Page 69 of The Crown of Nyx

I’m fine with it,Ivy said, her voice like a splash of ice water in my mind. Fuck. It was too easy to lower my blocks for her. To give her full access to my thoughts and emotions. It didn’t bother me, knowing she could sense everything. I had nothing left to hide from her.

I’m not,I replied.But we can discuss it later, Angel.

There was only warmth when she left the bond.

“I will build that into the deal,” the demon said. “It does not have to be the same four weeks every year. How does that sound?”

Ivy glanced at Maeve, then over her shoulder at me, Kingsley, and Archer. It was definitely better than the alternative. We all nodded, and as she turned back, it was obvious she hadn’t directed her concern towards Nash.

He didn’t let it show, but it was clear that the pass over hit him hard. He dropped his stare from her, jaw clenched so tight I was surprised his molars weren’t being ground to nothing.

“Are we done?” The Elysian King checked a watch that magically appeared on his wrist. “We do have the masses to appease.”

“Not yet,” Grey said. “What about your end of the deal? We’ve gone over what Ivy gives you. Her consequences. I want to know what it is you are giving her in return for this show of a wedding.”

The smile that had been playing at his lips darkened. “Fine,” he said, all amusement disappearing. “This deal will benefit us. You know that. Ivy knows it. What I will do is give myself entirely to her. That means, I will be her loyal servant. Similar to how you are.”

His red eyes danced over us, but I didn’t like how he insinuated that he could be anything like the rest of us. When they went back to staring down at Ivy, he did not smile again. “I will take you directly into the Old World. I am the only one strong enough who can, save for the ferryman, but his ship is away, and he will not be back until the rift reopens. Therefore, I am your only chance. Once we are there, I will be your guide. I will take you wherever the Goddess leads our Queen, and I willshow you where you might find the answers to your war. Should I fail, my eternal soul will be forfeit.”

Shock shuddered through the bond from Ivy as she reared back. “What the hell does that mean?” she asked, glancing from him to Grey. “I don’t want your eternal soul. I just want your word you aren’t going to betray us because you want to get laid.”

The Elysian king chuckled, shaking his head. “There are always consequences to breaking deals, my Queen. Mine just so happens to be the most to lose.”

“Why?” Ivy asked. “You could just promise to let Elias beat you up. Or pledge to host a hundred balls here in the palace. I don’t know. But why give up your soul?”

“Because,” he said, lowering his voice, “there is no point of having a soul if our world is doomed, now is there?”

29

Ivy

Iwas not a fan of the wholeeternal soultalk. But he had a point.

What was the point if we were all going to die anyway? Morbid a thought as it was, Damon was right.

“Okay, that’s everything?” I asked, turning to Maeve. She’d been a tightly coiled viper during the entire discussion, and Damon was one wrong word away from her pouncing. I doubt even I’d be able to stop her once she started.

Still, it unsettled me, his consequence. I wanted to blame it on the fact that he had chosen both our consequences should we not uphold our end of the deal. But I knew, deep down, thatwasn’t the case.

He had everything to lose. Maybe Orion had been wrong about Damon. But I doubted we would know for certain until we made it to the Old World.

Damon rolled his shoulders back, reminding me—and probably everyone in the room—just how imposing he was. The horns even looked like they’d been polished. And the crown he wore appeared even shiner. The male was ready to be married.

Ugh. My stomach twisted. Ivy of a year ago never thought marriage was in the cards. Ivy of two weeks ago had wondered what it would be like to complete the proper Daughter of Nyx mating ceremony with my bonded mates. The Ivy of right now was pretty annoyed I would have to do this in front of thousands of demons for an alliance.

I had to remind myself that this wasn’t about me anymore, and marrying Damon was a sacrifice I could make, so long as it protected everyone else. My mates were safe with me again. And this could mean the lives of my sisters, Thea’s. The lives of every person in not just Avalon, but in the Underworld and Faery, too.

Whether they knew it or not.

“Unless your mates have any more objections, I am ready, my Queen,” Damon purred, smile wicked.

I frowned up at the male and shook my head. “You’ve gotten a chance to change. Do I?” I motioned down to the silk dress still clinging to my body. “I think I still reek of sex club.”

Behind me, Elias grunted, and Rowan asked, “Sex club? Where the hell did you take her?”

Damon waved a dismissive hand. “You were found in House Lust. Which was lucky for you. Mistress Ravenna hates Dante more than you do. That male tried to take advantage of the lust demons at her club, and she has notallowed him entrance in nearly fifty years. That is how much she dislikes him. But she does love her Queens. And that is the only reason why you survived.”

“I can vouch for that,” Hawk said from behind me. I glanced at him over my shoulder, but he wasn’t looking at me. “She met with me, while we were in her dungeon. And she assured me that our presence with her would be hidden.”

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