Page 94 of The Crown of Nyx

The lock broke beneath my hand, crumbling like dirt, and hinges whined as I pushed the door open to darkness and starlight.

38

Ivy

We held our breaths as Hawk pushed his way out of the secret tunnel into the ruins of the old palace. As soon as the trap door opened, a cool breeze caressed my skin. The smell of the ocean wasn’t as strong up here, but there was a different smell that made my nose crinkle.

The smell of rotting flesh and death.

Elias’s hand tightened around mine.I want you to stay close, he said.No matter what. You remain by my side.

I barely suppressed a chill as our entire group exited the tunnel. Around us were stone walls that might have once stood tall, but now crumbled. There was no ceiling, just endless starlight above us. It felt like we’d entered an entirely different world to the one on the beach.

The ruins were mostly reclaimed by nature, too. But even so, I still felt a tingle of residual magic from those who had once lived here. It felt like the items from theQueens who came before me. From Queen Aura’s set of twin blades, to Queen Daphne’s ornamental dagger. And my own magic recognised it all.

I ignored the way my throat tightened and gave Elias a sharp nod.I will. I promise.

There was no way I was letting my mates out of my sight again.

Weapons, guns, and daggers were unsheathed as Orion closed the door behind us. Adrian burned a charm into the wood, one that appeared and disappeared in the blink of an eye. I didn’t even need to ask what it would do. I felt it.

He’d locked it so only he could open it.

He and I shared a quick glance. There were dark circles beneath his green eyes. He looked more than just exhausted—but drained.

Let me help you,I told him, reaching for his hand. Adrian entwined his fingers with mine, lips pursed.You can’t keep going like this.

I’m fine, Sweetheart,he replied.

Before I could call him out on the lie, a low whistling sound echoed through the ruins. My magic exploded to surround not only myself, but our entire group. A purple haze appeared around us like a protective bubble before settling into an opaque dome. There wasn’t any resistance to it, but I felt everyone else’s magic fill the area.

Shadows whipped from Ry’s hands to surround my shield. Damon shifted into his full demon form, horns sprouting from his head, death magic filling the air.

Claws ripped through Maeve’s fingers, her eyes changing from blue to dark red. Elias’s skin rippled with his shift, though he didn’t take his wolf form immediately. He did, however, move to stand at my back. My protector always.

Hawk let his wings burst free, standing at the front of our team, while Rowan and Adrian pulled matching, glowing daggers from their belts.

The whistling turned into what sounded like a horn, low and deep. A shiver rolled down my spine as I tasted electricity in the air, my magic wanting to play.

From the edges of my vision, something appeared in what might have been an old hallway of the palace. At first, it looked like a shadow. Something from my nightmares; one of the creatures who tormented me as I ran from the giant fleshy beast, who called for my doom and promised I would fail in my rise as Queen.

My breath caught in my throat when it disappeared. I turned my head towards the hall. But all that was left was stone and debris. Vines crawled up the walls, reclaiming the structure.

I don’t think we’re alone, I said, pushing the thought to all my mates.

Behind me, Elias stiffened. The others moved to tighten our formation. As much as I appreciated their desire to protect me, I also didn’t want them risking their lives, especially against the unknown. I had all the power of the Queens who came before me now. The women who had ruled this land and Avalon. Thousands of years of power rose like a tidal wave to defend the team.

I could protect them now.

My fingers tingled with electricity, lightning now taking to the sky. Where there had once been endless stars, now was an eternal darkness caused by dark clouds that carried with it the rumble of thunder and violet lightning.

The sound of the horn came again, louder this time, and it carried with it a battle cry. The hairs on my arms lifted, my head snapping in the direction from where it came. Senses born from my connections to Maeve andElias heightened; my eyes picked up something in the darkness of the ruins, not on the ground, but on what was left of the walls.

Not a giant spider, thank the Goddess, but something else. Something made of shadow and smoke. It had eyes of silver, and when our gazes met, it disappeared entirely.

Smoke-shadow creature on the walls, I told the team.

A what?Adrian asked, his eyes meeting mine briefly before searching the walls around us. A pit opened in my gut.

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