Page 24 of The Powers of Nyx
Maeve’s eyes met mine, and when she nodded, my chest loosened. “Elias already has those orders. They’ll be protected.”
Even with the assurance they could safely make it to Avalon, I couldn’t stop the worry building within me, like a warning of something to come.
~
I followedthe steps to form a protective wardaround the darkened SUV. My blood pounded in my ears, drowning out Adrian’s instructions, as I tried to focus on wrapping the protection around the large vehicle.
As it turned out, cars were much,muchharder to work with than rings. I now had a much higher appreciation for Adrian and his magic.
He’d already done his part of the wards, but I could admit I struggled. It threatened to topple me, the amount of power I tried to use in order to shield the car.
“Think about it in sections,” Adrian offered, his steady hands placed carefully on my hips. “The front of the vehicle, and the back of the vehicle. In your mind, break it in half.”
My teeth ground together as I attempted to do as he instructed. I took the image in my mind and split it in half down the centre, cutting the driver and passenger seats off from the back and trunk.
I brought my images of protection into the forefront of my mind.Protection looked like Elias carrying me from the massacred hellhounds. Protection felt like Adrian’s warmth as he held me, night after night, through my nightmares. It felt like Maeve, stoic and still, giving me the potion. Like Rowan sneaking into bed and holding me.
Each feeling formed a ball of energy in my mind, and I held onto it as I brought the car into the fold. The dark exterior and each moving part of the vehicle. The seats in the front, from the windows all the way down to the floor. I reshaped the ball of energy in my mind and layered it over the first half.
“Good, Ivy. Now the next half.”
My brows furrowed, sweat forming on my upper lip as I took another ball of protective energy and followed the same movements, rolling it out like pizza dough and wrapping the back half of the vehicle in it.
Adrian’s breath tickled my ear as he gave my hips a soft squeeze. “You’re done,” he murmured. “Good work, Sweetheart.”
My eyes opened and I stared tiredly at the SUV. I could just make out what was my power, and what was Adrian’s; his glowed almost golden, like him, while mine was violet, and they wove together in an intricate pattern as they settled into the dark body of the SUV.
I slumped into Adrian’s waiting arms. “That was hard,” I admitted, yawning. “I’ll stick to small items next time.”
Adrian chuckled and wrapped himself around me. “You did great today. Excellent control over your magic, and you showed great restraint. I’m very impressed.”
“Hmm.” I closed my eyes and leaned my head against his chest. “Yep. Overachiever right here.”
His lips whispered against my ear before landing on my cheek. “Come on. We have some last-minute preparations to do before we leave.”
I groaned as his arms disappeared. My limbs were heavy with the drain of power, but I still felt it under my skin. Not as bad as it had been before mating Adrian. But it lifted the hairs on my arms, like lightning during a storm.
My mate tucked his hand into mine and guided me to the hidden elevator. The doors to the private entrance locked behind us with a spell Adrian had described to me when we’d first arrived, one that secured the space from anyone without authorisation.
It fascinated me, the kinds of spells and magic they could weave. Adrian had told me there were so many different kinds of affinities, that his mother could wield three different forms because of her bonds. There were mages competent in potions, others in necromancy. Some used a magic that stemmed from their bloodlines, while others could use the elements.
Maybe going to the magical academy wouldn’t be so bad if I got to see all of that in person.
Thea was going to love it, and I had a feeling Eloise would too.
My stomach twisted at the thought of them, but I tampered down on the worry swelling in my gut. Elias had already reached out to me through the bond to warn me he might be quiet for the rest of the day. His team was set to leave in the next few hours, and he was making sure the kids and Thea were ready to go.
I worried for them, but I also trusted my mate. And I would be seeing them all soon, which alleviated some of my anxiety.
The elevator opened on our floor with a quietding, and I escaped the confines with my hand still tucked into Adrian’s. Maeve and Hawk were waiting for us in the main hall, both stiff and unusually quiet as we joined them.
“Ivy successfully warded the SUV,” Adrian announced, pulling me to a stop in front of them. “We should be protected and ready for any possible assault.”
Maeve ran her eyes over me, like she could see my exhaustion. “No issues?”
I shook my head. “None. It was a little harder than the ring, but Adrian helped me through it.”
“Good.” Maeve gave a single nod of her head before turning towards Hawk. “We have less than eight hours before we need to be out of here and on the road,” Maeve stated, rolling her shoulders back. “With the SUV warded, we just need to restock weapons and pack.”