Page 98 of The Crown of Nyx

“Find what? We have nothing you or your kind need,” she said. I tried to ignore whatyour kindmeant. “This land no longer belongs to you.”

“I know,” I replied, though the others bristled. “This is your land. Your home. And we aren’t here todo anything other than save it.” I looked around the creatures warily. “We aren’t the only ones who have made it here. But we are the ones who aren’t going to hurt you—unless you pose a threat to us.”

One of the towering, Lycan-looking creatures growled and shifted.

Okay, not a monster then.

One moment, it was the hulking, frothing at the mouth beast. The next, it was ahe. A male.

He had to be of a similar age to the female, and like her, he had pointed ears. His eyes were two different colours, one violet like Orion’s, and one red, like Damon’s.

“We are no threat to you,” he growled, moving to stand beside the female. “And you will not?—”

“Hush,” she murmured, glancing up at him adoringly. “Who else is here?”

“A threat. To all of you. To all of us.” I addressed her completely, taking another hesitant step towards her. “I take it you know what the Daughter of Nyx means.”

She bowed her head. “I know the stories.”

I swallowed hard. “Then you know what I do, then? What I represent? What my power means?”

Her eyes crinkled at the corners as she gave me another nod. “Balance. Peace. At least, that is what the old stories say.”

I nodded. “There is someone who is going to destroy that. He is hunting me, because he wants my power. And he is also looking for the same thing I am. If he finds it first, if he manages to take my power, then that balance—that peace—is gone. All the worlds, from this one to the human realm, will be destroyed.”

“This would not be the first time someone called for the destruction of our world,” she said softly. “First was the Rift between worlds. It disrupted the magic thatthe Goddess used to create this land. Next, it was the war that took you and your people away. And now, it is another seeking power. That has nothing to do with us.”

“It has everything to do with?—”

“Phaedra.” A deep, almost musical voice cut me off. My chest heaved with frustrated breaths, but I turned to the source of the voice.

Another male. Young, maybe the same age as me, or a little older. He had dark brown skin, and short, tightly coiled hair. His ears were sharply pointed too, though he had rings running the length of his left ear. Unlike the other male, he had almost soft features and dark eyes that met mine briefly, before returning to the older couple.

I couldn’t ignore the slight shift in my magic at his appearance.

Traitor, I thought, tightening my hold on the powerful beast in my chest.

His scent tickled my nose, so different to the fresh, earthy scents I’d already encountered. His was sweet, almost sugary. Too nice as I breathed him in.

The new male moved to stand beside the couple, and he dropped his head to say something to her. Although I could hear him perfectly, I couldn’t understand the words he spoke. It was a language I’d never heard before.

The elder looked up at me, before meeting the stare of the young male. As they spoke, I turned away. The three shadow-creatures were now standing together, but none of the others had shifted. If they could, that was.

I do not like this at all,Maeve said.Be careful with what you reveal to them.

I glanced at her and gave her a shallow nod.I know.

The red hadn’t left her eyes. But now, it completely erased the blue. There were dark veins around her eyes, down her cheeks, that made my heart lurch.

Are you okay?I asked. I had never seen her reach this point before, where her features completely shifted. Her hands into claws, yes. But the way her eyes looked…

Not even hunger had brought it out.

Maeve’s brows furrowed, but she didn’t respond right away.

“What is it you seek?” the female asked finally. “Why are you here?”

I swallowed hard and looked away from Maeve to take in the three now watching us. “We’re looking for something of Nyx’s.”

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