Page 112 of The Powers of Nyx

My chest tightened and my lungs refused to fill with air. It wasn’t until Maeve appeared, that its hold loosened. She cupped my cheeks, rubbing circles on my heated flesh. It was the stark difference that shocked me out of the full force of the panic, but it wasn’t gone yet. My magic still burned through my veins.

Despite the ringing in my ears, the soft murmur of her voice brought me back. She wasn’t speaking English, but something else. I focused on the soft, gentle lilt of her voice, on the way her lips moved, on the feel of her hands on my face and the weight of her body pressed into the front of mine.

I focused on her and her alone until the panic subsided and the haze lifted.

Headmistress Sylvia entered the hall and she, along with Hawk and Rowan, were clearing everyone away from the bodies.I was suddenly glad for Maeve, because she—with the help of Vanya—blocked me from seeing them again.

Bile rose in my throat, and I wasn’t sure if I could hold it.

“You’re okay,a mhuirnín,” Maeve whispered. “I have you. We have you.”

I pressed my lips together and closed my eyes, willing the sight from my memory. But it was like it’d been burned into my retinas. I saw the dead stare of Lain, the male with the silver-eyes. It was like he was watching me, even in death.

The buzzing in my ears worsened, but through it, I heard Maeve’s voice, sharp and lethal. “Clear the hall. I want everyone out,” she demanded. Her fingers remained on my face, and she didn’t move from her position in front of me. I tried to focus on the circular motion of her thumbs on my cheeks, on the calming sensations pooling down the bond.

“Is that room empty?” Maeve asked, and if someone replied, I didn’t hear it. “Make sure it is. Then call for Agent Beckham and inform him of what’s happened. Keep all students away from this hall. Is that understood?”

Through the ringing in my ears, someone responded. When I opened my eyes, I found myself staring into Maeve’s ferocious glare. Her irises were ringed red, nostrils flared, and dark anger filled her expression.

She wasn’t the calm, controlled team leader anymore.

Eyes on me, she guided me backwards into what I assumed was theCommunicationsclassroom. The tight hold she usually had on herself slipped. The bond, wound tight, opened to me.

Once we were in the room, there was nothing.No sound from the hall penetrated the walls. Even my magic shuddered and quietened.

It was only me and Maeve, with her hands still cupping my face. But her anger didn’t falter. She didn’t speak as she helped me sit at one of the tables, taking her hands off me for the firsttime since she found me in the corridor.My bag fell from my shoulder to the floor with a loud thud.

Her hands found my face again, but this time she checked me over with light touches and an observant gaze.

“Are you hurt at all?” she asked through clenched teeth, her voice stiff and edged with danger.

Slowly, I shook my head. “Not physically.”

Her eyes lifted from my body to meet mine. “You had no hand in what happened to those mages.”

I shuddered, my eyes closing as they appeared again. Silver-eyes, dark-hair, and blue-eyes. Their dead stares, slit throats, and lifeless expressions. I recalled the anger I’d felt when they’d cornered Vanya and I in the hall.

But I hadn’t wanted them dead. Not even hurt. He’d been dangerous, yes—they all had, but had they truly been a danger to me? If I’d learned anything about myself these last couple of months, it was that I could take care of myself, in more ways than just surviving.

They hadn’t been much of a threat to me. Not with my power. Not with my mates standing by.

So, why?

Maeve stroked a hand through my hair, the soft scrape of her nails causing a shiver to run down my spine. Her presence soothed the panic and rage in me. “We don’t suspect the attack to be from the enemy organisation,” Maeve murmured. “You are still safe here.”

I hadn’t even thought it might be them. The hanging bodies could have very well been a warning to me. But no. It wouldn’t make sense. If they’d wanted to send me a warning, they would have gone after someone I cared for, wouldn’t they? Or had it been a reminder that I wasn’t as powerful as I thought I was?

Forcing my eyes open, I met Maeve’s stare. “Just in case—”

“The team I built to protect the girls and Thea have already been notified and should be with them soon. They will not leave their sides. I promise you that.”

I released a shaky breath and nodded. “Thank you.”

Maeve’s hand paused at the base of my head, and her fingers curled in my hair. “You have nothing to thank me for. That’s why I’m here.”

“You’re more than just a team leader now, Maeve,” I whispered.

Her eyes hadn’t yet returned to their normal blue, the ring of red still present. They grew darker, the colour bleeding into her irises. “Ivy...” This time, she closed her eyes, and I noticed the slight rise and fall of her chest as she sucked in a breath.

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