Chapter 172 Powers
Chapter 172 Powers
Brianna’s POV
The room felt completely different now.
Only a short while ago it had been filled with hurried footsteps, quiet instructions, and the overwhelming exhaustion of bringing a new life into the world. Now a peaceful quiet had settled over everything, wrapping around me like my favorite blanket.
I rested comfortably against the pillows while soft afternoon sunlight spilled through the windows, bathing the room in a warm golden glow. The lingering scent of herbs and fresh linens drifted through the air after the healers had finished helping me clean up. Every ache in my body reminded me of what I had just accomplished, and oddly enough, I wouldn’t have changed a single second of it.
My eyes drifted down to the tiny bundle sleeping peacefully in my arms. Ryker. Even thinking his name made my heart swell.
His tiny fingers rested beneath his chin while soft wisps of dark hair framed his peaceful face. Every few moments his little nose twitched, earning another smile from me.
“He is absolutely perfect.” My mother’s voice drew my attention away from him. She sat beside my bed with tears of happiness shining in her eyes as she admired her grandson.
“I still can’t believe he’s really here,” I admitted.
A warm smile spread across her face as she reached over to smooth a strand of hair behind my ear. She quietly told me she remembered holding me exactly like this after I was born. When I jokingly asked if I had been this tiny, she laughed and assured me I had been even smaller, despite my complete disbelief.
Both of my dads listened with amused smiles. Coban couldn’t resist mentioning that I had apparently made my entrance into the world by screaming loud enough for half the palace to hear, earning an exasperated look from Mom and another laugh from Caden, who immediately confirmed the story. Their teasing had me shaking my head while I accused all three of them of conspiring against me.
Mom simply smiled before carefully lifting Ryker into her arms. He stretched lazily before settling against her chest with a sleepy sigh, and the sight immediately brought fresh tears to her eyes. “I wasn’t prepared for this,” she whispered, unable to take her eyes off him.
Neither Coban nor Caden argued with her. Both of them stepped closer, completely captivated by the tiny little boy sleeping peacefully in his grandmother’s arms. Coban gently brushed one finger across Ryker’s tiny hand before quietly admitting that becoming a grandfather never lost its magic. Every grandchild somehow managed to make the moment feel brand new all over again.
Mom laughed as she looked between both of them. “I suppose one of you wants to hold him.”
Neither man denied it. The amused looks they exchanged said enough before Coban accepted Ryker with surprising gentleness.
Watching what was one of the most feared Alpha Kings in the kingdom cradle someone small enough to fit across one forearm was almost comical. His movements became so careful that I couldn’t stop smiling.
“You look terrified,” I teased.
He didn’t even try to deny it. After everything he had survived wars, rogues, impossible battles, and creatures that most people only heard about in stories, holding his grandson somehow made him more nervous than any of them ever had. He glanced down at the tiny bundle in his arms before admitting Ryker weighed less than his sword, earning a burst of laughter from everyone in the room.
Mom shook her head with a smile. “I married children.”
“We’re charming children,” Coban answered confidently.
“That’s certainly one opinion.”
The room filled with warm laughter.
For the first time in what felt like forever, there wasn’t a battle waiting outside the palace gates or another curse hanging over our heads. There were no impossible decisions to make or lives balanced on the edge of disaster.
There was only family. The door opened quietly. I looked up just as Ryder stepped inside. The moment his eyes found mine, his entire expression softened.
He crossed the room without looking anywhere else before stopping beside the bed. His fingers brushed gently across my cheek until his hand rested against my face, and he leaned down to place a tender kiss on my cheek. “Hey, Princess.” His thumb slowly stroked my skin while his worried eyes searched my face. “You scared me today. I don’t think my heart can survive another day like this.”
A laugh slipped free before I could stop it. “You were the one spinning in circles.”
The tips of his ears turned pink. “I was hoping everyone had already forgotten that.”
Mom smiled innocently while Coban reminded him that forgetting wasn’t likely to happen anytime soon. Even Caden joined in by mentioning that stories like that tended to become permanent family history, which only made Ryder sigh in defeat. “I suppose I’m never living this down.”
“Definitely not,” I said, grinning.
His shoulders slumped dramatically. “I’m surrounded.” His smile returned immediately. “As long as you’re on my side, I can survive the rest.”
Mom carefully transferred Ryker into Ryder’s waiting arms. The confident warrior who had faced impossible odds countless times instantly disappeared. In his place sat a young father staring at his son with complete wonder.
He lowered himself beside me before gently settling Ryker across both of our laps. Our shoulders rested together while we quietly admired the tiny little life sleeping between us.
“I still can’t believe he’s ours,” I whispered.
Ryder never looked away from our son. “I can.”
I turned toward him with a curious smile. “What makes you so sure?”
His eyes sparkled with quiet amusement. “He’s already stubborn.”
I laughed softly. “I wonder where he gets that.”
He answered with nothing more than a playful look, making me roll my eyes before resting my head against his shoulder. Ryker suddenly stretched both tiny arms above his head. His eyes slowly fluttered open.
Without warning, delicate strands of silver and gold light began dancing across his fingertips like tiny living stars. They drifted into the air before weaving themselves together into a glowing ribbon that circled lazily around the room, filling every corner with shimmering light.
Nobody moved. Nobody spoke. The ribbon slowly dissolved into hundreds of glittering sparks that floated gently through the air before fading away as though they had never existed.
Ryker let out a sleepy yawn, snuggled deeper into the blanket, and closed his eyes again.
The room remained completely silent. Every stunned face slowly lifted from the baby to everyone else. No one had expected a newborn to use magic. Especially not magic powerful enough to leave an entire room speechless.