Page 105 of The Powers of Nyx

My stomach clenched at the mention of my mate. There was still so much I didn’t know about her time growing up, just as she knew little of my life. The only difference was her woundswere still fresh. Mine had mostly healed. And that had taken two hundred years.

“Good night, Thea.”

Sipping her wine, she offered me a smile. “Night, Maeve.”

As I moved, I caught the slight change in her eyes. One moment, they were blue-green. Sometimes, more one colour than the other, which had never been odd. But for just a moment, the colour changed to gold.

I blinked, and it was gone. Thea returned to her book, and I started for my office, feeling all sorts of uncertain about her—more her species than anything.

The change made me think she was a shifter. But what type, I wasn’t sure.

Shaking my head, I entered the office and moved to my desk. The set-up wasn’t ideal; I only had a few of my personal items, since I hadn’t been back at the Phoenix Compound to pack my belongings. I was wary of giving up my office there. For the best part of a hundred and fifty years, I’d lived there almost full time.

I didn’t have an apartment like Rowan, or a room I returned to like Adrian. Elias had a small place in the shifter district, from memory, though he had sent someone to pack everything he owned and put it into storage.

I dropped onto my desk chair and switched on the desktop computer. As it read my magical signature, a message appeared from someone I’d hoped to not hear from for a long time.

My stomach bottomed out as I clicked on it. Blood rushed in my ears. It was yet another thing I hid from Ivy, something that might change her entire perspective of me.

I stared at the message for a long time before closing my eyes.

FOGHILL: Isadora Valhaven is dying, and Augustus may awake if I don’t find her next of kin. I thought you should know.

I hadn’t expected to hear from the vampire, especially not now, but over the last hundred and fifty years, he’d sentwarnings like this. Only, the next witch destined to inherithimwas usually there, ready to take over. Not thistime it seemed.

I never responded. If Augustus woke, then I would deal with it. But so long as a Valhaven witch had him, my brother would sleep.

While Ivy protected her sisters and did everything within her power to keep them safe, I had a witch holding my own brother asleep. His state wasn’t just because of me—he’d been our Sire’s favourite pet, and he’d done damage just as I had. But where I’d chosen to join Queen Greer and surrender myself, he had chosen death. And all I’d done was stand back as they put him to sleep.

I opened my eyes and glanced at the message again.

Are you okay?Ivy asked, her soft voice sending a wave of calm through me.You don’t...feel okay.

I am now, I replied honestly. It was hard, not having her close. Gone only two days, and I already felt the itch, that need to be near her. Despite feeding only days ago, my hunger grew, and I wanted nothing more than her.Are you?

I tested the bond, and from her end, I felt tension, exhaustion. Her schedule was on my desk, so I glanced over the classes she had today.

A HISTORY OF WITCHES AND THE RISE OF MAGES

SPECIALTIES OF MAGIC

MAGICAL DEFENCE AND OFFENCE

STRATEGIES OF POWER

FOUNDATIONS OF THE COUNCIL

COMMUNICATION BETWEEN REALMS

Even I had to admit, they were heavy classes. Her schedule was packed with different political and history-based lessons, ones she’d need for her rule. The semester was full of ones I was sure she’d enjoy, others that would drain her, but they were the foundations of her rule.

Ivy was quiet a moment, but she was there.I really hate the defence class,she admitted.My mentor is a dick.

I stiffened.Who?

She laughed tiredly, resistant to my question.No one you need to worry about. I can deal with it. That’s kind of my job here, right? Learning how to deal with these people?

I suppose so,I replied. But I didn’t like that she wouldn’t tell me. I knew enough about the educators at the academy to understand why they worked the students so hard, but when it was my own mate...It was hard to calm the raging beast inside of me, the one that wanted to go there and tear her mentor apart.

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