5

IVY

I SLAMMED into a hard body as I exited Maeve’soffice, my breath coming out in a hard huff as I stumbled. Arms wound around me before I could fall, and I found myself enveloped in Adrian’s minty scent.

It brought an immense amount of security, being wrapped in his arms again.

“Can we talk?” he pleaded, eyes searching mine as he pulled back. “I’m sorry for walking out before. I just didn’t want to upset you, and…” He paused, throat bobbing as he swallowed.

Mate. Mate. Mate. My magic seemed to be screaming at me. The simple touch of his skin against mine ignited a storm of lightning through me. The nightmare disappeared to the back of my mind, the remnants forgotten because there was something else I needed.

I wanted to say yes, but the soft creak of a door opening pulled me away from his sad green eyes.

Standing at the end of the hall, wearing an oversized shirt, Ginny watched me, her tired eyes filling with tears that already stained her ruddy cheeks. She looked so much smaller than she had at Eloise’s birthday dinner. She whimpered, and my heart cracked as she sobbed and stumbled into a run towards me.

I dropped to my knees without a thought and opened my arms for her. Ginny’s little body slammed into me and shook as she buried her face into my shoulder and shuddered with her cries. Pain laced each sound she made, cracking my already fragile heart.

Even with Adrian so close, my magic pulled away from the need to complete the mate bond.

As I clutched Ginny close to my chest, my eyes swung up to find Adrian’s. I didn’t need to say anything, because he offered me a soft smile and nodded. His eyes seemed to say later, though he didn’t leave immediately. Instead, he bent down and pressed a soft kiss to the top of my head.

“We’ll figure it out,” he murmured, “I promise.”

Tears burned the back of my eyes as I nodded. I felt him leave, though I didn’t look up. I held on tighter instead, smoothing down Ginny’s hair as she continued to sob.

I should have been with them as soon as we arrived, I thought, smoothing a hand over her messy hair. I should have gone straight to the girls.

Part of me had been afraid of seeing Kerry in her state. Comatose, unresponsive, her chest barely moving even with the help of magic. There was guilt in there, too. Guilt over dragging my family into this mess, over not sending them away as soon as the threat became real. If only I’d listened to the team sooner, maybe Kerry would be alive.

But I felt guilt over not mourning, either. I was more worried about my sisters than I was Kerry. Our relationship was strained, and for the last few years, I’d been in low contact with my mother because of her outlook on my life. And I’d been fine with that. I hadn’t truly felt like I was missing out on anything.

Now, though, shame filled me as I soothed Ginny and waited for her sobs to slow. I felt guilty over not being sad enough, and it broke my heart that my sisters would have to continue with their lives—their very not human lives—without their mother.

“It’s going to be okay,” I murmured. “I’m here.”

Ginny hiccupped and nodded against my shoulder. “Why isn’t Mommy waking up?”

I ran my hand through her tangled hair lightly. A tear slipped down my cheek. How the hell do you tell your sister her mother likely isn’t going to wake up?

Instead of responding, I pressed my lips together. When her little body eventually stopped shaking, I pulled back slightly and looked her over. On the outside, she looked unharmed. No bruises, no cuts, no blood. Her eyes were red and puffy from the tears, but otherwise, she looked okay.

“Were you hurt, bub?” I asked softly, running my hands up and down her sides.

Ginny shook her head and rubbed her eyes, sniffling. “No. There was a scary man in my room. He told me to be quiet, and then I heard Mommy scream. But I fell asleep again.”

I nodded, swallowing hard. “It’s okay. You’re okay.”

Her blue eyes welled with tears. “But Mommy isn’t!”

“I know,” I whispered, wiping away a stray tear. “How about we go see Eloise and Maisie? Hmm? Then maybe I can give you a bath and brush your hair?”

Ginny didn’t seem too inclined to agree, but she nodded nonetheless, so I stood and took her small hand in my own. She guided me to the bedroom she and the girls were staying in and opened the door.

The only light illuminating the large room came from a lamp on the bedside table. A grey-haired woman stood from an armchair that had been moved to the bed and bowed her head as I entered. When our eyes met, I shook my head. I didn’t want to hear anything about being the next Queen of Nyx, especially not in front of the kids.

The woman simply nodded and stepped away from where Kerry rested. Ginny dropped my hand and rushed to take the now open armchair, curling up on the plush cushion, her eyes trained on our mother, who laid eerily still in the centre of the large king-sized bed. Stretched out beside her, Maisie slept, thumb between her lips. The only child missing was Eloise, who I had to hope was in the other bedroom.

“I have no news for you,” the woman murmured. “Her condition is much the same. I’m simply making her comfortable at this stage.”

I gnawed my bottom lip as I glanced down at my mother’s sleeping form. The bruises that had marred her face the day of the attack were gone. “You healed everything else, though?”

The woman nodded. “Yes. The poison has no cure, though. Not natural or magical. It is why it is outlawed and rarely used within the Faery realm. There is little we can do now.”

I swallowed hard and nodded. “She can’t recover on her own? She’s survived this long.”

She hesitated a moment before shaking her head. “It is unlikely. The poison is painful. It is eating away at her. Because of that, her mortal body will not be able to heal on its own.”

“Can I heal her? With my own magic?”

A grimace darkened the woman’s face. Before she could respond, the door to the adjacent bedroom opened.

“What do you mean, your own magic?”

Eloise stood in the doorway of the adjoiningbedroom, her hair pulled into a messy bun atop her head, blue eyes narrowed on me. I quickly scanned her to make sure she wasn’t injured in any way, but like Ginny, she seemed unharmed physically.

“I can explain,” I murmured, holding up a hand. “El—”

My sister shook her head and took a step back. “Are you—are you like the people who hurt Mom?”

“No!” My eyes widened, and I shook my head, sparing Ginny a look. Her eyes filled with tears again as she curled in on herself, getting further away from me. “No, Eloise, let me explain, okay? I’m not like the people who hurt Mom. Will you listen to what I have to say?”

Eloise pressed her lips into a thin line, reddened eyes raking over my body. She seemed ready to cuss me out—and I didn’t blame her. She was thirteen, hurt, and afraid.

“Please?”

Her gaze flickered from me to Kerry. I was prepared to leave and give her space, but she nodded. Instead of waiting for me, she re-entered the other bedroom.

I bowed my head at the healer before following. It was almost identical to Kerry’s room, the only difference being the window and its view. Between the trees, I spotted a shifter—a sleek, large black cat of some sort. Had Elias gone back out there after the nightmare crap? My heart tugged me towards the window. Please be safe, I thought, clutching my hands to my stomach.

Eloise grunted as she threw herself onto the unmade king-sized bed. “So? Are you a freak like them or not?”

I flinched and released a breath. “First of all, that’s not nice. Second of all, I am different. I’m not like any of them.”

She raised a brow and crossed her arms. “What are you then?”

How the hell did you explain any of this to a thirteen-year-old? I barely understood it, and I was nine years older than her. I was still questioning the possibility of it all, and I’d had more time to understand it.

“They—we—are part of the supernatural race,” I started, grimacing as she gave me a disbelieving look. “As in, vampires, shifters, witches, and demons are all real.”

“Sure,” she replied, drawing out the word. “And what are you?”

I bit my lip and perched on the edge of the bed beside her. “Crazy enough, I’m the next queen of the supernatural world.”

Eloise snorted. “Really?”

I nodded carefully. “I’m what’s called a Daughter of Nyx. It means I’m the Goddess’s representative, I think. I have her power, and therefore, I’m destined to rule. The current Queen is like me, and she’s getting ready to step down so I can take her place.”

“That’s crazy, you know that, right?” Her voice had taken on a shaky note, I noticed. Less disbelief and more uncertainty.

“I know,” I replied. “I’ve had a few weeks to sit on this, and I still can’t believe it.”

“Why didn’t you say anything before?” she asked. “Like, before this could happen?”

“I wasn’t really sure how to.” My heart hammered as I watched her take in this information, at the stress lining her tired eyes. “I wasn’t sure if it would be safer for you all to stay away, live your lives without me, or if I should bring you with me to their world.”

Beside me, Eloise stiffened. “So, you were going to leave us? Without saying anything?”

“El, I—” I stopped, releasing a harsh breath. “Honestly, I was trying to figure out what would be best for you guys. Turns out, they made the choice for me.”

“Who?” she whispered, finally looking me in the eye. Her mean-girl fa?ade cracked, revealing the scared kid beneath.

“Someone bad,” I replied. “Someone determined to hurt not only me, but everyone I care about. I’m so sorry.”

Eloise sucked in a shaky breath and closed her eyes. “Is Mom going to make it? Can you help her?”

I couldn’t lie, but I wasn’t sure if I could tell her the truth. After a moment, Eloise whimpered. Wrapping an arm around her shoulders, I tugged her into my chest and held her there while she cried. She thumped her fists against my chest, but I didn’t move.

“I don’t know what to do,” I whispered into her hair, closing my eyes. “I wish I could. For you guys, I would do anything to save her. But I don’t think anyone can help Mom.”

“You’re going to be the Queen,” she cried, finally settling into my arms. “Why can’t you save her?”

“Because she isn’t like us.” I ran a hand down her back. “What they gave us wasn’t meant for humans.”

Eloise sniffled and pulled away. “What do you mean?”

“I don’t want to hide anything from you, okay? But this should stay between us. The girls are too young to fully understand what I’m telling you. Okay?” El gave me a soft nod, and I sighed. “You aren’t human. Your dad wasn’t human. He was part of the supernatural world.”

Eloise frowned and completely pulled away, wiping her eyes. “What was he?”

“Siren, according to the team. Half-mermaid, half-demon. I don’t know much about them, but you and the girls are half-siren.”

“I—I don’t feel different, or weird, or supernatural. I can’t even swim well. Aren’t mermaids supposed to have tails?” she asked, brows raised incredulously.

I shrugged, offering her a half smile. “I don’t know. You can ask someone. Elias would know more than me.”

Eloise narrowed her eyes, and her lips pulled back into a grimace. “What is he?”

“Elias is a shifter. He turns into a wolf.”

“Like Jacob in Twilight?” she asked, eyes alight with mirth.

I snickered and pulled her back into my side. “Sort of, yes, but don’t say that in front of him. I don’t think he knows what Twilight is, and I’d like to keep it that way, especially because Thea called them the Cullens until we found out the truth.”

My sister stiffened. “Is Thea here too?”

I nodded. “Yeah, she’s here. She’s different too, but no one knows how.”

“Is she like you?” Eloise asked, pulling back, though not enough to remove herself from my grip.

I shrugged. “No, only the current Queen is like me. Thea is something else, which we’ll ask about when we get to Avalon. For now, she’s happy not knowing, I think.”

Eloise sat silently for a few moments, so I let her go through the information I’d dumped on her. It was a lot, more than what she should be allowed to handle. But Eloise was a lot like me: she needed to have some semblance of control over her situation, and if giving her the truth gave her the control she needed, then I’d give it to her.

Finally, she slumped against me. “So, Mom’s really going to die?”

I nodded, pressing a kiss to her temple. “The woman in the other room is making her comfortable. I don’t think Mom’s going to make it. I’m so sorry.”

“How do we tell Ginny and Maisie?”

I squeezed my little sister tight. “You don’t worry about that. I’ll figure it out. I need you to know that I’m not going anywhere. Neither is Thea. And this isn’t permanent. We’ll be leaving soon.”

“Somewhere we’ll be safe?” she asked quietly.

“I hope so,” I replied honestly, squeezing her against me once more. “I just need to make sure you guys are protected, and if that means becoming Queen and making sure you have twenty-four-seven bodyguards, then that’s what’s going to happen, okay?”

Eloise snorted. “Bodyguards? Really?”

“Absolutely.” I nodded, meeting her stare. “You’re going to be followed around by men in suits with sunglasses and earpieces. That, I’ll make sure of.”

Eloise snorted again and laughed. “Ugh, that’s going to suck.” She was quiet for a few moments, sighing. “I didn’t get to say goodbye to my friends. Ginny probably won’t ever get to dance with her team again. And Maisie…”

“I know. I’m sorry. I know you’ll make new friends because that’s the kind of girl you are, Eloise. Sometimes you’re a little prickly and maybe a little mean, but you’re so outgoing you tend to make people like you.”

“Maybe that’s my superpower,” she snarked, grinning. “Being mean and making people like me anyway.”

“Sirens in mythology sang and dragged sailors to their deaths. But I don’t think that works for you because I’ve heard you sing, and it’s awful.”

Eloise smacked my arm, and her smile faltered. “Like you can talk.”

The smile slipped from my lips, and I sobered up quickly as her eyes filled with tears again, because I knew what she was thinking—we got the terrible voices from Kerry. “So, do you think you’ll be okay for now? I know this is going to be hard, but you need to know you can always talk to me. About anything. I don’t want you worrying over how to tell the girls about all of this—that’s not your responsibility. I’m going to take care of you now, okay?”

Eloise’s lips trembled as she nodded. On a shaky breath, she said, “Okay,” and dove into my arms.

For a while, I let her cry while holding in my own tears. For Eloise, Ginny, and Maisie, for the little girls who were losing their mother after being abandoned by their dad.

When the tears stopped, I held Eloise at arm’s length. “Shower and change. I want to introduce you to the team. Would that be okay?”

Eloise hesitated for a moment before nodding. “Okay. I’m a little hungry. Maisie probably wants to eat, and I think Ginny does, too.”

“Okay,” I replied, nodding. “I’m going to put them in the bath, see if I can detangle their hair, and hope there are toothbrushes lying around.”

A half-smile appeared on my sister’s face as she stood. “Good luck getting Ginny to brush her teeth. She’s been refusing for the last week.”

I sighed. Worry ate at me as Eloise slipped into the ensuite bathroom for the bedroom. I waited until the shower turned on before returning to Kerry’s room. Maisie was finally awake and threw herself at me before I could speak. I didn’t say a word as she clung to me, though she didn’t cry like her sisters. She simply held onto me like she was afraid to let go.

I picked Maisie up and ushered Ginny into the bathroom to run them a bath, instructing them both to strip while I found shampoo and bubble bath. Somehow, someone had filled the cabinets beneath the sink with everything the girls would need, including bath bombs, toothbrushes, and kid-friendly shampoo.

Maisie chattered while I scrubbed her head, but Ginny remained quiet. I knew she was worried but when I offered her a smile, she gave me one back.

With both girls cleaned and dried off, I hunted down clothes for them. The witch staying with Kerry pointed towards a closet, and I found a few things that might fit the kids, but I would need to get a hold of new clothes for them all once we were on the island.

My stomach plummeted at the thought. I had no idea what life would be like for them there. I was so worried about the Queen shit that I had no clue what the girls would do once we arrived.

“Ivy?” Maisie appeared, her wet hair curling at the ends, eyes red as she rubbed them. “I’m hungry.”

I offered her a smile that I hoped looked reassuring. “I know, nugget. How about we go down and see what we can find. I’m sure Thea can help make us something yummy.”

Maisie’s eyes brightened but flickered over to Kerry. “I don’t want to leave Mommy in case she wakes up.”

A knot formed in my throat as I followed her gaze. Kerry’s chest barely moved, and when it did, it looked laboured. Her cheeks were hollow, and the bags under her eyes were bruised. She looked like death was waiting for her, and there was nothing I could do to protect my baby sister from that.

“Mommy just needs to sleep. She won’t wake up while you eat. I promise.”

Maisie’s eyes found mine, eyes watery, but she nodded. She placed her soft hand in mine and let me guide her over to Ginny and Eloise, who waited by the door.

I spared Kerry another look. The witch bowed her head. “I will keep watch over your mother, don’t you fret. She is stable and comfortable.”

For now, I wanted to add. But I looked away. I swallowed the lump in my throat and nodded. There was nothing I could do for Kerry, according to them.

But there was more I could be doing for the three girls crowding around me.

So, I pushed my shoulders back, gave them all a smile, and led them out of the room.

For them, I would do better. No matter what.