Page 158 of The Powers of Nyx

Carefully, I reached for my bond with Ry. Unlike my other bonds, which were bright and steady, his remained dark and fragile. But I prodded it carefully with no response. No tingle of him near, no warmth at his proximity.

It could have been a coincidence, but I was starting to believe that wasn’t the case. Not anymore.

Rowan had told me how Orion and his mind witch friend, Blythe, helped move the rubble so I could be freed from the sparring room. They’d been some of the only few who stepped in to help.

Maybe he recognised my power as more than the charms we had in place and that’s why he helped.

Or maybe…maybe it meant more.

But I wouldn’t know until I found him.

The class ended, though I didn’t retain anything about strategies of power and how it pertained to peace. With everything else, it didn’t seem important. At least, not until after I secured my crown.

Vanya looped her arm through mine as we walked to our next lesson. “I’m glad you’re okay,” she said, glancing at me with a smile. “You really had me worried.”

I sighed, the weight of it all dropping my shoulders. “I know, I’m sorry. I should have reached out when I woke up, but—”

“But you had to be with your…” She coughed, rolling her eyes. “You know what I mean.”

“I do,” I replied, smiling. “In a couple of days, you’ll be free of the enchantment, you know.”

Her brows rose, and we stopped in the hallway of our next class. “Really?” she asked, leaning against the wall. “That lines up with…”

“The ball.” I kept an eye out for Orion and left my end of the bond open for any sign of Ry as we waited. Even the slightest prickle of electricity would be enough. “Then things change.”

“But you’ll still be stuck with us, apparently.”

I snorted, catching sight of Maeve hiding in the shadows. She had the tablet in her hand, and she gave me a nod as if to tell me everything was okay elsewhere.

Vanya pushed off the wall with a sigh. “You okay? You seem a little distant.”

“Yeah, it’s just…” I stopped and pushed down the emotions swelling within me. “I’m okay. But question. Have you seen Orion anywhere?”

“Orion Black?” she asked, brows rising. Glancing around the now busy hall, she frowned. “No…granted I haven’t seen him in days.”

I pressed my lips into a firm line until I spotted familiar dark hair and goth make-up. “I bet Blythe knows,” I replied. “I’ll be back in a moment.”

“Ivy…” Vanya warned, but I walked away before she could convince me to stay. I passed Elias, who narrowed his eyes, but he didn’t question me as I made it to the other witch.

Blythe looked up as I stepped in front of her, expression unreadable. Her eyes were a blue that almost seemed grey, which came across brighter from the dark eyeliner outlining them.

I offered her a smile, meeting her stare. “Hi.”

Her dark eyes narrowed as she assessed me. “What do you want,charm witch?” Though her tone came across asdon’t-fuck-around-with-me, there wasn’t nearly as much venom in it as expected. And when her gaze flickered to the side, I understood why.

The Fae who usually hung around Orion stood nearby, eyeing us darkly. The girl who usually clung to the Fae Prince’s side sneered in my direction, looking me over with distaste before turning back to the others.

From the corner of my eye, I noticed Blythe return their glares with one of her own.

So, she doesn’t like them. That was interesting to know. “I wanted to thank you. For helping the other week.”

Blythe’s eyes snapped back to mine. “Helping?”

I nodded. “During the…tampering. I heard you and Orion helped.”

The witch watched me for a long moment without saying a word, while the other students started disappearing into their respective classrooms. But she didn’t make a move to join them.

It was only once the group of Fae left that she released a breath. “I haven’t seen Orion for days, if that’s what you’re wondering.”

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