Page 65 of The Crown of Nyx

Adrian started talking about how ridiculous it was to even enter a political marriage, while Rowan went on about how dangerous it was to make a deal with a demon king without consulting them. Maeve stared at me silently, her disappointment palpable, and that might have hurt the most. Elias simply stalked away, running a hand through his hair as he did.

Orion, stunned, strode towards me. “What did you do, little flower?”

I lifted my chin in defiance, heart pounding erratically. “I did what I needed to inorder to get us to the Old World. I now have the mostpowerfulalliance any Queen has ever seen.”

That forced everyone to stop what they were doing. Elias turned to me with narrowed eyes. Through our bond, I caught a twinge of betrayal from him, and I softened.

Releasing a breath, I dropped the skirt and crossed my arms. “I understand why you’re all worried. Why you might feel like I betrayed you. And I never—I don’t ever want to be that person who keeps things from her partners.” I stopped, a lump forming in my throat. “But I am prepared to do whatever I can to keep you safe. To saveeveryone. And if that means I enter this marriage, then so be it. I need you guys to have my back on this one.”

Maeve sighed, running a hand over her face. “Do you understand what will be required of you for this…alliance?”

I nodded. “There are terms I would need you guys to agree with,” I replied quietly. “But none of it will be real. It’s not a marriage of love or anything like that. It never will be anything more than a handshake and a promise to protect one another, especially where it concerns Dante. Because my power might not be the only thing at risk.”

Rowan folded his arms over his chest, though through the bond, his apprehension wavered. “What do you mean?”

“Dante proposed a deal to Damon—Rhadamanthus—first,” I explained. I began pacing again, this time with purpose. “He claimed that once he had my power, he would be able to take the throne of the Elysian King, too. That he would be able to make a deal with Rhadamanthus in exchange for…companionship.”

Companionship was perhaps the wrong way to describe what Dante had offered him, but I was pretty sure they had an idea of what that meant.

“And what does this deal look like for you, Ivy?” Adrian asked. He lowered himself onto one of the few black leather sofas scattered around the room and dropped his head into his hands. “What does he want?”

“One week, every season. I have to spend it here.” My throat tightened at the looks on their faces. For the first time, even Hawk looked surprised. “Four weeks a year. But that fits in with the requirements of being Queen.”

“No, it doesn’t,” Maeve said, her voice rough as she moved to stand in front of me. I sucked in a breath as she brushed her fingers over the stupid crown still trapped in my hair. “You do not have to do this.”

“She does.”

Everyone froze. My heart stopped in my chest as Damon’s voice boomed through the chamber. A growl, low and dark, left Elias’s lips. Maeve moved to cover me.

He isn’t a threat, I told all of them, glancing at each mate to let them know I meant it.

But Orion snapped.

Shadows leapt from his fingers in the direction of the Elysian King. My eyes widened as I moved in an attempt to cut the shadows off. I had no idea how to manipulate them the way he could, wasn’t even certain I could stop them in time.

But Maeve had me in her arms before I could make it to either male. A shout lodged in my throat as a wave of darkness crashed into the seven-foot demon.

Shadows swarmed Damon, coiling around him until there was nothing but a black void where he once stood. The snake around my wrist gave a warning squeeze, burning for a brief moment before cooling—a warning I didn’t understand. My breath caught in my throat as the shadows dissipated, revealing the demon King.

Damon hadn’t moved an inch; where I expected anger to be twisting his features, there was nothing more than disinterest. Mostly directed at Orion, but also at everyone else.

“What the hell?” I said, my voice louder than I intended. I shrugged out of Maeve’s embrace, trying to not let her flinch get to me—at least, not for now, not when my magic was rushing through me at the explosion of emotions from every bond.

I stalked to the Fae Prince, who watched the demon king with narrowed, dangerously dark eyes.

Goddess Nyx, save me from this male. I wouldn’t call him an idiot. Orion had gone so long protecting my identity, protecting himself from what his father and Dante would have done if they ever found out he was mated to me. Surely, he knew better than toattackthe king of the Elysian Fields.

“Orion,” I hissed, stopping in front of the male. But his eyes remained locked on Damon. There was nothing but pure rage through the bond at the ancient demon. “Ry. Look at me.”

The male’s nostrils flared as he sucked in a breath. He released it slowly, eyes closing. “Ivy…”

“No,” I snapped. “Look at me.”

Orion shook his head. “There is nothing you can do to me that I am not already doing to myself.”

“Bullshit.” At that, he finally opened his eyes. There was a slight flush to his cheeks, one that made him look almost boyish, younger than he was. “Why would you attack the bloodykingof demons?”

He tried to shake his head, but his movements were stilted. “Nothing you need to worry about.”

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