Page 97 of The Powers of Nyx

My father paid a large sum to the academy to ensure I had a private suite, and so it became my sanctuary. As soon as the door closed and locked behind me, I curled my hands into fists. Most days I forgot about the gloves. The black leather was part of me now, as much my skin as my own flesh. I flexed my fingers, flecks of blood falling to the ground from the action. Perhaps it was time to clean them after the last...mission.

By the time the dining hall opened, I’d managed to cleanse myself of the deep, ferocious need to reclaim my mate. I hadn’t expected to feel so restless with her proximity. But I shouldn’t have been surprised. Ever since she found me in that cabin, I’d been drawn to her, like moth to flame. I’d been hers as much as she’d been mine.

We’ll be together again, I thought, glaring at my reflection in the mirror of my bathroom. I stopped and closed my eyes.

The block between us was a painful reminder, but it was strong as the day I’d asked Blythe to build it. Perhaps I wasn’t strongenough to purposefully keep myself away. But she had certainly grown in strength over the years. If it weren’t for the sudden force of our meeting again, the block she’d erected would have remained in place.

I planted my hands on either side of the sink and stared ruefully at myself in the mirror. She wouldn’t recognise me now, not without the glamour. I’d thought about donning it again, the facade ofRy, but no. I didn’t want our meeting to be a lie, not again.

When we met again, she would see me, and only me.

Perhaps she would notice the darkness. Would it frighten her? It lived in the violet of my eyes, a swirling shadow surrounding the pupil, the only physical expression of the magic. Cocking my head, my white hair fell over my forehead, and a sigh of irritation escaped my lips. If it weren’t for the fact she liked playing with my hair before, I would cut it. The length was an issue considering my work, but for her, I left it.

Straightening, I smoothed my gloved hands over the front of my black button up. I checked the cuffs of the shirt before donning a jacket and left the comfort of the bathroom.

The room itself was bare of anything personal. The bed was made, and my trunk with the few belongings I’d carted here from the Luna Court sat at the end of it. I wouldn’t let an attendant pack anything away. I preferred that my own belongings were handled by myself. I had a small, separate study room, which held the few books I required for the semester, a desk, and a bookshelf that was otherwise empty.

As I left my room, I was greeted by the rest of my people, who waited by the stairs. They perked up as I passed, but I hadn’t the energy to give them the attention they desired. So, cruelty they received, and they ate it just as eagerly.

The halls were busy as students made their ways down to the dining hall. Most floors had common rooms with privatedining spaces available, but there was always something about the first meal of the new semester that had everyone excited. Usually, there was a show of definite power. Someone stepped in to rule over the populace and others would rise in retaliation. Popularity and power were the coin of these people, and the more you had, the better you fared. And with it being the last year for many, they had the most to prove and our underlings had to figure out who they needed to emulate to survive.

Ivy had been left with a witch who had some decent power of her own, but not enough to help her should the need arise. And with the way her other mates hadn’t rushed to her side before, I couldn’t be sure if they were here in some other capacity. They were here as protectors, but not as mates, which worried me.

She was otherwise alone.

Stalking through the hallway towards the dining hall, the Fae pushed through the throng of bodies, and I ignored the gasps of outrage that usually followed. I was looking for one person, and one person only, but it seemed as though she wasn’t here yet.

Or maybe she isn’t coming. The thought made my heart clench, and I gritted my teeth. It took a lot of restraint not to check on her through our bond. Instead, I let Layla guide our group to one of the long tables that lined the hall. There were three in total that spread the length and each overflowed with a selection of food hailing from each of the different worlds that made up Nyx.

Blythe sat on one side of me, and I was grateful when Finn, one of the Aither Court prince’s, took my other, leaving Layla to sit across from me. She was the last thing I wanted to deal with.

“Are you feeling okay?” Blythe asked under her breath. She didn’t look at me as she added a few small morsels of food to the plate in front of her.

I sighed through my nose, grabbed one of the meat-stuffed bread pieces and tossed it onto her plate. “Likely better than you.”

She gnashed her teeth in a feral sort of way, but she took what I’d given her and began eating.

Despite my own stomach being in knots, I forced myself to fill a plate. The dining hall was obnoxiously loud as groups began their debates on who was stronger. A shifter jumped up onto a table and howled like the moon was out.

A tingle ran down my spine. Soft laughter met my ears, and I looked up as she entered with her new, pink-haired friend. She still wore her off-white turtleneck, though she’d thrown a dark red knitted cardigan over the top. Was she cold? I frowned. There wasn’t much of a chill in the air, and it made me nervous that she wasn’t okay.

But upon first glance, she was. Her cheeks were pink, her eyes bright, and she seemed to be liking the witch just fine.

They made their way down the tables until they were standing by mine, only several seats down. The pressure of being so close to her weighed on me. I could almost scent her sweet fragrance in the air.

But I forced myself to look away. I had to before I exploded.

That didn’t mean I didn’t listen.

“What’re you feeling like, Ivy?” the witch asked.

My sweet flower hummed under her breath. “Hmm, I’m not sure I’m that hungry, honestly.”

I wanted to deflate, fighting the urge to go over and fill her plate for her. I knew what she would like. The meat-filled bread I’d given Blythe had a bite to it, but nothing she couldn’t handle. She’d enjoy it dipped in the sauces lining the table. Or there were the savoury pies topped with a rich, buttery pastry. Meat that melted on the tongue. Crisp, fresh salad.

“At least have something small,” her friend said.

Ivy didn’t like being pressured when it came to food. Where Blythe ate out of spite of my forcefulness, Ivy grew shy, nervous. She always had. But she sighed. “I’ll try...this.”

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