Page 161 of The Powers of Nyx

A YEARNINGache pulsated in my chest, one I tried hard to ignore—to forget. Duty had to come first, I reminded myself. Everything I’d done, everything I’d worked towards, was coming to a head. And I couldn’t let Ivy distract me from that.

It wasn’t time. And I couldn’t let myself hope for more.

I knew it would be useless, though. Once a mate bond was recognised, there was nothing out there to stop it. I doubted even Nyx would be able to keep me from Ivy now that I’d felt the claim.

But that didn’t mean I couldn’t hold it back. At least for now, I pushed it aside to focus on my job.

And that was securing the palace for the Nyx Ball.

A sense of peace washed over me as I went through the motions with my team. Despite all the changes happening around me, having them by my side again eased some of that guilt over not being byherside.It was like returning to a part of myself I’d slowly lost, a part of me that’d been my life for decades. It terrified me how easily I could slip out of my role as team leader, how quickly I could fall into line where it concerned Ivy.

Yet, despite terrifying me, it didn’t surprise me.

She’d had me wrapped around her little finger from the moment I laid eyes on her. The fierce way she protected her young sisters, how she stood up to me for her friend.

It was hard to stay away from such a loyal, protective creature.

Konrad clapped me on the shoulder as he passed me, drawing me out of my thoughts. “So, you’ve been released from princess duties?” he asked, quirking a brow as he set down wards in a corner of the ballroom.

I pressed my lips together and shook my head. “Not quite.”

“What? You enjoy being one of Grey’s agents now, Nash?” Zeph teased, stretching his arms over his head as he surveyed the large hall. Try as he might, he couldn’t hide his disdain.

And I couldn’t help the swell of protectiveness I felt for my bond mates. I might not like most of them, barely tolerated them at best, but we shared a mate. And that was a powerful thing.

Sighing, I turned to the great hall. The ballroom could hold nearly three hundred of Nyx’s creatures. I’d already caught whispers of who was supposed to be in attendance tonight, and the knowledge that Ivy was going to be announced as the Daughter of Nyx made my stomach twist.

Not over the potential of her finding other mates. That was going to be a given.

But rather, over whether or nothewas going to be in attendance.

And somehow, I was more certain of the latter.

I returned to my assessment of the wards, making sure the charms Sir Theon had created were put down accurately. “I was doing a job, Zephyr. Something you should consider.”

The vamp snorted, but he joined me by the back corner without another word and helped me piece together the rest of the wards for our sector. The other security teams stationed around the room all moved as one, and we stepped back from the walls as the wards sprung to life, connecting to one another and snapping into place. A web of magic knitted together to form a blanket over the ballroom, brushing over my skin with how powerful it was. I suppressed a shiver as I crossed my arms.

Despite the power within the wards, something about them didn’t feel right. I couldn’t put my finger on why, though. Sir Theon always worked with Sir Ya’Dahir on protective charms for events. Never had there been an issue.

But you don’t normally work security,I thought. They were likely fine, and I was worried over nothing.

Worried about Ivy, which frustrated me. My power yearned for her, more than how Fae magic reacted to more powerful creatures. It wanted to connect with her. And my body…

My body betrayed me. Every time I thought about her, my heart pounded harder in my chest. I missed her painfully; I still dreamed of her, though it wasn’t lustful anymore. It was dreams of holding her in my arms, of waking up to her in the morning with her head on my chest, of nights amongst the trees and showing her places like the abandoned temple because I thought she’d find them interesting.

There was no way I could give her what she needed, no matter how badly I wanted to. Not right now.

I spied a familiar, short figure in the crowd of security walking directly towards me. I tried to hold back from rolling my eyes, but I was sure the Seer had contacted me more in the last month than she had in the last several years. What was another time during preparations for the most important ball of the century?

Her violet eyes found mine and she motioned towards a quiet spot by the raised dais where Queen Greer’s throne sat. There were dark red curtains behind it that we moved towards, which would give us a semblance of privacy, and block us from view of the other teams.

The Seer met me by the stairs leading up to the throne, her brows furrowed. I cast a quick glance around us to be sure no shifters or vamps were close by.

“This is probably the worst time to meet, Sable,” I murmured.

She snorted. Today, her hair was pinned back beneath a silk scarf, one the colour of Ivy’s magic when it manifested itself outside of her.

Fucking hell. I needed to stop thinking about her. Needed to push her from my mind entirely.

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