Page 63 of The Powers of Nyx

Adrian bowed his head. “Of course, Mother.”

I swallowed thickly as Elias helped me up, Adrian taking my other hand. Despite the discussion, I was still as lost as I had been before. Perhaps even more so. We still had no answers, and even more questions than when we started.

As we made our way to the suite, I reached for my magic. The beast of power that usually purred when I reached for it remained a silent, weary entity in my chest.

A new fear rose in my chest. I wanted to chalk it up to the nightmare, to the reaction I’d had to Ry’s return. But was it possible it had done something to my magic? That his bond had damaged something so powerful?

I shivered, but I rebuilt the blocks in my mind and prayed to Nyx it was just because of the nightmare. That nothing else was wrong.

Because I truly wasn’t sure I could deal with anything else imploding before being shipped off to Oberon Academy.

23

ORION

HERscreams were a painful echo in my ears. In sleep, I witnessed her agony. Listened as the vehicle crashed into her, over and over again. When I woke, she appeared behind my eyes. Crying out for me. Begging me to save her.

And every time, I failed.

Despite everything—every warning I’d given her, every reminder that the bond must remain hidden—I still reached out to her. Tested the only link I had left to my humanity. To that creature she loved; the boy she’d nursed back to health.

It was weak. Broken. The bond lay there like a cut off limb. It should have brought me some relief, knowing it would not be sensed now. That no one would find her through me.

But I needed it. That glowing strand of hope.

Her agony once again radiated through me, causing me to flinch, to rein in my own despair. But it would have to be enough; only seeing her through these brief explosions of emotion.

The leather glove stretched as I pulled it over my hand. Curling my fingers into a fist, I glared down at the material. It felt like a second skin, and I used it as such. At least it hid the blood.

I’d always hated the feeling of it on my flesh, sticky and warm and reminiscent of pain.

I shuddered and closed my eyes. If all went well tonight, I would go without having to deal with it myself. But I had a feeling tonight would not be as simple asheclaimed it to be.

One more death for another day of life for her. There was nothing I wouldn’t do to protect my flower. To keep her safe in this cruel, bloodthirsty world. They did not deserve her. Especially those who dared defy her.

Soon, I prayed to Nyx, she would understand.

That she would forgive me for the betrayals against her.

But if she didn’t, I would survive. Still in the shadows, doing whatever it took to protect her—and keep those who may harm her away.

“You ready?” the male asked, glancing me over with dark, uncertain eyes. The soldiers who followedhimwere all wary around me.

Good. They did not get the pleasure of trusting me. All they needed to know was that I remained loyal to the fool, until I could make him bleed for his crimes.

I pulled on my other glove and flexed my fingers, making sure the material was in place, tightened around my wrists so as to not reveal my skin. But I gave the male no response as I stalked towards the darkened townhouse.

It stood tall alongside several others, all made of the same brown stone, charmed with the same protections as one might find at the palace. These were the homes of military officials visiting Avalon. Demon, Fae, and Creature of Nyx.

It always amused me, knowing we had an active military but no wars to fight. A thousand years of peace, and yet we claimed the abandoned young and turned them into soldiers. The last war we’d fought had been thousands of years ago and resulted in the creation of an entirely new world.

And yet the army of Nyx was useless. It was untested. Never needed to fight before now. And though Phoenix had their fairshare of excellent agents, they were nothing compared to the armyhewas building.

The charms around the townhouse on the end of the row flickered out as soon as I approached, the witch within sending a burst of power to shut them off without alerting the other houses of the change. How so many were loyal to the bastardKingwas beyond me.

The door opened silently. I was here only to prove a point forthem, and then, I would take another piece away from those who sought to hurt my mate.

~

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