26. Mira

26

MIRA

I press back against the wall, my heart still racing from everything that's happened. The crowd that had gathered disperses like scattered leaves, giving Karn a wide berth. His violet eyes lock onto mine, searching, assessing.

"Are you hurt?" His deep voice carries across the space between us.

I shake my head, tears welling up despite my best efforts to hold them back. "You came for me," I whisper, the words catching in my throat.

His expression softens, just slightly - the kind of subtle shift most would miss, but I've learned to read the tiny changes in his stoic face. "Of course I did." He closes the distance between us. "I'll always come for you, Mira. Always. I'd do anything for you."

The intensity in his voice makes my chest tight. Here is this powerful demon, who could snap a man in half, looking at me like I'm something precious. His rough fingers brush my cheek, surprisingly gentle for hands that bend metal daily.

"Want to go home?"

I nod, tears spilling over. The events of the day crash over me - the fear, the uncertainty, the relief. My legs feel weak.

Karn scoops me up against his chest before I can fall. One arm slides under my knees, the other supporting my back. I curl into him, breathing in the familiar scent of forge smoke and metal that clings to his clothes. His warmth seeps into my cold limbs.

He pauses only to snatch up the bag containing my things from where it had been left at the back of the auction house. The motion jostles me slightly, but his grip never falters.

I rest my head against his shoulder, finally feeling safe. The steady thrum of his heartbeat under my ear drowns out the lingering echoes of fear. He came for me. Despite everything, despite the danger, he came.

I cling to him as he skirts around the city, keeping my body covered and glaring at anyone that dares to look in my direction. I have so many questions for him, but right now, I just soak in his presence.

Karn carries me straight through the shop and up the stairs, his steps purposeful. The familiar surroundings of home wrap around me like a blanket, but I still can't stop shaking. He shoulders open the bathroom door and sets me on my feet, keeping one steadying hand on my waist.

"Let's get you cleaned up." His fingers brush the scratchy fabric of the dress they forced me into. "May I?"

I nod, unable to find my voice. The dress falls away and I wrap my arms around myself, feeling exposed in more ways than one. Karn presses a hand to the run that turns on the shower, steam filling the space between us.

"Talk to me." His voice is quiet but firm. "Why didn't you come to me instead of leaving?" His eyes track over me. "Did you know he was here, looking for you?"

I nod as my stare drops to the floor, watching water droplets splash against the tile. "You already have so much to deal with. The shop, the twins..." My voice cracks. "I couldn't dump my problems on you too."

"Look at me." When I don't move, his fingers cup my chin, tilting my face up. Those violet eyes burn into mine. "Your problems are my problems. You think I want you carrying these burdens alone?"

"I just..." The tears start falling again. "I'm not your responsibility."

His jaw tightens. "Is that what you think? That you're some kind of burden?" He steps closer, backing me against the cool wall. "I want your burdens, Mira. I want your fears, your dreams, your past - everything that makes you who you are."

My breath catches as his thumb traces my lower lip. "Karn..."

"I want your thoughts when you wake up in the morning." His voice drops lower, rougher. "I want your smile across the breakfast table. Your laugh when the twins do something ridiculous." His forehead presses against mine. "I want your breath mixing with mine. I want everything you are, everything you'll be."

The kiss, when it comes, is gentle at first - a contrast to his fierce words. But then I make a small sound in my throat and something in him breaks.

His hands tangle in my hair as he deepens the kiss, claiming my mouth with an intensity that makes my knees weak. I clutch his shoulders, feeling the solid strength of him, anchoring me in this moment.

When we finally break apart, my lips tingle and my head spins. I rest my forehead against his chest, catching my breath. A question surfaces through the haze.

"How did you find me?" I lift my gaze to his face. "I was so careful not to leave any trace..."

Karn reaches for the fallen bag, his movements precise. "You took something." There's no accusation in his tone, just a gentle understanding that makes my chest ache.

From the bag, he pulls out the bracelet I'd spotted on his work bench. Up close, the intricate runes catch the light, seeming to pulse with their own inner glow. I remember how it had called to me, practically humming with magic, begging me to take it with me when I fled.

"I'm sorry," I whisper. "I don't know why I-"

"It was meant for you." His thumb traces one of the delicate runes. "I've been working on it. Each rune is specifically crafted to your energy signature." A ghost of a smile touches his lips. "That's why it called to you."

I blink up at him. "What do you mean?"

"Protection spells." He holds the bracelet up to the light. "Designed to keep you safe when I'm not there. To warn me if you're in danger." His free hand cups my cheek. "The magic led me back to you - even unfinished, it recognized you as its intended wearer." He sighs. "It would have cast spells against the demons that grabbed you if I had finished tying it to you."

"You made this... for me?" My voice cracks on the last word.

"Every rune, every curve of metal." His eyes hold mine. "I shaped each piece thinking of you, infusing it with my magic, my need to keep you safe." He lets out a rough laugh. "Though I didn't expect its first use to be tracking you down after you ran."

The metal feels warm against my skin when he slides it onto my wrist, like it's greeting an old friend. The runes pulse once, bright violet - the same shade as his eyes - before settling into a subtle shimmer. Karn covers it, and I feel his magic flowing over it, over my arm, and when he pulls back, I can tell he's imbued it with something more.

The completed protection.

I trace the shimmering runes with trembling fingers. "Why would you spend so much time making this for me? I'm just..." The words catch in my throat.

Karn's hands frame my face, his violet eyes blazing with an intensity that steals my breath. "Just what? The woman who brought light back into this house? Who makes the twins laugh every day? Who..." His voice roughens. "Who makes me feel whole for the first time in my life?"

"I don't understand-"

"I love you." The words fall from his lips like a confession, raw and honest. "I have since that first day you walked into my shop, covered in dirt and rain. When you fell to your knees and smiled at the twins when they came up to you."

My heart stutters. All this time, I'd been so afraid of letting myself hope, of believing I could have something real. But looking up at him now, seeing the vulnerability beneath his usual gruff exterior, everything clicks into place.

The way he always makes sure I eat when I'm lost in playing with the twins. How he'll bring me cups of tea if I have a hard time sleeping. The gentle way he tucks my hair behind my ear as he holds me at night.

This is what family feels like. What love feels like.

I surge up on my toes, catching his lips with mine. My fingers curl into his copper hair as I pour everything I can't say into the kiss - every moment of longing, every flutter of hope I'd tried to suppress. His arms band around my waist, pulling me closer until there's no space left between us.

When we break apart, I rest my forehead against his chest. "I love you too." The words come easily now, like they've just been waiting for the right moment. "You and the twins... you're my family. That's why I had to leave. If they found me here..." I swallow hard. "I couldn't let them hurt any of you."

"We protect each other." His fingers thread through my hair. "That's what family does."