Page 5 of The Bonds of Nyx

I also wanted the voice to come back. To let me know I wasn’t alone and tell me it was the only way. But the back of my mind was silent, and I was slowly coming to terms with the fact that I’d conjured it to stay in control.

Shutting the water off, I stepped out of the spacious walk-in shower. Large, fluffy towels awaited me, and as I dried off, I double-checked myself in the mirror for any missed blood.

But, as I looked myself over, I suppressed a surprised yelp. Strange markings shimmered across my skin, silver at first before shifting into a light purple, similar to the lightning that sprung from my hands. As they shifted colour, I caught a glimpse of the design; flowery marks swirled and curled around my flesh until they reached my spine, which remained completely bare, save for a single spot that looked almost like a rose surrounded by thorns. It was darker than the other marks, and when the swirling purple faded into my skin, the tattoo on my spine remained.

Holy shit. I quickly wrapped the towel around myself and escaped into the bedroom. Thea looked up from her hands, which she’d been twisting in her lap.

A frown touched her lips. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

“Any chance someone tattooed me while I was asleep?” I asked, trying to keep hysterics from my voice.

Thea stood from the bed and walked towards me. “What happened? What are you talking about?”

I turned and pulled my hair back to reveal the mark. “Tell me I’m going crazy, and there isn’t a rose surrounded by thorns on my spine.”

Cold fingers lightly brushed over my heated skin, and I shivered. “Yeah, okay, so I definitely see it. But Ives, it looks old.”

Spinning around to face her, I wrapped my arms around myself. “So, magic, most likely. When I got out of the shower, I noticed all kinds of markings on my skin. Like my magic wasmanifesting outside of me. I thought the tattoo on my back was like that. But no, when the other marks faded,itstayed.”

Thea tapped her chin silently for a moment before sighing. “This is something to take to the supes.”

I nodded. “I know, but I just…” Releasing a breath, I flopped onto the bed and groaned. “Not right now. Not when I have to figure out how to help Kerry and the girls…”

“Yeah.” Thea dropped down beside me and took my hand. “Look, so long as our ‘death to the Queen’friends didn’t put it on you, I think you’re okay to keep it a secret.”

I hadn’t thought of that. It didn’tfeelevil, and my magic didn’t react to it in a way that made me want to run screaming from this beautiful house.

But I worried my lip as Thea gave me an apologetic smile before slipping into the still-steamy bathroom. When the door closed behind her, I sighed and closed my eyes.

Just another thing to add to all the crazy now filling my life.

3

ADRIAN

MATE.

The single word swam through my mind on a loop, over and over again as I paced the length of my room. My window, which overlooked the forest, misted with fog and rain, distorting the view and my reflection as I passed it.

Mate.It still echoed in my head, even after hours. Since I woke up and felt Ivy beside me; since the moment I stepped out of that SUV, and I knew everything was different.

I shook my head to clear the word from my mind. It wasn’t entirely impossible. But if I said it aloud and let it take root in my mind, I was afraid it would slip away.

That it was one last pleading wish to the Goddess.

I stopped when the door to my room opened; everyone had their own space, though Ivy and Thea had chosen to share a room while the children were being kept in an adjoining room to their still unconscious mother. The healer, a witch loyal only to my mother, remained with them at all times. To monitor Kerry mostly, for Ivy’s sake, and keep an eye on the girls.

But when I looked up, I found Ro slipping into the room, his brows drawn in worry. He hadn’t spoken to me once during the car ride here. I’d been in and out of consciousness for most of the trip anyway.

From what I could remember of the drive, Maeve speculated that Ivy had been able to heal me because of the mate bond.However, until we’re able to reach my mother, I couldn’t be sure if that was true.

But the team knew Ivy and I were mates. Theyknew.Barely conscious ramblings and the refusal to be apart made it apparent to them.

Maeve was the only one prepared to broach the topic with me, but even that had been brief. She’d promised to investigate it further once we were at the safe house.

Now, with Rowan standing before me, I wanted to lay everything down in front of him. I wanted him to tell me what to do, how to handle it.

But I couldn’t forget how I’d told him he and Ivy could be mates.