Darius brushed damp hair from my forehead. "We hear you our queen," he said quietly. "We will stand with you forever no matter what happens."
Kane pressed a kiss to my shoulder. "But we will not pretend the north is not coming. We protect what is ours. That includes you."
Rylan's hand rested low on my stomach. "And we fight beside you. Always."
I smiled and closed my eyes and let their words settle. The keep was quiet outside the chamber door. The ridges lay dark beyond the windows. The north would push again, but tonight the four of us had drawn our own line.
I felt the bond settle deeper, stronger than it had been since the night I returned from Shadowpine. The children slept safe between us. The keep held. The wall I held inside myself was still standing.
************
