Page 145 of The Powers of Nyx

I held onto those thoughts as we followed Sable and Hawk out of the bedroom and into the living room. She dropped onto one of the sofas with a sigh, while Hawk took up position to the side, standing with his hands behind his back. My heart yearned for him, though my magic didn’t make an appearance.

It hadn’t since the dream with Nyx. I’d never realised I would miss it so much, but it remained dormant, sleeping and rebuilding its energy. It wasn’t gone; the thread of ancient power was still there, weak and dark, but I knew if I followed it, I would find the well of magic buried deep within me. But for now, I let it rest until I needed it again.

Rowan planted me on one of the sofas across from his mother and sat beside me, keeping my hand clutched in his, while Adrian took my other side. Hesitantly, Maeve positioned herself between me and the Seer as Elias lowered himself onto his belly at my feet.

Sable raised a brow as she took us in and shook her head, the beads in her hair twinkling. “I am no threat, and you all know that.”

“I won’t take any risks, Seer.Youknow that,” Maeve replied. “I won’t ever ignore your warning again.”

I traced my eyes over my vampire mate as she sat stiffly on the edge of the other sofa. But I didn’t question her. I had a feeling Sable had been dipping her fingers into all our lives longer than we knew.

“There was another attack,” Sable started, clasping her hands together. “At the temple of Nyx in Aster.”

A chill rolled down my spine as I turned to the others. “That’s the city near the academy, isn’t it?” I asked.

“Yeah,” Rowan replied darkly. “It is. What else happened, Mother?”

When I turned back to the Seer, she grimaced. “You make it out like it’s my fault,” she said, waving her hand flippantly. “I only report.”

“Did something else happen?” I squeezed Rowan’s hand to keep him from snapping at her. I didn’t need a mate bond to feel the irritation radiating from him.

Sable sighed, and her expression shifted into one of sadness. “One of the temple priestesses, Inga, was attacked. To do it in Her place of worship…” She trailed off, and my heart sank. “Inga lives, but she hurts. Her young daughter witnessed it all.”

“Is she okay?” I asked quietly, pressure building in my chest. “Did they—”

“No.” She shook her head. “At least we can be thankful of that. They didn’t know the girl was there, thank the Goddess. At the request of her mother, she is being sent away. She’s a Divination Witch, and we fear she was their target. There was also an attack on one of the human realm towns. Information about a youngPoison Witch was stolen. Thankfully, the girl hadn’t been home at the time.”

My stomach sank, and I sat back. “Why?” I whispered, my hands trembling as I pulled them free and wrapped my arms around myself. “Why do all of this?”

“If they get their hands on a divination witch, they have the power of sight,” Hawk said, speaking up for the first time in days. “And if they get a poison witch, then they could have her create weapons.”

“They had a poison mage in their control,” Adrian replied. “Ivy managed to stop him during the last attack.”

I barely remembered what happened after the accident, other than accidentally mating with Maeve. I couldn’t remember what I’d done to stop the mage. I only remembered it feeling wrong.

Shaking my head, I met Sable’s eye. “What happens next?”

“You already know what,” she replied. “You find your missing link. Complete the rest of your bonds. There are other powerful mates in your future, and you’ll need them. I told you the academy would change things.”

“You did.” I had to get over the worry of other mates. Like everyone said, the more I had, the more powerful I was. And if I had any chance of surviving this, then I would need as many by my side as possible.

Sable rose to her feet. “The ball is next week.” Her eyes darkened when I met them, and another shiver rolled down my spine. “Unfortunately, you are still expected to attend. And you will be named Daughter of Nyx.”

“We can’t hold that back?” Adrian asked.

The Seer shook her head. “The ball is set. Whether we like it or not, Ivy will be named the future Queen of Nyx’s Domain. Only time will tell if it ends in our success—or doom.”

~

“You’re hovering,” I said, looking pointedly at Rowan, who merely shook his head.

“I am not.” Rather than stepping back like he should, he slid in behind me and wrapped his arms around me. “I’m just not interested in leaving your side.”

I rolled my eyes and picked up my coffee. He wasn’t the only one hovering—but at least he made it obvious. Maeve remained in the sitting room with Hawk, so they were both within earshot. Elias, the wolf, was by the balcony doors. And Adrian leaned against the doorway.

Okay, so they all made it more than obvious.

Sighing, I brought the cup to my lips. “Maybe a better word would be clingy then,” I replied, setting the cup down, though I definitely didn’t hate it. I covered his hands with my own and leaned into him.

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