Page 89 of The Crown of Nyx

My brows furrowed as I took in the unassuming beach. “Blow up because she had no anchors?”

“Yes,” Damon replied. “One moment, she was fine. But she’d been quietly deteriorating, the magic eating away at her bit by bit. Her lovers dragged her back to this beach so Nyx could save her. And the Goddess gave them a way to save their love.”

“And here, mate bonds were born,” Rowan muttered. “We know the story.”

Damon spared my mage an unimpressed glance. “This beach saw the rise and fall of everything. It is where Queen Daphne rallied her people towards the new world. It is where the last dragon fell.” A shiver rolleddown my spine, and for the first time, I saw something in the water that was decidedlynota shipwreck, but rather…bones. Very large bones. “If the crown of Nyx were to be somewhere, I’d guess here.”

I chewed the inside of my cheek as I looked around the stretch of beach again. “Greer never taught me how to summon the crown.”

“Then I guess we’re digging.”

It was my turn to shoot the demon an unimpressed look. “You really think the crown isburied?”

He shrugged. “Either it’s here, or it’s in the ruins of the palace upthere.” He pointed upwards into the fog covering the cliffs.

I wasn’t sure what it was about it that made me suck in a sharp breath. I could almost see it in the back of my mind; the shape of the palace with its spires reaching into the sky, white stone bleached by the sun. Waves that crashed against the cliffs, and gulls weaving between flags and towers.

When I blinked, the image of the ruins was gone—or what they were before the desolation of the Old World. But it did dredge up something from before.

“There used to be buildings,” I said, pointing to the side of the cliff. “Beach access from the palace.”

Damon looked up, a different smile curving his lips. Elias pressed into my side, his confusion clear down the bond, and the others…

They weren’t entirely sure how to comment.

I didn’t blame them. I wasn’t even sure howIknew there was meant to be beach access. Or what the palace had once looked like. But my magic did. I even felt an impression of it still in this area. Damon hadn’t been lying about this being a major place of power for me. Itwas like my magic had buried memories in this part of the land.

Maybe the crown wasn’t here, but it was a good place to start.

“You knew there was a way to get up without your shadows,” Orion said accusingly, voice dark as he stalked up to the towering demon. “So, what the fuck was your plan? Dante and his followers could have found us. FoundIvy.”

Damon stared down at him, head cocked, and brows furrowed. “He won’t make it here.”

“How the fuck can you be sure of that?” Orion snarled.

His own shadows rose to the surface, coiling around him in response to his anger. I moved without thinking to put myself between him and Damon. The demon I could deal with later. But I needed to have a word with my mate.

Orion’s hands formed fists, but he didn’t tear his eyes off Damon, even as I pushed my way between them. I made sure to keep space between Orion and me, to not touch him.

“Orion,” I said, voice hard. His jaw clenched, but he still didn’t look at me.

“He is not our enemy,” I said, lowering my voice. I tried to drown out my other mates, who were making their worry known through the bonds. “You have every right to be pissed off right now. But save that anger for later.”

Orion’s throat bobbed. Violet eyes found mine after a moment, dark and furious, filled to the brim with fear. Fear over Dante finding us first. Through the bond, I knew it wasn’t just fear for me that swelled within him. There was fear for himself, too. About what might happen should his father find us. What might happen to him if Hyperion Black got his hands on him.

I’ll end him before he ever hurts you again,I said, watching as his eyes widened a fraction.I won’t ever let that man near you. He’ll be dead before he can lay a hand on you.

The Fae prince standing before me sucked in a breath, before releasing it slowly.His death is mine to claim, my flower.

I have your back either way,I promised silently.

Maybe I should have felt disgusted by that promise. Old Ivy would have. But when it came to my mates, I would do anything to protect them. Even if it meant killing again.

Orion spared Damon one last glance before shaking his head. “Stop putting my mate in danger,” he warned, taking a step away from me and the demon king still at my back. “I don’t care that you’re the King of the Elysian Fields. None of us do. You mean nothing to us if you hurt her.”

Damon’s shadows brushed my back, a soft caress that made me shiver. “Truth be told, I forgot about the beach access,” he replied lightly. “I only ever visited the palace here…once. Before I became king. And there was still so much construction happening. Once I ascended the Elysian throne, I stopped leaving the Underworld. Pandora and those who came after her visited me. As per the magic’s need.”

I glanced at him over my shoulder, but couldn’t make out whether it was a lie or not. When I checked in with Elias and Maeve, who seemed to have their own built in lie detectors, they didn’t seem to know either.

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