From her pink-and-yellow lounge chair, Naomi watched Sera and Alex walk across the lawn, a grassy expanse interspersed with sweetly-scented wildflowers.

“This place is beautiful, Naomi,” Sera commented as she took the seat beside her.

As of a few weeks ago, Naomi and Makani were the proud owners of this little slice of heaven north of San Francisco.

“It’s so quiet,” said Sera. “So peaceful.”

“Maybe a little too quiet.” A grin lighting up her face, Alex looked around eagerly, as though she were inviting chaos to find them.

Thankfully, the universe did not deliver. For once. Monsters didn’t crash their housewarming party. Demons didn’t burst through the house. The jaws of hell didn’t open under their feet.

“This is from me and Kai.” Sera handed Naomi her housewarming gift: a basket filled to the brim with assorted chocolates and sweets. There were even brownies in there. And a package of strawberry-vanilla granola.

Naomi smirked at her. “I’m surprised there’s no meat inside it.”

Sera laughed. “Kai tried to convince me to put in some sausages or at least some beef jerky, but I told him that didn’t go with granola and brownies.”

Alex’s brows lifted, even as an impish grin lit up her face. “Says the girl who puts chocolate on pizza.”

“We both do that,” Sera pointed out.

“Because it’s delicious.”

Alex set down a huge crate at Naomi’s feet. She’d lifted it easily, but it would probably require a forklift for Naomi to move it from that spot. Naomi peeked inside to find rows of knives, all meticulously organized. That was definitely Logan’s doing. Alex’s idea of cleaning up was to wipe the blood off her knife using her pants.

“Logan and I thought you could always use more weapons,” Alex said brightly.

“Of course you did,” Naomi laughed. “Especially with children in the house.”

“Exactly. You need to start early, teaching them the ins and outs of saving the world.”

“Thanks,” Naomi said, hugging Alex and Sera. “This will help us spruce up the place.”

“It all looks great.” Alex’s gaze panned over to the house. “Makani works fast.”

When Naomi and Makani had bought the old, dilapidated white house, the roof was collapsing, the fences were falling down, and the front door was missing. And it hadn’t really been white anymore.

But now the house was freshly painted, the fence had been replaced with one that could hold off hell’s army, and the front door looked like it could withstand a battering ram. It was a real fortress. A pretty fortress. Makani had painted the shutters a lovely shade of blue for her.

“Makani and his warriors are a formidable force, both on the battlefield and on a construction site,” Naomi said.

“We’re glad you won the battle against Paladin and Paragon,” Sera said, her eyes serious.

“But you should have asked us for help,” Alex chided her. “We would have come. How could you imagine we’d ever make a move against you, even if there were demons inside of your babies? We would have found a way together.”

“I know. I really do. But in that moment, I was so scared.” Emotion tightened Naomi’s chest. “I couldn’t let anything happen to them.”

“I know how you feel,” Sera said, smiling.

Alex whipped around to face her sister. “Oh, do you?” Her mouth spread into a mischievous grin. “Is there something you want to tell us?”

Sera paled, the smile wilting on her lips. “I don’t think so?”

Alex was laughing so hard, that it was questionable whether her chair would survive her gleeful outburst.

Sera rolled her eyes. “Family. If they don’t kill you, you’ll kill them.”

Naomi added her own laughter to Alex’s. What a new home needed most was laughter—lots and lots of laughter.

Naomi glanced over at her parents, who were lying together in a hammock, gazing at each other like love-struck teenagers, just so happy to be reunited after their years apart. Not far from the hammock, Naomi’s sisters were attacking the sweets table with Gran.

“Hey, ladies.” Lara greeted Naomi, Sera, and Alex with a wave—and a coy smile. “Do any of you want to play spin the bottle? Naomi’s grandmother and sisters are trying to get a game started.”

“That would be awkward,” said Sera. “Most of us are already paired off.”

“Ivy and Ruby just want an excuse to kiss one of the guys,” Naomi told her.

“They’ve been making eyes at the commandos,” Alex said.

“Kai’s or Makani’s?”

“All of them,” Alex said.

“All right.” Lara’s eyes twinkled. “I’ll tell them we’d love to play.”

As Lara hurried off, each step bouncing with excitement, Sera looked at Naomi and Alex with total bewilderment. “How did she get that from what we said?”

“It was a trick question from the beginning.” Alex snickered. “Be careful. You’re letting her plan your wedding.”

Sera frowned, mulling that over with obvious apprehension.

Naomi stared across the lawn, watching as Lara grabbed Riley’s hand, dragging him over to the two commando trios. She even tried to pull Leilani into their little game.

“Spin the bottle?” Leilani asked.

“Yeah, it’s a game where boys and girls sit in a circle and take turns spinning a bottle in the middle,” Lara told her. “The person the bottle is pointing to when it stops is the special someone you get to kiss.”

Leilani’s brow furrowed. “It sounds like a game for lovesick teenagers.”

“Yes, totally,” Lara said brightly. “So do you want to join in?”

“Do you even know who I am?” Leilani demanded, planting her hands on her hips.

“I know you were once some badass evil queen of darkness, but you’ve since reformed.”

“I haven’t reformed that much.”

Lara shrugged. “Well, if you change your mind, let me know. Having a little fun would be good for you. Moping nonstop over your past misdeeds isn’t good for your health.”

Then Lara marched on, continuing her mission to recruit more unsuspecting party guests into her game. Leilani joined Naomi and the Dragon Born sisters at the fruit table.

“Lara is right,” Alex commented. “You could use a good kiss. You always look so dour.”

“I am repenting.”

“Sounds like fun,” said Alex.

“It is.” Leilani flashed her teeth at her. “You should try it sometime.”

“Nah, I much prefer misbehaving.”

Alex threw a wicked look at Logan, who had gathered around the barbecue grill with Makani and Kai. The assassin’s back was turned to her, but his sixth sense was working at full power. He looked over his shoulder and shot her a smoldering look. Alex shuddered.

“Do you need a moment?” Naomi asked her.

“Or a cold shower?” Sera added.

“No, I’m all right.” Alex blew Logan a kiss. “Later.”

The assassin’s brows lifted. Makani turned around to see what all the fuss was about. He held one of the babies in each arm.

Like Alex and Sera, baby Draken and baby Angel looked very similar but not quite identical. The Dragon Born spell that had split their souls into two bodies had also divided their physical traits, making the two new bodies something in between the original body.

“They are so adorable, just like little cherubs,” Sera cooed. “They are so delectably chubby that I could just gobble them up.”

“Sometimes I nibble on their fingers,” Naomi admitted.

Over by the grill, the guys were cooking enough steaks and burgers to feed an army. They didn’t care that it was a tea party. They wanted meat with their tea. And beer.

“Have the babies displayed any magic yet?” Alex asked Naomi.

The boys were only a few weeks old, but they were already causing all kinds of mischief, thanks to each possessing the powers of a Dragon Born mage, a Spirit Warrior, and a demon.

Little bolts of lightning flashed across the sky over the babies, exploding into snowflake confetti. The babies reached up at the snowflakes and lightning, batting at the magic like they were lying under a baby activity gym.

It wasn’t just snowing over the babies now. The snow cloud had grown to now threaten the grill. Kai cast a protective ceiling of fire over it. The snowflakes sizzled against the fire rainbow, dissolving into steam.

“Does that answer your question?” Naomi asked Alex.

A wicked grin curled Alex’s lips. “They are going to get into all kinds of trouble.”

Naomi watched her little boys, smiling. She’d already come to the same conclusion. But it didn’t scare her. Not at all. After their close call with Paladin and Paragon, she was just excited that she’d get to see her babies grow and develop—and thrive without demons inside of them.

Thunder growled, announcing Rane’s arrival. She strode through the garden gate, decked out in a pink-and-white flower print dress, complete with white pumps and a little purse. Her hair, bright red today, was in bouncy curls. Her makeup was spotless. She really had dressed for an afternoon tea party.

“What are you doing here?” Leilani asked as Rane stopped in front of them.

“I am their godmother. I delivered them. Of course I wouldn’t miss this delightful celebration of their birth.”

The demon sat down, primly crossing one ankle over the other. Then she lifted the pale purple teapot, pouring some tea for herself. She took a dainty sip from her cup, her gaze panning across the lawn. Her eyes honed in on the babies, who were now casting swarms of fireballs and sending them crashing down on the lawn.

“The little dears will need training, or they’ll demolish this pretty little house.” Rane looked positively delighted at the idea.

“They have two Spirit Warriors, four Dragon Born mages, two dragon shifters, an assassin, a shadow mage, and an extended family of mages and fairies to see to their training,” Leilani told her. “They’ll be fine.”

Rane looked pointedly at the storm the babies had cast over the barbecue grill. The three battle-hardened men just stood there and stared at the boys, as they debated amongst themselves what to do. They couldn’t punish three-week-old babies—even if those newborns were the most powerful supernaturals in the world.

The grass was on fire now. A hot blaze rolled over the lawn. Naomi sighed.

“Has it been like this since they were born?” Sera asked.

“Pretty much.”

Makani gave the babies his hard stare as he demanded that they put out their flames. They responded by setting his shirt on fire.

“Little devils. I love them already.” Alex raised her voice and called out, “Over there, boys! There’s still a bush you haven’t set on fire.”

“They are adorable.” Sera nudged her sister. “But you shouldn’t egg them on, Alex. Poor Naomi already has her hands full enough without you inciting them to mischief.”

Alex wiggled her eyebrows.

“It’s all right,” Naomi laughed. “Makani is more than happy to take care of the discipline. I mostly just feed them, snuggle them, and coo over their cuteness.”

Sera watched Makani as he calmly put out the raging fire. “How does he discipline them?”

“He mostly scowls, lectures them, and unleashes his dragon.”

“Then the boys unleash their dragons,” said Leilani. “The little dragons ride piggyback on the big dragon. And the boys start making cooing noises at Makani, who then forgets he was ever mad at them. He’s such a pushover.” Leilani smiled fondly at her badass warrior brother.

“Yes, how delightful.” Rane took another sip of tea. “The little deviants have you all under their spell.”

“It must be their fairy blood,” replied Naomi.

Rane took a chocolate-covered strawberry from the bowl. “Things will only get worse from here, dearie. If their little elemental magic tricks have you overwhelmed now, just wait until their demon magic makes an appearance.”

She took a final sip, then set down her teacup and rose to her feet. “You will drop them off at my house once a week for magic training. In the evening. Demonic magic is easiest to hone after dark.”

Then Rane vanished in a purple puff of smoke that smelled distinctly like lavender.

Sera blinked. “What just happened?”

“I believe a demon just offered to be my Friday night babysitter,” Naomi said.

“I think you can be sure about one thing, Naomi: your life will never be dull,” Alex laughed.

As Naomi watched Makani play with the boys on the lawn, contentment filled her. No, her life wouldn’t be dull. And she couldn’t wait to see what tomorrow would bring.