I Am the Wild (The Night Firm #1)- Karpov Kinrade Page 0,90

seen a bit of poop and thought she was dying,” says Sebastian.

The fire druid shrugs. “What? It was an unordinary amount of excrement. And such a strange color. That can't be normal.”

“We had to pick up diapers,” concludes Elijah. “And console poor Liam’s soul.”

I laugh, holding the baby close in the crook of my arm, playing with her little fingers. “Does she have a name yet?”

Liam glances down, looking slightly embarrassed. "I'm naming her Alina. It's Greek for light."

I look down at the cherubic face and smile. "It's perfect. She's perfect." I look at Liam. "Does this mean we're keeping her?"

He nods. "I think it does. She needs her father, after all."

"What about Dracula?" I ask.

"We will keep her safe," Liam says fiercely, and I know this little girl will be the most loved child in any world.

“You look incredible, by the way,” says Derek.

“Thank you,” I say, with a grin. With my worries subsided, I take a moment to admire the Night brothers properly.

Elijah sports a look I haven’t seen on him before. A black coat with purple buttons, a top hat covering his blonde hair, a silver cane in his hand. He looks every bit the sophisticated gentlemen, pulled straight from the Victorian era.

Derek has shaved since I last saw him, and wears a finely tailored suit, a red scarf wrapped around his neck.

Sebastian is a little more rough around the edges. His jacket and boots are black leather. Simple. Sturdy. But he does sport an elegant pink tie at his neck.

Liam is dressed as he often is, but not any less impressive. Custom designed shoes with fine embroidery. An emerald green cloak that compliments his auburn hair perfectly.

I hand the babe back to Liam as Matilda comes to join us. We exchange greetings, while Elijah and Sebastian begin discussing the finer points of Otherworld law. I link arms with them both and laugh. "You guys, it's a party. No work today. Let's enjoy our victory and our evening, shall we?"

Derek smiles. "Right you are, Eve. Right you are. I for one plan on drinking my body weight in liquor. Who's game to join me?"

"I think that might kill me," I say. "But I will partake in a drink or two.” I look at Matilda. “I'll definitely need your hangover cure tomorrow.”

The old woman winks knowingly. "I've already prepared a batch for all of you. Now go have fun, my dears.”

We make our way through the festival, and I notice it stopped raining almost as quickly as it started. Lucky for us. But as Sebastian tries his hand at the strength competition, the earth seems to shift under my feet, and the Ifrit above the water tank loses balance and falls in.

“A small earthquake,” says Elijah. “Nothing to fear. They happen from time to time.”

Everyone seems to resume their activities without a second thought, and so we do the same. Derek and Lily make a beeline for the bar to grab everyone drinks. Sebastian offers to acquire sustenance of some kind for me. "If that includes chocolate, yes, please," I say with a wink.

Liam sees someone he knows and excuses himself to say hi, handing the baby to Matilda who has been vying for her chance to give the little one love. Elijah sits down by the huge bonfire with a book in hand. I shake my head at that. I'm a book nerd myself, but even I know when to let it go for a night.

From the corner of my eye, I notice a familiar black cloak disappear behind a tree. Interesting. I didn’t expect him to see him, not so soon after everything that happened. Curious, I snake away from the celebration and towards the shadows, where I find Dracula waiting.

He holds a hand up before I can speak. "I wanted to say goodbye. I'll be leaving the Otherworld for a while, to let all the gossip die down. But I wanted to thank you. You were instrumental in proving my innocence. That won't be forgotten."

I don't know what to say, so I just nod, relieved he'll be leaving. That should make protecting Alina easier.

His eyes are dark, intense, and locked on mine as he speaks. "My sons have a unique bond with you. I haven't seen them like this with anyone else in their long lives. I hope you know what you've gotten yourself into."

"I know enough," I say, a little tersely.

"Oh, but my dear, there is so much yet to learn. How great is