Page 20 of The Powers of Nyx

I shook my head and let the scents and sounds fall away. My eyes flew open, and I levelled a calming glare down at the mess I’d made and my stained hands.

I went to work, reprinting the incident reports, shredding the ruined papers. A spell could have fixed the mess, but I wouldn’t let the paperwork be tampered with.

By the time the papers were reprinted, I had the desk cleaned of any evidence of my loss of control. The ink was gone, the original vessel in the trash, and the wood cleaned.

The only remaining trace stained my hands. I stalked to the office door and listened for a moment; Nash, from what I could tell, was outside the apartment on patrol. Ivy and Adrian were somewhere on the main floor, by the way her voice sounded louder and her scent stronger. I forced my body not to react as I strode into the main hall, turning towards the kitchen.

A lump formed in my throat as I entered, chest tightening with a pressure I rarely felt when I was here. I hadn’t been back to the apartment in nearly fifty years, and although it was well looked after by a trusted friend, it still had the same effect on me as itdid half a century ago. But the traces of the life I’d lived had been washed away by careful hands that knew me too well.

I paused in the doorway and glanced around the kitchen; there was an array of mixed greens, uncooked chicken, and several other vegetables laid out on the kitchen island where Adrian stood. I tried not to seek her out, but it was an undeniable pull. I found her immediately, taking in the jeans hugging her thighs and the tight red t-shirt tucked into the high waistline.

Her dark eyes seemed to brighten as they landed on me, and a grin pulled at her berry-pink lips, a soft blush highlighting her cheekbones. “Hey! We were just making lunch.”

My lips pulled into a smile, though not nearly as bright as hers. The attention blinded me, too warm and so unlike anything I’d ever felt before. My hands clenched into fists, and I reminded myself why I’d ventured into the kitchen in the first place. The sink was unoccupied, so I strode towards it, lowering my gaze.

“Any more issues regarding power or dreams?” I asked, trying to direct the question to either of them, though my gaze drifted to her again.

Ivy tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and shook her head. “No, no issues.” Her heart rate accelerated, telling me otherwise, though based on the darkening of her cheeks, she had it under control. “What happened? Fight with a printer?”

Amusement filled her voice as she glanced down at my hands, which hovered uselessly beneath hot, running water.

“No,” I replied, clearing my throat. “No. An incident with a pen. The printer had to work overtime to compensate for that mistake.”

Ivy chuckled lightly. “That doesn’t sound good. Anything I can help with? I’m rather well known for my stationary knowledge.”

I should have objected immediately; it was the last thing she needed to worry about, to deal with, and yet a small part of me warmed at the offer.

Enough,I thought, internally chastising myself. I was not some love-sick fool who let their heart get in the way of their work. My mission was to get her home safely, and thus far, I’d failed at that. She was in danger, because I wasn’t focusing on the objective.

“No, I have everything under control,” I said, scrubbing away the ink—and any remaining thoughts of her. “I may need to see you both in the next hour to go over our plan, and we need to have the SUV heavily protected before we leave.”

Ivy pressed her lips into a line and nodded. “Sounds good. It’ll be great to be with everyone else again.”

My chest tightened, but I pushed the jealousy aside. “Yes. And to keep you entertained, I think it’s time to teach you some magic.”

~

The hour passed, and I often found myself listening in on the conversation Ivy and Adrian were having in the kitchen while they prepared and ate their meal. The ease of their conversation shouldn’t have affected me the way it did. There was no reason for it to burn or remind me of what I could not provide.

My throat constricted as Ivy’s scent filled my lungs. Her presence tingled across my skin, but I pushed it down, sliding that blank mask over my face.

She knocked, and I responded without emotion. She and Adrian entered the office; though Ivy looked relaxed and unbothered, there was a tension in Adrian’s shoulders that caught my attention. He gave me a shallow nod as he took up position beside Ivy, taking her hand in his.

“I know Queen Greer is hesitant to have you learning any magic without her guidance, but…” I spared Adrian a glance. “I think it would be beneficial for you to have some idea of Adrian’s skills, at least.”

The mage blew out a strained breath. “I can teach her some basics.”

Ivy looked between us, her shook palpable. “I get to learn real magic?” she asked.

“Yes, Sweetheart,” he replied, his voice gentle. “You get to learn magic.”

“I knew that would happen eventually, but holy shit.” From the corner of my eye, I watched as she ran a hand over her hair, tugging at the ends.

“Does it truly surprise you that you get to learn?” I asked, curiosity filling my voice unintentionally.

Ivy nodded, gaze finding mine. Something in her eyes shifted, and her cheeks once again blossomed pink. She ducked her head. “Yeah, it’s silly,” she replied. “When I was younger, I was fascinated with the idea of magic. Most girls my age were. We grew up on fairies saving the world and magical princesses finding true love.”

“I will never understand human’s love for the paranormal.” I sighed, shaking my head, though it wasn’t quite the truth knowing my own father’s superstitions. “Only basics today. You inherit certain abilities from your mates. From Adrian, you get his charm magic. From Elias, you may get his strength, his Alpha bark, or even his shifting.” I refused to mention her other mate, and there was relief in her expression when I didn’t. “Because of this amalgamation of magic, Queen Greer has to structure your learning specifically.”

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