Page 7 of The Powers of Nyx

It was like he’d slapped her. Maeve blinked hard as she stared at him, her hand—which rested atop the table—forming a fist. “I understand she is yourmate,” she replied stiffly, “but I am the one in charge of her safe return to Avalon. And if her other mate is going to be an issue, then I need to be informed.”

Tension thickened the air, threatening to choke me as I carefully pulled away from Adrian, sparing him a warning look. “The interaction was strange. First, he was mad I ignored him, that I blocked him from the bond. Then towards the end, he was telling me I should continue blocking him. He refused to answer my questions.”

I pressed my hands into my lap and stared down at my fingers. “When I checked the wall this morning between us, it was steady. I’m not going to have to deal with him again soon. But our bond is stronger.”

Maeve made a humming sound as she leaned back in her seat. “What about other interactions you two have had? Before, you mentioned you’d heard him in your head when you mated Elias. What about then?”

Memories of the attack came flooding back, of the calm he’d gifted me when I’d needed to fight, of his guidance. “The kidnapping. He knew how to get me to the kids and Thea,” I murmured, “like he’dbeen thereand knew the layout of the house. I know he couldn’t have been there. I would have felt him, right?”

“Even with a block, I doubt your magic wouldn’t have recognised his.” Maeve drummed her fingers on the table and shook her head. “He knowssomething. Is there anything else you remember? Was that the first time he contacted you?”

I wanted to say no, but I knew that was a lie. Hehadvisited me in a dream before that. “Before the kidnapping,” I whispered. “He’d been in my dreams before the hellhound attack.”

Adrian swore under his breath. “He’s from the Dream Court. I need to make a charm or something to keep him out.”

“He’ll be too powerful,” Maeve said, shaking her head. “He’s fully bonded to Ivy. If he wanted to, he could.”

“Even with the distance. He’s coming back in intervals to refuel himself and tame Ivy’s magic.” Adrian blew out a harsh breath. “If I could—”

“You can’t do anything right now since you’re so newly mated,” Maeve said. “Ivy can keep the blocks in place, and we can hope he doesn’t push through.”

“I can train her to keep him out.”

We all turned to take Hawk in. He wouldn’t look at me, instead meeting Maeve’s stare. “We might not be the same court, but I’ve met my fair share of Dream Court assholes. And in basic training, you’re taught how to evade them.” Finally, Hawk’s dark eyes fell on me, and with that look, something shifted inside me. “Let me help.”

I swallowed thickly. To take his offer, I would have to block out one of my mates. My first mate. Once upon a time, Ry had been my everything. Naively, I thought he’d be my future. Thought if I gave him anything, he would never leave me.

But he did and continued to. It was a rejection I felt deep to the bone, something I doubted I could ever forgive.

“Okay,” I said, looking to both Maeve and Adrian. Neither protested, though I noticed both of them hesitate. Turning back to Hawk, I nodded. “I’ll let you teach me. I don’t want him contacting me on his terms anymore. It’s up to me now.”

Hawk’s shoulders dropped, and he sighed in what looked to be relief. “That I can help you with, Your Highness. He won’t dream-walk again unless you allow it.”

For a moment, I wanted to take it back. I imagined the boy I’d loved, his broken body and mind, the stolen kisses and the soft smiles. The boy I’d bonded with—heart, body, and soul.

We might have been eternally bound, but I wouldn’t give him a chance again until he showed himself to me.

I would no longer let him hurt me.

3

IVY

DESPITEhow beautiful I found the new safe house, I resented it. Even with the city lying beyond the darkened windows, it didn’t feel right Thea, my sisters, Elias, and Rowan.

You okay?I shivered as Adrian’s voice came down our bond. It would take some getting used to, having him also inside my head. But there was a great deal of comfort in knowing he was so close—even when Elias wasn’t.

It felt like a lifetime ago that my life had been normal. That I’d had my five-year plan with Thea, our dream shop wasn’t just something we talked about anymore—it had become something we planned for. Now, the life I knew was hazy, like a far-off memory.

Strong arms wrapped around my midsection, encasing me in a minty embrace. I loved how strongly Adrian smelled of peppermint, even if it was a little odd sometimes.

That’s not very nice, he mused, tracing his fingers over my stomach.You don’t hear me commenting on how much you smell like coffee.

I snorted and leaned back into his chest. “I’m okay,” I said aloud, replying to his initial question. “Just thinking.”

“I know that much,” he said, his arms tightening around me. “It’s nice to know you like this apartment. Gives me great ideas for our home.”

Another shiver raced down my spine, this time for an entirely different reason.Our home. With everything that’d happened,I hadn’t really stopped to think about that—or anything other than getting to Avalon. Beyond that, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I knew I’d have to attend the academy, and that alone would cause a whole lot of issues in my life. Thea and the kids definitely couldn’t join me, and at twenty-two, I never thought I’d be stuck in a classroom again.

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