Page 156 of The Powers of Nyx

“They have to leave in a couple of days?” I asked, my voice not quite sounding like my own.

Sir Theon nodded. “Yes.”

“Okay.” Standing, I dropped Maeve and Adrian’s hands. “Let me...let me tell them. Thanks for looking out for them.”

I tried to push the numbness aside, but it crashed into me. There was nothing more I could do.

~

Days passed in a blur. A blur of begging. Of fighting. Of silence.

We had dinner with Griffon and his mates as a way to introduce everyone, but I couldn’t blame the kids for the way they behaved. The snapping. The tears. The only thing keeping them from full blown riot was the promise that they’d have Thea and her parents as soon as they reached Avalon.

I could tell my best friend wasn’t entirely pleased with being shipped off, but she didn’t fight me. She understood why it had to happen this way.

Maisie burrowed herself in my chest, her arms tight around my neck as I carried her towards the bulky SUV. Ginny walked ahead with Eloise, both too quiet, while Thea, Elias, and Rowan carried the bags.

Waiting by the SUV was Griffon; he looked nothing like Adrian, and yet, I saw the similarities in the finer details of his face. But Griffon had dark hair that spilled down to his mid-back, and broad shoulders hidden by a cable-knit sweater. He looked like a warrior and a librarian, which might have been contradictory under other circumstances. But he had kind features, and nice eyes, which eased some of my worries.

He nodded to me from where he stood. Despite everything, I was more than grateful to him and his mates. Senna took his hand, and there was sympathy in her eyes as she watched our sad little procession. From the small conversation we’d had, I’dmanaged to have her promise not to bring up the siren thing to the children. While Eloise knew and was okay to learn more, Maisie and Ginny were still too young. The princess hadn’t liked it—I’d noticed the hope of sharing her world and culture with them—but she’d agreed.

It was strange, knowing that she shared such a huge thing with my little sisters. The siren princess looked like moonlight, with silver hair and almost white eyes, pale milky skin and scales lining her cheeks and collar bones. Would my sisters develop scales? It was such an odd thing to wonder, but I couldn’t help the thought.

We stopped at the SUV, and Maisie’s arms only tightened around me. “Please. I don’t want to leave. I’ll be good. I promise.”

I swallowed back tears as I hugged her harder. “You have been perfect, nugget,” I whispered, my voice thick with emotion. “But the bad people...They aren’t going to stop trying to hurt us. And protecting you—that’s my job, okay? I have to make sure you and your sisters are safe.”

At those words, Eloise spun towards me. “We would be safer withyou.”

“No, El.” I shook my head. “They wantmegone. I’m the only thing standing in their way. And after what they did to Mom? They’ll have no problem using you to hurt me. And I cannot risk that.” Her bottom lip wobbled, though she tried to hide her pain.

Shifting Maisie’s weight to one arm, I opened the other to Ginny and Eloise. It didn’t take long for them to join us, and I breathed in this moment like it was the last.

Because it could be.

And then I said goodbye, praying to Nyx it would be the last time I had to, and watched as my family was taken again.

56

IVY

THEnumbness of losing the children and Thea turned into fire as soon as the gates of the academy appeared ahead of us. The security around the campus increased, but I had a feeling the False King wouldn’t test the school again.

He didn’t have to.

My hands curled into fists as I sat back against the leather seat of the limo. Even the team had taken to silence, donning their Phoenix Agent personas. All wore gear with my own charms woven into their suits. I hadn’t let the children leave without making sure they were completely protected, too.

It was all I could do until I found the asshole.

I was fucking done.

No one spoke until the new wards around the campus let us through. “Your class schedule is still the same, minus mentoring,” Maeve said, glancing up at me, her tablet in hand. Without checking in, I knew what she was doing.

I hadn’t been the only one to make sure the children were protected. Maeve had slipped tracking runes onto all of them—Thea included. Rowan had marked them with additional runes, and Adrian had given them more intricate charms I couldn’t do. Elias had given them something—what, though, I didn’t know. He hadn’t told me, keeping it as his secret with them.

My heart warmed—no, almost exploded—knowing they cared as much as they did. And I knew it wasn’t just for my sake—Iwouldn’t love them if that were the case. They did it because they truly cared about the kids.

A lump formed in my throat, but I pushed it aside as the limo drew closer to the main building. “What will take the place of mentoring with Hawk?” I asked, glancing at Maeve first, then the others.

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