Page 117 of The Powers of Nyx

HAWK

“THROWanother charm. Now.”

Ivy glared up at me through her lashes, but she clenched her jaw, biting her tongue. I couldn’t bring myself to ask her how she was after what’d happened earlier. But fuck, seeing it with my own eyes...

Any other day, I wouldn’t have blinked at how gruesome it was. I’d spent time at the academy. I knew what these students were capable of. And I wasn’t fucking naive. They’d do anything to show just how powerful they are, and they didn’t care to what extent. Even if it meant killing their peers.

But I also knew Ivy wasn’t like that. And she...

I couldn’t explain the weight that’d crushed my chest when I’d rounded the corner with Archer and saw her there, the panic overwhelming her, while students were ushered away. That initial fear that maybe something had happened to her.

And then the realisation she was okay.

Ivy grunted as she produced another charm, this one a combustible. It wasn’t nearly as strong as the others she’d made before. My hands curled into fists as I tried to come up with a plausible reason as to why it might not be powerful.

It must be the deaths. That must have affected her more than I realised. But why the fuck was I so worried?

She handed it to me, and as I inspected it, I checked the time. “It took you too long.”

“Sorry,” she muttered, without the fire she usually gave me. “My magic is all over the place.”

“Because of what happened?” I asked carefully, offering her the charmed stone. Our hands brushed, and for a moment, I wished I could take it. To feel the warmth of her skin against mine.

That fucking night in the shower hit me, imagining her dripping with my cum. I snatched my hand back, trying to wipe away the memory before it became obvious.

Ivy sighed and ran a hand through her hair. Strands fell from the knot she’d put it in, and they framed her pink face. Even if she hadn’t told me about her magic, stress lined her face. “Yes and no.” She cocked her head, and the collar of her shirt slipped to show Beckham’s mating mark. At the sight, my stomach twisted, and I had to glance away.

“We’re done for today,” I said, tensing as she exhaled in relief. “Your charms are getting better, but you’re not in control enough to start testing anything else.”

“Leave it to you to make a comment.” Ivy rolled her eyes and grabbed a water bottle.

Way to be an ass,I thought, gritting my teeth.

I stiffened, crossing my arms as she took a sip. “You need to get faster at building charms. The quicker you are, the better. Don’t give the enemy a chance to put a charm on you.”

Lowering the bottle, she shook her head. “I’ll work on it with Adrian during our one-on-one sessions, Hawk. Thanks.”

The mention of her other mate made my jaw clench, but I couldn’t bring myself to understand why I felt so conflicted about it—abouther. Fuck, I hated that Seer for dragging me here. Making a deal with her had been like selling my soul to Hades himself.

“We’ll work on your physical reactions next. Nothing dramatic.” Nothing that would make her hate me more than shealready did. “See if we can get your magic to react in sync with the rest of you.”

To that, she nodded, though she made no comment. Instead, she packed away the few things she’d brought out for the lesson.

“Do you think I’ll make it with charms for the placement exams?” she asked, crossing her arms. The ridiculous gym shirt she was forced to wear tightened around her breasts. It took all my power not to stare at them. To not let her know the control she had over me.

Clearing my throat, I grabbed my own belongings. “You’ll do fine,” I replied. “You are the most powerful being in this entire academy. You’re the future Queen. You have the skill. It’s just about honing it now.”

Her dark eyes narrowed and searched mine, as if trying to discern if I meant what I said. Those pink, plump lips pursed while she assessed me. The burn of her stare made my blood hum in my ears. Made me more aware.

“What?” I growled, shoving my crap into a bag.

After a long moment, Ivy shook her head. “Nothing. I’ll see you later, Hawk.”

The princess turned on her heel, giving me the perfect view of her round ass and stalked away. Like a dog on a leash, I wanted to follow. I wanted whatever measly scraps she’d give me.

I was turning into one of Grey’s agents—whipped for the future Queen, ready to lay down my life for her.

I had to convince myself it was just lust. That if I had the chance, I could just fuck it out of my system. Prove to myself that she was no more alluring than a succubus. All I needed was a good distraction, but those were becoming harder to find when none lived up to Ivy.

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