Page 71 of The Daughters of Nyx

Guilt gnawed at me; finally, I shook my head. “Don’t worry about it.”

Elias’s hand tightened around my knee. This time it felt like comfort was radiating from him, and calmness washed over me as I settled back in my seat.

The table was silent for only a moment before Kerry started again. “Honestly, Ivy, I don’t know what you want me to say. I want all you girls healthy.”

I gritted my teeth. “We are healthy,Mom. But she’sthirteen. Her body is meant to grow and change.”

Kerry shook her head, but before she could respond, Thea leapt to her feet. “Okay kids, time for bed.”

Maisie poked out her bottom lip. “But—”

“Good idea,” I replied, reaching over to pinch her cheek. “Me and mom need to have a talk.”

There were no more complaints, but I caught Eloise’s eye as she gathered her gifts. Sadness darkened the blue of her irises, but she didn’t say a word as she left.

Thea gathered Maisie into her arms, grabbed Ginny’s hand, and whisked them up the stairs, leaving me, Elias, and Kerry alone in the dining room.

“If this is about all your self-love bull—”

I held up a hand. “What you are instilling in them is shame. You are teaching them to hate themselves and hate their bodies. You are teaching them not to listen to their bodies and are punishing them if they do. Their weight—which isn’t an issue, by the way—is not what’s going to harm them in the future. You are.”

Kerry blinked, mouth opening. But I continued, feeling the burn of power inside of me spill into my words. “I hated myself foryearsbecause of the way you spoke to me. Sorry,atme. Because you never bothered to listen to what I had to

say. You never cared aboutme. You cared about this image of perfection. Why? Because Dad left you? Because Andrew left? Because your life wasn’t perfect, you had to abuse your children into being perfect?”

“Inever—”

“Yes, youdid,” I whispered, voice breaking. “Every time you put me on a new diet, or told Eloise not to have dessert after dinner because she ate enough. Every time you give Ginny one of thosehealthysmoothies for breakfast instead of a meal and expect her to be fine for her dance lessons. You gave up on me when I proved to never be perfect in your eyes. You gave up on me when Thea and I decided we were done being your health nut guinea pigs.Thatis how you push your kids away. If it weren’t for the girls, you and I wouldn’t have a relationship at all.”

Kerry’s mouth snapped shut as I pushed to my feet. Elias followed, expression stony as he joined me in the doorway.

He gripped my hand, but turned back to my stunned mother. “For what it’s worth, Ms. Sullivan, your daughter is the most beautiful woman I have ever met. She doesn’t need me to add my input, but I feel as if I need you to know that I adore every part of her. I see only power and beauty when I look at your daughter. Thank you for dinner. I hope we don’t have to meet again.”

With that, he turned back to me, squeezed my hand, and guided me to the door. Shocked, I let him pull me out of the house, where Thea waited with my coat, her eyes wide as they met mine.

Silently, I shook my head. It was done now, my relationship with Kerry officially over, and although a weight had lifted off my shoulders, I finally stood up for my sisters. For myself.

That had to be enough.

25

IVY

THE following day, I received only a text to indicate how terribly last night went. It wasn’t from Kerry—that was asking for too much—but from Eloise, asking if I meant what I said about taking her out to get clothes that really fit her.

I’d responded with ‘absolutely’ and was ready to choose a date when the supes appeared, entering the apartment silently like they owned the place.

Or paid rent.

Despite how great Elias had been last night, I hadn’t had the chance to ask if he’d meant what he said—or at the very least, thank him for speaking up for me, even if I hadn’t needed it. Thinking about how he’d acted with the girls, and

then his words as we left, still made my heart flutter in a way that didn’t make sense.

Why was Elias now affecting me like Adrian and Rowan did?

I dropped my phone into my lap as the door to the apartment clicked shut. Since learning of Maeve’s inability to be in direct sunlight, I’d decided to keep the curtains shut in the off chance she wanted to stop by.

The surprise that flickered across her gaze was fast, but she quickly shut her emotions down as she came to stand before me. Today, she wore slacks and another silk button down, which I gathered was her version ofcasual. Meanwhile, I was in sweats and an old sweater that had seen better days.

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