Page 105 of The Crown of Nyx

My throat tightened with emotion as I pressed myself into him.I love you, too.

43

Ivy

Irecognised where I was immediately.

Somehow, I felt oddly happy returning to my nightmare world. It reminded me of simpler times—before Dante and magic and the threat of losing everything.

But neither the hands nor the beast were present as I turned in a slow circle. The trees were familiar. Their gnarled roots and low hanging branches twisted around each other reminded me of something whimsical, and not the twisted scene I usually associated them with. They were still dark, the forest eerie, but I only felt comfort being in here.

“You made it home,” Nyx said, her voice jarring me out of my thoughts.

I spun to find her a few feet away, her shroud in place—minus the crown.

That felt a little ominous. I tried to ignore the shudder that raced down my spine, but it was impossible when our entire journey relied on this.

“We aren’t the only ones,” I replied carefully. I took a step towards her, sighing in relief when the ground didn’t try to swallow me like last time. “Dante is here.”

The Goddess made a sound in the back of her throat. “I still do not see him. He remains hidden from me.”

“And what about the crown?” I asked, fear tightening in my chest. “Do you know where that is? Because I don’t. I dragged everyone here for it, and now I don’t even know if I made the right choice. Should I have stayed in Avalon?”

Nyx cocked her head, face still covered. “You’re on the right path, my Daughter,” she replied, voice even. “You are doing exactly what is needed of you.”

I shook my head, exasperated. “Whatisneeded of me, Nyx? Because I’m starting to feel like I abandoned my people in Avalon to Dante’s army.”

Even in a dream, my heart pounded, anger rising within me. Guilt followed it, a war between both emotions—and I wasn’t sure which one would win.

“Trust that in this time, they can take care of themselves.” The shroud disappeared, and I shrunk back as I was met with the skeletal version of her face. “You are exactly where you need to be.”

I swallowed hard, forcing myself to stand taller. “But where is the crown?” I pressed, taking a step towards her. “Where am I meant to find that? Because if Dante gets it first?—”

Nyx took a step back, as if she intended to leave. “He won’t. Hecan’t. You know where it is. Follow your magic. It is guiding you. Taking you back to the beginning.”

My lips pulled into a frown as I reached for her, desperate to make her stay—to have her tell me more. “Nyx?—”

But before I could finish, the Goddess disappeared, leaving me in the old forest alone.

Usually, I would wake up now. But I turned in a slow circle, finding myself trapped.

For a reason, I thought. I’d never moved from this place; other than the first time I encountered the fleshy beast.

If the nightmare reflected the Old World, then maybe there was a reason it was always this forest.

Maybe it was a long shot, but I was determined to figure out where the hell her crown was. Not even Nyx wore it, which must have meant it had been tied to Greer when she’d been alive.

I started in no particular direction, following the path through the trees. Once, it might have been a road. The closer I looked at the ground, the clearer it became. There were old track marks in the dirt from carts, maybe some from horses. I couldn’t tell which way was which, so I kept going, following the dark forest.

It felt like I walked for hours. The trees were never ending, but I knew I couldn’t go into them. Just the thought made my stomach twist. Although I knew this was a land that represented the Old World, it was still my dream—my nightmare place.

And only I knew what lived in the very darkness of my mind.

Tonight, I was not tempted to go there.

The path changed, growing harder until there was stone rather than hard packed dirt. I didn’t slow, heart racing as I picked up my speed. The trees were still thick, the darkness worse, but the path twisted, turning into?—

I stumbled to a stop, my stomach bottoming out.

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