Page 77 of The Daughters of Nyx

With a frown, I studied the check-in log. We were still waiting on a pair to arrive, but as time ticked closer to 10 P.M., I wondered if they would show up. Tommy had a late check in policy: if you warned us beforehand, there would be no late charge. If you showed up after ten—when we were set to close down everything in the lobby—you would be charged a fee.

I understood why Tommy did this. He didn’t want to have someone on nightshift if he didn’t have to. It was extra pay he’d be paying out of his pocket. It’s why, when people booked either over the phone or online, they are warned about the fee.

TheCamillawasn’t a franchise with a billionaire backing it. All we had was Tommy, and although he had the tendency to be a bit of a sleaze bag, he still did what he could for those of us who stuck around during his takeover.

As soon as the clock on the computer hit ten, I released a heavy breath and started mentally preparing for the fight to come. I almost wished Kacie were here to take over, but she was still on break, and would be stuck here until midnight.

And anyway, it wasn’t like I was new to this. I’d dealt with my fair share of assholes. But my stomach churned regardless, like my body already knew what I was about to face.

It took another thirty minutes for our late arrivals to appear. A white sedan with anUbertag pulled up, depositing two older people on the sidewalk. Our doorman had already clocked off, so they had to shoulder their own bags as they entered the—thankfully—heated lobby.

“Welcome to theCamilla!” I said as they approached the desk, my faux cheery voice loud in my ears. “Can I get started with your names?”

The older man—maybe early fifties, with greying brown hair and dull green eyes—huffed. “I have a booking under Johnson.”

Here we go. Definitely the late booking. I pulled up their reservation. “Yep. I’ve got you here for three nights, third floor, king room.” My heart thundered in my chest as I sucked in a breath for the next part. “Unfortunately, due to your late arrival, there is a fee that will be tacked onto your account, which will be deducted at the end of your stay.”

Mr. Johnson stared at me for a moment before his cheeks turned red and his eyes narrowed. “Excuse me?”

I plastered a sincere smile across my face. “Due to our policy, arrivals after ten P.M., if not given prior warning, include a thirty dollar late fee.”

“This is fucking bullshit! How were we supposed to know—” I started drowning him out. I knew this part. I knew it well. He’d give all kinds of excuses, maybe throw in a threat or two about talking to the manager, perhaps threaten to cancel—and incur another fee.

Mr. Johnson slammed his hand down onto the desk and almost dragged himself over the lip that protected me from him. “Are you fucking listening?”

Something dark flashed in his eyes, causing a shiver to race down my spine. It didn’t feel quite right, but I held in the tinging magic working its way through my body.

My jaw clenched as I inclined my head. “Mr. Johnson, please, there is nothing that I can do at this time. You agreed to this policy when you booked. If you would like to speak to the night manager, I’d be happy to call her. But otherwise, this fee has been recorded on your account.”

His open palm was a blur, and at first, I didn’t feel the sting of his hand against my cheek. All I heard was a ringing in my ears, one that drowned out the soft cries of Mrs. Johnson. From the corner of my eye, I could see her holding her raging husband back. She had a bruise on the side of her neck.

Rage burned through me, fast and hard, like fire through my veins. But as his eyes turned back to mine, I wasn’t seeing a pissed off, abusive husband.

I was seeing a dark figure wrapped in shadows; not the one wearing the crown who haunted my dreams, but something else. The fury it radiated nearly knocked the breath out of me.

My breathing grew rapid as Kacie appeared in front of the desk. Her wide eyes fell on me—I hadn’t even realised I was hunched over in my chair, hand clutched to my cheek—but sadness pooled in her familiar, motherly gaze as they swept over me. I let my hand fall so she could see the damage, and I felt almost relieved when they hardened.

Her hand fell to the walkie-talkie at her side, which she spoke into for Tommy. It was the easiest way for them to communicate while he was in the kitchen. In a couple of minutes, I could imagine him storming through the dining room doors into the lobby.

“Go outside,” Kacie murmured, keeping her eyes on the older gentleman and his wife. “I’ll handle this.”

Standing, I stumbled out of the lobby and into the old staff hallway. Musty smells assaulted me as I focused on my breathing, on keeping the pain away. I could feel the sting of his hit now, and I tasted copper in my mouth as I exited the hotel and slipped into the quiet alley out back.

The floodlight that hung over the door illuminated a couple of feet around me, but I started for the edge of darkness. I wanted to scream, or cry, but the only thing that left me were strangled breaths. I closed my eyes, squeezing them shut despite the pinch of pain from my cheek.

His rage filled eyes and the sneer that accompanied his slap played behind my eyelids. I pulled something else to the forefront of my mind—Adrian, as he hovered over me, Rowan’s flirty smile as he asked me out, Elias’s strong arms wrapped safely around my body, Maeve’s strength as she taught me how to defend myself.

My breaths came rapidly, shuddering through my chest as I tried to suck in enough air to calm me. But my ears rang and the old bastard’s face seemed to be imprinted in my mind, causing the building panic to intensify, and nothing I did to calm myself seemed to help.

I’m okay, I’m safe, I thought, repeating the mantra over and over in my head. I knew I was safe—I was standing in the alley, he wasn’t here, and I was alone.

Alone. I shouldn’t have been alone. My blood ran cold as I searched the darkness for my shadow. It was supposed to be Rowan tonight. He’d walked a respectable distance behind me tonight, never once saying a word.

Where is he?If I left the hotel, they were always there. They never left me alone, unless it was for my bathroom break.

Fear pulsed through me, and with the panic, my breaths came out shallower, wheezing in my ears.

The door opened behind me. “Ivy?” Thea pulled me towards her, and I flinched from her touch. She released me,

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