Once everyone is finally seated at the kitchen table, I can take a moment to catch my breath. The bustle is fun, lively, and keeps me busy, but it can be tiring at times too. Still, it's more than worth it to me.

I take a sip of my tea before having a bite of the chicken Arthur has prepared to perfection. With a mix of chicken, vegetables, and bread, there's always something for everyone to enjoy.

'Where's Fangs?' I look up to see Milly, waiting for my response. The eight-year-old wood elf has such bright green eyes that sometimes you end up saying 'yes' without even realizing it.

My gaze shifts to Alvan, sitting in the middle of the table, taking a big bite of chicken, and the empty chair next to him.

'Alvan, where's Teriun?' I ask, drawing his blue eyes toward me.

Normally, I'm pretty strict about everyone sitting down to eat together, but Teriun is a bit different. For the blood the vampires—Teriun and Vesper—need, I have an arrangement with volunteers who donate their blood for a fee, which we keep in bottles. However, Teriun often drinks from his mate, Alvan. The only biological downside, or in some cases, upside, is that werewolf blood contains a substance that weakens vampires. Long story short: if Teriun drinks from Alvan, he ends up sleeping for at least two hours afterward.

'Here,' my attention shifts to the door as the half-awake vampire stumbles in. His brown eyes are drowsy, as if he's just been startled awake, and his black hair is in complete disarray.

Teriun shuffles to the seat next to Alvan, sits down, and rests his head in his hands.

'Coffee?' asks Florien, sitting across from him. Without waiting for an answer, she places a steaming cup of coffee in front of him.

'Thanks,' he mutters. Alvan, still eating, runs his fingers through his mate's hair, gently rubbing his scalp. The gesture makes Teriun lean even more into his hands.

'Fangs, are we still going to play chess later?' Milly asks across the table, completely ignoring Teriun's exhaustion.

'Yes,' Teriun answers without looking up.

Smiling at this typical scene, I take another bite of my food just before the next disruption arrives.

A familiar large raven comes flying into the dining room with impressive speed. I place my utensils on the table and extend my arm. The trained bird lands effortlessly, turning its head toward me. Between its beak is a letter, which I carefully retrieve.

The raven takes off again, and a moment later, my brother Elien is standing beside me.

'Is there another plate?' asks my now 22-year-old brother. Over the years, Elien hasn't changed much except for his build. Puberty has added quite a bit of height, and he's gained muscle too. His hair, now reaching his ears, is longer than it used to be.

Although Elien doesn't live or help out here, he's around often, especially during mealtimes. I don't mind, though—if he were to cook for himself, he'd probably burn the house down.

Out of the corner of my eye, I see Elien returning from the kitchen with a plate in hand, setting it at the other end of the table and grabbing a chair.

While Elien makes his way to the table, I break the familiar light blue seal and unfold the letter. Immediately, I recognize Alisha's elegant handwriting, and a small smile appears on my lips.

'Dear Celeste,

Starting Saturday, I will once again bless you with my sparkling presence. Would you kindly prepare a bed for me and clear your schedule for the evening?

See you Saturday.

Best, Alisha'

I smile at the letter until it dawns on me what day it is today. Frowning, I glance at Elien, who is devouring his plate of food at an alarming speed.

'When did you get this letter?' I ask, causing his black eyes to lift from his plate.

'Wednesday. It's been sitting on the dining table since then.' A deep sigh escapes my lips. The past few days had been so busy and chaotic that I hadn't been home much.

I look away from Elien and turn to Florien.

'Florien, would you mind if Alisha stays in your room starting tomorrow until, I think, Wednesday?' Florien nods immediately.

Most of the children know Alisha well by now. After returning to the Silverwood, she began specializing as a healer. Now, eight years later, she's a well-known and skilled healer with a focus on the underworld and difficult, previously untreatable cases. Her expertise has made her sought-after, so she travels across the country to help clients.

When she's in Livas, she's happy to stay at the orphanage and catch up with us. I, in turn, make use of her expertise by giving the children the opportunity to ask her for advice or help with their issues.

'Good luck, Atlas,' laughs Eris upon hearing that Alisha will be arriving tomorrow. A deep sigh escapes the 17-year-old angel's lips.

Atlas is the only one with a fixed spot in Alisha's schedule due to his past. When I rescued the 11-year-old angel from the angel traffickers at the Twilight Market, his wings had nearly been severed. There was just enough left intact for Alisha's exceptional work to save them, but he will never be able to fly. Alisha keeps a close eye on their growth.

'I'd just clear your whole day,' Eris chuckles.

Alisha loves her work, and it shows in how much she talks about it. Once she starts talking about medicine, she doesn't stop until you either politely ask her to or walk away. Atlas is too kind to interrupt her and too afraid of hurting her feelings, so he sometimes ends up listening to her talk for hours on end.

Atlas ignores Eris's cheeky comment and quietly continues eating his vegetables.