Page 114 of The Crown of Nyx

Adrian, though…He shook his head as he glanced between me and the stones. “I don’t know, man, but maybe Sable actually lied about that.”

I rolled my eyes, though the implication made my heart race. “Of course she did,” I muttered. “She got me into runes because of this.”

Because she already knew Ivy was going to be in danger.

And now, I couldn’t ask her to be sure.

Even though we’dsaid no fire, a small one burned between us, hidden by shadows crafted by the demon king. The meat Wolfy found roasted above the hidden flames, the smell of cooked rabbit making my stomach churn.

“So, we still don’t know anything,” Ivy said, her voice soft. Defeated. “He has something we don’t, and we know he’ll use it against us—against me.”

Guilt bloomed within me, and I ducked my head. “I’m sorry?—”

“Don’t you dare,” she snapped, eyes finding mine. “You have nothing to be sorry for, Rowan. This isn’t your fault.”

I released a heavy breath, leaning back against the base of the tree I sat against. “I just—if we’re right, then Sable has been preparing me for this. To find a way to help you. And so far, I’m failing pretty miserably.”

“If it helps,” the demon king said from across the fire, “I do not recall anything that might help with the future…predicament.” He had his eyes on the fire, and they darkened as he shook his head. “Over three thousand years as king of the Elysian Fields. One would think that I would have come across such runes. I have one of the oldest libraries in all the realms. Knowledge that would have been lost in the war. But I recall nothing about runes that could strip the Daughter of Nyx of her power.”

From the corner of my eye, I watched Ivy drop her head. She tried to hide her fear, but not even her blocks could stop me from feeling it. She was terrified of the future my vision gave us. And I couldn’t blame her.

“Do we have a plan? Somewhere to go next?” Elias asked. He sat behind Ivy, holding her up as he leaned against another tree.

“When I meet with Nyx, I’m always in the same place. A dark forest with twisted trees. Not like this valley,but like…” She shook her head. “I don’t really know how to describe it. But there’s always a path through the trees. A road, actually. With cart marks in the ground. I’ve never actually followed it before, but I did in the last dream. I found an old cottage at the end. But there’s not much else I know.”

“Nyx didn’t give you any answers?” I asked.

She shrugged hopelessly and slumped into Elias’s chest. “Not really. She claims my magic is guiding me, but…”

“It could be,” the demon said. “My shadows work differently to those of a regular demon. Your magic could very well be influencing these jumps.”

“How can you be certain?” Maeve asked from her position beside him. They hadn’t found anything in the old crypt, either. The vampires of the Old World were really the stuff of human legend, it turned out.

The demon king’s lips turned in a half-smile, one that made my gut twist. Damn, I did not like his presence here. At least everyone here had an actual connection to Ivy—even if I wished a couple didn’t. Black was her first mate, useless as he was. And Hawk Nash…

I had no idea what the point of him was. Nyx totally screwed up when giving him a bond with Ivy. He was going to make this difficult, and his presence very obviously hurt her.

“You might not feel it,” he replied, “but there are remnants of energy here. I’d met Pandora’s mates. Asael was a demon of Elysian, and we leave traces, no matter how much time has passed. And he was here with her once. Before she became Queen.”

A chill ran down my spine, and without meaning to, I looked around the valley, like the ghosts of the first Queen and her mates might appear in the darkness between the trees.

“My theory is your magic truly is guiding us, but through me.” The demon king sounded far too proud of that.

“You sure you aren’t from House of Pride?” I asked, head cocked.

The demon didn’t look at me, though from the corner of my eye, I noticed Hawk stiffen.

Huh, I hit a nerve with him. But I supposed that answered what type of demon he was. Made sense, too. He was so buried in his own pride that he couldn’t see how his actions hurt his literal mate.

Rowan,Ivy warned.

I glanced at her and smiled.Don’t worry, there’s a reason why they were inside thoughts.

She rolled her eyes, but didn’t comment further on it.

“So, what, we let your shadows take us wherever, while hoping my magic is guiding them?” Ivy questioned. “I really don’t know about that. We have no idea where Dante is, or how close he is.”

“We know he had to be at one of the shores,” Adrian said. “He would have sailed in. And if he brought an army, then that would be his only way to arrive here with them safely.”

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