Page 50 of The Crown of Nyx

We were separated in the storm. I couldn’t remember the events clearly. I’d been so far up in the crow’s nest that I’d only been focused on the dead coming for us.

But the sea monster flashed across my memory. The ship being cleaved in half. Saltwater filling my mouth as I struggled to find her. To swim towards her.

I shut my eyes tightly against the onslaught of memories. Bitter failure burned throughout me. My shadows leaked from me, swirling around my body, crawling up my arms and along my chest. They used to be my armour, my protection against the rest of the world, same as my gloves. But now, they were a sore reminder that I hadn’t kept my promise to protect her, and I might have just lost my only way of finding her.

The metal lock of the door clanged. My eyes popped open as the door swung open an inch. Shadows sprung free from my body to slither through the gap, but there was no one in the hallway.

Gritting my teeth, I strode to the door. My hand went to the handle, cold as ice, but there was no remnant of magic or a magical signature on the door. Through the gap, I noticed other doors, all open like mine.

Heart pounding, I stepped into the quiet hall. It was all the same out here as the room; stone walls and floors, sconces giving off limited light, and no windows. But there were ten doors, with four open a crack. That would account for at least four of the other mates, but one was missing, aside from Ivy.

Her magic wasn’t present at all out here. Not from the closed doors or open ones.

A growl sounded from the room next to mine. The open door revealed only a thick darkness within, but the glowing eyes of a wolf appeared in the crack. Another low growl rumbled from the wolf’s chest as he pushed his way through the open door and into the hallway.

Based on the dark brown coat and the green glow of his eyes, I had to assume it was Elias Beckham. Thesignature of his magic confirmed as much, but how much control did the male have over his beast?

I held myself still as the giant wolf came to a stop a foot away from me. He lowered his head, another snarling growl echoing through the hall.

“I am not your enemy,” I said, voice low, almost flinching as Ivy’s voice echoed in my ears with the same words.I am not your enemy, she’d said to me, when I had thought her an intruder in my own dreams.

But I wasn’t sure if the wolf even understood me. If the male within recognised me as not a threat.

I was not delusional, thinking he trusted me—or even liked me. It had been desperation that had allowed him to leave me with Ivy at the ball. I had a feeling he would not do it again, especially after he and the other three had been taken from her so easily.

“Beckham,” another male snapped. Although I didn’t like the idea of taking my eyes off the wolf, I did look up to see another door had opened. This one led out of the dark hallway and through the gap, I noticed stairs.

The half-Fae male that appeared crossed his arms. The missing fifth mate, then.

Hawk Nash clenched his jaw, dark eyes narrowed on the wolf. I had no idea what he’d done to not land himself in one of these rooms, but after a quick assessment, he appeared unharmed. Unfortunately.

The male stood there tall and proud despite the fact that he was instrumental in Ivy’s hurt. A small part of me wanted to blame him for Ivy not being here. That if he just accepted the bond, she would have been better protected.

I’d spent years yearning for my mate, for the day I would finally be with her again. I’d doneeverythingto protect her, to keep my father and Dante away.

And this pathetic male wanted nothing to do with the bond.

I gritted my teeth, eyes swinging back to the wolf. The beast snorted before shifting, fur rippling to become skin. The male rose to his full height, rolling his shoulders back.

“I’m fucking done with this,” he said, voice hoarse. “Where the hell is my mate?”

The last threewere slower to wake. They’d used something against Maeve Grey to keep her down longer, and so when she did wake, there was a red ring around her irises. She hid it well. Although the others weren’t worried about her control, I was. He didn’t say it, but I could tell Nash was, too. His was for other reasons, I assumed, but mine came from the knowledge that her control—all of our control—relied on Ivy. And with our mate missing, there was no telling what we would do without her.

Adrian Kingsley woke slowly, but Rowan Archer jolted out of his bed with a start when we finally made it into his room.

So far, no one appeared harmed, but there was still no Ivy.

I anxiously curled my hands into fists as Nash closed one of the doors. We were gathered in the room Archer had been left in; he didn’t have a window view of the death garden like I had. Instead, his small window overlooked an empty courtyard. There were chaise lounges and pillows scattered throughout, but not a soul in sight.

“We’re in the fortress of House Lust,” Nash revealed. I turned to him, eyes narrowed, as did the others.

“Where the hell is Ivy?” Kingsley demanded, arms crossed.

Nash’s dark eyes flickered over all of us. “She isn’t here.”

Beckham growled and moved like he intended to lunge for the half-Fae’s throat. The only thing holding him back, I assumed—just like the rest of us—was the knowledge that he was Ivy’s mate. Just like us.

“From what I know, we were separated—likely on purpose,” Nash continued, ignoring the deadly look in Beckham’s eyes, and the dangerous glares from the rest of us. “My demon side protected me from whatever it was that happened to you. But we got lucky when Lust found us. They won’t ever join sides with Dante. And they’re looking for Ivy.”

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