Page 129 of The Powers of Nyx

I met his smile with one of my own. “Sir Leith. Are you joining the lesson?”

He shook his head. “No. Haven’t been invited today. But I did want to speak to you about something.”

The amusement slipped away, and my stomach dropped. Elias’s grip on my hand tightened.It’s okay,he said,I’m right here.

I nodded for Sir Leith to continue, and he sighed. “I believe I might have found their father.”

Their father. He didn’t need to say their names—orhis—for me to understand. “Are you sure?”

“If it’s him, he’s changed his name. Actually, I think he went under a fake name while with your family. Andrew isn’t particularly common in the Abyss Court.”

I swallowed thickly as warmth—and not the good kind—flooded me. “Okay. That would make sense,” I muttered.

“I can have my son, Nereus, find him. It’s likely that he’s in the Abyss Court as we speak, and it’ll be easier if someone from the court approaches him.”

My heart raced, but I forced myself to agree. “Okay. Find him. But I don’t want the kids to know, yet. I know you’re taking Eloise for a lesson—”

“I understand, Ivy.” With that, he walked right by us, like he didn’t possibly upend everything.

What if Andrew wanted to take the girls from me? I was the only person they knew. Eloise remembered him, but not fondly. Ginny said her memories were vague. And Maisie knew nothing about him. She’d only seen photos of him from when she was a baby.

A lump formed in my throat as Elias wrapped me in a hug. “He has no chance of taking them,” he said. “He’d have to fight you, the Queen, for any time with them.”

“What about Court politics?” I asked. “Fae children belong with their Fae parents, Elias.”

He pulled back, cupping my cheeks and forcing me to look at him. “But you, Ivy, will be Queen. That’s more important. And he abandoned them. The Fae have rules. The children might fall under Changeling laws. That means they’re yours.”

He kissed my forehead tenderly. “We don’t even know if the siren they found is Andrew,” he finished. “Until then, leave the worrying to me.”

“Keep a close eye on them this week,” I replied. “Please. I don’t even know what might happen if he finds out they’re here.”

Elias nodded, pulling back so we were holding hands once again. “I know. I will.”

I released a shaky breath and forced myself to gather the anxiety and shove it away. Until Sir Leith had more information, there was no use freaking out. Elias was right. It might not even be Andrew. It could be any other siren.

For now, all I could do was focus on whatwasin my control. And that was my lesson.

We entered the meeting room, and it was laid out similarly to the last time I was here. The banquet table off to the side had a selection of drinks to choose from. After the run in with Leith, I wasn’t sure I could even stomach a glass of water.

Queen Greer offered me a smile and motioned to the seat I always took. “You spoke with Leith?”

I nodded. “Yes. He explained what he found.”

“Good. This is a difficult situation for you, I’m sure.” Her eyes softened when I shrugged. “I am genuinely sorry for what you and your family are going through regarding your stepfather. The children are lucky to have you, Ivy.”

My throat tightened, and I responded with a shallow nod. “Thank you, Queen Greer.”

She’s right,Elias said. He gave my hand a light squeeze as we took our places across from Greer.They are lucky to have you.

It’s because I have amazing support,I replied, glancing athim from the corner of my eye.I wouldn’t be able to do this without you or the rest of the team, Elias.

A half-smile tugged at his lips, though he didn’t respond. I hoped he realised just how much I needed him and the others. They were the only reason why I could be there for the kids the way that I was. I wasn’t doing it alone.

I blew out a breath as Otto, Greer’s mind mage mate, joined her at the table with a cup of steaming mint tea. I’d thought maybe Adrian might have gotten the addiction from his father. But apparently, he got it from his mother, because she smiled as she picked up the cup and breathed in the peppermint scent.

“Today,” she started, lowering the cup back to the saucer, “I want to discuss with you the responsibilities of being Queen. You’ve done so much regarding the politics of our land, but you won’t learn the true duties of the Queen from your classes at Oberon. They can teach you about communication, council politics, and the relationships between species. But our role in the upkeep of this world is far more important than any may ever realise.”

A thrill of excitement prickled my skin as I listened. I might not have been all too excited before, but I couldn’t ignore it now. My magic unfurled in my chest, like it too, was ready to listen.

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