infused with vivicantem. Abandoned buildings had been renovated and turned into shops, and the town square looked more like Costelwick every year.

And in the center of it stood a bronze statue of a young boy with horns, laughing and flying a kite. A tribute to Gavroche, commissioned by Princess Calisza. A reminder of our survival.

And the cost of it.

We flew east, the setting sun casting pinks and oranges across the sky in a dazzling end to the day. I pointed to the north star, already twinkling overhead, and smiled at the wonder and curiosity brimming in Branimir’s eyes. I hoped that gleam of awe would never dull. That cruelty and pain would never find him.

Raivox angled low as he began his descent toward Eidolon, and Branimir released the horns, raising his hands in the air as the wind whipped past us, letting out a hoot of excitement. We touched down on the grounds of Eidolon, only a few yards away from the sprawling morumberry vineyard I’d helped to establish. Mostly for Rykaia, who insisted on making her own wine.

As Branimir and I climbed down Raivox’s foreleg, Rho trotted up to greet us.

At six feet in height, with long spikes on his back and a mouth full of teeth that could tear flesh from bone, he stood massive and intimidating, defying the predictions that he’d remain a small runt. Yet, he wagged his tail, tongue hanging out the side of his mouth that seemed to form a smile.

“Rho!” Branimir cried, arms outstretched as he ran toward the beastly wolf. Poor little thing hardly reached Rho’s chest, only managing to wrap his arms around the wolf’s upper leg.

Rho bent down and dragged his tongue across Branimir’s cheek, his maw big enough to swallow him whole if he wanted. Except, the fiercely protective wolf would’ve sooner thrown himself into a vein of molten lava than harmed his beloved boy. On the way to the front entrance, I paused to offer a pet to the back of his ears, smiling when his back leg twitched.

Movement on the castle’s west side caught my attention, and I snared a glimpse of Obsidyen chomping on whatever critter he’d managed to hunt down.

My blood warmed at the sight, a flutter of excitement tickling my stomach. “Quick bath, and then it’s bedtime for you, Little Man.”