Page 4 of The Bonds of Nyx
Thea rounded on me with a frown. “Don’t you dare apologise, Ivy.”
I shook my head, swallowing. “You’re in danger because of me, Thea. Your family could be in danger. If we’d never met, you’d be safe, and—”
“And nothing,” she cut in firmly. “There’s no point trying to play ‘what if’ games, Ives. We’re here, and we need to be ready. Yeah, you’re right. I might be safe right now if we’d never met. Or some supes would have figured out I wasn’t human sooner and could have either killed me because they don’t know what I am,orthey could have dragged me to Avalon anyway. We will never know whatmighthave happened. I’m terrified, just like you are, so I need my best friend to keep me sane. Got it?”
Sucking in a breath, I closed my eyes and fought back the tears.Time to be strong, I thought. For Thea and…
The girls.Oh Goddess, let them be okay.
I opened my eyes and nodded, offering Thea a sad smile. “As long as I have you, I know we’ll get through this.”
My best friend grinned. “You know it.”
Behind us, Maeve cleared her throat. “If you want to see the children, they’re upstairs. It’s early, so they’re likely asleep. You should both take some time to clean up.”
I tensed and squeezed Thea’s hand. “And my mom?”
Maeve gave away nothing as she approached; I tried to ignore the way her tactical gear clung to her willowy frame and the light of her cerulean eyes. A difficult task when she kept her gaze levelled on mine, like I was the only other person in the room.
As she grew near, a wave of power washed over me. It was hard to describe, but it felt old, like stepping back in time and witnessing something of the past. I suppressed a shudder as she came to a stop before me and gently took hold of my free hand.
“We’ve sent for a healer. The poison used to knock you out was derived from a plant only found in the Fae realm. It’s deadly to humans and paralytic to those under Nyx. Somewhere back in your family, there must have been a witch in your bloodline, because most humans struck with the poison die within hours. Kerry is holding on, but until we can be certain, it looks like she won’t make it.”
I pressed my lips into a firm line and gave her a single nod. “Thank you for telling me the truth.” Maeve’s eyes softened, and a crack appeared in her emotionless façade.
“Your sisters are fine. They’re young, which is why they slept longer than you and Thea. But they came out of the poison without any damage according to the healer.”
“Are you saying they’re…not human?” I asked quietly. My heart stuttered in my chest.
If they were human, they’d be dead,I reminded myself. Kerry won’t live because she’stoohuman. But the girls?
I frowned. “Was their dad something else?”
Maeve hesitated for a moment before bowing her head. “They’re sirens. Half mermaid, half demon hybrids. We believe their father was a siren himself, and that the girls inherited that side of him. We don’t know the extent of their power yet, but getting them back to Avalon will allow Sir Leith, Queen Greer’s mate, to assess their bloodline.”
I shook my head. “I don’t want them exposed to all of…thatyet, Maeve. Please, they’re just kids.”
The rest of her façade fell, and I finally noticed the sadness in her eyes. “I know. I’m sorry. I just—” She stopped and pressed her lips into a firm line, eyes flashing red for a moment. Her onyx hair whipped around her face softly as she shook her head. “I’m trying to do what I can to make this transition easier for you. I’m sorry if I’m overstepping.”
I opened my mouth to respond, but she dropped my hand. Another wave of guilt, marred by something else, swept over me as Maeve spun on her heel and walked away.
~
My magic, I was starting to realise, had a mind of its own. Like it existed within me as its own separate entity, a being that needed to be cared for and fed despite not being real. When I closed my eyes and let the powerful spray of water hit my faceand wash away my exhaustion, I prodded the magic swelling within me.
Like the lightning that erupted from me during the attack, electricity burned through my veins now. It didn’t hurt nearly as much as before, like it was finally starting to settle after starving for something I hadn’t been able to provide.
A mate, I realised, running a hand through my hair. Suds coated my fingers, the scent of coconut filling the bathroom. In the corner, a soaking tub called to me, but the shower had seemed smarter. There was, unfortunately, still blood on me. As I scrubbed myself raw, I tried to ignore just how long I’d been forced to sit with it on my skin.
But I had a mate. My magic was almost pleased with having one present. A mate close enough to bond. I hadn’t understood it before when Maeve explained it to me after the hellhound attack, but now I could feel the threads of the bonds calling to find my mate and finally unite.
And by unite, I had a feeling that meant sex. The thought of Adrian and me completing the bond made my cheeks burn.
I groaned and scrubbed my scalp with shampoo before finishing up. Thea shuffled around the bedroom, opening and closing doors. She would love the impressive water pressure and the chance to wash away the last couple of days.
Flashes of the fight came back in pieces; of my hands covered in the blood of three people, of the shadow-made blade cutting through Adrian, the stuttering beat of Kerry’s heart under my fingers, the fear of losing my little sisters and watching them get carried to safety, knowing they’d never be safe again.
The deaths haunted me the most as I washed away the last remnants of their dried blood. The second person’s blood had soaked me the most. It still clung to my shoulder and chest like a reminder of what I’d done. Maybe if I’d known about the poison, I could have avoided death altogether.