29. Karn

29

KARN

SIX MONTHS LATER…

I look up from my forge as Mira bursts through the workshop door, her cheeks flushed and a genuine smile lighting up her face. She's carrying a basket full of fresh herbs, and her dark hair is braided with small wildflowers - definitely Vashti's doing.

"You look happy." I set down my hammer, wiping the sweat from my brow.

"Vashti showed me her garden. Did you know she grows healing herbs? She's teaching me which ones work best for burns." Mira sets the basket on my workbench, pulling out various bundles. "This one's for that stubborn burn on your forearm."

"Mrs. Blackwood's niece is turning you into a healer now?" I examine the herbs, touched by her thoughtfulness.

"She says every metalworker's mate should know basic burn treatment." Her eyes widen as she realizes what she's said. A blush creeps across her cheeks.

The words make my heart swell. I'm glad that Mrs. Blackwood has helped Mira get more friends and build a nice community with us. Now that Mira doesn't have to worry about hiding, she's really come out of her shell in the area.

I give her a smile. "Where are the twins?"

"Still at Mrs. Blackwood's. That woman spoils them rotten." Mira starts arranging the herbs to dry. "Luna's convinced her to teach them cookie recipes, and Nova's fascinated by her collection of transformation scrolls."

"Demons who actually want to help us." I shake my head. "Never thought I'd see the day."

"It's been nice." She touches my arm gently, giving me a smile. "We're not alone anymore, Karn."

The warmth of her hand sends sparks through my skin. I clear my throat. "Good thing too. Those twins need all the supervision they can get."

Mira laughs, the sound pure and unguarded - so different from the frightened woman who first stumbled into my shop. "Vashti's already offered to teach them proper demon etiquette. Says if they're going to cause chaos, they might as well do it with style."

"Seven help us all." I grin despite myself.

Soon enough, I go to pull the two little troublemakers home, closing up shop early to join my family in the garden.

The twins run to Mira as soon as we make it to the garden. It takes no time for them to start showing off new magic to their mom. Luna's tongue pokes out in concentration as she makes a flower spin in circles, while Nova methodically changes each petal from white to purple and back again.

"Higher!" Luna commands her flower, which shoots up like a startled bird. "No, wait, come back!"

The flower drifts toward the neighbor's yard. I step forward to intervene, but Nova's already on it. Her flower floats up to intercept her sister's runaway bloom, gently nudging it back toward our garden.

"Good save, Nova." I ruffle her copper curls. "You're getting better at control."

She beams up at me, her violet eyes bright. "Watch this, Uncle Karn!" The petals on her daisy shimmer through a rainbow of colors before settling on a deep crimson that matches my hair.

"My turn!" Luna waves her hands, and both flowers start dancing in formation. "It's like they're at a ball!"

"More like a tavern brawl," I mutter as the flowers bounce erratically. But I can't help smiling at their progress. Just last week, Luna accidentally sent a whole bouquet through Mrs. Blackwood's window.

Nova tugs at my sleeve. "Can we practice with the sparkly ones now?"

"The enchanted roses? Not yet, little star. Those are special for the ceremony." I tap her nose. "But if you two can keep practicing with regular flowers..."

Luna's daisy immediately steadies into a perfect hover. "Like this?"

"Exactly like that." Pride swells in my chest. Their parents would be amazed to see how far they've come. "Now, let's see you bring them in for a landing. Gentle this time, Luna. We don't want another crater in the garden."

"That was one time!" She pouts but guides her flower down with exaggerated care. Nova's follows with perfect precision, still cycling through colors as it descends.

Mira pulls the girls toward her, sitting cross-legged on the grass with Luna and Nova mimicking her posture. Their copper curls catch the light as they sway to the rhythm. "Let's work on a song instead."

Mira starts to sing, and the twins echo her, their small voices earnest. It's beautiful as they join in together, focusing on the lyrics instead of sending flowers flying.

Unable to resist, I step behind Mira and sweep her up mid-verse. She lets out a startled laugh as I spin her in a proper ceremonial dance.

"Uncle Karn's dancing!" Luna claps her hands, sending sparks of magic into the air.

"He's not bad," Nova observes with her usual gravity.

Mira follows my lead perfectly, her movements fluid and graceful. "I didn't expect a metalworker to know how to dance."

"I was raised in a normal household, remember?" I guide her through a complex turn. "Some lessons stick, no matter how hard you try to forget them."

Her green eyes sparkle. "And here I thought you were all brawn and no refinement."

"I've got a few tricks up my sleeve." I wink, dipping her low. The scent of herbs clings to her hair, mixed with the sweet summer air.

"Again!" Luna demands, tugging at my pants leg. "Spin Mama again!"

My heart skips at Luna's slip, but Mira just smiles and opens her arms to the twins. "Come here, little ones. I'll teach you the dance too."

I watch as she shows them the basic steps, her patience endless as they stumble and giggle. Nova's face scrunches in concentration while Luna spins until she's dizzy, both of them still trying to sing the blessing between breaths.

For a moment, I forget about the ceremony preparations, the shop orders, everything except the joy in their faces and the warmth spreading through my chest.

The next evening, I lead my family up the path to Mrs. Blackwood's manor. Luna races ahead, her copper curls bouncing, while Nova holds tight to Mira's hand, eyeing the glowing demon runes that line the walkway.

"Pretty," Nova whispers, reaching out to touch one. The purple light flares at her fingertips.

"Just like the ones at home." I squeeze her shoulder. "Mrs. Blackwood's husband helped me set those up, remember?"

The door swings open before we reach it. Vashti stands there in her typical flowing tunic and pants, her curved horns adorned with silver chains that catch the lamplight.

"There's my favorite little chaos-makers!" She sweeps the twins into a hug. "I've got fresh cookies cooling in the kitchen."

Mira looks to me and mouths the words with Luna. "With sprinkles?" Luna bounces on her toes.

I grin and mouth, "Purple ones?" as Nova asks hopefully.

It's like their script where cookies are involved.

"Both, of course." Vashti ushers us inside where other demon families mingle. Some I recognize from the shop, others from the twins' magic lessons or Mrs. Blackwood introducing me. All of them wave or nod in greeting - a far cry from the suspicious looks we got a year ago when I first came to stay with my family.

Dezoth, Vashti's brother, appears at my side, clapping my shoulder. His massive horns brush the door frame as he leans in. "You look good. But like something's on your mind."

"That obvious?"

He snorts. "Might as well get it out of the way."

I catch Mira's eye across the room where she's chatting with Arnon, a friend of Vashti. Her smile still takes my breath away.

"Everyone!" I call out, my voice carrying over the chatter. The room falls quiet. "Mira and I have an announcement."

Mira moves to my side, her hand finding mine. The twins crowd around our legs, vibrating with barely-contained excitement - we told them this morning.

"We've decided we're having the mating ceremony next month," I say. We've been taking our time planning, not that it's stopped everyone from asking when it's going to happen. "And we'd be honored if-"

The rest of my words are drowned out by cheers. Arnon actually jumps up and down, while Dezoth's booming laugh fills the room. Vashti dabs at her eyes with her sleeve.

"Finally!" old Kazik shouts from his corner. "Took you forever to finally get it handled!"

Mira buries her face in my chest, but I can feel her laughing. The twins join the celebration, Luna creating tiny fireworks above our heads while Nova turns everyone's drinks different shades of purple.

The celebration winds down as the twins start to droop, Nova's head nodding against my shoulder while Luna fights to keep her eyes open in Mira's arms. The walk home is peaceful, broken only by Luna's sleepy mumbles about purple cookies.

We tuck them into bed together, a routine we've perfected over the months. I brush Nova's curls from her forehead while Mira adjusts Luna's blanket just the way she likes it. Their matching violet eyes flutter closed as Mira hums their favorite lullaby.

"Come with me." I take Mira's hand once we're sure they're asleep.

In the months since I thought I lost Mira, we've worked on our communication. I tell her when something bothers me, she tells me about her nightmares, and we don't let our past hurt us. It seems to be going well.

So I wanted to do this.

In our room, I pull a leather-bound book from my bedside drawer. The cover is worn smooth, edges softened by years of handling. "I've been waiting for the right moment to share this."

Mira settles beside me on the bed, her fingers tracing the embossed demon runes. "What is it?"

"Ash and Sarah's journal. They started it when they found out about the twins." I open to the first page where a sketch shows Sarah laughing as ASh tries to build a crib. "My brother was terrible at drawing, but he insisted on documenting everything."

"They look so happy." Mira's voice catches as she turns the pages. There's Sarah's elegant handwriting describing their first kicks, Ash's messy scrawl telling jokes about midnight cravings. Photos show the proud parents holding their newborns, Sarah's tired smile, Ash's horns gleaming as he cradles his daughters.

"Sarah wrote letters to the girls." I flip to the middle section. "She wanted them to know their story, how their parents fell in love despite everything."

Mira traces Sarah's words with gentle fingers. "A demon noble and a human healer. They must have faced so much opposition."

"Ash didn't care. Said Sarah was worth fighting the whole damn world for." I watch Mira's face as she reads. "Sound familiar?"

She looks up at me, green eyes shining. "Thank you for sharing this with me, Karn. For trusting me with their memory."

"You're their mother now. You deserve to know where they came from. All of it." I pull her close, breathing in the scent of herbs and home. "And you're worth fighting for too."