Leila POV
I had been standing in the garden, watching Ash play with Damon, trying to ignore the chaos swirling inside me. For once, the world felt normal. Ash's laughter rang out through the air, and Damon, despite his usual disdain for children, was actually engaging with him, using his vampiric speed to make the boy squeal with joy. It was strange to watch. Damon, the brooding, mysterious, and seemingly emotionless vampire, reduced to nothing more than an overgrown kid himself.
I couldn't help but smile as Ash begged Damon to "do it again" for the third time, his little face alight with wonder. Damon rolled his eyes but complied, zipping around him once more. The tension that had been building in my chest eased ever so slightly. For a few minutes, everything was right in the world.
