Page 57 of The Daughters of Nyx

The shifter didn’t say another word as he stormed to the apartment door. He threw it open with enough force to snap the flimsy thing, but thanks to the reinforced warding, it only swung open on silent hinges before slamming behind him.

I winced as the sound echoed throughout the dark apartment. Something creaked in Ivy’s room, and the door

cracked open to reveal Thea’s wild blonde hair. Her blue-green eyes flickered over the living room and kitchen, as if searching for something.

Or someone.

What the fuck did Elias do?

The thought that he could have hurt Ivy in any way burned through me, and I had to clutch the edge of the counter to stop myself from racing after him. Anger rushed through me in a way I’d never felt before, drawing my magic closer to the surface in a way that should have warranted some worry within me.

Thea sighed and stepped out of Ivy’s bedroom. “The sulking lug has finally left,” she said, throwing her hands up in the air. “Ruined my baking streak with his bad vibes.” Then she turned towards Ivy’s desk, where I assumed she was working. “The nice one is here.”

I almost fucking preened at being considered the nice one.Maybe Thea is on my side, after all.

The woman in question entered the living room in nothing more than leggings and an oversized hoody that probably needed to see the inside of a washing machine. But she skipped over to me and held up the plate of brownies.

“Have one, please.” She smiled tightly, and it wasn’t hard to figure out she wasn’taskingbut telling.

I took the one on the top, which looked like it had swirls of caramel on the top. I took a tentative bite, and almost moaned at how good it was. “This is…”

She shrugged. “Amazing, I know.” Thea put the plate down. “One day, we’ll be out of that hotel.”

I raised a brow and took another bite. “Oh?”

Thea nodded before entering the kitchen. She pulled a bottle of wine from the pantry and grabbed two glasses—obviously for her and Ivy, who had yet to leave her room.

“Well, if youdon’tdrag Ivy off to some magical island, we’re going to open up a shop. Romance books, coffee, and all my baked goods.” She grinned as she poured with a heavy hand. “But a bakery of my own would be nice, too.”

I could almost taste her disappointment. How much were theybothgoing to have to give up now that Ivy’s power was manifesting and she needed to return to Avalon?

“Avalon needs more bakeries,” I replied, finishing off the brownie.

Thea lifted a brow before crossing her arms. She opened her mouth as if to say something, but consideration filled her eyes. Instead of replying, she sipped at her wine.

I cleared my throat. “Will I get my throat ripped out if I walk in there?” I asked quietly, eying the door once more.

“Nope.” She popped the ‘p’ as she handed me the untouched wine. “Take offerings to her majesty and you’ll be fine.”

I almost smiled as I took the offered wine and a brownie, which Thea quickly put on a plate. I caught her smirk as I started for the bedroom. The door was opened a crack, a spear of light flooding the hardwood floors. Poking my head in, at first, I didn’t see her; expecting her at the desk, I’d automatically turned towards it, but when the bed shifted and her dark eyes met mine, I paused, taking her in.

She’d changed from her standard work blouse and skirt into something more comfortable, almost mirroring Thea’s clothing. Thick socks covered her feet, which she pulled

beneath herself as she sat up, eyes critical as she looked me over. Instead of leggings, she wore shorts that balled at her hips, revealing the milky thickness of her thighs. An oversized sweater slipped down her arms, the neckline wide enough that it hung off one shoulder.

Ivy wrapped her arms around her legs and rested her chin on her knees. “What are you doing, Adrian?”

I stopped myself from flinching. She hadn’t said it in a harsh way, and yet, I could hear the accusation and disappointment and anger in her voice.She’s probably not even angry at me.Elias’s face popped into my mind, and that anger swept through me again.

Shaking my head, I cleared my throat. “I brought you an offering, courtesy of Thea.” I approached the bed slowly before setting the wine down on the bedside table and delivering the warm brownie into waiting hands.

Ivy looked between me and the gifts warily. For a moment, I wondered if she would simply tell me to fuck off, but instead, she sighed and patted the bed in front of her.

“Thea makes a damn good brownie,” she said, offering me a half smile as she picked at the corners. “There’s a salted caramel chocolate chip one she does that’s to die for.”

I gave her a smile in return. “I’m impressed by that one. I didn’t realise she was so good.”

“It’s what she loves.” Ivy looked down at the brownie. “I don’t fully understand what’s going on here, Adrian, and that scares me. I mean, you’re all still strangers to me—to us. And you want me to trust you, and let you take me away to some island? I don’t even know if I could ever trust you all enough for that.”

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