Seb's eyes moved to the baby, and his voice dropped into something that was almost tender, which was somehow the worst version of it, which was somehow more violating than anger would have been, and he said it softly, said it like a man speaking to someone who already belonged to him.
"Daddy loves you, little Divina." He let the name sit there.
"Divina Creed." The smile that followed was small. Private. The smile of someone who had just planted a flag.
Then he turned and walked out.
Kalian followed without a word. One last glance at Julian, measuring, unreadable, and then he was gone too, the door swinging shut behind them both, the room suddenly containing only the two of them and the babies and the machines and the enormous, reverberating aftermath of what had just been said.
Divina Creed.
Amara stood very still.
