Austin POV
I wasn't ready when Lyra turned 10. I wasn't ready to see my little girl grow up. I knew she would stop growing in the literal sense once she reached full maturity but that was not even comforting. Any father seeing their little girl grow up probably has the same sense of inner turmoil. Saying goodbye to the smaller version of them is brutal, even for the king of hell itself.
That night, Lyra stayed with Kane. A rare sleepover—her idea. She wanted to learn how to play chess, which apparently Kane was good at. I f*****g doubted that. He probably let her win three times already.
Which left Arabella and me alone.
I sat there by the piano, watching the firey glow of the city, unusually quiet. No laughter echoing off stone. No small footsteps darting down hallways. Just the soft
