Page 136 of The Powers of Nyx

“He hopes so.”

Maybe it was subconscious, but his arm tightened, pulling me closer. I held my breath as he eyed me, then the ball of explosive magic. His uncertainty played out like a war in his eyes, andbeing so close made it clear to me that maybe he wasn’t the same arrogant, obnoxious male I’d met at the safe house.

“I don’t leave your side,” he commanded. “I’ll be at your back, Princess.”

He let me stand, then rose to his feet, keeping his arm around me. Hawk only gave me enough wiggle room to twist until my back was to his front. It meant being pressed against him, but I’d take it if it meant not destroying the entire academy.

Lightning violently struck the ceiling above us, sending stone crumbling to the ground. I ducked my face as dust from the debris plumed before us and coughed when the scent of singed rock and wood met my nose.

“If we’re doing this,” Hawk warned, mouth close to my ear, “then we move now, Princess. We have no choice.”

My gut twisted, but I nodded. We skirted the edge of the debris and slowly, I lifted my hands to the magic, like it was a bonfire I was seeking warmth from. The power radiating from it made me shiver, but I focused on the way it slid over my skin, how it lifted the hairs on my arms and reacted to the magic still dwelling inside of me. It was still mine; it reacted to me like a wounded creature might, skittish and scared, but I remained still, arms outstretched, a warm welcome and need for it to return to me.

The magic fizzled, sputtered, and a strike of lightning came towards me. Hawk shouted, but I dug my heels in and let it hit. Pain shot through me as it struck the palm of my hand. I bit down on a cry as another flew towards us and hit my shoulder. After the third, I became delirious to the pain. The magic coursed through me, angry and demanding release. It violently struck at me, trying to force its way out, like it knew being caged in would mean utter destruction.

Squeezing my eyes shut, I dragged the excess magic towards the bonds. Bright, golden strands glowed, promising me relief if I passed the magic on to them.

But the same fears I’d had before, during the blow up after Kerry’s death, swam through my head. What if this hurt them? It was already painful to me, and I was the Daughter of Nyx. This wasmypower. How was I supposed to trust that they would be safe taking it?

“Ivy, you need to release it,” Hawk growled, his voice still close to my ear, yet sounding too far off. “You need to give them the magic. Please, just release the fucking magic.”

There were shouts from somewhere in the distance. The ground beneath my feet shuddered, and I clutched the magic tightly. The bonds grew brighter—even Ry’s tether pulsed weakly, suddenly brighter now that I held the power.

The arm around me tightened. The bonds in my chest screamed for me to give them the magic.

The world outside shuddered again.

And I let it go.

50

ELIAS

DARKNESSdanced at the edges of my vision as Ivy released the magic into me. Pain burned through my veins, almost forcing me to my knees.

Kingsley, who had pulled me into her bedroom, collapsed as swirls of blue power, similar to what happened to Ivy, ignited across his skin. When I looked down, I noticed the same along my own flesh, only the colour manifested in green, winding over my arms like vines.

It took all my power not to collapse, but it crashed into me, and I fell to the edge of the bed. White dots appeared across my vision, blurring the sight of Ivy’s bedroom.

But as soon as the magic slammed into me, Ivy went dark. The bond between us blackened with nothing, turning fragile and delicate in my chest. Somehow, that hurt more than the inferno of magic.

“Can you—can you reach her?” Kingsley asked from the floor. He struggled to his feet, gripping the edge of the bed for support. Sweat beaded his brow, and there was a red flush to his skin.

I tested the bond, prodding it carefully, but where there used to be light, thoughts and impressions of her emotions, there was nothing.

Nothing at all.

“No,” I choked out, shaking my head. “I don’t feel anything.”

Kingsley closed his eyes, head dropping. “This is my fault. I told her to take the fucking magic and release it to us. I told her—”

“You gave her the same instructions any one of us would have given her,” I replied, pressing a hand to my chest, over the thundering beat of my heart. “We all would have done the same fucking thing.”

The prince looked up and shook his head. “I don’t know what to do. We—we have to go to her. But we can’t leave. Fuck.”

I stiffened as a familiar, sweet scent tickled my nose. Turning to the door, I released a frustrated breath as a small, colourful body slipped into the room, violet eyes grim.

“Seer,” I said, gritting my teeth. “What are you doing here?”

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