Page 65 of The Daughters of Nyx

Ivy shuddered, but she didn’t pull away from my touch. “I don’t really feel any different, though. Should I be feeling more powerful? Unstable?”

I needed to call my mother. I knew only what she and her mates told me, and that was very little. “I’ll ask the Queen, okay? She’ll have answers for you.”

“If you tell her, she’ll make me leave,” Ivy whispered. “And I’m not ready for that yet, okay?”

I grimaced, but nodded, finally dropping my hand from her cheek. “Come on. Rowan probably already has Thea, and Elias will be brooding by the front door, waiting for us. Right now, he’s probably scarier than Avalon.”

A smile cracked across her lips; a spear of warmth shot through me as she finally released the tension in her shoulders and laughed. “Yeah, you’re right about that.”

Standing, I offered her my hand. “Let’s get you home.”

Hesitantly, she entwined her fingers with mine, and let me lead her away.

~

As predicted, Thea hadn’t beenthrilledwith being pulled from her friend, but had softened immediately when she’d seen Ivy. The two didn’t share a word as they climbed into the back of the SUV, and didn’t complain once as we drove them back to the apartment.

Years ago, I might have been envious of their friendship. They were as close as sisters and once, I would have been jealous that they could be with one another so easily. But now, as I met Rowan’s eye, I felt only a sense of comfort in having that kind of bond. He was my brother in every way but blood.

The drive was silent, the streets busy with the festivities. Around us, people in costumes walked the darkened sidewalks. It was late, but not as late as we’d anticipated it would be on our return, so Maeve delicately manoeuvred her way down the busy streets, avoiding clowns and classic serial killers as they leapt out at the car.

“What are these idiots doing?” Elias asked from the front seat, glaring out at the revellers as they entered bars and clubs and stumbled down alleys.

Beside me, Ivy snorted. “Having fun. Are you capable of that, Elias?”

The wolf turned slowly in his seat to glare at her. “When I’m not looking after princesses, sure. I have loads of fun.”

Ivy’s eyes narrowed, and instead of responding, she poked her tongue out at him. Under her breath, she muttered, “I don’t think he’d know fun if it bit him in the ass.”

Thea snorted, half asleep, and smacked Ivy on the thigh. “He might biteyouif you don’t keep your mouth shut,” the blonde whispered, though neither seemed all that worried about hiding their conversation from Elias.

I was pretty certain they were both aware he had better hearing than the average human.

As we pulled up to the apartment, the enchantment that saved our spot on the street shimmered as we came to a stop. Maeve parked the car, but didn’t move to get out.

“What happened in there? You were so certain about this party, and since we left, you’ve not said anything.” Maeve watched Ivy from the rear-view mirror. “Explain.”

Ivy opened her mouth, a flash of fear entering her eyes as she looked to me. She didn’t want to admit to the magic flare. Rowan might have been able to feel it, but I doubted Maeve and Elias would have been able to identify any flare of magic that belonged to Ivy.

Before she could respond, I said, “Ivy wasn’t feeling too well after the cocktail. Nothing was wrong with it, but it didn’t sit right with her.”

She sent me a grateful look before nodding. “I was getting overwhelmed too. I’m sorry. I know I made a big deal of it, and I was sure I could handle it, but I guess the last couple of weeks have been a lot and throwing myself into something I really wasn’t ready for wasn’t the best idea.”

Thea squeezed her knee, but Maeve looked as if she didn’t believe a word either of us had said. She could probably sense the lies, hear them in the beat of Ivy’s heart.

But she didn’t question us further. “Adrian, you’ll finish the night watch with Ivy and Thea in the apartment. I’ll make sure that nothing followed us out here. Rowan and Elias, you get a couple of hours and we’ll regroup in the morning.”

As we slid out of the car, Ivy’s phone pinged, and she cursed under her breath. I was close enough to see the message that popped up on her phone.

KERRY:c u at dinner tomorrow. Don’t forget

Ivy cringed and shook her head. “Dammit. I was hoping if I didn’t say anything, she’d give up.”

Beside her, Thea snorted. “When have we ever known Kerry Sullivan to give up.”

“Never.” Ivy released a heavy breath, and looked over to Maeve. “I think I have to go to this dinner. It might be the only time I can gauge whether it’s right to tell my family about all of this, and if they should come to Avalon when I leave.”

Notif. Butwhen. That shouldn’t have excited me as much as it did.

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