Page 71 of The Bonds of Nyx

How Hawk had managed to withstand her brutal magic was beyond me. “The worst of it is over. Soon, she’ll be anchored to her mates.” I didn’t specify that she would be completely anchored; I refused to let that bit of information leave our central team. No one else needed to know that Ivy had a third mate already, one she’d been bonded to since before she started transitioning into a Daughter of Nyx. “You are here to plan an extraction, Nash, not comment on our future Queen’s reactions to terrible events. Now, do you have a plan regarding the move, or do you need more time to twiddle your thumbs and insert yourself where you are not needed?”

Hawk blinked rapidly, almost like he was surprised I would snap at him over this discussion. “Well, Grey, that’s certainly a way to move this along.”

I grunted and shook my head. “Then move it along, Nash. Where are we with the extraction?”

His eyes darkened with mirth as he leaned forward. He took the tablet from the desk, entered his details, and pulled up a map of the state. “We know soldiers are searching the surrounding areas for us. In the event of them finding us, we’ve created five alternative paths out of here and to the ferry.”

The extraction plan was in-depth and had enough information to give me some hope that Hawk Nash and his team could do what they claimed. The written plan and report had more details than necessary, but I had a feeling that was more for Elias and Adrian than for myself. The car situation and moving everyone worried me the most, but Hawk had assured me—with proof—that this would be the safest way to move everyone quietly and keep Ivy safe.

I scrubbed a hand over my face. Darkness filled the small office, the sound of rain a dull thrum against the leaves of the forest. Hawk was gone, thank the Goddess. Watching him had been interesting. He gave nothing away, especially concerning Ivy. The report Rowan had given me about how they found him with her in the forest led me to believe that perhaps the half-Fae male expected more out of our future Queen—or, at the very least, hewantedmore from her. I'd never seen Rowan as angry as that evening when he'd finally made it back to the safe house and told me about how they'd found Hawk with Ivy wrapped in his arms, his wings spread around her, cocooning her within. He apparently hadn't seen an issue withhandling of the situation.

Since Elias hadn’t made a complaint, I decided I would leave it alone—for now. Instead, I wanted to observe him further, especially around Ivy.

The tablet vibrated beside me with an incoming call, dragging me out of suspicions surrounding this new team. A dull achestarted in my temple, begging me to finally rest after days of constant work.

I answered the call regardless, coming face-to-face with Queen Greer. For the first time in weeks, she was alone. “Good evening, Maeve.”

I bowed my head, bringing my fist to my heart. “Your Majesty. What can I do for you tonight?”

“I just wanted to check-in. We received Kerry Sullivan’s body, and she is now with the necromancers as they prepare her for burial.” Sadness filled the blue eyes of the Queen. Her age was becoming so much more apparent now. Her hair was thinner now, and her posture slacker, the simple acts of nobility she’d once mastered were now weaker with each passing day. It felt like months had passed since that first day, when she’d given us the mission to find our new Queen. That time was written clearly across her face.

My stomach twisted, for Ivy and her sisters, and the pain they were going through. I bowed my head in thanks. “I will relay that to Ivy. She will appreciate the update.”

For a long moment, the Queen simply stared, her eyes still sharp despite the years now dragging her down. “How is she?”

I stiffened subconsciously but relaxed my shoulders. “She had a power surge, but there was no damage.”

“I do not blame her for that kind of reaction.” The Queen shook her head sadly, pressing her hands to her heart. “And the children?”

“Mourning.” There was no other way to describe the sullen quiet that permeated the house with their loss. After the kidnapping, Ivy had been able to pull them out of their shells, and they were finally getting comfortable with the team. Now, it was like they’d disappeared with their mother. “Ivy worries about them. I think we all do. They’re so young.”

I’d been a young girl when I’d lost my own mother to sickness, not much older than Eloise was now, though young enough that it still impacted me greatly. I understood, to some extent, their pain, their tears.

Queen Greer nodded again, her movements slow. “We will do what we can for them once they reach Avalon. We will work on finding their father and reuniting them.”

I didn’t say anything about that. From what I’d observed, there was no relationship between them and Andrew Sullivan. The man was a ghost as far as we could tell. A siren, who could be anywhere. If he hadn’t returned for his children before this, I had to wonder if he wanted to claim them at all. Eloise would be the hardest to convince of finding him. I had a feeling she held tightly to grudges, and I wouldn’t blame her for this one.

“I am also sending you what you requested,” Queen Greer added, a hopeful smile crossing her face. “The potion has been prepared. I hope this gives Ivy the relief she needs. It should be taken in three parts. One third the first night, another third the second night, and the final third the last night. This will take a few days to work, but it will stop the nightmares.”

Her hands moved as she initiated a transportation spell. Usually, with the ones I’d witnessed, another mage or witch had to be present for it to come through. And yet, she uttered the words of the spell under her breath, and it appeared beside me, the small blue vial no larger than my thumb.

The Queen’s hands shook as she lowered them to her lap. “Give her my condolences and reiterate that her mother is in safe hands. We look forward to receiving her and her family come the next full moon.”

“Thank you, my Queen. I will pass your words—and this potion—along to her soon.”

The screen went black as Queen Greer ended the call. Her words rang in my ears as I pocketed the potion. Rising, I took inthe starlit sky. It was likely too late for me to see her now. She’d probably already gone to bed.

I tried to ignore the ache in my chest and the dull thrum of the oncoming headache as I finally left the office. I would also need to feed soon, but the thought of a blood bag made my stomach turn. What I needed was to feed from the vein, and soon.

Shaking my head, I descended onto the main floor of the house. The kitchen held a few agents, though they were quiet as they ate a late dinner. By scent, it was something Thea had made. She’d taken to cooking most meals as a way to alleviate her own stress. And by all the baked goods crowding the refrigerator, I guessed she was just as overwhelmed as everyone else. No one seemed to complain about the bags of muffins, though.

I nodded to Tig and Navya before opening the refrigerator. We’d been pushing the blood bags behind a large container, mostly to hide them from the young children. But as I pushed the container aside, I stiffened.

Bastards. We were empty, and no one had thought to restock? I should have known the extra vampire would mean doubling up on supplies, but I’d thought he’d at least have the decency to make sure the supply was refilled.

I slammed the door shut and stalked out of the kitchen. The thrum of the oncoming headache only worsened as I exited the house and entered the chilly November night. The rain did nothing against the irritation filling me.

“Grey.” I spun to face the side of the house where Elias appeared. His hair was wet, but he didn’t seem all that bothered by it.

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