Page 4 of The Powers of Nyx

I quietly checked our bond. It was a gold string inside my mind, tying me to the male, and I touched it warily to make sure the giant wall I’d erected around it was infallible. The bond itself was stronger than it had been when I’d forced the block.

Like simply being in my dreams was enough for our connection to strengthen.

I shuddered. Both Adrian and Elias’s bonds glowed brightly, and if I prodded them, I would get an impression of their feelings. I didn’t, though, and instead pulled away from them and returned to staring at my splotchy face in the mirror.

The need for my best friend swelled within me. All I wanted was to sit with her on our couch with wine and ice cream and just…release everything.

A tightening in my chest made it difficult to breathe, and I stared at my reflection, noticing the strange violet hue colouring my eyes. Magic didn’t swirl across my skin this time, but I felt it there. Awake but not the least bit happy about Ry.

A soft knock pulled me out of my thoughts. I turned from the mirror and the evidence of the dream’s effect on me and walked to the bathroom door. Last night, I’d been so tired and in a daze that I’d simply let Maeve show me to a room. Adrian had meant to come join me, but he’d been forced to take a patrol shift instead.

With new eyes, I took in the dark wood of the bathroom, from the deep green tiles of the open shower to the gold shower head and taps. Deep wooden accents lined the small ensuite, matching the bedroom I’d been given.

My bond pulsed within me, the only warning I had before I opened the door for Adrian. He leaned against the doorframe, head bowed, and hesitantly met my stare before straightening.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, cupping my cheeks with gentle hands. “Are you okay? Did something happen to—”

I folded myself into his embrace, sucking in a breath as his scent enveloped me.

“Nothing happened to Elias or Rowan or anyone else,” I said into his chest. “I just…” My throat tightened, and the words wouldn’t form.

Adrian rubbed a hand down my back. “It’s okay,” he murmured, pressing a kiss to the top of my head. “You don’t have to say anything.”

A lump formed in my throat, and I pulled back to meet his eye. “It’s not that, I promise.” He shifted slightly so he could cup one of my cheeks. “Last night, I was…visited byhim.”

My mage’s brows furrowed for a moment in confusion, before a darkness took hold of his features and he cursed under his breath. “Why didn’t you come find me? What the hell did hewant?” he demanded. “Fuck, Elias and I should have planned better for this. We should have—”

I held up a hand, eyes wide, and cut off his next slew of angry curses. “I don’t know what he wanted,” I replied. “I asked. It was…weird. I don’t even think I recognise him. He’s…changed.”

Adrian shook his head and scoffed. “He really had the audacity to come to you in your dreams…” He trailed off with a frown. “How do you feel right now?”

I shrugged. “Drained. But our bond is stronger. I have him blocked.” My mind whirled with his strange words. “At first, he was hurt I ignored him. Like he was sad I’d put the block up. And then he switched. He told me to keep the block in place.”

Adrian pulled me into another tight embrace, one that brought my magic to the surface. “What he did was probably strengthen his own magic,” Adrian replied darkly. “I don’t know how, but he knew you would need him to make contact in some way for your magic to remain level. And in doing so, he helped himself.”

I tensed, my entire body humming with a pain and fury I’d never felt before. Slowly, I pulled away to meet Adrian’s stare. “Are you saying he only makes contact when he wants his own power strengthened?”

Adrian’s eyes welled with sadness—for me, I realised quickly, as he lifted a hand to wipe away a stray tear. “I don’t know,” he replied. “Elias and I talked briefly about the possibility, but I don’t want to think one of your mates is capable of that.”

“But we don’t know him.” I dropped Adrian’s stare and pulled away from him, wrapping my arms around myself as I stalked to the bed and dropped down onto the plush mattress.

Adrian made a sound in the back of his throat as he joined me by the bed. Instead of sitting, he knelt in front of me and took my hands. “Ivy. Until we find him, we can’t know what he’s capable of. He might have known you needed him again. You need your mates constantly. It’s part of the magic and the bonds. Fromwhat I’ve learned, you can’t be away from your bonded mate for a long period of time.”

I frowned. “But he’s been gone for eight years,” I replied. “How does that work?”

Adrian stared down at our hands for a moment, his thumb rubbing slow circles against my skin. “We don’t necessarily find our mates until we’re in our twenties and later. The Queen’s mates are an entirely different situation, though. Usually, when a regular creature finds their mate, it’s an immediate bond when they’re of age. Sometimes, they can know earlier, because there’s already a natural pull. But with you…” He paused and shook his head. “It’s a little different.”

I blew out a breath. “And I think that’s something we can save for when I meet your mother,” I replied. His eyes snapped to mine, and he gave me a half-smile. “I don’t want to think abouthimand whatever his bond means. We can speculate, but honestly, until I see him in person, it won’t do any good.”

Adrian cocked his head. “And why does seeing him in person help?”

I shrugged. “If I don’t like his answer, or reasoning, I get to break his nose. He knows that’s going to be the case and needs to get his things in order.”

“Ivy…” Adrian stopped and snorted, shaking his head. Blond curls bounced as he did, and the scent of mint filled the air.

When he finally stopped, he stared for a long moment. “We’ll figure it out, okay? Not right now, but soon. When we get to Avalon, all our questions will be answered.”

“Okay.” I steeled myself before leaning down and pressing a quick kiss to his lips. Adrian sucked in a sharp breath.

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