They stayed in Phuket for two weeks, experimenting with magic, touring the islands by boat, and resting. They slept late. They made love in the middle of the day. They went to night markets and swam under the stars.

And then they went home.

The plane to Istanbul landed in midafternoon; they heard the afternoon call of the muezzin as they crossed the Haliç Bridge.

Kyra had been in Istanbul many times, but this time she was returning as a member of a large family, not as a visitor. She’d spoken to Ava on the phone, and her friend had been ecstatic that Kyra and Leo would be living at the house. She was eager for company beyond Malachi’s brothers and Mala, who split time between Cappadocia and the city. She was full of plans and news for her new sister, eager to introduce Kyra to more magical practice as well as having another female in the house full-time.

Kyra was still unsure how well she would manage in a large communal environment. She realized she was tapping her toes and pulling at the seam of the dress she’d bought in Thailand.

Leo squeezed her hand. “Nervous?”

She smiled. “A little.”

“If it gets to be too much, you have to tell me.”

“I will.”

“My brothers can be annoying.”

“I’ll tell you.”

“Especially my cousin. He means well, but—”

“Leo, I promise.” She leaned over and kissed his cheek. “I’ll tell you if I need some time alone.”

Their cab wound through the old streets of Beyoğlu, dodging pedestrians and pushcarts. When they pulled up to the familiar wooden house, she saw Malachi and Ava standing outside, two small children held in their arms.

“The babies?” Kyra asked, her mouth agape.

“Not so small anymore.”

“No, they’re not.” Kyra’s heart leapt at the sight.

The little girl and boy bounced in their parents’ arms, excited and waving at the bright yellow cab. Ava and Malachi scrambled to hold them, picking up a toy that went flying and laughing at their children’s antics.

“Can we have one?” she asked without thinking.

“Please.”

She turned to see Leo grinning.

Kyra’s nerves fled. This was no trial. She would not have to prove herself. This was family. True family. As Leo grabbed their suitcases from the back of the cab and paid the driver, Kyra walked to Ava, who had tears in her eyes.

“I knew it,” Ava said, grabbing Kyra in a one-armed hug. “I knew it. I’ve waited so many years for you two to figure it out.” She sniffed. “And look at me. I’m a mess, but I knew it.”

Malachi looked just as pleased, though he wasn’t crying. “Can I help?” he called.

“I’ve got it.” Leo joined them on the sidewalk, setting their suitcases down.

Malachi reached out for Leo and embraced his brother with a hard pat on the back as the little girl he carried shouted questions at Leo in Turkish.

“Ask me,” Malachi said. “I’ve waited a long time to answer this question for another.”

Leo cleared his throat and stepped back, taking Kyra’s hand in his. “Watcher, does the fire still burn in this house?”

“It does,” Malachi said. “And you are welcome to its light. You and your own.”

Ava grinned. “I totally know what that means now!”

Kyra was still a little confused. “What does it mean?”

“It means you’re home.” Ava grabbed her hand. “You’re totally, one hundred percent, home.”

* * *

“I can’t believe they did all this,” Kyra said, staring at the stars from the roof of the new cottage behind the main house. Someone had put a low wooden bed on the roof, covered in blankets and pillows. It was the perfect place to enjoy the night breeze and listen to the sounds of the city.

“They’ve been planning to buy the house next door as soon as the owners were ready to sell. There was an elderly couple who lived there for fifty years. They passed last year, but their children were trying to decide if they wanted the money more than the house.”

“I guess they voted for the money.”

“Which is good for us. Tearing down the wall between the houses was easy and it doubled the garden and courtyard space, which will be nice for the children. Plus”—he tugged a lock of her hair—“I think everyone was getting a little crowded in the main house.”

The cottage was a single story with a roof garden that sat at the back of the new house. It was hidden by trees, and a small fountain bubbled outside the bedroom. It wasn’t a spacious home, but it was private and far more than the single room Leo had lived in before. Kyra, who had never lived in a grand house, thought it was perfect.

She asked, “Was all this planned when you left?”

“No, but apparently the Creator must have known that I’d be bringing a mate home.”

“Any mate?” Kyra teased.

“My perfect mate.” He smiled and kissed her forehead. “Reshon.”

“It feels good here,” she said. “It feels like a home.”

“The voices aren’t too much?”

She shook her head. Ever since they’d mated, it had been easier to control the firewalls in her mind. The magic obeyed her more readily. The spells lasted longer. Irin magic or more confidence? Perhaps a little of both.

“I’ve traveled over so much of the world,” he said. “But I love it here.” He rolled to the side. “I love the breeze at night. I love the call to prayer. I’m going to love waking up to you every morning. I love—”

“The sound of your tinkling laugh!” came a falsetto voice from the courtyard. “And the batting of your buttercup eyes!”

“Lips like rose petals!” Another voice called from the direction of the house. “Hair like… seaweed.”

Kyra stifled a laugh while Leo frowned.

“Seaweed is a terrible comparison, Max.”

“Say something about her toes. He probably loves her toes too.”

“I don’t want her to think he has a foot fetish.”

“He might have a foot fetish. We’ve never asked.”

“OW!”

“What did you do?”

“I stepped on a Lego. Matti is vicious. I know she hides them on purpose.”

“Like little Scandinavian land mines.”

Kyra burst into laughter.

“Buttercup eyes makes no sense, Rhys!” Leo shouted. “And Max, you’re just jealous. Get your own woman. I know you have one.”

“I have plenty of them because I’m the better-looking cousin,” Max yelled. “Kyra is already rethinking her decision.”

A window slid open with a long creak. “What are you two doing? Leave them alone. Do you think I want you frat boys running off another woman? Don’t I put up with enough from my kids?”

A few quiet moments.

“Sorry, Ava.”

“We’ll be quiet.”

“We love you, Kyra.”

“Please tell Ava not to beat us.”

With an exaggerated huff, the window slid closed again, and after a few minutes, the courtyard was silent.

Leo said, “So my family—”

“Is wonderful.” She kissed him. “They’re wonderful.”

“I’m very relieved you think so.” Leo smiled. “Have I complimented you lately on your buttercup eyes?”

All Kyra could do was laugh.