Page 51 of The Daughters of Nyx

Rowan stiffened, his eyes finding mine. Instead of responding, he slipped into the bedroom that he and Adrian had claimed, closing the door behind him. I didn’t get the chance to hear more as he spelled the room into silence.

Smart man, I thought, shaking my head. If I had to guess, I would say his mother was aware of his turmoil concerning Ivy. Striding towards the kitchen, I couldn’t help but wonderwhyshe would be concerned over his relationship with Ivy. It didn’t seem like something the Seer should be interfering with. Unless she knew something we didn’t?

I shook my head. If she did or didn’t, I had a feeling the crone wouldn’t tell me.

The row of blood bags had diminished, leaving me with enough supply for two days. If anything were to happen, I’d be forced to feed from my team, which had to be a last resort.

Swallowing hard, I sent a text to Jay, warning him of the supply needed. Almost immediately, he responded with an emoji of a thumb, which I gathered meant he understood what I needed.

The time in the corner of the device warned me that I was getting close to swapping shifts with Adrian, taking over within the apartment while Elias left with Thea. Rowan would be on wards tonight.

I swallowed down the blood quickly before throwing the empty bag into the trash can. It almost had a stale, artificial

taste to it, but I couldn’t risk going out and feeding directly from the vein, not when we were all in danger. No matter how much better—and ultimately, more powerful—it was.

The bedroom Elias and I shared was almost pitch black, but my eyesight adjusted immediately. I changed from my sleepwear into a dark grey pair of tweed pants and a black long-sleeved t-shirt. For a moment, I caught sight of the scars that marred every inch of skin on my back and front, the raised tissue shiny and coloured pink, even after two hundred years.

My jaw tightened, and I turned away from the sight. I pulled on boots and tucked knives into each, slipping another into the built in holster on my side.

I gazed down at an older dagger, one I’d been gifted over a hundred and fifty years ago from my first real mentor. The blade was still sharp and made from Fae steel, which did not age the same way mortal blades did. The hilt was worn, though, yet enchanted stones lined it, smoothed by my hand.

I clutched it tightly, but did not holster it. Instead, I carried it with me to the apartment across the hall. I knocked in three small bursts to alert Adrian, who released the spell on the locks. It opened to reveal the girls’ small living room and kitchen. Thea stood by the island, dressed in a black chef’s jacket, straight-legged pants, and heavy boots. Her blonde hair was pulled back into two short buns that revealed her tired and unenthusiastic face. She had the features of a pixie; pert, upturned nose and sharp eyes, and full lips pulled in a frown.

Standing beside her with a similar expression, Elias wore tactical gear; a long-sleeved black shirt made from an impervious material enchanted for battle, leather straps crossing his chest, lined with weapons, and thick black pants of a similar material to his shirt. I didn’t doubt there were more weapons hidden across his body. The gear also meant he could shift without fearing they’d tear.

Finally, Adrian stood beside Ivy’s closed door. He tensed slightly as his eyes met mine, weariness seeping into his face. I gave him a shallow nod to indicate that he could leave, and tried not to wince at the relief that filled his gaze.

Clearly, something had gone awry between him and Ivy.

I frowned as the door to her room opened. Ivy wore pink and blue pyjama pants that clung to her hips, the fabric frayed around the ankles, and a college sweatshirt. The name of the school was printed across her chest, the material tighter there than anywhere else. I forced myself to look away.

“So I take it you guys are doing a shift change?” Ivy asked dully, crossing her arms over her chest.

Before I could respond, Adrian nodded. “Yep. Just you and Maeve tonight.”

I tried to keep all emotion off my face as Ivy glanced over me warily, her brown eyes dark with apprehension. I couldn’t blame her, but perhaps, if she gave me the chance, I could answer some of her questions and give her some peace of mind. There wasn’t much I could tell her for certain, but I could at least promise her family’s safety should something happen.

Ivy made a sound in the back of her throat before turning her attention to Thea. “Be safe. If anything happens to her, I’ll hurt you.” I almost smiled, her warning charming, at best. I doubted Ivy had any intention of enacting that threat.

Thea blew Ivy a kiss with a roll of her eyes before stalking past me to the door. “Keep her safe,” the girl murmured, blue-green eyes shining. Where there was usually mischief, now uncertainty and concern remained.

I gave her a shallow nod, then met Elias’s stare as he followed her. He gently shook his head, as if to tell me nothing happened during his patrol, and not to worry.

But I would worry until we knew for certain that Ivy was safe.

~

I gave Ivy thirty minutes before stalking to her door. She’d left it a crack open, like a show of good faith, and slowly, I stuck my head inside, pushing the flimsy door open as I did.

Ivy didn’t look up as I entered, her head bowed over a book. Soft music, of a waltz I unfortunately knew, played in her ears. I stiffened without meaning to, caught in the memories that were dredged up; my Sire, a cunning vampire born to aristocracy almost three centuries before he’d found me, a young girl visiting London for the first time in my life. The dark streets after my Change and my father’s ire when he’d learnt I’d become a creature of the night. Pain, unimaginable, ashelaid claim to me, over and over again.

A spark of electricity and a flood of warmth dragged me from the murkiness of those memories. My memories of the time before the Change was fractured at best, but those first days after I was Sired continued to be the worst of the nightmares I’d experienced.

But they cleared, and it was concern I found in Ivy’s eyes as she stared up at me.

“Are you okay?” she asked, voice soft, smooth like honey. She didn’t seem afraid as she watched me, pink lips drawn in a worried frown. “Maeve?”

It was my name on her tongue that almost threatened to undo me. The hand that had been resting on my wrist fell away as I took a step back. “Yes, I’m sorry. I’m fine,” I replied, offering her a smile. “I wanted to check in on you.”

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