25

MAEVE

ONE vision detailing Ivy’s future as a prisoner meant endless possibilities.

But two visions featuring her chained, beaten, and at the mercy of an unfamiliar enemy?

I couldn’t take any chances. There were few things I knew about how the visions of mages and witches worked. The passage of time could always change, shift depending on circumstances. There were any number of ways a future could unfold and many paths one could take to avoid their prophesied end. Nothing was set in stone like I’d been led to believe.

And yet, I couldn’t help but think Ivy’s future wasn’t like the rest. That she would be unlike any other. This could be Nyx’s plan, Her way of preparing Ivy for the throne. Or perhaps Nyx’s enemies had found a way to go against everything the Goddess had set out for her.

Even if the Goddess herself was somehow involved in Ivy’s future suffering, I knew I would do anything to make sure that future would never come to pass.

A loud knock startled me out of my thoughts, drawing me back to the present. I scented the air almost absentmindedly, hoping it would be Ivy on the other side of the door. But the scent of coconut and coffee wasn’t there; instead, smoke, cinnamon, and sweat met my nose. The other team leader didn’t wait for me to call out and entered my office with his shoulders thrown back and his chin lifted. I was well aware of the tension between him and his team and my own. After the events of Ivy’s power surge, I had no doubt he was feeling more validated in his beliefs that we were not capable of caring for our future Queen—despite two of her mates being here.

His dark eyes surveyed the room before landing on where I sat behind the desk. Shadows filled his hooded eyes, telling almost more than his blank expression. “Nash,” I said, motioning to one of the chairs across from me. There was a small amount of pleasure in knowing he had to wait on me, no matter how much he wished he were in charge of this operation. “Please. We have much to discuss.”

Hawk’s jaw clenched as he took one of the chairs, lowering his tall frame onto the plush seat. So out of place in this modern office. I wasn’t too fond of the space, but it did its job and was functional. I knew it made him uncomfortable, too, but he hid it well, shifting so he had one leg stretched out in front of him, taking on an air of laziness and arrogance that likely served him well in his previous missions.

“Nothing is keeping us here, and we have a short timeframe to move,” he started, keeping his stare levelled on me. “We’ve been here long enough, don’t you think?”

“We have,” I replied, attempting to keep the disdain from my voice. “Getting Ivy to Avalon is imperative for her safety.”

“And so she doesn’t blow up again?” Hawk cocked his head, the only movement he made. “What happened should have never been an option.”

I fought to keep the sneer from my face as I kept my voice level. “What happened was tragic. She and her sisters lost their mother. She blames herself for what happened, for putting her mother in such a position, and I don’t blame her for feeling that way. We knew there was a chance her emotions would affect her magic.”

“It could have been avoided if the teams had moved on to the next location, and you know it.” He sat up slowly, the laziness gone. “Now, she’s more volatile.”

I shook my head, my teeth clenching. Irritation swirled within me, as did the need to defend Ivy. A small part of me agreed that it could have been handled differently, that perhaps we could have been better prepared for the aftermath of such a high-stress situation. But I honestly believed that she would be okay with two mates there to help her through her emotions.

The power surge had still been too much despite being bonded to two of her three mates. I’d seen the effects it had on Elias, on the way his knees had buckled when she’d escaped the house. How Adrian, who wasn’t even bonded to her fully, had staggered to the door as Hawk had taken off after her. It’d been the draining of my strength that had kept me trapped in the house despite the sinking sun. Not even Rowan had been able to make it to the door without dropping to his knees.

The other team members had felt the staggering effects of Ivy’s power, too, but not to the same extent as my team.

How Hawk had managed to withstand her brutal magic was beyond me. “The worst of it is over. Soon, she’ll be anchored to her mates.” I didn’t specify that she would be completely anchored; I refused to let that bit of information leave our central team. No one else needed to know that Ivy had a third mate already, one she’d been bonded to since before she started transitioning into a Daughter of Nyx. “You are here to plan an extraction, Nash, not comment on our future Queen’s reactions to terrible events. Now, do you have a plan regarding the move, or do you need more time to twiddle your thumbs and insert yourself where you are not needed?”

Hawk blinked rapidly, almost like he was surprised I would snap at him over this discussion. “Well, Grey, that’s certainly a way to move this along.”

I grunted and shook my head. “Then move it along, Nash. Where are we with the extraction?”

His eyes darkened with mirth as he leaned forward. He took the tablet from the desk, entered his details, and pulled up a map of the state. “We know soldiers are searching the surrounding areas for us. In the event of them finding us, we’ve created five alternative paths out of here and to the ferry.”

The extraction plan was in-depth and had enough information to give me some hope that Hawk Nash and his team could do what they claimed. The written plan and report had more details than necessary, but I had a feeling that was more for Elias and Adrian than for myself. The car situation and moving everyone worried me the most, but Hawk had assured me—with proof—that this would be the safest way to move everyone quietly and keep Ivy safe.

I scrubbed a hand over my face. Darkness filled the small office, the sound of rain a dull thrum against the leaves of the forest. Hawk was gone, thank the Goddess. Watching him had been interesting. He gave nothing away, especially concerning Ivy. The report Rowan had given me about how they found him with her in the forest led me to believe that perhaps the half-Fae male expected more out of our future Queen—or, at the very least, he wanted more from her. I”d never seen Rowan as angry as that evening when he”d finally made it back to the safe house and told me about how they”d found Hawk with Ivy wrapped in his arms, his wings spread around her, cocooning her within. He apparently hadn”t seen an issue with handling of the situation.

Since Elias hadn’t made a complaint, I decided I would leave it alone—for now. Instead, I wanted to observe him further, especially around Ivy.

The tablet vibrated beside me with an incoming call, dragging me out of suspicions surrounding this new team. A dull ache started in my temple, begging me to finally rest after days of constant work.

I answered the call regardless, coming face-to-face with Queen Greer. For the first time in weeks, she was alone. “Good evening, Maeve.”

I bowed my head, bringing my fist to my heart. “Your Majesty. What can I do for you tonight?”

“I just wanted to check-in. We received Kerry Sullivan’s body, and she is now with the necromancers as they prepare her for burial.” Sadness filled the blue eyes of the Queen. Her age was becoming so much more apparent now. Her hair was thinner now, and her posture slacker, the simple acts of nobility she’d once mastered were now weaker with each passing day. It felt like months had passed since that first day, when she’d given us the mission to find our new Queen. That time was written clearly across her face.

My stomach twisted, for Ivy and her sisters, and the pain they were going through. I bowed my head in thanks. “I will relay that to Ivy. She will appreciate the update.”

For a long moment, the Queen simply stared, her eyes still sharp despite the years now dragging her down. “How is she?”

I stiffened subconsciously but relaxed my shoulders. “She had a power surge, but there was no damage.”

“I do not blame her for that kind of reaction.” The Queen shook her head sadly, pressing her hands to her heart. “And the children?”

“Mourning.” There was no other way to describe the sullen quiet that permeated the house with their loss. After the kidnapping, Ivy had been able to pull them out of their shells, and they were finally getting comfortable with the team. Now, it was like they’d disappeared with their mother. “Ivy worries about them. I think we all do. They’re so young.”

I’d been a young girl when I’d lost my own mother to sickness, not much older than Eloise was now, though young enough that it still impacted me greatly. I understood, to some extent, their pain, their tears.

Queen Greer nodded again, her movements slow. “We will do what we can for them once they reach Avalon. We will work on finding their father and reuniting them.”

I didn’t say anything about that. From what I’d observed, there was no relationship between them and Andrew Sullivan. The man was a ghost as far as we could tell. A siren, who could be anywhere. If he hadn’t returned for his children before this, I had to wonder if he wanted to claim them at all. Eloise would be the hardest to convince of finding him. I had a feeling she held tightly to grudges, and I wouldn’t blame her for this one.

“I am also sending you what you requested,” Queen Greer added, a hopeful smile crossing her face. “The potion has been prepared. I hope this gives Ivy the relief she needs. It should be taken in three parts. One third the first night, another third the second night, and the final third the last night. This will take a few days to work, but it will stop the nightmares.”

Her hands moved as she initiated a transportation spell. Usually, with the ones I’d witnessed, another mage or witch had to be present for it to come through. And yet, she uttered the words of the spell under her breath, and it appeared beside me, the small blue vial no larger than my thumb.

The Queen’s hands shook as she lowered them to her lap. “Give her my condolences and reiterate that her mother is in safe hands. We look forward to receiving her and her family come the next full moon.”

“Thank you, my Queen. I will pass your words—and this potion—along to her soon.”

The screen went black as Queen Greer ended the call. Her words rang in my ears as I pocketed the potion. Rising, I took in the starlit sky. It was likely too late for me to see her now. She’d probably already gone to bed.

I tried to ignore the ache in my chest and the dull thrum of the oncoming headache as I finally left the office. I would also need to feed soon, but the thought of a blood bag made my stomach turn. What I needed was to feed from the vein, and soon.

Shaking my head, I descended onto the main floor of the house. The kitchen held a few agents, though they were quiet as they ate a late dinner. By scent, it was something Thea had made. She’d taken to cooking most meals as a way to alleviate her own stress. And by all the baked goods crowding the refrigerator, I guessed she was just as overwhelmed as everyone else. No one seemed to complain about the bags of muffins, though.

I nodded to Tig and Navya before opening the refrigerator. We’d been pushing the blood bags behind a large container, mostly to hide them from the young children. But as I pushed the container aside, I stiffened.

Bastards. We were empty, and no one had thought to restock? I should have known the extra vampire would mean doubling up on supplies, but I’d thought he’d at least have the decency to make sure the supply was refilled.

I slammed the door shut and stalked out of the kitchen. The thrum of the oncoming headache only worsened as I exited the house and entered the chilly November night. The rain did nothing against the irritation filling me.

“Grey.” I spun to face the side of the house where Elias appeared. His hair was wet, but he didn’t seem all that bothered by it.

“I didn’t realise you were on patrol,” I replied, turning away from him. “You should be with your mate.”

I hadn’t intended the bitterness of my words. But I knew I was never destined to have one of my own, at least not in this lifetime.

The wolf shifter came to a stop beside me and shrugged. “She’s safe, and I need to know the wards are still in place. There’s no peace for me until I know she’s as safe as possible here.”

“We’re preparing to leave soon, so she won’t be here much longer.”

Elias bowed his head, shoulders tense. “Good. She’s resting now, still feeling the effects of the surge. She’s sleeping more because of it.”

“Are the nightmares any better?” I asked carefully, slipping a hand into my pocket, and feeling for the small vial.

“They’re subdued but not gone.” There was a hopelessness in his tone that made my heart clench. “Why?”

His gaze turned to me, and I forced myself to pull the potion from my pocket and show it to him. “The Queen sent me this. I’d promised I’d get it for Ivy. It’ll help with the nightmares.”

Elias blew out a breath, and the tension seemed to roll off his body. I couldn’t hide my own relief as I watched him. Had the nightmares been so terrible? I’d seen her when she’d come out of them, and the terror in her eyes had been enough for me to understand the gravity of them. But what did Elias know? What was he allowed to see that no one else could?

“I intend on giving it to her tomorrow,” I said, pocketing the vial. “There is...something I need to talk to her about.”

The shifter’s brows furrowed. “What do you need to talk to her about?”

My hands clenched, the dull throb in my head worsening. Under other circumstances, I may have told my second about the blood lust, that I’d been consumed by my own weakness.

But he was not simply my second, not anymore. He was her mate, which came first to everything.

“What happened, Grey?”

I shook my head but offered him a look. “She and I had a run-in a few days ago, and I’m afraid I may have scared her. I wasn’t in my right mind, and since then, I haven’t had a chance to fully apologise for or explain what she saw.”

Elias’s eyes turned hard, his wolf below the surface, the power of his mating to Ivy coming through as he watched me. Did he see me as a threat to his mate? I wouldn’t blame him if he did. If she were my mate and another treated her the way I did, I would react as violently as I suspected he would. The need to protect would come over me, and I would see that person as a threat—even if they were my superior.

I waited for him to shift, to land the first blow. But his nostrils flared, and he stepped back. “You didn’t intentionally hurt her. Hell, I don’t think you had the impact on her you think you did. If you did actually scare her, you think I wouldn’t know about it already?”

I tensed, my entire body coiling tight. But his words struck me, and I couldn’t help but narrow my eyes at him. “What?”

“If you had actually scared her, like you claim you did, I would know. It’s not something she can hide from me, Grey.” There was amusement in his eyes as he shrugged. “I’ll be honest. Of all the people here, I trust you the most when it comes to her life.”

My dead heart thumped in my chest for a moment as I considered his words their implications. But before I could question him further, he stepped towards the safe house. “I need to see my mate. I’m sure you’ll get the potion to her tomorrow.”

With those parting words, he left, slipping into the house silently. The knowledge that he would be going to his mate burned through me, envy filling my veins and settling in the pit of my stomach. The throb of the headache returned. Tomorrow, I’d feed—and then I would find Ivy, and pray to the Goddess that this extraction went safely.