44

IVY

EVERYONE else might have been able to return to normal after the three mages’ deaths, but I couldn’t help but feel uneasy. Like there was something I was missing.

And I had a feeling it had something to do with Orion.

Everything about him made me wary, his entire presence setting me off in a way no one else did.

Maybe it was fear. He was a terrifying male, if I were to believe Vanya. And I was certainly tempted to. It wasn’t just her word I had anymore. The rest of the academy proved it to me. Orion Black of the Luna Court, their prince and heir, was dangerous. Powerful.

Potentially even a threat. I shuddered, and my magic rose within me. Just like me, it didn’t know what to expect from the Fae prince. The rumour about his dead mate made me sympathetic to him. I couldn’t even fathom it; to try to imagine a world where I lost one of mine made me sick. And I almost had. More than once. I still had another somewhere out there, who remained a constant pressure on my bonds and magic.

So, I couldn’t judge Orion for the steps he took after everything he’d gone through.

But I still wasn’t sure I believed it all.

I pressed my lips into a firm line as Vanya and I left our History of Witches class. I couldn’t help but try to seek out the male in question, like I expected him to be stalking the halls. But of course, he wasn’t there. I wasn’t even sure why I tried, or why I doubted the rumours.

“Everything okay?” Vanya asked, bumping her shoulder into mine. Since finding out about me being the Daughter of Nyx, she hadn’t brought it up. Not asked a single question, despite me knowing she desperately wanted to. The charm was on, and working, a gift from Adrian over the weekend, though she didn’t seem to mind it.

I shrugged as we walked to our History of Nyx she always wore black, even with the uniform, but she never seemed to care about the other Fae around her—only Orion.

Maybe it was just a coincidence. But after everything I’d gone through, was that even possible?

Vanya and I took our seats towards the back of the classroom, near some shifters and Born vampires. Finally, I was starting to pick up on who was who.

Still, though, I had to check in with the others to be sure.

Maeve’s presence touched the back of my mind, as if to remind me she was close. I brushed the bond in return to let her know I was okay.

Vanya sighed and slumped in her seat. “Have you seriously found no one here that tickles your mate bonds?”

I snorted and shook my head. “No, I haven’t.” Unless you counted Hawk and Orion, that was.

The latter seemed to be spoken for. But I had the feeling I should confront him. Get answers directly from the source. Even if he wasn’t who I thought he was, at least he could answer my question of why ? Why attack the mages? I would understand if he had problems with them before, or if they’d targeted him after the confrontation. But it seemed a little too pointed to hang them up in the hallway where they’d attacked Vanya and me.

“That’s so disappointing,” Vanya muttered, drawing me out of my thoughts. “Seriously. Not one?”

“Nope.” I shrugged and pulled out our history textbook on Nyx as Professor Devereaux entered the room. The class fell silent, and I understood why.

Of all the professors, he was the most sought out. Not only was he a powerful vampire, but he was also extremely handsome. And he was one of the only vampires in existence to have a familiar.

The little I knew about him made me curious, just like everyone else.

Beside me, Vanya melted a bit. I barely held back a giggle as she rested her chin on her hand. Almost half the class swooned in his presence, and I got it. He was the literal definition of tall, dark, and handsome. Ebony skin and dark, braided hair that framed his sharp features. He typically wore a black suit every day, and today was no different. His eyes were just as dark, and when he seemed particularly interested in a lesson, his passion showed when they flashed red.

Old me would have joined them. The male was indeed gorgeous. But I had plenty of my own to lust after, and I wasn’t sure if I had room in my heart—or head—for anymore.

Throughout the class on Aura, the third Queen of Nyx, my eyes unintentionally sought out Orion. The prince with the silver-white hair and violet eyes. Deep down, I believed it could be possible. That he could be Ry. Maybe it was a fantasy. But there was no one else at the academy who fit the boy I once knew.

Or it was just hope that made me see Orion that way. Maybe Ry was still hiding, like he promised. After everything he’d done to keep me at arm’s length, I doubted he’d reveal himself so easily. That would go against everything he’d warned me about.

I sighed and forced myself to look away from Orion and instead focus on the chapter about Queen Aura. Other than being the third Queen of Nyx, she’d been an important figure in the fall of the Old World. It had been the next Daughter of Nyx, Queen Daphne, who had worked with the founding witch bloodlines to build Avalon.

Her story was tragic and inspiring, but it still didn’t make an impact, not when my thoughts were elsewhere. I recognised just how terrifying it must have been for her, and my magic reacted when either she or Queen Aura were mentioned. But my mind drifted to Ry, and the feeling of unease continued to build within me.

When the tinkling bell sounded, I packed away the textbook and made a mental note to read the chapter later, when I wasn’t so distracted.

Vanya and I moved in sync, leaving the classroom several steps behind Orion and his group of Fae. Gently, I caressed the bond between me and Ry. With the others, I could tell when they were close. Maeve was my shadow, a constant presence at my back, never too far from me. Elias remained just as close, a constant, warming presence.

But around Orion, I wasn’t sure what I felt. It was a sort of blankness, an emptiness that was hard to explain. My skin prickled under his gaze, but my magic…Either it reacted positively to his presence, or it shied away.

“You are so eyeing him off like he’s your next meal,” Vanya whispered, nudging me sharply.

I tore my eyes from his tall frame to glare at my friend. “I am not.”

Her brows rose and she shook her head, chuckling. “You so are.” As the group of Fae turned towards their class, Vanya and I veered towards the library. “What are you thinking about?”

I chewed my lip. We made it to the library unscathed, and like always, I took in the cathedral-like arches and tall ceilings, the large windows overlooking the campus. The library was on the second floor, and it took up an entire wing, filled with selves and study rooms and tables.

Instead of replying, I moved towards one of the small, private study rooms. “I’m just…thinking.”

Vanya caught up and when I glanced at her, she rolled her eyes dramatically. “I gathered as much. You know what I mean.”

To that, I sighed. “It’s just…I don’t know. I was thinking about how overwhelming all of this is going to be. I have this feeling that you-know-who is close. But I also have no way of knowing where he is.”

Vanya paused in the doorway of our study room. She pressed her lips in a line as she looked me over. “You definitely need to explain that part of your past with me. I mean, I’ve heard some crazy things, but your story is just so…odd.”

“Tell me about it,” I muttered, entering the room and letting the door close behind us. “I wish I could explain it better, but…” I stopped and shook my head. “It’s so fucking complicated.”

Vanya dropped her textbooks on the table and sat propping her chin on her hand. “Enlighten me.”

So, I did. I gave her the run down I’d given everyone else. Getting Ry off my chest was something I hadn’t expected would make me feel better. I knew Adrian and Rowan were working with the Headmistress on a list of potential males who fit Ry’s description, but Vanya had been here with him the whole time.

By the end of the explanation, she had a crease in her brow and a glint in her eyes. “You’re sure he’s here?”

“That mind witch attack happened because he was close. And I know he’s nearby. But when I first arrived in Avalon, something happened with my magic in response to his presence. Like him not being close enough frayed the magic tied to him. Our bond is quiet. But I still feel him near.”

Her eyes narrowed, and she drummed her fingers on the table between us. “And you’re seriously thinking Orion is your mystery mate?”

I swallowed hard but gave her a terse nod. “I think so. Maybe. It’s too much of a coincidence, him having a mind witch in his circle. Someone who can purposefully close off our bond.”

“Blythe is powerful. She’s from one of the original bloodlines. Windermere.”

From memory, there were five. The five bloodlines that had built Avalon on the destruction of the Old World.They were all meant to be ancestral witches with powerful magic tied to those original witches.

“But like me, she’s not an ancestral witch,” Vanya said, barely containing her bitterness. “That’s why she fell into Orion’s circle. She’s powerful, like any original bloodline witch. Of course, Orion would want her on his side. That’s why we’re all here.”

I blew out a breath and slumped in my seat. “You’re right. It’s probably just a coincidence.”

“I never said that.” Her brows rose when I met her stare. “Have you tried talking to him?”

“Of course not,” I replied, shaking my head. “He’s never without his little group of followers. And the only time I see him is either in class or the dining hall.” Which I no longer avoided. No mages to threaten me or anyone else for fun. And very few attempted to approach me anymore.

Just as I wanted, I’d fallen into the background. And I feared trying to corner Orion would have a negative effect.

Vanya, however, seemed to enjoy the idea more. “He protected you specifically during the fight with Lain. If it were anyone else, he would have walked away, Ivy. But not you. And he’s been caught staring at you more than once.”

My stomach twisted, but it was too much to consider. “I need to get some books for our paper,” I said, rising quickly from my chair. “I’ll be back.”

Vanya called out to me, but I rushed out of the study room and into the library. Everything was quiet, the air still. My heart pounded, but I moved through the stacks easily. If there was one thing I could do successfully, it was learning the layout of a library. The rows of shelves were organised by species, with an entire section just for the Daughters and Queens of Nyx.

I made my way there without running into another soul. The section dedicated to my predecessors sat apart from the rest of the library. The shelves here were grand, the space ornate, and there were displays of relics each Queen had passed on to the academy or had used in some battle or war.

An ornamental dagger from Queen Daphne sat on display, and beside it, a set of swords from Queen Aura. Another Queen had left behind a crown made of obsidian that was carved by one of her mates.

I trailed my fingers over the glass cases, shivering from the magic they radiated. Layers upon layers of enchantments and charms protected the relics.But I also felt more. A sense of familiarity at each one.

Would I ever have something like this to give to the academy? I pursed my lips and stepped away from the cases. Maybe it was a little too much to think about that now, especially when I hadn’t even started my rule yet.

Someone grunted behind me, and I spun, taking in the figure with wide eyes. Tall, imposing, and lean, he towered over me, with his silver-white hair long enough to be considered shaggy. Piercing violet eyes found mine, and his lips twisted into a sneer.

Orion Black was even more beautiful up close. Terrifying even. His magic was unlike anything else at the academy. It rippled across my skin, lifting the hairs on my arms, but my own didn’t react. It remained dormant in my chest.

If he were Ry, it would rise, wouldn’t it? Awaken and beg to reclaim our lost mate?

My throat tightened as his eyes darkened. “Something wrong, witch?”

I exhaled. It was now or never. I steeled myself as the question fell from my lips. “Why did you slaughter the mages?”

Orion raised his brows. “What makes you think I did that?”

“You did, didn’t you?” I asked, trying to hold back what I really wanted to know. Are you my mate? I wanted to ask him, but I bit my tongue. “The rumour is you did it. But I don’t understand why.”

The male cocked his head, and those hauntingly familiar eyes roamed my body before meeting my stare once more. “You think it had something to do with you?”

I barely held back the shiver that ran down my spine at the vitriol in his tone. Shaking my head, I crossed my arms. “Maybe it did. Maybe it didn’t. I just wanted to know if you had a hand in their deaths.”

Orion’s hands flexed at his side, and it was the first time I noticed the gloves. Hadn’t Vanya mentioned something about him hating being touched?

He caught my stare, and his hands turned to fists. “You played with fire, witch. Only it appears you weren’t the one to get burned. I don’t know—nor do I care—about Lain and his friends. And I do not care about whatever conflict they had with you .”

The question of whether he might be Ry died in my mouth. Instead, I bowed my head. “Thanks for answering my question,” I replied, throat thick. “I’m sorry I ever suspected you of anything.”

His lips tightened into a firm line, but he didn’t move, and those dark eyes remained trained on me. Obviously, that was my cue to leave.

So, I bowed my head and went to the shelves on Queen Daphne, grabbed the book I’d been there for, and left the stacks without another word. But the weight of his stare followed me, heavy and intense, and it didn’t disappear until I turned down another row of shelves.

I stopped in the shifter section and sucked in a breath. My heart raced, but my magic still slept, unbothered by him entirely. It hadn’t considered him a threat or a mate.

So, he’s nothing to me? A lump formed in my throat, from frustration and anger. I hadn ’t believed him at all. But why lie? Why not lay claim to their deaths?

I scrubbed a trembling hand over my face. I have my answer , I thought, dropping my hand. That had to be enough. I couldn’t look to him as a possibility anymore. If Ry was here, then he was still hiding.

I returned to the study room once again, I dropped the book onto the table and sighed. “Orion isn’t mystery mate.”

Vanya glanced up from her textbook, her brows furrowed. “How can you be so sure?”

“I’m not,” I replied, swallowing hard as I sat. “But if he were, I would know for certain. It’s not him.”

And I couldn’t tell if I was disappointed, or glad to finally have some sort of answer. Though I knew it should have been the latter, I couldn’t help but feel the former heavy in my chest.

It simply meant I was no closer to finding my mate.