Page 144 of Blood Red Rage

“Yes.”

“No.”

“Viking.”

“I almost lost you.”

“You didn't.”

I looked at her. Her eyes were tired but clear, alive. “You didn't lose me.”

I pressed my forehead against hers. “I love you.”

“I love you too.”

A soft cry came from behind me. I froze. Bryn's smile changed.

“Go.”

I looked at her. “You first.”

“I'm fine.”

“Promise?”

“Yes.”

“Dragan?”

He stood across the room. “She's healthy.”

I stared at him. “Completely?”

“She needs rest.”

“That's not what I asked.”

“Yes. She is healthy.”

Only then did I turn. Two bassinets, side by side. My entire existence narrowed to them. One baby was wrapped in pale cloth, the other beside her, tiny, so fucking tiny. I walked closer, slowly. Afraid. Me. Afraid to touch them.

Dragan noticed. “Pick them up.”

I looked at him. “Both?”

“If you can manage swords, I assume you can manage infants.”

I almost told him to fuck off but didn’t. Bryn laughed softly behind me as I reached down. One first, my daughter Oriah. I slid my hands beneath her, careful. She weighed nothing. I lifted her against my chest, her face scrunched. Tiny mouth, tiny nose, dark hair. My throat closed. “Oriah.”

Her eyes opened, barely. I stopped breathing. Mine. My daughter.

Then Dragan placed Svern in my other arm. I looked down. My son. He was slightly larger. Angrier. Already making offended noises, of course. Bryn's child, definitely Bryn's.

I held them both, and something clicked. Every night I'd spent thinking survival was enough, none of it had made sense until now. This, these two tiny lives against my chest with Bryn behind me, my brothers outside, my whole family.

I looked at Bryn, she was crying and so was I but I didn't fucking care. “They're here.”

She nodded. “They're here.” I walked back to her, carefully and sat beside the bed. She shifted enough to make room for us. I leaned back against her with Oriah between us and Svern against my chest. Bryn touched our daughter's cheek. “She has your nose.”