Page 35 of The Powers of Nyx

The bond in my chest warmed with worry as Ivy stroked it warily.What’s going on? I feel...magic. But weird. Dark.

I stiffened, sharing a look with Elias, who must have gotten the same message.We’re going to check it out now. Stay with Maeve where you’re safe. Activate a protection charm around the SUV. We’ll come and get you once this is sorted out.

She wanted to fight me on this, but she relented by pushing warmth through the bond.Be safe. Protect each other.

Always, Sweetheart.I held off on ending that withI love you, but I hoped she felt that regardless.

As the bond went quiet, I focused on the conflict in front of us. A shiver raced down my spine, and as we drew closer, I understood what Ivy had been talking about. Dark, sludge-like magic hit me as soon as we entered the perimeter of the cloud. The smell of sulphur burned my nose, and I pulled my mask up to cover my face to block out some of the stench. My eyes watered, and as I blinked rapidly to clear some of the tears, I took in the destruction hidden within the cloud.

“Fuck,” I coughed, bringing my forearm up to cover my mouth. “Get everyone out now.”

Elias cursed, and Hawk dove further into the fog for a staggering, coughing agent. He ripped the witch out of the darkness, and she disappeared into what I hoped was fresh air—and not something worse. The protection charm hummed against my skin as I pushed further into the darkness and grabbed onto whoever I found. Completing the bond with Ivy was the only thing protecting me, Elias, and Hawk right now.

We each grabbed onto flailing limbs before shoving them out of the cloud; there were screams of pain, of retching and strangled breaths. I tried to ignore how my skin burned the longer I remained in the fog, but it was growing more painful. It seemed unending, and there were still agents and civilians trapped; people who came to help us, helpIvy.

“I can’t find anyone else,” Hawk said, appearing at my side. “I think we’ve gotten everyone out.”

I squinted, trying to make him out, but it sounded like his voice was floating in the air around me. I reached out for him but grabbed at air. “Where’s Elias? Fuck, where areyou?”

“Kingsley—”

Thunder rumbled through the air, followed by streaks of violet lightning. My magic hummed, my entire body reacting to the power cutting through the fog.

A hand gripped my upper arm and spun me towards them. I knew it was Elias immediately from the way both our bodies reacted to Ivy’s magic. Elias grabbed at Hawk, who finally materialised beside me. Sweat beading along his brow, face was leached of colour.

The wolf shifter dragged us both out of the cloud as another crack of thunder sounded around us. Someone screamed, though not the same as the ones reacting to the cloud. This one came out different, and it sent a shiver down my spine when it cut off.

As soon as we vacated the cloud, I dropped to my knees and breathed in cool, clean air. The smell of sulphur disappeared with each deep breath, and my vision cleared rapidly the longer we were out.

Lightning struck the sky again, and the cloud disintegrated. The mist shuddered and fell away to reveal the only person within—a man with his head in his hands, rocking back and forth, muttering something under his breath. I recognised the tell-tale signs of a mage, too overpowered for his own good.

“Poison mage,” Hawk bit out, coughing into his closed fist. “Fuck, they’re rare.”

Elias, who had been standing beside me a moment ago, took off in the other direction. I followed his line of sight and found Ivy standing on the other side of where the cloud ended, her hands lowering to her sides, her cheeks flushed with spent-power and eyes darkened with exhaustion.

I was on my feet before I could manage another thought. My chest was tight with the need to be by my mate. It hadn’t even occurred to me that there was something wrong with what I was seeing.

Specifically,whoI was seeing.

Because Ivy wasn’t alone. Elias swept her into his arms and crushed her into his chest, almost lifting her into the air.

I stumbled to a halt in front of my mate and raked my eyes over her body to make sure she was alright. She had no other wounds on her, and other than the scrapes left from climbing in and out of the wreckage, she looked fine. But my heart still raced with panic and anxiety.

Why did she leave the safety of the SUV?

Why would she risk herself like that?

Ivy whispered something to Elias, who reluctantly released her, and she threw herself into my arms as soon as she was free. I buried my face in her hair, breathing in her scent as she pushed her face into my neck.

“I’m okay,” she whispered, trailing her hands up and down my back. “I was so worried about you. Both of you.”

Slowly, Ivy pulled away from me, and I felt her absence immediately, like the air had been sucked out of me. She looked me over with tired, worried eyes before doing the same to Elias. Briefly, she glanced over my shoulder, towards the area where we’d left Hawk.

I frowned, but she averted her eyes just as quickly, and I tried to ignore the pit forming in my stomach. “It felt...wrong, so dark. I didn’t like it at all.” Ivy wrapped her arms around herself and shuddered. “I just had thisurgeto destroy it.”

“We’re okay. I just wished you’d stayed safe, with...” I trailed off as I finally realised Maeve was standing behind Ivy. The vampire’s face was carefully blank in her usual way, though there was another layer of that now that she’d bonded Ivy. Her body was wound tight with tension, and I understood why.

But the clouds weren’t as heavy anymore, and despite the thunder and lightning Ivy had conjured, it was still early afternoon, and the sun was still high in the sky.

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