Page 63 of The Crown of Nyx

“Can he?” she asked.

I shrugged. “You said he found a way to take your power. Perhaps we should assume the same for mine.”

26

Ivy

Ashiver rolled down my spine as his words settled between us. A new kind of tension filled the air, one that had my heart skipping a beat from fear.

Could Dante take not only my power, but Damon’s? I stared up into the red eyes of the demon king and prayed to Nyx it wasn’t possible. I didn’t know much about his position—hell, I hadn’t known about his inability to get laid, so there was likely a whole lot no one had briefed me on when it came to his role as the Elysian King—but there was a part of me that knew it wouldn’t be good if he could be overthrown.

Swallowing hard, I turned away from Damon and moved to set the glass tumbler down on one of the tables. There was a large fire pit in the centre of the room, surrounded by black leather sofas. Otherwise,there wasn’t much to the room other than the bar, a few shelves, some hallways, and the gaping hole in the wall that showed off the city.

But I was exhausted. My body weighed a ton. And my magic itched with the need to be with my mates.

“What do I need to do in order to secure passage to the Old World?” I asked again, turning back to the demon. He had his head cocked, black hair falling over his forehead. “And what do I need to do to have my mates back?”

For a long moment, he watched me. His expression was unreadable, but I was sick of going around in circles with him. I hated to think it, but he had all the power here. He would be the only reason we got out of this unscathed. And it wouldn't hurt, having someone as powerful as him on my side. I’d been warned countless times that I would need allies. That if I wanted to survive, I would need other powerful creatures by my side.

Maybe it was desperation, or fear, or even loneliness, I wasn’t sure.

But I knew I needed him.

“Do you want to remain King of the Elysian Fields?” I asked, keeping my eyes on him as I slowly approached his looming figure, heart pounding hard against my ribs. “Do you want Dante to take your power—take this throne, too?”

Damon clenched his jaw. For a moment, it appeared as if he were considering it. I stopped in front of him and craned my neck to meet his eye.

“Or do you want to stop Dante from ever even trying to take what has been yours for over three thousand years?” I said, voice low.

Damon’s lips curled into a smile. “What did you have in mind, my Queen?”

“I can offer you an alliance,” I said, shoving my worry aside. “Unwavering support against him and his false claim. But I don’t think that’s enough for you, Damon. You clearly want something. So, say it.”

His chuckle was dark, deep; my stomach tightened at the sound of it. “Alright, my Queen. I have an idea.”

It was too late to wonder what I had gotten myself into as he proposed his deal. Too late to think about the consequences. Because in exchange for what he wanted, I would get my mates back and his power to take us to the Old World.

It was easier to beg for forgiveness, then ask permission.

And in this case, I would be grovelling for life.

For the firsttime since Damon assumed the role as Elysian King, he would be opening the doors of the great palace built into the mountain for all his denizens. Demons from all the Houses were invited to see the spectacle that was hismarriage.

Oh, Goddess above, my stomach was tied into so many knots. My heart wanted out of my chest. And every time I thought I would throw up, I remembered why I’d agreed to this farce of a deal in the first place.

I twisted my fingers as I paced the length of the chamber I’d been shown to. I was entirely alone, save for that magnificent view of the demon city and the fields beyond. It was almost exactly the same as the view from Damon’s window, leaving me to think he’d put me in a room close to his. The buildings were alight with fires and even from here, music drifted from a large square near the palace.

The sight and sound made me shiver. My magic itched to be a part of it, and even my own curiosity had me wanting to understand the demon world better. It felt different to being in Avalon, yet not so much. The Underworld was still enriched with thousands of years’ worth of life, unlike Avalon that was still new and growing in comparison.

Someone knocked on the door to my room, and I turned in time to see a demon with almost silver skin and deep black eyes standing in the doorway.

“My Queen,” he said, hand moving his chest. “Your mates are here.”

My heart stopped as he moved out of the way for them.

Adrian appeared first, his golden hair rumpled, eyes bruised and lines of stress marring his features. The sight of him made my heart ache. I rushed to him without another thought, throwing myself into his arms.

“Oh, thank the Goddess,” he breathed, crushing me to him. “You’re okay.”

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