Page 70 of The Daughters of Nyx

He knelt down to her height and took her hand, giving it a soft shake. “It’s nice to meet you, Ginny.”

Her grin almost melted me, and before I knew it, she was guiding him over to her little project. She had been colouring in pictures of unicorns and fairies before we’d walked in.

“Do you want to help me?” she asked, gazing up at him with wide eyes.

Not once did he take his eyes off her as he took the seat beside her at the table, accepting the offered crayons and colouring the page. My heart squeezed, and so did my ovaries.

Thea placed the wine glass in my hand as we watched. “I think I like him better now,” she whispered, taking a sip of the generously poured wine.

I couldn’t disagree. Seeing him interact with my sisters was…something else.

We stood and watched until Maisie came rushing in with her own toys, which she showed off to Elias, handing him an old stuffed wolf that had once been mine, as well as aBarbieand a plastic picture frame with us when she’d been born.

Not once did he look exasperated, or irritated, or anything that was usually directed at me. He looked calm, happy,content.

My stomach did a flip as he looked over at me, and for the first time, he smiled easily, eyes shining.

I smiled back, heart fluttering, wishing—not for the first time—that I understood what the fuck was going on.

~

We ate with an unusual amount of happiness between us, rather than tension. If I had known braving my family and sitting with them comfortably meant bringing a boyfriend like Elias, I might have done it a lot sooner.

Once dinner was cleared, we gathered around Eloise as she unwrapped additional gifts from Kerry and the kids. Her dad had sent her a card with a twenty dollar note, like usual, which she pocketed with a roll of her eyes.

Thea’s parents had gifted her a voucher for books, which brought her some joy, since Kerry’s gifts were clothing a size too small for her growing body, and comments like ‘once you lose some weight, you’ll fit into them’.

Thea and I both tried to bite our tongues, but I felt the now familiar burn of magic in my veins.

No, not now. The last thing I wanted was to rush out now. For the first time in years, there was no fighting, the girls actually seemedexcitedto have me here, and I had the support of not only Thea, but Elias with me.

I didnotwant whatever magic I had showing itself to them.

Clearing my throat, I shifted uncomfortably in my seat and reached for the wine bottle.

“Don’t you think you’ve had enough?” Kerry said pointedly, glancing between me and my empty glass.

I frowned, ready to drop my hand.Why do I do this to myself?She shouldn’t be able toshameme into not having another glass when she herself likely had two before we even arrived.

“I think another will be okay,” I replied stiffly, grabbing the wine and pouring enough to earn a look of distaste. “Anyway, I’m not driving and I feel fine.”

Kerry shook her head. “Really, Ivy. You should be careful and look after yourself.”

I nodded along as I took a sip. “Trust me,mom, I know my limits.”

She made a sound in the back of her throat. Elias grabbed my knee under the table, either in warning or support, I wasn’t sure. His warmth seeped through my tights and filled me with comfort, but the burn of magic seemed to only grow with my anger.

“Eloise,” I said, turning to my sister who sat at the head of the table. “If those clothes don’t fit, I’ll take you shopping in the city and we’ll get you some clothes that will.”

I felt Thea tense beside me, though I knew she was giving me silent support. My sister could be a brat sometimes, but neither of us agreed with what Kerry was saying.

My mother scoffed. “The clotheswillfit. She’ll be fine.”

I shrugged. “She’s growing and will need new clothes anyway.”

“Is there something you want to say, Ivy?”

I stiffened. There it was. The warning was clear in her tone, telling me to back down while I still could. The girls had gone silent; Maisie, perched on Elias’s knee, glanced worriedly at her mother, while Ginny looked at her plate. Eloise had tears in her eyes.

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