Page 14 of The Powers of Nyx

“You said you could teach me,” I replied, crossing my arms. “You promised you could.”

He rolled his eyes. “I’m instructing you like I promised. It’s not my fault you aren’t catching on to the lessons.”

From the screen, Elias growled. “She’s doing exactly as you tell her. Maybe it’s your teaching that’s faulty.”

“I’m giving her the skills she needs to stop a dream-walker,” Hawk snapped. “Like I said: she wants you to be connected to her. The only way we’ll know if it worked is if he tries to dream-walk again.”

I watched my mate from the corner of my eye; he looked unimpressed, and I didn’t blame him. He was also having trouble hiding his anger—on his faceandthrough the bond.

“Maybe it’s time for a break,” Adrian offered from somewhere behind me. “We’ve been at this for hours. Her blocks could be weakening because of that.”

Hawk’s eyes narrowed slightly, but he nodded. From what I’d gathered, it was best not to argue with my mates. Adrian had stepped up as my over-protective guard since the panic attack, and he’d barely left my side since. With the bond so new between us, I understood why—even if it was a learning curve.

Maeve became as protective as Adrian. She never left me alone with Hawk—one of them remained with me, and as much as I appreciated it, I missed my space.

I didn’t say any of that aloud, making sure to block that particular thought from both my mates. I was getting better at that part, at least.

Hawk said nothing as he left the room without looking back. “Is he still hung up on the whole panic attack incident?” I asked, rising slowly from my chair and stretching my arms above my head.

From the tablet, Elias growled. “He should be. Now he knows not to fuck up like that again.”

I rolled my eyes, taking the chair I’d been sitting on and moving it back against the far wall, where all the others had been put.We’d shifted the furniture in the formal sitting room around to make space for our temporary training. Although the building had a gym, we weren’t allowed to use it.

My thoughts drifted to Thea. I missed my best friend with a fierce passion. I hadn’t been able to talk to her directly since we split up, and although I’d gotten to see my sisters, the brief moments I’d been able to catch a glance of Thea had left a sour taste in my mouth.She’d looked worn down. The mask of strength she wore so diligently was fading.

There’s something else going on with her,Elias said through the bond, startling me.I thought at first she was exhausted from looking after the girls. But there’s something else happening with her. The other shifters are giving her a wide berth, because their beasts are sensing something other people can’t.

Our eyes met through the screen.Like what? Does this have something to do with her scent?

Talk to her. She needs you.His eyes moved to Maeve and Adrian, who had been talking quietly in the corner.“Ivy and Thea need a few moments together.”

From behind me, Maeve said, “An hour, tops. Sir Ya’Dahir and I have a meeting soon, but it shouldn’t be an issue.”

My heart pounded as I took theenchantedtablet and waited for Elias to hand his device over to Thea.

With a nod to Maeve and Adrian, I took to the privacy of my room, climbing the stairs quickly as Elias did his thing on the other end. I heard him say something to Thea, and then it was her face filling the screen instead of my mate’s.

“You called?” she drawled, offering me a tired half-smile.

I slipped into my room and shut the door behind me before sitting on the bed. “How are you?”

Thea shrugged. “As good as someone on the run can be.”

I winced; the guilt that’d been simmering in my gut threatened to bubble over. The lack of shine in her eyes gutted me the most. “I’m so sorry, Thea—”

She held up a hand. “Not your fault, so stop apologising.” Her eyes welled with tears. “I think I’m just out of it because of otherthings.” She dropped onto what I assumed was her bed. Her breath came out in a huff as she fluffed a pillow and laid down. I had to wonder if the other things weresupernaturalrelated, the reason why the other shifterswouldn’t go near her. “I don’t blame you. And it’s not the girls; I’ve babysat them before, and they’re on their best behaviour right now. So, that’s not the problem either, before you apologise for being split up without your knowledge.”

I sighed, curling up on my side. “Elias said there’s something else going on. Do I need to kill someone?” I asked, half-jokingly.

Thea shook her head, chuckling. “No, no. Shit, don’t make that your first royal decree. Might not sit well with the other supes.”

At least she was laughing. “Then what’s going on?”

She sobered up quickly and went quiet. Her eyes, so familiar I would recognise them anywhere, went dark. “Since we were taken, I’ve felt…weird. I honestly don’t know how to explain it. It’s like a restlessness inside me. Like I know I should be doing something else.”

“I had the same feeling before the supes came into our lives,” I replied honestly. Her eyes filled with relief as she curled up on her side.

It reminded me of the long nights we spent in each other’s beds talking about boys, our parents, work. She’d dramatize her most recent sexual experience and I’d laugh because it always did wonders to push away the nightmares, and I would tell her about the newest book I was working on until she fell asleep.

---