We Love You

Hades

Ellen settled onto my lap as if she had always belonged there, her body fitting against mine with a familiarity that sent a sharp jolt through me. She was light, yet I could feel the tension coiled within her, the weight of her every breath as she squared her shoulders and faced her family.

Darius stiffened, his composure cracking for the first time. Lyra's lips parted, eyes widening with unguarded shock before she masked it. Even James, ever the unreadable shadow at Darius' side, tilted his head slightly as if reassessing the woman before him.

I, however, did not react.

Not outwardly.

Pride swelled in my chest, sharp and hot, but I kept my expression neutral, my arms shifting to accommodate her, to hold her without making it obvious that I could feel the slight tremble in her limbs. She was still fragile, still teetering on the edge—but she was standing. Fighting.

And that, more than anything, made the Flux churn.