Page 2 of The Bonds of Nyx
But when I sucked in a deep breath and blinked down at my fingers, I didn’t see blood, nor did the smell of it fill the car. My hands were clean. Even the beds of my nails had been scrubbed.
Tears burned behind my eyes as I finally looked around me. Beside me, Adrian had his arm wrapped around my shoulders, a weight I hadn’t noticed at first but now couldn’t help but smile at. His chest moved evenly with each breath; sleep softened his features, even with the night casting harsh shadows across his face.
He’s alive. Tears clogged the back of my throat as I sucked in a sharp breath.He’s here. I dragged my gaze over his body to his stomach. Where blood should have stained his shirt and death should have clung to his body, there was only life; a steady heartbeat beneath my hand; deep breaths unburdened by blood filling his lungs, nothing to indicate he’d been hurt.
At some point, he’d changed out of his tactical gear into a basic tee that smelled like mint and fabric softener. He still wore his tactical pants and boots, which seemed like a strange combo—but one he awkwardly rocked.
I shifted, my body stiff, and realised I’d been changed, too. My cheeks burned as I took in the sweats and oversized hoodie I’d been tucked into. They weren’t mine, but a quick sniff told me the hoodie belonged to Elias. I was shoeless once more.
I froze at the realisation her shoes were gone.Kerry. My throat tightened as the image of her limp body and the feel of her stuttering heartbeat invaded my mind. The words ‘she’s dying, boss’ echoing in my ears.
Panic expanded in my chest. The person on my other side shifted, and a warm hand rested on my thigh.
I forced myself to look away from my bare feet and breathe. My eyes widened as I took in Elias, squeezed into the backseatbeside me, his dark green eyes glowing. When our gazes met, he tightened his grip on my thigh, not enough to hurt but rather to stabilise me as I worked through my breathing. His touch anchored me to the present, keeping me from skipping into a past that threatened to consume me.
“What’s going on?” I asked. Hesitantly, I rested my hand atop his, drawing strength from him.
Elias’s eyes flashed as another car passed us. “We’re still heading to the safe house.”
I released a shuddering breath. “How long have we been…?”
“Nearly twenty-four hours.” He looked away then, his gaze resting on the thick forest we drove through. Jaw clenched, he didn’t say anything for a moment, but I could feel the tension thicken around him. Before I could ask if he was okay, though, he spoke again. “We were worried you wouldn’t wake up for some time. We wanted to get you as far away fromthemas possible.”
“I understand.” My gaze drifted over the rest of the SUV. Rowan was driving, and although I wanted to say something to him, he didn’t look as if he wanted to chat. His jaw ticked, and our eyes met briefly in the rear-view mirror before he returned his attention to the road.
Thea snored softly in the passenger seat beside him, leaning her head against the window with a coat draped over her lap. I checked over my shoulder and found Maeve in the back, her head thrown back and eyes closed, though I wasn’t entirely sure if she was asleep.
I returned my attention to Elias. “How long until we make it to the safe house?”
The shifter tensed, jaw clicking. “Another hour at least. We needed to put as much distance between us and the others as possible.”
I was almost too afraid to ask, to hear an answer, but I forced the words out. “And my family?”
Elias softened. “Already made it. Ivy—”
I shook my head. “I don’t—I can’t know yet.”
He searched my eyes before sighing. “Jay is going to handle packing up your apartment, so I don’t want you worrying about that. Same with your mother’s house.”
My throat tightened with tears again as I offered him a soft smile. “Thanks.”
The last thing I wanted to hear was that everything in my life had to be packed up and taken to…Avalon. To the palace, where I would have to start my training to become the next Queen of Nyx. Gone were pizza and wine nights with Thea, and watchingOutlanderorGrey’s Anatomy. No more coffee shop writing sessions where I simply unplugged from life and focused on my work. No moreCamilla Hotel,and Kacie, Moe, and night shifts with drunk bar crawlers and stale coffee. No more Ivy, romance author and hotel receptionist.
She was gone and would be replaced with a Queen.
My heart stuttered to a crawl in my chest as I sat back and squeezed my eyes shut.You there?I asked, calling out to the calming voice. I desperately wanted to know if I had gone insane during the kidnapping. If maybe I’d hallucinated the voice to get me through the whole ordeal.
When I didn’t get an answer, I sighed.A product of stress then, I thought, cringing.A very helpful product of stress, though.
The next hour passed in silence; I couldn’t bring myself to risk the nightmares. I was sure they would be waiting for me if I gave in, and instead I focused on the passing forest. I had no idea where we were, or which state we could even be in.
The forest eventually gave way to a small, remote town on the outskirts of civilisation. As we passed a large‘Welcome’sign, Isat up a bit straighter to take in our surroundings; the main street we drove through held a few storefronts, nothing flashy, while side streets led towards houses and more forest. Most stores I caught glimpses of looked like they could be ‘Mom and Pop’ businesses.
We continued until the main street thinned out, and passed over a small, one-lane bridge. The road that followed looked mostly unused and uncared for, so I held onto Elias as we drove over potholes that made the SUV rattle.
Now, everyone was awake. Adrian’s arm tightened around my shoulders for a moment before receding. From the front, Thea yawned loudly.
“Are we there yet?” she asked, voice thick with sleep.