Reyna was staring at Mundus. For several minutes she had sat at the corner of his study, behind one of the bookshelves, totally repressing her presence like he had taught her. It was fun, spying like this even though she had made him swear never to do it to her. He had never asked for the returned favor though. This was practice, of course. How else could she know she was doing it right? It was quite a grueling technique to master after all.

She watched his profile, sharp cheekbones accented by the harsh white light of the laptop on the desk. Strands of dark hair danced on his cheek when he'd roll his shoulders, muscles on his neck stretching. Reyna knew he hated using computers, but he always looked so cute when he'd squint disapprovingly at something in an e-mail. Usually, it was from Cerus and held lines like "Lina says hi!" or "We miss you!"

Mundus had that look on his face now. Lines gathered between his eyebrows, lips pulled down at the sides. His Adam's apple pulsed as he took a drink of water from a bottle. He had spilled a glass of juice on his keyboard once and after punching the rows of keys so words danced in the air instead of across his fingertips, Reyna knew bottled drinks was the way to go. Again his Adam's apple fell with more angry swallows of water as Mundus leered at it like it was an opponent in battle. A predatory aurora whirled around him, and a tiny growl rolled in his throat.

Reyna bit her lip. Damn him. He was too sexy sometimes. It took all her willpower to prevent herself from rushing over to him and pull his collar into a kiss while she straddled him and-

"I know you are there, love," he said, unmoving. "And I am able to see the face you are making."

She froze. "Oh? And what face is that?"

"One that says you love me."

His words both melted her heart and made it pound harder, so naturally Reyna stuck out her tongue at him. "Did you see that?"

He whirled his chair around. "Yes, I did and such needs punishment."

Mundus appeared in front of her and swept her up in his arms. She felt the hotness of his lips before he kissed her. He was a surge that zapped all nerve endings in her body. It was like tasting electricity, and she was left breathless when he pulled away.

He chuckled. "There is that face again."

"Ruuuun!" A high-pitched scream tore the world in half.

The ajar door to Mundus' study creaked open and two pairs of tiny bare feet slapped the tiled floor. Giggles followed and two toddlers ran around the room, familiar with its layout. They were similar in stature and shared the same midnight colored hair, twins in only those aspects. The boy's deep blue eyes were prominent with innocence and currently shone with excitement while his sister's dark gaze was narrowed with mischief and almost misplaced with the gleeful smile on her face. Their cheeks and chins were smeared with chocolate, sticky hands leaving hazelnut smears on Mundus' desk. The sugary smell of chocolate chocked the air.

"Auron! Reiko!" Reyna called the children. Even as Mundus set her down she could see him biting down his laughter.

The twins stopped, unaware their parents had been in the room, but when they saw them, their eyes sparkled.

"Mama!" Her sweet boy wiggled in place before rushing to hug Reyna's legs.

"Daddy!" His firecracker girl threw her arms in the air and waited for Mundus to come and pick her up.

"Mama, look!" Auron reached into the giant pocket on his chest. The collar of his cotton blue shirt was wrinkled with drying chocolate. And that was exactly what he pulled out. The half-eaten bar was large in his small hands.

Reiko mimicked her brother. "Yup! Yup! Look!" Her candy bar was down to its last row of nibbled squares.

Reyna and Mundus shared a look that communicated that this time it was okay though they were going to have words with the twins' nanny. In fact, Reyna could sense his approach. Still, she asked. "Where is your Uncle Verden?"

"I don't know." Reiko shrugged. "Uncle Burmen gave us chocolate."

"So he did, did he?" Mundus swept the hair from her brow.

"Yup! Yup! Here, daddy. Only a little bite." Reiko held her bar to Mundus' lips. He obeyed, for how could he not when facing his only princess in the whole world.

Auron, never one to be outdone by his sister, copied her. "Here, mama. You can have a big bite."

Reyna wrapped her arms around her little boy while she took a nibble. "Mmm. How gracious of my big boy to share."

He beamed, always pleased by his mother's praise.

"There you are," Verden said from the doorway. His hair was over his eyes that refused to meet Reyna's and settled on Mundus. Verden combed the strands back with his fingers and entered the room.

"And how was it that these three-year-olds managed to give you the slip?" Reyna asked.

"Once again?" Mundus added.

Verden frowned. "Do you know how difficult it is to sense humans when they're so young?"

"No. Not really," Reyna smiled.

He scowled at her.

"And why must you ruin their dinner with chocolate?" Mundus asked. Accenting his point, Reiko finished off her bar with a burp.

"Ruin? I didn't give it to them."

"Uncle Vermen, it's not nice to lie," Auron said.

Verden kneeled next to Auron and gently poked his plump stomach, earning a shy giggle from the toddler. "Oh you're one to speak holding the evidence of your deeds like that."

"Me too! Me too!" Reiko reached out to her uncle.

"You want pokes too?"

"Yup! Yup!"

While Reyna heard her daughter's squeals of delight, she smoothed Auron's hair with her hand. He happily nibbled on his too big chocolate bar that she knew was going to give him a stomachache soon as sweets always did. Reyna debated taking it away, but he had seen his sister finish hers and if he didn't get to, there would be hell to pay. It didn't help that one look from Auron turned her breath into concrete in her lungs. She would die for him and still love him and protect him in death, her supposed nonexistence be damned for she would find a way. For him and Reiko.

Decades ago she would've balked and protested at having kids. It would be too painful--and, yes, even now the thought of their short lifespan, their quick deaths drove her insane if she dwelled on it too much—but Reyna realized she was so happy they were there. That they were alive and healthy and experiencing everything with so much awe it was like Reyna was reliving life itself, even if it was a chocolate bar dinner. She wanted them and there was no giving back. No going back.

Never mind the fact she and Mundus were the new pillars and children granted them a less divine light. Never mind the unknown consequences of a dark blood human laying with a dark blood demon. Because Reyna didn't care about that. Not now. Not when her little boy gifted her crushed flowers from the garden. Not when her little girl insisted for mommy to color outside the lines like her. Any bridges she needed to cross she would when she got to them. Right now, her son needed a kiss on his adorable, chubby cheek, and that's what moms did best.

"Have you all finished for today?" Verden asked Mundus and Reyna.

He now carried Reiko, cleaning her hands with wipes from an always replenished pack Reyna had seen peeking from his back pocket since the twins were born. Reiko held still for her uncle, enjoying the catering attention. Her dark gaze was hypnotic as it was haunting. That one was going to be a heart breaker.

"Daddy!" Auron reached for Mundus. Now that his sister wasn't in dad's arms, he could swoop in, take what had been hers, and hold on to it in case she wanted it back. He pressed his cheek against his father's, holding his head to his with small hands. That one was just going to be sneaky.

Another person entered the room.

"Ayaah!" Reiko beamed.

Auron jerked around so quickly, Mundus lost his grip on him and acquired himself a warning mom stare Reyna was quickly learning to perfect.

"Ayamah!" Auron bounced as Ayame came up to them.

"Hello, my cute, adorable, perfect little ones!" she cooed and kissed each one on the head. Auron asked for another which she gladly gave. "Did you all run from Uncle Verden again?"

"Yup! Yup!" Reiko was proud.

"No!" Auron was frantic.

"No? I was there when you were in the kitchen with him." Ayame said to Auron and placed her hands on his hips.

Reyna didn't miss Verden's slight twitch of his jaw.

Auron hung his head in shame. "I ran from Uncle Vermen. I'm sorry."

"Why would you run from him when he gave you all chocolate bars to enjoy?" Ayame asked.

Reyna and Mundus gave each other another telepathic glimpse that spoke of murder and doom for a certain uncle.

"It seems the virtuous Verden has at last done something his little brother can scold him on." Mundus smile was dangerous.

Verden clung to Reiko like a shield. "Zoom! Mommy and daddy want to play zoom!" Verden said.

Reyna glared at him. If Verden would forever be something, it was smart.

"Zoom! Zoom! Zoom!" Reiko and Auron parroted.

Verden sat Reiko on Mundus' desk. "Play with them a lot, okay?" He grabbed Ayame's hand. "We need to talk," he told her and the two hustled out of the room, leaving Reyna and Mundus with a set of energized twins that hadn't stopped their chant.

"Oh I am going to kill him," Reyna said.

"You shall after I have," Mundus said.

"Zoom! Zoom!" Reiko tugged on Mundus' clothes.

"Okay, okay." Reyna pulled her away and placed her lanky frame on the floor. Mundus set Auron down next to her. "But you both have to promise to eat your dinner after we finish," she said, placing her hands on each of their shoulders to encourage them to look at her.

The toddlers glanced at one another and nodded once with borderline unsettling synchronization. Then, they looked at their mother.

"Promise," Reiko spoke for them both.

"Okay. You know what that means." Reyna held out her fleshy pinky.

Reiko hugged it with her own boney digit. Auron's pinky was warmer around hers. "Promise, mama," he said.

"Daddy." Reiko's pinky jutted out in the air.

Mundus pinky almost entirely curled around the children's. "Pinky promise, princess. And you as well, my little warrior."

They walked outside, Auron holding on to Reyna's hand and Reiko's holding Mundus'. Zoom was a race. The parents were the vessels and the children the riders. They perched on top of their parents' shoulders and whoever crossed the agreed on finish line won. Of course, there were rules. No teleportation. That's just cheating. And no hands. Those were needed to secure the children. Other than that, Reyna and Mundus were free to do whatever to help them win the race. Within the reason that kept their children safe of course.

And Auron and Reiko loved the game.

The finishing line was the entrance to the hedge maze in the backyard. Reiko kicked a starting line into the ground a few feet away from the back porch. The distance was about the size of a football field with a skyscraper tree Reyna decided to use to her advantage to end this quickly. Dinner was approaching and without full bellies to help lull the twins to sleep, it was going to be a nightmare to put them down.

The children's enthusiasm buzzed in the air as Reyna lifted Auron onto her shoulders and Mundus raised Reiko onto his. The little ones' arms hugged their head like bandanas and they laughed with anticipation. Without a cue, Reyna and Mundus took off at the same time.

Their runs were gentle and any magicka used was of low caliber. Mundus tried to capture Reyna into an illusion that made her go in circles, but she easily broke out of it and wondered why he had even thought that would work against her. But it had given him a slight lead.

"Go, daddy!" Reiko shrieked.

Auron gripped Reyna tighter. "Come on, mama!"

Reyna was approaching the tree she wanted. "Don't worry. I got this, honey."

She summoned small blue platforms in midair she used to propel herself to the thickest branch on the skyscraper tree. She fused with the magickal energy inside of it, opening it to her command. An oversized root lifted from its earthy home like a giant peeking at the world from its underground lair. It walled Mundus and halted his run, but by then Reyna was already racing on the raised root and with a pair of blue arms she manifested from her back, scooped Reiko from her perch.

Reyna crossed the finish line.

A second of awed silence before the twins burst into cheers and laughter. They ran around, arms and fists pumping, jumping saying they won, they won! When Mundus reached them, he looked at Reyna, the root, the broken land, and Reyna again.

"Really, love?" he asked.

Her smile was innocent. "Yes. Really."

"Well I believe someone cheated."

The word describing something bad and that shouldn't be done ended the twins' celebration. They gaped at their mother with confusion.

"Mama cheated?" Auron's mouth was a perfect "o" as were his wide eyes.

Mundus pointed at Reyna's extra set of arms. "She used her hands. The rules state no hands are to be used, summoned or not."

A unified gasp.

"You two won but mommy did not because she cheated." Mundus grinned, enjoying the sway of power. "I think we need to get mommy."

"Get Mama!" Reiko declared.

Caught up in the frenzy, Auron charged at Reyna with giddiness. He crashed into her right leg and Reiko into her left. She made an exaggerated recoil at their attack but stayed standing so Mundus could read the threats on her face. His grin grew.

"You two hold mommy while I punish her for cheating," he said.

Giggles approved of their new game, but Reyna wasn't going to let Mundus have his way, that sore loser. When he approached her, she grabbed his face with both hands and kissed him. He was stunned, red on his cheeks and heat in his gaze.

"I think I see it now," Reyna said.

He blinked. "See what?"

"The face that says you love me."

Mundus gawked at her.

"Don't worry. I love you too."

He laughed, glanced at his children that looked up at him expectantly. Mundus grazed her cheek with his fingers as he rested his forehead on hers. "And for such I am thankful."

The children burned off more of their sugar rush for a few more minutes only stopping to ogle Reyna as she returned the root into the earth. She was going to get an endless lecture from Verden, but it was their backyard, so who cared. That's what he got for giving her kids chocolate in the first place.

When the twins were called in for dinner, their protests were silenced when Reyna raised her pinky at them. Auron, ever her sweet boy, grabbed her hand. It was Reiko that surprised her when she took her other hand, the right one. The girl marveled at the blue limb and Reyna could see the race's victory replaying behind her onyx eyes. They blinked and looked up at her.

"Mama, you won the race too," Reiko said.

Reyna squeezed her hand and although she couldn't physically feel her daughter's palm in hers, she hoped Reiko could feel the love she held for her.

Mundus enveloped Reyna from behind, his arms around her waist and chest against her back as he pulled her in. "Do not worry. Next time it will be daddy that wins."

She chuckled. "I still have plenty of tricks left, daddy."

They walked back inside, and Reyna didn't notice. It didn't feel different because it had already ingrained in her, settled and soaked in so much that it had become a part of her. It had stopped being a surprise, but it had never lost its meaning. When Reyna stepped into the house with Mundus' touch still hot on her body, their kiss still tingling her lips, and tiny hands in her own, it felt like home.

Welp. There it is. The end of the trilogy!

I just CAN'T thank you all enough for the journey you all took with me. It was long (soooooo long) and frustrating but thank you so much for reaching this point. Though this is the end of the series, there may be some sporadic updates with extra scenes. There are some things I wanted to write that just couldn't fit in the story itself. For now, I'm going to soon upload a batch of art y'all HAVE to see.

So, I know a lot of you are silent readers and THANK YOU so much for reading. I'd really, really appreciate it if you left a comment with your thoughts on the story pretty please with a cherry on top! *begs* It can be about your favorite character or scene and why it's your favorite. Or least favorite. Haha. I want to polish this series (and possibly self publish?) and your feedback is so, so wanted and appreciated.

Also, if you enjoyed this story, I welcome you to read the NEW STORY I'm going to be working on. I already have the first chapter up and have more planned, so updates should be faster. *ahem* It's a fantasy romance where I'm going to focus more on the romance than anything else. At least I plan to. Haha. I'll leave you with the blurb here. It's called After Dios, and you can find it on my profile. <3

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After Dios

Nadine never imagined she would marry a god.

Every year, her village drowns a virgin sacrifice for protection against the Dios War--a war between the gods. This year, Nadine is chosen. Problem is she isn't a virgin, something which validates a crude execution. But on the day of Nadine's sacrificial death, Gardus, the sky god himself, saves her from drowning.

He proclaims Nadine as his betrothed and whisks her away to live with him in the sky. Although flattered by Gardus' flashy and seductive courtship, Nadine worries about his motives for wanting to marry her. As she lives among the divine, Nadine attempts to discover why the gods are fighting. Instead, she discovers it's the wild and cute wind god, and not Gardus, that is starting to win her heart.

However, when Water God Yirrel hears one of his sacrifices escaped him, saved by the very deity he hates, the war on earth shifts to the sky. This time, Yirrel will make sure Nadine drowns.

*~*~*