Land of Light and Shadows

Chapter 70

Chapter 70

Lyv missed this. Missed being home in Ayveri, dinner with their family, spending time with the dragons, walking around the city, and especially her and Jai's rooms, which she was in now. They spent all evening with their family doing just those things, though there was more explanation as to what happened over those last weeks in Escarral and finally what had happened in the land of light and shadow. And, of course, the excitement of a new little princess coming to join their family in just a few months.

There were so many tears, though mostly they were ones of joy and laughter. Of course, Lyv had told her sisters about their father and Lenora, how young and healthy he looked there, and how happy they were. For the four of them, that was all they'd ever wanted for Bence, though they would have been happier if he was there with them.

And Balian...Lyv told Evelien and Merek about him, how he approved of the two of them and appreciated how Merek was raising Balian as his own.

Of course, Laurel asked about her twin brother. Jai was the one to tell her, Eamon, and their parents what Bence told him. Destan really didn't stay in the land of light and shadows, not after finding his mate Adeena there, but he would visit from time to time. Neither Jai nor Lyv got to see him but knew they all would someday. At least they could trust he was happy.

As far as how the two of them had gotten back...well, Jai let Lyv take the lead on that one. She didn't go into specifics, though, just that Corliss had been keeping a crystal safe for them, which had been placed there in the past, and it was filled with enough magic to take them home. Even Mik, Allel, and Kalla looked confused, having no knowledge of it from before.

Now, though, Lyv just wanted to be in the moment. She wanted to be happy and safe and surrounded by the people she loved and who loved her in return. And she wasn't going to take any of it for granted. Because for the first time in years, she didn't have anything she had to worry about. No war, no darkness, no death. Just a future she couldn't wait for.

Lyv's leather riding jacket was thrown over the plush chair by the window along with her tunic and pants. She'd changed into one of Jai's tunics for bed, though she wasn't ready for sleep just yet. Her toes squished against the carpeting as she unloaded everything from her bag, including Jai's she'd had inside. Clothes were thrown in the laundry basket for the laundress, their toiletries placed on the bathing room counter, and boots and shoes set by the wardrobe since they had to be cleaned.

Lyv happily hummed as she moved around their rooms, even when every movement making her stomach twist. There was no such thing as morning sickness with pregnancy, apparently, not when it seemed constant. But it was a constant she knew would lessen over those next few weeks the farther along she got.

She paused when she opened the bottom drawer of the wardrobe, one Lyv hardly opened. Her heart leapt into her throat and her eyes misted over as she stared down at the folded pink and gold baby blanket and the white bow headband...and then burst out laughing when she saw what they covered – sword and dagger made specially for a certain little someone.

Jai strode in then, already untucking his tunic to pull over his head and throw in the laundry basket as he closed and locked the door. "So, Elys is out for the night after running around with the other children and I...what are you laughing at?"

Still grinning, Lyv turned to him, holding the blanket and headband in one hand, dagger in the other. His face immediately went pink.

"I told you about the blanket and headband, remember?" he said, walking over to kneel down with her. He took the dagger from her grasp, still much too sharp for even Elys to be handling, and the sapphire and emerald stones set in the hilt sparkled in the lamp light. Lyv didn't think Jai realized this, but it was almost twin to Elys's own. "But Dessa's not touching this until she's at least eighteen. Maybe even after that. Why the hell did I even get them made?"