Page 79 of The Powers of Nyx

I snorted and smacked him on the chest. “You give me so much hope for this first ever family-unit date night adventure.”

“I live to disappoint, babe.”

I rolled my eyes. I didn’t get a chance to respond, because we were dragged up a second flight of stairs—which made me realise Maeve had purposefully given me shorter heels for a reason—and then led around the balcony, passing more alcoves as we did.

As we went off in search of the others, I couldn’t ignore the burn of eyes on me. A shiver of anticipation crawled down my spine, like cold fingers of dread.

I had a feeling I knew what that meant.Whothat meant. But fear kept me from prodding our bond.Fear that if I tried, I’d be disappointed once again.

And I would not letRyof all people ruin my damned night.

29

IVY

ITdidn’t take long to find Elias and Maeve once I sent them a thought to meet us outside the alcove. They were waiting about halfway around the balcony from where we’d been abandoned and were livid when we finally reached them.

Elias pulled me into his arms, burying his face in my hair. “What the hell took you so long?”

I laughed as I gave him a quick hug back. “We weren’t gone that long.”

Maeve’s worry filtered down the bond. I untangled myself from Elias and stepped into her embrace, not giving her a chance to shy away from it.

Are you okay?she asked, one hand moving to curl around my back, while thecupped to the back of my head.

Of course I am, I replied. And I was. Maybe I was a little pissed about our guide ditching us, and maybe a tad afraid that Ry was somehowhere,but tonight wasn’t about either of those things.

Tonight was about us. All of us.

Maeve’s heart pounded. But as she breathed a sigh of relief, her heart rate slowed to a crawl.

Somewhere behind me, Rowan clapped, just as the lights above us darkened.

“Okay, let’s go in. The show’s about to start, and our girl needs to be fed.” I was grateful for that reminder, because since leaving the palace—for the first time since arriving in Avalon—my stomach wasn’t in knots.

I blew out a shaky breath as we entered the alcove. My skin tingled with the magic that rolled over us, and I watched the shadows separating each alcove from the balcony shimmered and settled. But our view wasn’t obscured by the darkness; in fact, we could see the stage clearly from our vantage point.

The alcove itself was actually a private room. At the forefront was a comfortable looking booth with tables set up in front. Plates of food decorated the deep-red linen, and my stomach grumbled as I breathed in the scent of spices and tangy citrus.

I didn’t get a chance to take in the rest of the room; instead, I was guided to the booth and shuffled into the centre, lodged between Maeve and Rowan, which brought a smile to my face. It made my heart warm, knowing Elias and Adrian were looking out for my new bonds. I still wasn’t entirely sure how it would work out, but it gave me hope, knowing that they were working together.

The lights outside our room dimmed, and I was too transfixed on the stage to notice the plate of food that appeared in front of me.

“Eat something,a mhuirnín,” Maeve murmured, resting her hand atop my knee. I shivered at the contact, though it had more to do with the ease in which she touched me, more than the tension coiled tightly in the pit of my stomach.

I opened my mouth to respond, but the lighting changed, and different creatures spilled across the stage. Still, I had no idea what it was about. They wore what looked like the equivalent of leotards, similar to the ones professional dancers wore on stage. But these were made of plants.

Throughout the performance, I ate pieces of the different foods added to my plate, but I was caught up in the intense sensuality of the performance playing out before us. It was a dance, but not quite. And there was a story, one I wasunderstanding in pieces; it was enchanting, addictive even. And there was zero modesty.

It was most definitely something the kids weren’t allowed to see. Unless there was a child friendly matinee, but even then, I was sceptical.

Hell, I wasn’t even sure if I liked the idea of my mates watching. I tried to locate any unnecessary jealousy, or even a twinge of that earlier insecurity, but there was none to be found. I even tested the bonds, to see if they were reacting at all to the show, but Adrian, Elias, and Maeve had no uneasy feelings. Was it because this was the norm here? From the corner of my eye, I watched Rowan for any sign of, well,anything, but he wasn’t watching the show—he was watching me.

He caught my stare, grinned, and leaned in until his lips were a whisper against the shell of my ear. “Something the matter, Ivy?”

I shivered, and this time it had more to do with that pesky little lust bug uncoiling within me. “Nope. How are you enjoying the show?” I asked instead, trying to ignore the heat blooming across my cheeks, and the uncomfortable dampness between my legs.

I should have worn underwear, I thought, biting down on the inside of my cheek.This is so inappropriate, and maybe the byproduct of having access to sex twenty-four-seven.I was not a fan of the needy bitch I was becoming.

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