30. Athena

30

ATHENA

T he sun bathes the courtyard in a warm glow, casting shadows across the stone as I bounce on my heels, waiting for Raven and Koros to arrive. My heart flutters with anticipation. The ring on my finger catches the light, and I can't stop staring at it, still in disbelief.

Wings cast shadows over the ground moments before Raven and Koros land. Raven's midnight hair whips around her face as she folds her dove-gray wings, while Koros's massive form dwarfs her, his dark red hair tied back from his scarred face.

"I have news." The words burst from my lips before they can speak.

"What's got you so excited?" Koros's deep voice rumbles, his mismatched eyes fixed on my face.

I grin wide. "Uriel asked me to be his mate."

Raven's violet eyes go wide. A piercing squeal fills the air as she launches herself at me, nearly knocking me over. Her wings flutter with excitement as she crushes me in an embrace.

"About damn time." She pulls back, looking so happy. "I've known you two were a match made in the stars for months!"

Koros's usually stern face breaks into an unexpected grin, transforming his intimidating features. The scar across his cheek crinkles. "Congratulations, little healer." He pulls me into a gentle hug, and I squeeze him back. "Though I pity you - he's insufferable enough as it is."

"Oh, shut it." Raven punches his arm, though she has to reach up to do it. "Let her have her moment before you start in with that."

"Does this mean I get to skip training today?" I ask hopefully.

"Not a chance." Raven's grin turns wicked. "Now we have even more reason to make sure you can defend yourself. Can't have Uriel's mate being helpless, can we?"

But training doesn't last long. Soon, we are sprawled on the grass, snacks and drinks around us, and I can't stop smiling. I never thought I could have something so perfect.

"So, I was thinking black lace." Raven traces patterns in the air with her finger. "Right here, along the neckline, dipping low?—"

"My sister will murder me." I pick at the grass, imagining Astrid's face if she saw me in something that revealing.

Koros pulls a chunk of raw crystal from his satchel, the surface catching rainbows in the light. "What about these worked into the dress? I found them in the northern caves." His massive hands cradle the delicate stone with surprising gentleness. "They change color based on emotions. Could be interesting at a wedding."

"Perfect." Raven's violet eyes sparkle with mischief. "Everyone will know exactly how much you want Uriel to drag you away from the ceremony."

Heat floods my cheeks. "You're terrible."

"I'm practical." She shifts, stretching out her bad leg. "Speaking of practical, I found this gorgeous red silk. Very traditional for demon weddings?—"

"No." Koros's mismatched eyes narrow. "She needs white. Pure. It'll drive him crazy."

"Now who's terrible?" I throw a berry at him, but he catches it in his mouth, his usually stern face breaking into a grin.

"I could shape these into little stars." He holds up more crystals, these ones a deep blue. "Scatter them through your hair, maybe work them into a crown?—"

"With those hands?" Raven snorts. "You'll crush them."

"I'm gentle." He demonstrates by creating a perfect spiral from a piece of metal he pulls from his pocket, his huge fingers moving with surprising dexterity.

"The decorations need to be elegant but not stuffy." Raven taps her chin. "We want everyone talking about this for years. The great warrior Uriel, brought low by a tiny human who couldn't even reach his shoulder without standing on her toes."

"I'm not that short." But I can't help smiling, remembering how Uriel has to bend down to kiss me.

"You are adorable though." Raven reaches over to ruffle my honey-blonde curls. "Which is exactly why we need to make you look devastating. I'm thinking a slit up to here?—"

"Raven!" But I'm laughing, and even Koros joins in, his deep chuckle mixing with the afternoon breeze.

A warm breeze carries the scent of wild roses, and I lean back on my hands, letting the sun warm my face. Raven and Koros bicker about fabrics and crystals, their voices washing over me like a familiar song.

My heart feels so full. Like everything has finally clicked into place.

This is mine. My choice. Not Astrid protecting me, not Father guiding me, not the whispers of demon society telling me what a human should or shouldn't do. Just me, choosing love despite everything.

"What about—" Raven starts, but her voice fades as memories flood through me.

The first time I saw Uriel in my father's garden, golden curls catching the moonlight, wings spread wide as he grinned at me. The way he looked at me - not as a fragile human to be protected or pitied, but as someone he wanted. Even then, a part of me wanted him. Even if it was just attraction.

"Athena?" Koros's deep voice breaks through my thoughts. "You're crying."

I touch my cheek, finding it wet. "Happy tears." I brush them away quickly, but not before catching the gleam in his mismatched eyes. "Don't you dare tease me about getting soft."

"Wouldn't dream of it." But his scarred face splits into that rare, gentle smile that makes him look less like a warrior and more like the softie I know he is. "Though I might tell Uriel."

"You will not." I grab another berry to throw at him, but Raven snatches it mid-air.

"Save your ammunition." She pops it in her mouth, violet eyes dancing. "We need to focus. There's so much to plan, and—" She pauses, studying my face. "What's got you glowing like that?"

"I just realized this is the first time I've done something completely for myself. Not for anyone else. Just because I want it."

Raven's sharp features soften, and even Koros stops fiddling with his crystals. They understand. In a world where humans are barely tolerated, where my sister fights tooth and nail for respect, where my father's reputation is both shield and cage - this choice is freedom.

The workshop's usually pristine floor is covered in fabric swatches and crystal shards. Raven sprawls across Uriel's favorite leather couch, her bad leg propped up as she directs Koros like a general commanding troops.

Astrid sits in the chair beside it, watching us all like she can't believe it. A week ago, when I first told her, she asked if I was sure about marrying a xaphan, but when I nodded, she only hugged me. We're working on finding a new way through our relationship, but I wanted her here to plan.

"Higher." She points to where Koros holds up a length of silk. "No, your other higher. How do you survive with such poor spatial awareness?"

Koros's mismatched eyes narrow. "I could drop this on your head."

"You wouldn't dare." But she shifts her leg slightly, ready to move if needed.

I sit cross-legged on the floor next to Astrid, sorting through the crystals Koros brought. Each one catches the light differently, creating tiny rainbows that dance across my hands. The scent of metal and citrus fills the air as Uriel works at his forge, pretending to ignore us while stealing glances every few minutes.

"What do you think?" I hold up a pale blue crystal.

Uriel sets down his hammer, golden curls damp with sweat. His wings flex as he crosses to me, kneeling to examine the stone. "Beautiful." But he's looking at me, not the crystal, his golden eyes soft in a way that makes my heart skip.

"Ugh, you two are disgusting." Raven throws a fabric swatch at us. "Save it for the honeymoon."

"I think it's cute," Astrid murmurs, watching me.

"You're just jealous." Uriel's smile turns cruel, transforming his soft features into something darker, more demonic. "When's the last time someone looked at you like that?"

"Last night, actually." She stretches, wings rustling. "Unlike some people, I don't need to wait for marriage to?—"

"Children present." Koros drops the silk on her face.

"I'm getting married." I remind them. "I'm hardly a child."

Astrid laughs. "I agree with Koros."

He nods to her. "You'll always be our little healer." Koros ruffles my hair with his massive hand, surprisingly gentle despite his size.

Uriel's eyes flash at that, possessive and heated. He pulls me closer, his wings creating a shield around us. "Mine."

"Yours." I touch his face, tracing the perfect lines of his features. "But they're still helping with the wedding."

"Unfortunately." But his cruel smile softens as he presses a kiss to my palm.

The afternoon dissolves into laughter and bickering, with Raven and Koros arguing over every detail, Astrid trying to give actual input, while Uriel pretends to work, his attention constantly drawn back to me. It's chaotic and perfect, this strange family we've built, and my heart feels too full to contain it all.