Kalea hesitated before she leaned into his grandmother’s arms and allowed her to take her. She touched his grandmother’s cheek just below her eyes. “You have weird eyes like Daddy. But different.”

“I do.”

“Are you Anduran, too?”

His grandmother laughed again. “Andarion, and yes. Yes, I am.”

“Am I Anduran?”

His grandmother tickled her belly. “You’re not just Anduran, Kalea. You’re an Anduran princess!”

“Hear that, Daddy? I’m a princess!”

“No, precious,” he teased, brushing his hand through one of her pigtails. “You are the empress of my universe, and we need to get you back to Mommy or she’ll be worried.”

Hauk allowed his grandmother to enter the bedroom first and watched as she went to sit on the bed beside Sumi so that they and Desideria and Lillya could fuss over Kalea.

He tightened his lips to suppress their trembling. Please, gods, don’t give me this only to rip it all away tomorrow. He would rather be gutted.

But in the back of his mind, he knew it couldn’t last. While others were allowed to have happy lives, he’d never been allowed to experience such joy. Something always happened to steal it away.

Just like his Endurance. Other children, normal children, ascended without issue. He’d barely survived his. And it had left him scarred and bitter.

Abandoned.

You don’t deserve happiness for what you did to my husband! I hope you live the rest of your life in utter misery! Even now, Dariana’s angry curse haunted him.

Resigned to the hell he knew would come, he just hoped that this time the tragedy would take his own life. Because if it was theirs it demanded, he would follow them into the grave.

CHAPTER 33

Dancer carried Sumi to the part of the conservatory that housed the pool. His grandmother walked beside them with Kalea in her arms. While Sumi felt a little ridiculous about needing to keep her eyes on her daughter at all times, she couldn’t help the physical pain that pierced her whenever she couldn’t see her.

But what stunned her was the number of kids who were playing here. Kiara and Nykyrian had brought their entire brood over. All four boys and both daughters.

Thia came running as soon as she saw them and hugged Sumi. Her face brightened at the sight of Kalea in her great-grandmother’s arms. “Oh my gosh! Is this the infamous Tara Kalea? You are a great beauty, aren’t you?”

Frowning, Kalea hid behind her great-grandmother’s shoulder and eyed her warily.

In total understanding, Thia smiled wider. “I’m your cousin, Thia.”

Kalea stared at her as if she couldn’t quite believe what she was hearing. “I have a cousin?”

“You have lots of them.” Thia spread her arm wide to show not just her siblings, but Devyn, Terek, Lil, Cezar, and Jayne’s two daughters and son. “See all those kids?”