Page 41 of The Bonds of Nyx

My stomach twisted with her words. More magic, more power I may never control, and more death. “So, in order to be incontrol andnotdie from the power overload, I need to have at least three mates,” I clarified, seeking Adrian’s eye. He nodded, but didn’t say anything.

With him, it would make three. Three mates meant I would be anchored. My magic wouldn’t be a threat.

There was a lot of relief accompanying that thought, despite what that meant in the long term.

The Queen nodded, pulling my attention back to her. “You’ll naturally have more mates. The more you have, the more power you’ll contain, and in return, the more mates to protect you. It is important, especially now, to form those bonds.” Her lips twisted into a frown as she slumped further in her chair. “As much as I would prefer you return to Avalon sooner, time is…fickle when it comes to the ferry. There is only a small window of opportunity, and for you to make it, I would prefer for you to be at a closer safe house.”

Maeve cleared her throat and spoke up. “I understand, Your Majesty, but I’m wary of moving Ivy’s mother until a decision has been made regarding her condition. I won’t rush anyone. We’re also awaiting Jay’s team, who are cleaning up both houses and moving Thea Riley’s family out safely.”

I tensed and turned from Queen Greer to Maeve. “You’re getting Thea’s family out?”

“Yes. The shadow organisation, we believe, might have tried to target them. We’re attempting to quietly remove them and send them to the ferry now.”

I rubbed my eyes tiredly, a yawn catching in my throat. “So much has blown up,” I said, turning to the Queen. “Do you guys have any idea who these people are? Because I don’t think they just want me dead—they want this whole system gone.”

“How can you be certain?” Sir Theon asked. He had a deeper voice than Adrian’s and an accent that sounded British, but faded.

“When they were holding me, they said a phrase: ‘Death to the Queen’. It doesn’t sound like it’s just me they want gone. They also had a brand.” I closed my eyes and wracked my brain for the symbol, but those memories caused me to shudder. “I can’t exactly remember what it was, though.”

When I opened my eyes, Queen Greer offered me a soft smile. “It’s alright, Ivy. We are working on understanding who this group is and what they are after. I just want you to focus on remaining calm and safely controlling your magic. If you can move on to the next safe house sooner, I would prefer that, especially with the evacuation team on its way. Now more than ever, your return and training is imperative.”

That, I believed.

“Tomorrow, the evacuation team will arrive,” Sir Theon said, sparing his mate a quick, almost worried glance. “We can only trust that the Goddess will protect Ivy as she journeys to us.”

I so badly wanted to believe him, yet, from the unease swimming in my gut, I wasn’t sure it would be that easy.

~

The meeting ended after some small talk and promises that did nothing to alleviate the anxiety swelling within me. I still had more questions than I had answers. Mostly, I was glad my mate bond with Ry hadn’t been revealed. But I had a suspicion the Queen had been given some warning about it.

As I rose from the desk, I spared Adrian a glance and steeled myself. “Can we talk about a few things?” I asked, wringing my hands as he stood to his full height.

Adrian’s brows pulled together in worry, but he nodded. “Of course.”

He nodded to Maeve, who said nothing as he took my hand gently and guided me out of the meeting room. I barely got the chance to look over my shoulder and mouth a quick ‘thank you’ to Maeve before we rounded the corner.

We didn’t speak until we approached the rows of doors leading into the private bedrooms. I swallowed hard as Adrian pulled me into his bedroom, and the door shut quietly behind us. His vibrant green eyes searched mine for a moment, the intensity pulling me into his orbit. My magic arose inside me, begging for him, his body, his claim.

Mine. Mate. Claim,it chanted.

My heart rate increased as I met his gaze. “We really need to talk.”

He nodded, nostrils flaring. “I know, and it’s taking a lot of effort not to throw you onto my bed and claim you right now.”

My cheeks heated, but I couldn’t look away. “I know.” Shakily, I sucked in a breath and released it slowly. “I’m sorry about not coming to you earlier. About our bond. We should have talked about it days ago, and instead, I avoided it. I’m sorry.”

His throat bobbed, and he nodded. “I will admit, it hurt finding out you bonded with Elias so quickly.”

“I know, and that’s not at all what I intended. Ithappened, but that doesn’t change the fact that I…” I paused and grasped both his hands, watching as his lips parted. “I want to complete the bond with you, too. Not because I need to, but because I care about you. I can’t explain, exactly, what happened with Elias, but he’s also my mate. I think I’m coming to understand that what I have with him is different to what I have with you.”

“I hurt you, though,” he whispered, releasing my hands to cup my cheek. “I understand if that’s why you’re hesitating, Ivy, but I promise I won’t do that again. I want to earn your trust back. Iwillearn it back. But I’m not stepping away. I’m not going to let you push me away.”

My heart did a little flip, but I wouldn’t let my nerves get the best of me. Rising on my toes, I pressed a gentle kiss to his lips. He tasted of the mint tea he drank, his mouth as soft and gentle as I remembered.

Before I could pull back, the hand on my cheek slipped down the column of my throat and behind my neck to tangle in my hair. He tilted my head and deepened the kiss, tongue brushing the seam of my lips, begging for entrance.

I gave in willingly and moaned as he sucked my tongue into his mouth. He walked me backwards into the door, melding his body into mine. He lifted our joined hands above my head while I ran the other through his curls.

---