23. Karn

23

KARN

T he first rays of dawn filter through my windows, and I'm already awake. Years of smithing have trained my body to rise with the sun, though these days it's the twins who keep me on schedule more than anything.

I stretch, my muscles protesting after a terrible night of sleep. Mira never came to my bed, and at this point, I need to talk to her.

The twins' soft breaths drift from the bedroom - for once they're still asleep. Perfect time to check on Mira.

The floorboards creak under my weight as I move to the guest room. My knuckles hover over the door, but something stops me. The silence from within feels... wrong.

"Mira?" I keep my voice low, not wanting to wake her if she's sleeping. No answer.

I ease the door open, wincing at the hinges' protest. The bed is empty, sheets pulled tight with precision. Her few belongings are gone.

My heart pounds as I search the other rooms upstairs. Nothing. The bathroom is empty, towel perfectly hung to dry. The kitchen is spotless, and my study is exactly as I left it.

Moving faster now, I head downstairs, hoping that this is some misunderstanding but my emotions are turning more and more volatile by the second.

Heading to my workbench, a piece of parchment catches my eye. I suck in a deep breath, but it does nothing to calm me. My hands shake as I read the note. Two sentences that I read over and over, trying to decipher what exactly happened.

Fuck. Of course she'd leave. I saw it was coming, and yet…I did nothing. I kept my fucking mouth shut when I should have shown her that I cared. That whatever it was that was bothering her, I would take care of it for her.

I slam my fist into the workbench, tools rattling across the surface. Thank the gods for the soundshield or I would have woken the twins. The impact sends shockwaves up my arm, but the physical pain does nothing to dull the storm inside me.

My breath comes in harsh pants as memories flash through my mind - her smile at dinner, the way she is with the girls, how she seemed to really care about me when she shared my bed.

Heat builds behind my eyes, and I grip the edge of the bench until the wood creaks. The demon in me claws at my chest, demanding action, demanding I hunt her down and bring her back.

A growl rips from my throat as I sweep my arm across the closest shelf, sending projects clattering to the floor. The sound echoes through the empty shop, mocking me. Empty. Like the guest room upstairs. Like the space beside me at breakfast will be.

But before I can rip the shop apart, another wave crashes over me. Fear coils in my gut - she's alone out there, branded, hunted. The market guard won't show mercy to a runaway. They'll drag her away in chains - and possibly back to whoever was hunting her.

The emotions keep coming. Rage and worry and anger and fear. More emotions than I have ever felt crash through me and I don't know what to do as I try to breathe through the rage and terror fighting for control. The twins trusted her. I trusted her. And now...

I suck in deep breaths, my eyes scanning over my workbench when I notice something else. There are items missing, which I don't care about. If Mira needed the whole damn shop, I would have given her. But there's one thing I'm looking for-

And it's gone.

The protection bracelet I spent weeks crafting, pouring protection spells into each delicate metal, weaving them with strands of my own magic and the twins'. I wanted to propose to her and even though I didn't, the irony of her taking the one object with runes designed just for her isn't lost on me.

She took it. Not the nodals in the drawer, not the valuable tools. But the bracelet that would have bound her to me, would have shielded her from anyone trying to claim her. If I ever got the chance to finish binding the runes to her.

If I had every fucking manned up and gave it to her.

The demon in me roars, violet magic crackling across my skin. She has no idea what that bracelet means, what power it holds. Or maybe she does, and that's exactly why she ran.

But there's one upside to this. The magic in the bracelet it linked to me, and I can feel it even now calling to me.

My breath catches as I realize I can feel her - not far, maybe the edge of town. I focus on it, and the connection thrums like a second heartbeat, each pulse drawing me toward her location.

The rational part of my brain whispers that she left for a reason. That tracking her down might push her further away. That she deserves the right to make her own choices, even if they tear me apart.

But the demon in me drowns out those whispers. The need to protect her when no one else has rises like a tide, flooding my senses until all I can focus on is that magical signature.

The bracelet's enchantments weren't just protection spells - they were pieces of my soul, woven with the twins' innocent magic. A beacon calling me home.

She's moving, but slowly. Walking, not running. The direction suggests the eastern road, toward the forest markets.

The thought of her alone in those markets, where slavers prowl for easy marks, sends ice through my veins. One glimpse of her brand and they'll have her in chains before she can scream. The magic crackles more intensely, responding to my fear.

And I know I have to get to her.

I take the stairs two at a time, my heart hammering. The twins are still asleep, curled together like always. Nova's got her thumb in her mouth while Luna's sprawled across most of the bed. Any other morning, I'd stop to appreciate how peaceful they look.

Not today.

"Girls, wake up." I shake them gently. "We need to go."

Luna blinks first, violet eyes foggy with sleep. "Uncle Karn?"

"Where Mama?" Nova's already looking around the room, too used to Mira getting them up.

The question stabs through my chest. These girls love her as much as I do. Fuck. When did I start thinking of it as love?

"I'm…going to get her." I grab clothes from their dresser, helping them dress faster than I ever have. "Arms up, Nova."

My hands shake as I button Luna's dress. In six months, Mira's become everything I never knew I needed. She makes the twins laugh, keeps the house running, brings warmth to every room she enters. And somehow she's wormed her way past all my walls, made me want things I've never wanted before.

A real family. A partner. Someone to share my bed and my life with.

I've never fought for anyone besides my brother. Never needed to. But for Mira? I'd fight the whole damn world. I'd tear apart anyone who tried to take her from us. From me.

"Uncle Karn is angry?" Nova touches my face, her tiny hand cool against my skin.

I force myself to breathe, to calm the magic crackling beneath my skin. "No, sweetling. I'm… okay. I just have to go do something."

I've never been good with words or feelings. Always let actions speak instead. But maybe that's why she left - because I never told her what she means to us. To me.

That's going to change. I'm going to find her, and I'm going to make damn sure she knows exactly how much we need her. I'll put an end to whatever it is that sends her running. Because I realize now that I can't go on without Mira.

I rush down the familiar path to Mrs. Blackwood's house, a twin in each arm. Their questions about Mira pierce my heart with each step, but I keep my focus on the pull of the bracelet's magic. She hasn't left town limits yet.

Mrs. Blackwood opens her door before I knock. The demon matron's ancient eyes narrow as she takes in my face, the crackling magic around me, and the confused twins.

"Inside, little ones." She beckons to Nova and Luna. "I made sweet rolls this morning."

I set the girls down, and Luna tugs my sleeve. "When you coming back?"

"Soon." I kneel, pulling them both close. Their copper curls tickle my nose as I breathe in their scent. "Be good for Mrs. Blackwood."

Nova's lip trembles. "With Mama?"

My throat tightens. "I'll do my best."

Mrs. Blackwood's wrinkled hand grips my shoulder. "Go. I've got them."

I nod, unable to speak. The twins hug my legs before following Mrs. Blackwood inside, already distracted by the promise of treats.

As I stride away, my thoughts race faster than my feet. We've danced around everything for months - her past, my feelings, all the things we didn't want to discuss. I let her keep her secrets, thinking time would heal whatever wounds she carried.

But I was wrong.

Those wounds festered in silence, drove her to run rather than trust me with her fears. I failed her by not pushing, by not showing her that whatever demons chase her, I'm bigger. That I'd tear apart anyone who tried to hurt her.

The bracelet's magic pulses stronger now. She's stopped moving.

This time, I won't let her hide. This time, I'll make her face everything - her past, her fears, and most importantly, what she means to me. What she means to all of us.

Because the truth is, she's become our everything. And I'm not letting her go without a fight.