Page 177 of Emylia

It was a beast–feral and all-consuming–bending the world to its will in ways no mortal could begin to fathom.

A living, breathing entity that answered to no one but me, and devoured everything it touched.

And now there was no denying it.

I was a magik wielder.

Anunstoppableweapon.

ChapterThirty-Seven

The soft glow of candlelight bathed the hall, flames flickering in glass orbs mounted along the stone masonry walls. Golden light pooled like spilled sunlight across the floor, catching on arrangements of wildflowers cascading from carved alcoves—lilies, frost-blooms, and thick-stemmed vines that trailed like whispers from the ceiling beams.

A massive oak table stretched down the center of the room, so long it nearly vanished into shadow at the far end. It was set with mismatched, beautifully crafted blue-hued stoneware—each plate, cup, and bowl etched with curling patterns, like waves frozen in time.

Food lined every inch of the table, a chaotic display of abundance and artistry. Loaves of bread—some twisted with herbs, others glistening with butter—sat nestled in linen-lined baskets. Roasted vegetables gleamed under glazes of honey and wine, their skins blistered to perfection. A whole deer, fire-charred and dripping with juice, lay at the center, flanked by bowls of garlic-stuffed mushrooms and platters of blackened root vegetables seasoned with salt and ash. There were trays of blistered figs, still warm from the oven, and jugs of mulled cider so fragrant it made my mouth water before I’d even sat down.

Steam curled from the roasted deer, rich and wild, the scent of smoke clinging to the charred flesh and making my stomach rumble. Maalikai had gone hunting after my first magik lesson, while Sebastian and I helped the others prepare dinner.

The smell of freshly baked bread drifted through the hall, sweetened by honey cakes cooling beside the fire. But it was the honey-glazed carrots that nearly undid me—baby carrots, their green stems still intact, dribbling golden juice across blue-hued stoneware like spilled treasure.

Noticing the twins, I smiled.One had her hair twisted into intricate braids that shimmered with woven ribbon, the other’s copper curls hung loose, tumbling down her back as they raced down the aisle between the tables, giggling and chasing one another with carved wooden dolls clutched in their fists. Their laughter echoed off the stone, high and sweet.

At the far end of the table, Triska and my mother sat side by side, shoulders brushing as they laughed at something only they could hear—just like the old days. Like before we'd lost him. Before everything fractured. And for a moment—just one fragile breath—it felt like nothing had gone awry. Like we were still whole.

No exile. No threats. No war. No death.

Just home, and family, and light.

And my heart, so used to the ache, filled without asking permission.

I slid into a seat, still caught in the haze of magik and muscle ache, only to find myself face to face with Evie.

“Ah... hi.” I stummered, rather ungraciously.

She gave me a small, timid smile—so quintessentially Evie that I nearly laughed. She might’ve looked like a red-headed Goddess, but she was anything but fiery. She was softness—whispered words, downcast glances, and that unnerving quiet that made me feel like she could see everything. Like she already knew all my secrets.

“Hi,”she echoed.

“You look pretty,”I said, awkward and uncertain.

We had once been each other’s shadows. My twin flame in everything that mattered. Now, we stood on opposite sides of a line neither of us had drawn—but both of us had been forced to obey. A fracture not born of betrayal, but of survival. And now? That fracture had left a shroud of silence between us. A chasm lined with things we didn’t know how say.

“Thanks,”she said with a small smile. “But nothing compared to you in that purple dress. It’s stunning—it accentuates all your features.”

At least someone in this family had inherited charm. Because it sure as Nexus, wasn’t me.

I really looked at her then. She hadn’t inherited her father’s eyes—instead of deep brown, they were emerald-green. Like mine. A dusting of freckles kissed her nose, not scattered but placed, as if the Gods had taken their time arranging them to elevate her already unsettling beauty. But it was her hair that betrayed her birthright. Not auburn like Triska’s. Not copper like Thrainn’s. Flame-red. Blood-kissed.Almost like a crown.

The next chieftain. Or she would be—if Thrainn had his way.

The air shifted. Pressure dipped like a held breath as Maalikai took the seat beside me. The energy between us crackled—silent, electric. Two seconds later, Sebastian slid in beside Evie, draping his arm over her shoulder like it belonged there.

“Hey, Bash.” Evie grinned, and that smile could split the earth wide open.

“Hey, E. Feels like I haven’t seen you in forever.”

Sebastian stole a piece of bread off her plate without asking, flashing that cocky grin he knew annoyed her–in a way that made her smile anyway. But there was real warmth behind it.

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