Page 79 of The Bonds of Nyx

The Seer cocked her head as if reading my thoughts. “Shall we begin then, Hawk Nash?”

29

MAEVE

THEevacuation plan seemed sound, almostperfect. Yet hesitation kept me from calling on Ivy and letting her know we had a plan and timeline for our departure.

“Look good to you?” Nash asked, his voice slicing through the silence of the office.

I looked up from his plan and met his gaze. Today, he didn’t laze about in arrogance and disinterest. His posture was stiff and his shoulders tense, black hair pulled back into a low knot at the base of his neck. I couldn’t read anything in his gaze that made me want to hesitate; nothing in his expression gave me pause. And yet I found myself sitting back, scenting the air, and noting how the way his smoky-cinnamon scent shifted as our gazes met.

I gave him a simple once over, then returned to the plan. “I have no issue with it, and I trust that you and your team are as good as you are confident,” I replied, setting the tablet with his evac route down. “Now, we need to relay this to Ivy.”

There was a subtle shift in his eyes that stopped me from moving. My Sire had drilled into me that subtle changes in prey were how we knew we had them in our grips.

What had happened for him to react to Ivy’s name in such a way? I knew he had some interest in her; he’d tried hiding it from day one, yet despite my warnings, he’d still chosen to be in her presence—even if she’d made it clear she hadn’t wanted him there. His reaction to her power surge still made me wonder what he wanted from her. Attention? Praise? He seemed like thetype to want both, and to get it from the future Queen would be an ego boost for anyone.

But he said nothing as I rose from behind the desk and circled it. His posture remained as stiff as when he walked in here this morning. “I’ll retrieve her and Elias. Will your second need to be in this meeting?”

Nash blew out a soft breath and shook his head. “No, he has work to do to ensure we’re completely prepared for what’s to come in the next few days.”

Good, I thought, stalking out of the office. The fewer of his men present, the better. I needed to keep control of the situation because the plan he’d created may not sit well with Ivy. She didn’t need any more people in there should her magic have any reaction. It was why I required Elias to be there with her.

I found the pair in the kitchen with Thea and the three children. The young ones were quiet while the eldest attempted to draw them into conversation regarding some new toy Elias was promising them.

The shifter looked up as I entered, and a look of relief passed across his face momentarily before disappearing. His features hardened as he and Ivy, who sat at his side, shared a look.

I’d tried not to let my gaze pass over her, but as she rose, I couldn’t stop myself from taking her in. Since arriving at the safe house, she’d been dressing in comfortable, borrowed clothing from the men, but now she wore something from her own closet. Jeans hugged her hips and thighs, outlining the curve of her body. The white t-shirt she wore was tucked into the front of her pants and had an image of an open book over her heart. Subconsciously, I breathed in and took her scent into my lungs: coffee, vanilla, and coconut, as intoxicatingly powerful as she was.

Ivy took Elias’s hand before looking up, our gazes meeting for the first time since I’d entered the kitchen. Her dark eyes seemedto glow under the golden lights hanging above the kitchen island. Her cheeks were tinged pink, and when she smiled, I felt my heart awaken with another strange beat.

I breathed out and forced myself to look away and address Elias. “Hawk is waiting for us in my office.”

“Why in the office?” Eloise asked, pressing her hands together to rest her chin on her fists. Her eyes narrowed on me. “What’s going on?”

I spared Ivy a glance, hoping she would save me from answering, but rather than interjecting, there was a strange look in her eyes. There was so much I wasn’t sure I was allowed to say, and yet it seemed Ivy trusted me to handle her sister? Tension coiled within me, tightening around my chest.

“We are meeting about the plan to leave this house,” I replied carefully, keeping Ivy in the corner of my vision. She nodded encouragingly. “We’ll be leaving for Avalon soon.”

Eloise blinked and glanced down at her two sisters before nodding. “Okay, that makes sense.”

I felt my shoulders release the tension, and when she didn’t say anything else, I nodded in Ivy’s direction. “We shouldn’t keep Nash waiting.”

“I don’t know, I’m pretty happy to keep him waiting,” Ivy muttered loud enough for Elias and myself to hear. I couldn’t help the twitch of a smile on my lips as I spun towards the stairs. We walked in silence, though I felt the weight of Ivy’s stare on my back as I guided them to my office.

I prayed to the Goddess she would be okay with the plan and that she trusted me enough to make this happen. Hopefully, with Elias’s approval, she’ll see that this is our best and safest option for getting everyone out of here without our enemies finding us.

Stopping at the door to the office, I turned to Ivy and Elias, glancing between them. Elias wore a mask of indifference, whileIvy tried to conceal her nerves. Her knuckles were white from gripping Elias’s hand, but as soon as our eyes met, she rolled her shoulders back.

“I’m okay,” she said softly, her smile gentle. My chest tightened at the sight. “Let’s get this meeting over with.”

Elias snorted. “Ready to see Avalon, Angel?”

Ivy rolled her eyes and shook her head. “I’m ready to finally be free of this stuffy house. It’s cool and all, but I think we’re going stir-crazy.”

It felt like I was intruding on a special moment between them, yet I couldn’t move. I didn’t want to remove myself from her presence.

But I cleared my throat and opened the door before either could respond. Hawk was waiting with his arms crossed, leaning against the window. The arrogance he tried to wear like a mask cracked as Ivy stepped in behind me, but he let his eyes fall from her to the forest outside the window.

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