6
MAEVE
THE room fell into an anxious silence as ivy andher three sisters made their way down the stairs. There was a determination in the way Ivy walked, in the way her eyes danced over those of us standing around the sleek kitchen.
The younger girls shied away, but the eldest focused her hardened gaze on Elias first, then gave the rest of us uneasy glances. Her anger was potent and well-understood. She was in this position because we had failed to protect her family properly. The blame rested on my shoulders alone.
“You’re all here,” Ivy said, a pleased smile curving her lips. I wouldn’t tell her that I’d overheard her intentions of introducing her sisters to us, nor would I admit to eavesdropping because I was still worried after her nightmare. I had a thousand things to do to prepare for our departure before full moon, yet I put everything on hold so Ivy’s sisters could be more at ease in our presence.
I tried to ignore the odd rattling of my heart as Ivy’s soft gaze swept over us. I caught sight of my dagger tucked into the hem of her pants and noted I would need to get her a new sheath and harness for it soon.
“Great. Okay.” Ivy knelt and gently positioned the youngest and middle child in front of her. Each movement was soft, and they moved like a well-oiled machine. The young girls trusted her implicitly and loved her dearly. Ivy clearly felt the same, despite her reservations about her family.
“All right. You guys all know Elias—he’s the grumpy one standing by the fridge—” The youngest girl giggled, her cheeks pink, and she waved a shy hand in Elias’s direction. The shifter, who I expected to grunt, gave her a little wave back, eyes soft. “—Standing next to him is Adrian.” The mood in the kitchen lightened as both girls looked at him.
“Next is Rowan.” She pointed to the mage, who gave the girls a wide smile as he rested his hip against the kitchen island. “He can be funny sometimes. At least, he thinks so. And last is Maeve. She’s the leader of these guys.”
Wide, blue eyes fell on me. They were all the same shade, stark against their ruddy faces. A representation of their species, no doubt. It made me wonder which pod their father belonged to.
Unlike the others, I wasn’t as…versed with children. In my past, they had been an awful expectation, a duty that would have taken my freedom, my life. So, standing before three who were on the cusp of losing their mother, who had their entire lives changed in a matter of moments, I wasn’t sure what to do with them.
I opened my mouth to say something, but Thea appeared and clapped her hands. “Pretty sure these kids are hungry, so if you supes don’t mind, I’m going to take over the kitchen.”
Clearing my throat, I shook my head. “Go right ahead. Do what you need to do.” My eyes found Ivy’s. There was a strange glint in her dark eyes, and as she cocked her head, I fought the urge to wring my hands in worry.
Ivy whispered something to the girls, who all filed into the living room adjacent to the kitchen. There wasn’t much for them to do in the safe house, which suddenly made me feel…sad. They’d been here nearly two days, watched over by a stranger, sleeping beside their dying mother.
I’ll do something, I decided. My heart gave a strange thump.
Electricity scorched my skin as Ivy appeared beside me. “Can I talk to you?” she asked quietly, eyes dark with worry. “Just for a moment.”
I nodded and followed her into one of the downstairs bedrooms. The expansive windows were so clear it looked almost like the forest was waiting inside the room.
Ivy gazed around the space for a moment, lips parted, before pressing them together and meeting my eye. Her cheeks flushed red as she crossed her arms.
“I’m sorry if that made you feel uncomfortable in any way—”
“No,” I cut in, shaking my head. “I’m sorry it seemed that way. Truthfully, I’m unsure what to do around them because of their current predicament, not because I…don’t like them.” If I had blood in my veins, it would be rushing to my cheeks.
The tension in Ivy’s shoulders lifted as she blew out a breath. “Thank fuck. I’m a little worried about them, too. I need to know what we’re doing about Kerry, because I need to tell them something. They can’t keep watching her wither away. It’s not fair on them—and it’s not fair on Kerry.” Tears filled her eyes, which she quickly wiped away with a scoff. “Sorry. I’m dumping so much on you, but…I just don’t know what to do.”
The urge to comfort her, to bring her into my arms and sooth the pain clouding her eyes, nearly overwhelmed me. It was a feeling so unfamiliar, yet it nearly brought me to my knees.
It felt like the way my mentor talked about his mate.
An uncomfortable feeling arose in my chest as I took a step in her direction. Ivy didn’t move away. She didn’t flinch as I lifted my hand to her cheek.
“I’m sorry this has all happened to you,” I said, wiping my thumb over a stray tear. “I promised I would help you through this, and I meant it. I will do what I can for you and your sisters during this time.”
Ivy swallowed audibly before nodding. “Thank you.”
I bowed my head and took a step back. “Don’t thank me yet. I still have to deliver on my promises.”
Her brows pulled together in a frown as I exited the room. I had to push thoughts of my mentor, of his words and explanations to the back of my mind. I did not have the privilege of mulling over the implications of my feelings.
I was the cause of her pain because I had not done my job. I’d underestimated the enemy, and now my future Queen’s mother was going to die.
~
Work was my excuse for not joining everyone at dinner. Said I needed to review reports and work out our next steps. It wasn’t a lie, but it hadn’t been the whole truth, either.
The truth was, I couldn’t look at the three girls, at the sadness in their eyes, the childhood ripped out from beneath them, and not feel enough guilt to drown me.
Instead, I locked myself in my personal office and poured over the reports Jay and the rest of his team sent through about our enemies. Twelve hours worth of documents and files to go through. Death reports, names and species, numbers that shouldn’t have been able to survive outside of our world, and yet they had.
Someone close to Queen Greer was behind this. There was no possible way an organisation of this size could hide without the Queen’s knowledge. The resources needed to achieve this kind of attack were larger than any could conceal.
At least, that’s what I assumed, considering what I learnt through the memory feeding. It hadn’t yielded nearly enough information, and I was still struggling to sift through what had been available.
My jaw clenched as I thought about the Fae woman Elias had brought me during the rescue mission. Her blood, bitter and cold, like berries frozen in a winter storm, was fresh on my tongue as I assessed her thin, manila file.
She was nothing special in the eyes of the Fae Courts, especially not in Unseelie.
Biting into her had revealed nothing. I hadn’t drained her, but by the time I was done, she’d been near dead.
Some of the girl’s memories had been blocked purposefully. Likely with the knowledge that she would come in contact with someone like me or a mind mage. One of Queen Greer’s mates was a mind mage, so if my theory was correct, I would bet on the blocks being for him.
I dragged a hand over my face and sighed. The tablet on the desk beside me pinged with a message.
JAY:We’ve cleared all locations. Trucks with furniture and belongings are on their way to the ferry and should be waiting for you in Avalon. They’ve been cleared of all foreign charms and trackers.
JAY:Also, you need to stop using me as a removalist. I’m a fucking agent.
I responded with a roll of my eyes.
ME:You just helped the next Queen of Nyx. Be proud that you’re on her team.
Jay didn’t respond immediately, which gave me the chance to send him a second message.
ME: I need you to send over some of the children’s belongings. Clothes, toys, things they can occupy themselves with while we wait for news on their mother.
JAY: So, safe houses aren’t child friendly. Who knew?
JAY: I’ll have Briggs go through the trucks and transport some things over. Tell Archer to be ready. Need anything for Her Majesty?
ME: Her laptop if it’s been cleared. There should have been notebooks and folders on her desk. Those too.
JAY:I’ll see what I can do. Check in soon.
Before I could put the tablet back, the screen turned red with a call from the queen. I swallowed hard and accepted.
Queen Greer appeared; silver hair pulled back into a knot. Beside her, Seer Sable, with her bronze hair a mass of curls, braids, and charms, eyed me warily. Both watched me for a moment, and it appeared none of the Queen’s mates were joining the call.
Odd. Though I didn’t speak that thought aloud. Instead, I bowed my head and brought my fist to my chest. “Your Majesty.”
“Maeve. Good. I apologise for reaching out without notice, but I wanted to inform you that a new team is leaving for you now.”
I tensed. A new team? To replace us, maybe? Was Queen Greer unconvinced I would be able to return with Ivy? Was she questioning my leadership after the attack? Shame and guilt burned through me as I lowered my eyes from the tablet.
“Of course, Your Majesty.”
“They will be aiding you with Ivy’s return. We are uncertain of our enemies’ next move, and having an evacuation team on hand will protect her and her family. You are still the leader of this mission. Your team is simply being added to.”
I wasn’t sure if it was relief or something else that washed through me, but I was undoubtedly glad I wasn’t being pulled from Ivy’s side. I doubted leaving her with a new team would help her, especially with her magic developing at the rate it was. She trusted us, at the very least.
“When will this new team arrive?” I asked, pressing my hands together in my lap. “So, I can prepare the rest of my team for their arrival and warn Ivy of this change.”
Seer Sable gave me a pleased smile and nodded. “In under five days. They’ll remain at the safe house with you until the full moon and the crossing opens. Have you had a chance to discuss her mother’s condition with her?”
My shoulders rose and fell as if releasing a breath. “I have promised Ivy I would take care of it. She wants to tell her sisters something.”
Sadness filled the queen’s eyes. “Those poor girls,” she murmured, voice trailing off. “Leith is working to find ways to help them with their siren sides. He’s never encountered half-sirens left to the mortal world. But we will aid them in any way we can.”
“I know Ivy will appreciate that. She had no knowledge of her stepfather being anything other than mortal, so I know the revelation of her sisters being something else shocked her. Ivy wants what’s best for those girls; their care is her top priority right now.”
Queen Greer nodded solemnly. “I understand that. Which is why we won’t push for her to leave before she is ready. But it is necessary you move soon. In just over three weeks, the ferry will return to the mortal world. You have to move before then.”
We sat in silence for several moments, and I took the time to take in the queen. I’d noticed in our initial meetings how tired she looked, and it seemed the magic seeping from her and into Ivy was ageing her. Lines marked the corners of her eyes and lips, a tell-tale sign of her long and happy life. There were centuries’ worth of memories in the lines of her face: her rise as a Daughter of Nyx, the meeting of her mates, and the births of her many children.
Would Ivy’s life be as full? I almost laughed at that thought, knowing it would be fuller somehow. That she would make the most of her half-millennia as Queen.
Finally, I cleared my throat. “If it’s not too much hassle, I would like files on all those in the new team. As a safety measure, I’d like to know about them before they arrive.”
Queen Greer nodded. “Yes, of course. Ya’Dahir will send them your way soon.”
“And we should set up a meeting with her,” the Seer interjected, her eyes shining with mischief. “The girl needs to know she’s not alone in all this, and we need to give her some reassurance. Her life is changing rapidly, and without mate bonds, I suspect she’s feeling untethered right now.”
I shifted uncomfortably and blew out a breath. “I will talk to Ivy about a meeting. But…” I hesitated and met the Queen’s stare. “You should know a mate bond was revealed during the attack.”
Greer’s brows rose in surprise, while the Seer clapped excitedly. “Oh, how perfect,” Sable replied, winking at the Queen.
“We’ll discuss this further during our official meeting,” Greer said, her tired eyes meeting mine. “I do not want to add any pressure on her during this sad time. But I hope her mate can help her.”
I bowed my head in agreeance. I had no doubt Adrian would be capable of doing just that. Even after their rocky beginnings, it was clear the mage cared deeply for her—and she, him, even if she wasn’t ready to acknowledge it.
“If there is nothing else,” I said, “I should return to my duties. But I should mention that Ivy’s nightmares are getting worse, and I worry for her mental health. If we could get that potion…”
“Yes, that’s something I can acquire for her,” Queen Greer replied with a soft smile. The Queen continued by assuring me there was nothing else to the call other than the second team’s send-off, but Seer Sable cleared her throat before I could end the call.
“One last thing, Maeve Grey,” she said, voice hoarse and wicked. “Don’t second guess yourself. You were made the leader for a reason. You were given this job because I know what you’re capable of.”
With that, the call cut off, leaving me perplexed and uncertain as I stared at my reflection.
She knew. Seer Sable, it seemed, foresaw something she shouldn’t have.