Page 13 of The Powers of Nyx

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “Because I feel guilty for not telling her about them.”

My hands curled into fists involuntarily. “Don’t.”

His eyes narrowed and met mine. “She deserves to know the truth.”

“She doesn’t need to worry about something that might not happen.” My heart gave a tight squeeze, guilt washing over me. I didn’t want to believe him, but he was right in a way. She deserved to be aware of what might be coming for her, even if I didn’t like it.

Archer shook his head. “That’s the thing, Wolfy. I don’t think we have a say in that.” His throat bobbed as he swallowed, and my jaw clenched. “There’s a reason the vision has happened twice. I don’t think it’s avoidable.”

“I’ll make sure it never happens,” I vowed, “no matter what.”

I stalked off before he could reply and made my way through the wards and into the main warehouse. Everything was quiet, the soft breaths of sleeping agents in the bunks hitting me. Although I knew I should shower and eat, my body itched with the need to be close to my mate.

Instead, I walked into the room claimed by the girls and let the shift take over, warping my bones and reshaping me into the wolf. Despite the need for sleep, the wolf trained his eyes on the three girls and waited for their breaths to even out before closing his eyes.

We’ll be reunited soon, I sent through the bond, reaching out for Ivy, my sweet mate, whose absence was slowly weighing the wolf and I down.

Her soft voice responded immediately.I know. Soon.

I felt her loss as she drifted off into her own sleep, our bond going quiet. I yearned for her, for her touch, the sound of her voice, her comforting scent mingling with my own.

And I would keep my promise: we would never be parted again. I’d go to that ridiculous academy with her and watch over her, go to all the functions Queen Greer wanted her at without any complaint.

I only had to get through the next two days first.

5

IVY

“AGAIN.”

I narrowed my eyes and threw up another wall. This one solidified in my mind as a crystalline structure wrapping around the current boundary between me and Elias. My intentions were clear: impenetrable, a steady force that would not waver.

And yet it wavered. My poor wolf shifter was unwittingly joining us in this training exercise. Since we couldn’t ask Ry if my blocks were working, Hawk had settled on Elias being the guinea pig, since Adrian’s proximity would allow him to crash through any blocks I put up between us. Which pissed my mate off, because he didn’t like the block between us, and he made that known through the screen.

“It’s getting stronger,” Elias grunted, his voice gruff with exhaustion. I felt my own wearing me down, but I shoved it aside forcefully. “I don’t like it.”

“Not strong enough, though,” Hawk replied. His breath fanned my cheek as he leaned forward. We were sitting across from one another, our knees almost touching, and I tried hard to keep my eyes on a painting sitting over his shoulder. I could only see Elias from the corner of my eye, and his discomfort with the situation was written across his otherwise stony face.

Adrian and Maeve observed us, but stayed quiet. Through the bond, Adrian expressed his dislike of the activity. There was a flicker of jealousy from his end that almost made me laugh.

Jealous of Hawk.I almost snorted. But I swallowed it, pushing his bond away and focusing on Elias.

“What emotions can you feel down the bond?” Hawk asked, voice tight.

Mentally, I fortified the wall. I checked the crystal overlapping the stone block I’d placed initially. Everything on my end seemed intact and unbreakable.

But then he probed the wall, and the crystal fractured. I threw up another defence to keep him out, but instead, it only weakened the block between us.

“Frustration,” Elias announced as he completely destroyed the wall.“And anger. At me, for destroying the block.”

“Don’t sound so smug,” I replied, glaring at him through the screen. “I almost had this one.”

Elias snorted and shook his head. “This was the weakest one yet, Angel.”

I growled and threw myself back into the chair. “It’s useless. I don’t know how to do it right and I think I’m starting to get a headache from all the mental attacks.” Not to mention the strange ache in my skull from the use and the wavering pulse of my magic. I chalked it up to it being a muscle that hadn’t been used properly.

Hawk blew out a breath. Leaning back, he rubbed his chin, keen eyes on me as he assessed whatever problem I had. “It could be that you don’t actually want Beckham to not have access to your emotions. This would certainly be easier with a mind witch or another dream-walker to really test you.”