Page 120 of The Powers of Nyx

Old me would have joined them. The male was indeed gorgeous. But I had plenty of my own to lust after, and I wasn’t sure if I had room in my heart—or head—for anymore.

Throughout the class on Aura, the third Queen of Nyx, my eyes unintentionally sought out Orion. The prince with the silver-white hair and violet eyes. Deep down, I believed it could be possible. That he could be Ry. Maybe it was a fantasy. But there was no one else at the academy who fit the boy I once knew.

Or it was just hope that made me see Orion that way. Maybe Ry was still hiding, like he promised. After everything he’d done to keep me at arm’s length, I doubted he’d reveal himself so easily. That would go against everything he’d warned me about.

I sighed and forced myself to look away from Orion and instead focus on the chapter about Queen Aura. Other than being the third Queen of Nyx, she’d been an important figure in the fall of the Old World. It had been the next Daughter of Nyx, Queen Daphne, who had worked with the founding witch bloodlines to build Avalon.

Her story was tragic and inspiring, but it still didn’t make an impact, not when my thoughts were elsewhere. I recognised just how terrifying it must have been for her, and my magic reacted when either she or Queen Aura were mentioned. But my mind drifted to Ry, and the feeling of unease continued to build within me.

When the tinkling bell sounded, I packed away the textbook and made a mental note to read the chapter later, when I wasn’t so distracted.

Vanya and I moved in sync, leaving the classroom several steps behind Orion and his group of Fae. Gently, I caressed the bond between me and Ry. With the others, I could tell when they were close. Maeve was my shadow, a constant presence at my back, never too far from me. Elias remained just as close, a constant, warming presence.

But around Orion, I wasn’t sure what I felt. It was a sort of blankness, an emptiness that was hard to explain. My skin prickled under his gaze, but my magic…Either it reacted positively to his presence, or it shied away.

“You are so eyeing him off like he’s your next meal,” Vanya whispered, nudging me sharply.

I tore my eyes from his tall frame to glare at my friend. “I am not.”

Her brows rose and she shook her head, chuckling. “You so are.” As the group of Fae turned towards their class, Vanya and I veered towards the library. “What are you thinking about?”

I chewed my lip. We made it to the library unscathed, and like always, I took in the cathedral-like arches and tall ceilings, the large windows overlooking the campus. The library was on the second floor, and it took up an entire wing, filled with selves and study rooms and tables.

Instead of replying, I moved towards one of the small, private study rooms. “I’m just…thinking.”

Vanya caught up and when I glanced at her, she rolled her eyes dramatically. “I gathered as much. You know what I mean.”

To that, I sighed. “It’s just…I don’t know. I was thinking about how overwhelming all of this is going to be. I have this feeling that you-know-who is close. But I also have no way of knowing where he is.”

Vanya paused in the doorway of our study room. She pressed her lips in a line as she looked me over. “You definitely need toexplain that part of your past with me. I mean, I’ve heard some crazy things, but your story is just so…odd.”

“Tell me about it,” I muttered, entering the room and letting the door close behind us. “I wish I could explain it better, but…” I stopped and shook my head. “It’s so fucking complicated.”

Vanya dropped her textbooks on the table and sat propping her chin on her hand. “Enlighten me.”

So, I did. I gave her the run down I’d given everyone else. Getting Ry off my chest was something I hadn’t expected would make me feel better. I knew Adrian and Rowan were working with the Headmistress on a list of potential males who fit Ry’s description, but Vanya had been here with him the whole time.

By the end of the explanation, she had a crease in her brow and a glint in her eyes. “You’re sure he’s here?”

“That mind witch attack happened because he was close. And I know he’s nearby. But when I first arrived in Avalon, something happened with my magic in response to his presence. Like him not being close enough frayed the magic tied to him. Our bond is quiet. But I still feel him near.”

Her eyes narrowed, and she drummed her fingers on the table between us. “And you’re seriously thinking Orion is your mystery mate?”

I swallowed hard but gave her a terse nod. “I think so. Maybe. It’s too much of a coincidence, him having a mind witch in his circle. Someone who can purposefully close off our bond.”

“Blythe is powerful. She’s from one of the original bloodlines. Windermere.”

From memory, there were five. The five bloodlines that had built Avalon on the destruction of the Old World.They were all meant to be ancestral witches with powerful magic tied to those original witches.

“But like me, she’s not an ancestral witch,” Vanya said, barely containing her bitterness. “That’s why she fell into Orion’s circle.She’s powerful, like any original bloodline witch. Of course, Orion would want her on his side. That’s why we’re all here.”

I blew out a breath and slumped in my seat. “You’re right. It’s probably just a coincidence.”

“I never said that.” Her brows rose when I met her stare. “Have you tried talking to him?”

“Of course not,” I replied, shaking my head. “He’s never without his little group of followers. And the only time I see him is either in class or the dining hall.” Which I no longer avoided. No mages to threaten me or anyone else for fun. And very few attempted to approach me anymore.

Just as I wanted, I’d fallen into the background. And I feared trying to corner Orion would have a negative effect.

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