Page 93 of The Crown of Nyx

“One could lead us into the palace, Princess,” I replied, “the other into certain death.”

“Or,” she snapped, “they both lead into the palace. My magic doesn’t feel weird about either. So let’sgo.”

Her royalpain-in-my-asspushed her way towards the centre staircase without another look back. Grey glanced at me, then back at the Queen. “You wanted the middle one.”

I blew out a frustrated breath. “Whatever.”

Archer took great amusement from that, and so did the demon king. I bristled under their stare, shaking my head as we returned to our earlier formation, keeping Ivy at the centre, protected on all sides. As we moved to the stairs again, magic from the others strengthened. Even ifit was a safe way out, they were going to do whatever they could to keep any potential threats at bay.

And with my unclaimed mate so close, my own power, without my permission, rose to the surface with the need to protect. The urge to claim her, to make her mine permanently, had been temporarily pushed to the back of my mind so I could focus on the mission. Keep my head where it was needed and not in the dreams plaguing me since seeing her in that tiny green dress. But not anymore.

Fuck. Power I’d learned to hold back pulled sharply at the binds I kept it in. Aither was my preferred magic source. My wings, and the magic that came from being from the court of air and sky, favoured. But the side of me that was demon, that came from the Underworld, wanted out. It wanted to play with my mate’s magic. To protect her in the same way the others did.

The magic of House Pride was nothing to be proud of. Pride was dark, dangerous, bloodthirsty. It did not care who it took or what it took, only that it siphoned magic from those weaker. It was a worthwhile skill to have, especially in certain situations, but I couldn’t let it out.

I gritted my teeth, shoving the magic back down where it wouldn’t cause harm to any of the creatures around me. They all surpassed me in power now—either mated to Ivy or as the fuckingking of hell—but I wouldn’t take the risk of being an enemy to them.

Grey stiffened beside me, her chin lifting as she scented the air. That was the only hint she gave that something was wrong.

The stairs ended abruptly; Grey and I had to crouch as we came to a stop at the top, where a wooden trap door was locked above our heads. Despite the thousand or so years, the wood was still intact thanks to whateverwards had been left in place. The latch, however, was rusted with age and from the salty sea air.

Grey and I shared a look. I was the closest to the latch. But even I knew it was stupid to try and test the lock when we had our own charm magic to undo the wards.

“Adrian, we need you to unravel the charms on this door,” Grey commanded, her voice tight. “Be careful. They are still powerful.”

From the back of the pack, Kingsley grunted. “I’ve got it.”

“Be careful,” Ivy replied quietly, her voice soft. “Seriously. We don’t know what to expect.”

My gut twisted, but I drowned out his response. Instead, I focused on the dull ache in my shoulder blades. Once we made it into the palace ruins, I’d let my wings out. By then, at least, we’d need someone in the sky to scout for Dante.

Kingsley appeared between Grey and me. He skimmed his fingers over the knots in the old, weathered wood with furrowed brows. “I recognise two different magical signatures in this,” he said, shaking his head slowly. “One is definitely from a Queen. I feel Ivy’s magic—or, well, Nyx’s.” He looked back at her then with soft eyes. “The other is different. Strange.”

From his other side, Grey shifted. “Dante strange? Or different strange?”

This time, when Kingsley shook his head, it was more forceful. “Definitely not Dante. It’s not corrupted like his followers. This is…” He stopped and pulled back. “I don’t really know how to explain what this is.”

“But can you unravel it?” I asked, gritting my teeth.

The prince glared at me. He was not going to forget what I said. And I didn’t blame him. Despite being the truth, when the words had left my lips, I’d regretted them.

But Kingsley didn’t say a word as he pressed his palm into the door. His eyes closed, bowing his head. Magic rose from him to fill the space, lifting the hairs on my arms. When Ivy had come into her full power, so had he. It was clear in the way it filled the space, how it lifted the hairs on my arms and stirred my demonic power—power that wanted to take it for its own use.

And just like that, the magic disappeared. He pulled back, opening his eyes on a sharp inhale. “Done.”

Grey raised a brow. “Good work.”

He didn’t bother looking at me as he pushed himself backwards and re-entered the formation. “The strange wards were easy to undo. The old Queen’s…not so much, but Ivy helped there.”

I forced myself not to look back at her. But I couldn’t help the small swell of pride within me. I’d barely even noticed her magic, and yet as everything settled, there was a small hint of it in the air. That familiar touch of it that teased my own power. It tingled lightly across my skin, caressing me, and deep down, I wanted more of it.

I wanted more of her.

I drew in a deep breath, grabbed a dagger from my belt, and shared a look with Grey. “I’ll go first.”

Her eyes narrowed, but she gave me a short nod. “Shields up. We don’t know what is waiting for us beyond.”

I felt no fear as I steeled myself for what was to come. It didn’t matter if it was giant spiders or monsters. I knew my duty. And I would protect Ivy, even if I wasn’t worthy of anything else.

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