Page 3 of The Bonds of Nyx
Rowan turned down a narrow road that I almost missed. “Yeah, a couple more minutes,” he replied, voice tight.
A lump formed in my throat, and I tried swallowing around it. Finally, I released Elias’s hand. I gave him an apologetic smile as I settled back in my seat, no longer pulled into Adrian’s side, though I tried to ignore how I missed his warmth. My heart gave a strange twist that I pushed aside.
I didn’t have time to deal withmatesor anything like that. Not after everything that just happened. I was kidnapped, my sisters and mother were held captive and poisoned. Kerry wasn’t going to make it, but magic could save her, couldn’t it? Mine had saved Adrian…
From the corner of my eye, I watched the mage. He didn’t seem hurt at all now. But I’d seen the dagger go through his body. Felt the blood pouring from his abdomen. He’d been close to death—I was certain of that—but now he was sitting up beside me and looked like it never happened.
But I kept my mouth shut and didn’t voice any of that as we continued down the dark, lonely road towards safety.
2
IVY
TENSIONthickened the air as a house appeared between the trees. At first, I wasn’t sure what I was looking at; when they’d said safe house, I expected something like a military compound or a small cabin with a bomb shelter in the basement.
But not a modern mansion hidden in the forest. Large windows overlooked the road and trees, with two stories and flat roofs surrounding both levels. It had a black and brown colour scheme on the outside that almost blended into the surrounding forest, and a simple garden decorated the front. As we drove closer, a tingle ran over my body, and my skin puckered.
“Magic,” Adrian murmured, and my head snapped towards him. He offered me a soft smile and nodded towards the house as we pulled into a driveway. “Powerful wards protect the house. That’s what you just felt.”
I nodded, pressing my lips into a firm line. Somehow, the door to the garage opened, and I gaped as it angled down beneath the house.
“Holy fuck, this is some rich people shit,” Thea said, glancing over her shoulder to meet my stare.
The awe twinkling in her eyes almost overshadowed her fear. When she turned away, I thought I caught another flash of gold in her eyes. I’d seen it before, when…
I pushed those thoughts aside as we descended into the basement garage. Lights flickered on as we crawled down and when we hit the bottom level, I noticed there was a row of aboutfive vehicles. They were different makes, including a nondescript truck, a sports car, a van, a sedan, and another SUV. There were also about four motorcycles lining the far wall, and a cage of what looked like weapons sat in a corner.
I swallowed hard as we pulled into a free space, and Rowan killed the engine. “Welcome to our temporary home.”
From beside me, Adrian squeezed my knee. I glanced at him and found his gaze on the basement. What was he thinking about? The question was on the tip of my tongue, but I bit down on it. His eyes met mine, and he offered me a gentle smile, one that promised answers.
Elias was the first to get out, throwing the door open and jumping from the back seat. He said nothing as he rolled his shoulders and cracked his neck. “I’m going to search the perimeter, make sure we weren’t followed,” he said.
Maeve lowered the back seat and slipped out from behind me. As she stretched, their eyes met. “Take extra precautions and charms to protect yourself. Stay in your gear so you aren’t vulnerable in case there’s an attack.”
Adrian helped me out of the SUV next, his presence strong, resilient, and calming. He rested a hand on my hip, the touch sending a spark of fire through my body. My blood hummed, and my magic seemed to awaken at the suggestive touch.
I forced myself to take a step away and break the contact between us. As soon as we weren’t touching, the fire died down and my magic went back to sleep.
“Everything will be okay,” Adrian murmured. “It’ll all be okay.”
I wasn’t sure if he was saying that for my peace of mind—or his.
Stretching my arms above my head, I caught his eye. Warmth spread through my chest at the look, but he glanced in Maeve’sdirection and nodded before stalking towards Rowan. They talked quietly between themselves, never looking up.
Sighing, I turned away. Elias spared me a look before shifting. I hadn’t processed it properly the last time I’d seen him shift, too afraid of the hellhounds to actually take in his power. This time, I watched in awe as his muscles spasmed and bones shifted; his body elongated, and shaggy brown fur appeared over the black material of his tactical gear.
In a matter of moments, Elias the man was gone, and in his place was the wolf. Dark green eyes met mine, but I didn’t feel afraid as he trotted over and nudged my hand. He was mesmerising in this form.
“You’re much nicer when you’re like this,” I murmured, scratching behind his ears. “I almost like this you better.”
The wolf snorted and shook its large head before retreating up the driveway and disappearing.
“I know we saw a lot of messed up shit back at the house, but I don’t think I’ll ever come to terms withthat,” Thea whispered, coming up beside me. She tucked her hand into mine, her fingers trembling.
Guilt swirled in my stomach. This wasn’t fair on her. She hadn’t asked to be dragged into all of this—to be put in danger because of her friendship with me. If we’d never met, she likely never would have been noticed by the supernatural community. She could have lived normally without fearing for her life.
Bile rose in my throat. “I’m sorry,” I whispered, tears burning the back of my eyes.