Page 45 of The Powers of Nyx

By the time I was done, the water had turned from clear to muddy. I pressed my thumb into the charm again and the water disappeared.

Guiding Ivy back to the bed, I helped her dress, unable to help myself as I ran my eyes over her once again.

“I’m okay. A couple of bruises. Nothing serious,” Ivy joked, taking both my hands. “Do you need help?”

“I’ll change but…” My heart rate quickened, and my breathing came quicker. “I am…unsure about sharing my body just yet.”

Ivy cocked her head, pursing her lips, but she nodded. “I’ll close my eyes if that makes you more comfortable.”

“Thank you,” I whispered, leaning down and kissing her lightly. Her lips still tasted like our Fae feast and wine. But I pulled back quickly, so as not to tempt myself further.

I remained still as Ivy crawled into the bed and brought the comforter up to her chin. She closed her eyes after a moment, and although uncertainty shuddered through me, I trusted my mate. And eventually, I would show her the damage of my past.

But not tonight. Not when everything was finally falling into place. I knew she wouldn’t look upon me with disgust. But it was still a dark insecurity. The scars would live with me for the rest of my long life.

But I dressed in something lightweight and comfortable, and hesitantly slid into the bed beside Ivy. Her eyes opened, but she only smiled.

“It’s likely I won’t sleep,” I reminded her.

Ivy shrugged, curling in towards me. “That’s okay.”

I eyed her warily. “Ask,a mhuirnín.I’ll answer your questions.”

Her eyes darkened, and at first, she shook her head. “It’s nothing, not really. Just a…weird feeling.”

I moved in closer and cupped her cheek. “Ask.”

Her throat bobbed as she swallowed. “Kerry isn’t here…is she?” she asked carefully, a slight tremble in her voice.

I shook my head and gently brought her into my side so her head rested on my chest. “No.”

Ivy blew out a harsh breath. “Then where?”

“She’s already in Avalon,” I replied, running my hand over her still-braided hair. “Marion has a cabin and is already aboard. You probably won’t see her, which is for the best. And your belongings were loaded with a transportation spell.”

Ivy shuddered. “But how does that…work, exactly?”

“Some things can move between worlds without accessing the ferry. Usually, things that aren’t living.” Her heart raced rapidly, but I continued, “The potion came through as it did because it is not alive.”

“But…back home. You sent a hellhound back to Avalon?” she asked, her curiosity and pain clear through the bond.

I tightened my hold on her. “Do you really wish to discuss this?”

After a moment, she sighed. “Probably not. Curiosity got the best of me, I think. And…wondering if Kerry was here just…I don’t think I would have been able to sleep if she was.”

“I know,” I murmured. “But she’s not. She’s already in Avalon. Demons can travel in ways we cannot. That is how the hellhound was transported. Kerry was moved in a similar yet different manner because of her death. But she is being cared for. You have nothing to worry about there.”

Ivy looked up through her lashes, eyes shining with unshed tears. Not for the first time, my heart squeezed at her nearness. “Thank you.”

I kissed the top of her head. “Sleep,a mhuirnín. And I will watch over you while you dream.”

~

Ivy slept soundly in my arms, her chest rising and falling without the struggle of her nightmares. I couldn’t take my eyes off her; the way her lashes fluttered, the slight pink tinge to her cheeks, the gentle hold she had on my hand that tightened every so often as her dreams took hold of her mind. I didn’t have to prod the bond much to know she was deep in her sleep, and yet I couldn’t join her there.

The brief conversation I’d had with Rowan picked at something in my brain. I knew I couldn’t rest until I had answers.

I pressed a gentle kiss to Ivy’s temple before slipping out from beneath the heavy covers. I pulled my boots on and sheathed my daggers out of habit rather than necessity. We were safe on the ferry, but I couldn’t bring myself to stop something that had been so ingrained in me.