Page 57 of The Powers of Nyx
“Come on,” she muttered. The system refused to ping for her, no matter how many times she went through the motions. “Not even the door recognises me as one of you. Great. That’s so fucking great.”
Maeve was as stoic as ever, but even she was stumped. “You may have to come and go with one of us. I know that’ll be an adjustment, but until we sort out what you are...”
Thea huffed as she shoved away from the door. “Fine. Whatever. I didn’t want the damned door’s acceptance anyway.”
I couldn’t help but snort. The rest of the team did their part: hand on doorknob, ping, and entry. The slight buzz I’d warned Ginny about ran across the palm of my hand, but otherwise, it had no lasting effect. Ginny went back to holding my hand as soon as we were given access to our suite. When we stepped across the threshold, my skin tingled with the wards protecting the space.
Without saying a word, we entered into a small foyer, one lit up by a chandelier that twinkled as we passed beneath it. There was another statue of Nyx below it, and two archways that branched off from the entryway. Maeve took the lead, and I supposed that was for the best. Thea was still bristling from the door’s rejection, and Ivy tried to keep the exhaustion from her face, but even she wasn’t nearly as good at hiding her emotions as some.
But that changed when we stepped into the suite itself. The foyer gave way to a semi-open living and dining room; there was a large fireplace against the far wall surrounded by built-in bookcases, and sofas formed a u-shape around a coffee table. The mantle was adorned by a framed painting from at least a century ago and fresh flowers.
It was the view from the dining table that made this suite one of luxury though. There was a set of double doors that opened up onto a large balcony that overlooked the entire back of the palace, from the waterfall to the forest and the bustling world below. There was a table out there set up for a relaxed meal, and off to the right, a kitchen should we decide to request a private chef or cook for ourselves.
While the rest of us were used to suites like these, the girls weren’t. Ivy ran her hand delicately over the plush fabric of the sofa, while Thea glanced warily at another set of built-in shelvesalong the wall. The children weren’t too interested in the living space, but they did rush over to the windows.
“I’m going to set up another layer of wards,” Adrian announced as he walked over to Ivy and pressed a kiss to her temple. She leaned into his embrace, and I forced myself to look away. “You’re safe here. I’ll be right back.”
She offered him a tired smile and nodded. “I know.”
But he didn’t release her. “You’re getting too good at blocking those thoughts.”
It hadn’t occurred to me that she’d been practising what Nash was supposedly teaching her. It was kind of strange not having him around, now that I thought about it. Yet somewhat peaceful, since he wasn’t riling Ivy up.
But Ivy shrugged, a hint of mischief in her eyes. “I told you I’d figure it out. Now you actually have to work for it.”
I averted my eyes as Adrian leaned down to kiss her. Ginny still clung to my hand, so I made a retching motion and pointed at her sister, which earned me yet another giggle. At least I was making progress somewhere. “Why don’t we go check out the balcony? You’ll see more of the palace from there.”
Ginny nodded happily, and I guided her over to the long stretch of windows where Eloise and Maisie stood, Elias not far behind them.
When Ginny and I approached, he offered me a nod, almost like he was accepting the fact that I was here, and I was here to stay. I had to admit, it felt nice. Like I had a place, not just amongst the team, but in this...family.
All I had to do now was make it official. I had to be Ivy’s mate.
21
IVY
THEsuite was something out of a ritzy hotel. The ones with classic hardwood floors and mahogany furniture and a cleaning waiver higher than my salary.
And the bedrooms...The beds were softer than anything I’d ever slept on. I thought the safe house beds were something dreamy. But these…These were something else. They were as light as goose-feather and the layout was so cosy, I didn’t want to leave.
Someone had set up one of the bedrooms with three single beds, each as soft and plush as the last. The girls even had their own bathroom, which had a nice, deep tub, a shower, and a separate toilet. The walk-in closet had an assortment of new clothes, all the perfect size, and all as luxurious as the rest of the suite.
When asked, Adrian admitted his mother had a love for spoiling all her children, and since she was towards the end of her life, was probably hoping to spoil some more. She was the kind of grandmother who would do anything for her grandchildren, he claimed, and his siblings either loved it—or hated it.
Right now, I wouldn’t say no to the extra love my sisters might receive. They certainly deserved it.
There were other gifts left out for them, too. Maisie got an assortment of toys and picture books. Ginny, on the other hand, had a brand-new dance uniform and shoes, with a promise toenrol her in classes come the next semester. And Eloise...She wouldn’t say it, but she loved the care package waiting for her. Make-up and skin care, hair oils and even a brand-new handbag—all the things a teen could want.
While they settled in, I made my way through the rest of the suite. I stopped in the doorway of Thea’s room and found her rifling through the stuff she’d been given.
“How are you liking it?” I asked, leaning against the doorframe.
Thea huffed before running a hand through her hair. “I’m a little overwhelmed. Did you see the clothes? These look more expensive than our apartment, Ives. I mean, I’ve always had good taste, but holyshit. This is just...”
I smiled and walked towards her. Wrapping my arms around her, I held her for a moment before saying, “You deserve all the designer, expensive things.”
“I know,” she replied. When I pulled away, she gave me a watery smile. “I wonder if there are like...balls. Really fancy, whimsical ones.”