"Where did you go?" Maya whispered, voice soft as broken glass. "What happened to you? Who took you? Are you hurt? Are you—"
Nyxavere shook her head with a soft smile that could melt winter. "I'll tell you later. I just wanted to be home first…"
Her voice carried weight. Not the weight of power, but the weight of exhaustion. Of someone who had seen too much, traveled too far, carried burdens too heavy for shoulders that small.
Tessa leaned into her side like a puppy discovering warmth for the first time. "Oh my gods, you're so adorable. We're getting matching pajamas. No discussion. Also, you're never leaving this house again without a tracking device. And a bodyguard. And maybe a small army 'cause your daddy and mom get really paranoid."
Nyxavere laughed—clear and bright and exactly the way she'd always laughed. "Okay."
