Page 110 of The Powers of Nyx

I shivered at those words. “No, of course not. I’m happy to meet more people.”

“And since our brother is mated to you, we’ll always be connected,” Nefali—the silver-haired woman—replied, reaching for a glass of red wine. “Though we are not sure howthathappened.”

“It is strange,” the red-head—Falena—added. “Mother, this hasn’t happened before, has it?”

Queen Greer shrugged as Sable joined her at the other end of the table. “No, not in any of our records.”

“Is it really that...strange?” I asked, meeting each stare. Sylvia looked unbothered, despite the fact that Adrian was her closest sibling, but the other two were curious. Sable had a knowing smirk on her face that had me wondering if she knew more—I mean, her own son was now another of my mates, and she was the Queen’s best friend. It was strange. But Greer shook her head.

“There was always a belief that the children of the previous Queen could not go on to be bonded to the next. We always thought it had to do with the passing down of magic, the allowance of a new generation—new bloodlines—to take power and make change. But perhaps Nyx never saw fit to bond the lives of the princes and princesses to the next Queen before. Or She may have known something like this would happen, and you would need the aid of someone as powerful as Adrian. And Rowan,” she added, eyeing the Seer, who nodded. “The only way to know would be to ask Nyx Herself.”

I slumped in my chair. “Which doesn’t sound like an easy task.” As much as everyone brought it up, it didn’t bother me inthe slightest. “As long as there aren’t any issues going forward, I should be okay with my mates, right?”

Greer smiled softly. Nefali, who sat on her other side, poured her a cup of steaming tea and offered it to her. Adrian’s words echoed in my ears, and I waited to see some sign of tension between the Queen and her daughters. But nothing appeared. There was softness between them all. Maybe it was because of Greer’s weakening state. Or maybe there was something I was missing.

“Your mates are fine. They are exactly what Nyx designed them to be.”

I nodded, though my stomach still twisted with uncertainty. “I know...I know Elias, in particular, was worried about how he would be received by the council.”

Sable sighed loudly, while Greer nodded. “I understand. With the current climate and your safety, there is no need to worry about that now. His fears aren’t unfounded, but with the way the council is being reformed, this may not be an issue when you ascend the throne.”

I doubt that, I thought, but bit my tongue. With the way I’d been dealing with the students of Oberon, I had a feeling they carried the same sentiments of those that came before them. They toted around their bloodlines like they were Prada purses and acted as if, because they were of the most powerful families, they had nothing to lose. But if I’d learned anything over the last week, it was that they weren’t nearly as powerful as they seemed.

Especially not after the attacks I’d witnessed.

Sable clapped her hands together to draw the attention to herself. “We might as well begin, shall we?”

“Begin what?” I asked. “I thought this was brunch...”

The Seer chuckled. “Yes, dear girl, it is. But you thought we’d drag you here just to eat and make you uncomfortable?” She spared me a knowing look that had me shifting in my chair. “Wethought you may want to learn a bit of...magic while you were here. The kind Oberon cannot teach you.”

My skin tingled, curiosity swelling within me. I had a basic understanding of my connection to Adrian and the building of charms. And the natural magic that came from Nyx was a constant hum beneath my skin, one I was growing used to now.

“Okay,” I replied, nodding. “What exactly does that mean?”

“I want you to sit back,” Queen Greer instructed, “and relax.”

Easier said than done.But I did, scooting until my back was against the high wings of the chair. I planted my arms on the armrests,exhaling deeply.

“Feel that magic in your veins. Ignore your connections to your mates for now. Focus on that initial power. The strength that comes only from you. It should feel alive. That is what Nyx’s power is. It is ancient, God-like magic that exists for those of us Blessed by Her and Her alone,” Greer explained, sadness crossing her features.

I closed my eyes and felt for that power. It existed beyond my mate bonds, which glowed and hummed with energy from their proximity. But I went deeper, following that other tether, the one linked to Nyx. It glowed a different colour than the bonds. This one was a soft, violet hue that pulsed, reminding me of the lines of magic that manifested on my skin.

“Take hold of that power,” Greer said quietly, “grasp it and let it bloom.”

Sucking in a sharp breath, I did as she instructed. I grabbed the pulsing thread and let it tangle around me. It was both warm and cold, foreign and new, but also calming and familiar in so many different ways. It felt like the loving caress of a parent, the embrace of life, a touch of the sun and a kiss from the moon. It was everything and it wrapped around me. No longer did it hurt, not in the way it had before, nor did I fear it in the same way. I welcomed it,neededit, just like I didair to breathe.

And it needed me.

The power cooed like a creature and warmed even more, like it had been waiting for that acceptance. Waiting formeto accept it.

“You feel it, don’t you?” Queen Greer asked.

I shivered and nodded. But I couldn’t form the words to explain what I was feeling. Not the strength that washed over me, or the security of having this entity in the palms of my hands.

“Open your eyes,” she commended, and when I did, I gasped.

Atop Queen Greer’s head lay the crown from my nightmares, the one made of bone and quartz. Only hers was red, and glowed the same colour.

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