Episode Sixty-Three Epilogue

S ix Years Later

Nadira

"I will not!" Blessing stomps her green foot, her arms folded across her five-year-old chest and her lips pressed into a thin line.

Sometimes I wonder what possessed us to name our only daughter Blessing. Right this minute, she's trying my patience something fierce. Then I hear Dhar's placating voice in the back of my mind, counseling me to ignore these little outbursts of hers. Right now, it irritates me that the male who was so brash when I met him is now one of the calmest people in my life.

"You will say you're sorry for calling your brother a name," I scold, barely able to keep the words, "You little hellion," out of my mouth.

Instead, I take a deep breath and do what all three of my mates have suggested—counting my blessings. Of which I have many.

Was it only a few years ago I was in an abusive marriage with no hope of children? Now I have the three best mates on all of Earth along with six wonderful children.

I don't understand how the science works, I just know I couldn't be happier that I have two orclings, one of which has his father's strength and calm patience. I have two monks who have the cleverest minds, and two starflyers who, despite their ability to fly away to escape when they're in trouble, never do.

And then there's Blessing. Perhaps she gets on my nerves the most because she is the most like me. I was afraid for my life as a child. If I hadn't been, I, just like my red-haired, green-skinned daughter, would have argued with every rule and chore. Maybe I'm jealous of her happy freedom. Just look at her defiant blue eyes. Just like her mom.

"Dinner!" I call from the community firepit. I cooked enough for an army, which is good, because there are hundreds of people in camp today. We're celebrating our latest victory.

If someone had asked me six years ago if I thought we'd still be engaged in freeing people in the Towers after six years of fighting, I wouldn't have known what to say. I would have either thought we'd all be dead or that someone else from one of the ninety-nine other Towers would have spearheaded the fight for their own freedom. Neither of those two extremes proved to be true.

My mates and I are still generals in the ongoing battle to return Earth to the paradise it was meant to be.

Although we've had dozens of victories, there is still more work to be done to ensure every man, woman, and child, regardless of species or whether they are Down Below or Up Above is free to make their own choices and live their lives in peace.

"My mate is thoughtful today." Big as he is, Dhar soundlessly stalked up behind me and snakes his arms around my waist. "Is our Blessing feeling more like a curse today?"

"How can you ask such a thing?" I scold, though I've already had that thought a dozen times today.

"Because I can read your mind and your left eye is twitching in irritation, my 'Dira."

Azael jumps down from an overhead branch. Even though Dhar is a head taller than him, Azael's arms are long enough to tuck both of us close.

"I hope you cooked a lot of food," Azael says. "Teaching our sons how to fight with swords made me work up an appetite."

So that's why Blessing was in a bad mood. One of her fathers left her out, teaching the boys to fight and not her. When the adults are alone tonight, we're going to have another talk about his tendency to overprotect her.

Thallose flies in, his hooves gently touching down. He doesn't hesitate as he calls Blessing to join our group hug, then wraps us all in his downy embrace.

"Nadira." He kisses me, then kisses both his other mates as well as the daughter he dotes on.

Even after all these years, my heart squeezes in joy when my males remind me how much they love each other and our children. We all have so much love in our hearts it's enough for the four adults, the six children, and the three the midwife says are on the way. Come to think of it, maybe that's why I seem to have no patience anymore. My pregnancy hormones.

The moment I palm my belly, my three husbands and my beloved daughter all press their hands there, too.

"Three more babies!" Blessing coos. "We have the best family in all the Up Above and the Down Below."

I couldn't say it better, my little blessing is right.