47

IVY

THE weekend was otherwise quiet, with a day spent helping Eloise and Ginny with their new schoolwork, before taking them out on the grounds while the weather was nice. We found a maze that shifted and moved; at the very centre, it was enchanted to reward any who completed it with a prize.

Three hours we’d spent trying to win the damned thing. Three hours of getting lost and almost losing Ginny because she swore she saw the giant fountain at the centre. Only to be spat right out where we’d started.

We’d followed it with an evening picnic and star gazing. Maisie was more interested in the stories behind them, so Maeve and Adrian had taken turns explaining them. Even Thea found them interesting.

And then Sunday rolled around, and I was due for another lesson with Greer. My last day with the kids, and instead, I’d be in Queen lessons.

I sighed as I changed into yet another one of the stiff, business casual outfits in my closet. I went with beige slacks, a tight-fitting shirt, and a long coat for the incoming weather.

As I tied my hair up into a bun, Elias entered the bathroom, an easy smile playing at his lips. He slid in behind me and wrapped his arms around my midsection. “I’ve missed you,” he murmured. “I wish I was at the academy with you this week.”

I sighed and leaned into him. “I know,” I replied, offering warmth down the bond. “The system is…”

“It’s not working.” His eyes darkened, though not from his wolf being present. Shaking his head, he burrowed his face into the crook of my neck where his bite lived. “I hate it. I hate being parted from you.”

It tore me apart in ways I never expected. “Once we’re safe, we won’t be parted like this again,” I promised. “I don’t like it either.”

He grunted, pulling his face from my throat. “I guess it gives me more time to hunt the fuckers.”

I hummed under my breath and turned in his arms, looping my hands around his neck. “While you hunt them, I’ll figure out how to rule the kingdom. Kill all the birds with one stone.”

Elias snorted, but he dropped a kiss to the top of my head before pulling back. “I’m escorting you to your lesson. Today, I’m not letting you out of my sight.”

I wasn’t about to say no to that. “I need to finish getting ready. Then I’m all yours.”

“You’re always mine, Angel,” he said. “And you look beautiful.”

Bond happy and cheeks warm, I finished with a light swipe of make-up before joining Elias in the bedroom. From what I’d gathered, everyone else was going to spend the day helping Thea in the library. It was all hands-on deck—including Sir Theon, this time. And the children.

Elias took my hand as we left the suite and made our way over the bridge. As I’d suspected, the weather had shifted to gloomy grey skies with a threat of rain. Unfortunately, I was all too used to it now, and just rolled my eyes.

But like the last couple of days, there was a rush and excitement within the palace. I might not have been all that enthusiastic about the upcoming Nyx Ball, but I felt the energy. There was a magic to it that burrowed into my bones and awoke my magic.

Even after the last couple of weeks, my power was still sluggish, affected by the bond with Ry. By now, I’d hoped it would have healed—that the proximity to him, despite no physical interaction, would help. But every time I reached within myself, towards my bonds and towards that thread of magic Greer taught me to identify, there’d been a wrongness to it.

I felt it now, though not nearly as strongly as before.

Elias’s hand squeezed mine, forcing me out of my thoughts. “Everything okay?”

I shrugged, though I tried to give him a smile. “Yes. Of course.”

“Your thoughts…” He trailed off and shook his head. “You’re getting better at blocking them.”

“It’s not entirely intentional,” I replied. “Really. I think because it’s become habit, I don’t even realise I’m doing it.”

He nodded, then leaned down and kissed the top of my head. “So, you’re not hiding anything from me?”

“Of course not.” We came to a stop outside the same meeting room I’d done my previous lessons in, and my stomach clenched. It wasn’t a complete lie, but deep down, I knew he’d be pissed if he found out I’d not only been keeping the situation with Ry quiet, but also the feeling about my magic.

His eyes darkened, but rather than calling me out on what he sensed was a lie, we were interrupted by Greer’s mate. My mate’s eyes told me we’d be returning to the conversation later.

Sir Leith smiled broadly; he might have been a siren, but he had a surfer-vibe to him that was hard to ignore. Where the other mates wore suits and robes, he had on a linen shirt that opened to reveal his shimmering scales, sandals, and khaki shorts. Honestly, it was a surprise the Fae male didn’t have a surfboard tucked under one arm.

I met his smile with one of my own. “Sir Leith. Are you joining the lesson?”

He shook his head. “No. Haven’t been invited today. But I did want to speak to you about something.”

The amusement slipped away, and my stomach dropped. Elias’s grip on my hand tightened. It’s okay, he said, I’m right here .

I nodded for Sir Leith to continue, and he sighed. “I believe I might have found their father.”

Their father . He didn’t need to say their names—or his— for me to understand. “Are you sure?”

“If it’s him, he’s changed his name. Actually, I think he went under a fake name while with your family. Andrew isn’t particularly common in the Abyss Court.”

I swallowed thickly as warmth—and not the good kind—flooded me. “Okay. That would make sense,” I muttered.

“I can have my son, Nereus, find him. It’s likely that he’s in the Abyss Court as we speak, and it’ll be easier if someone from the court approaches him.”

My heart raced, but I forced myself to agree. “Okay. Find him. But I don’t want the kids to know, yet. I know you’re taking Eloise for a lesson—”

“I understand, Ivy.” With that, he walked right by us, like he didn’t possibly upend everything.

What if Andrew wanted to take the girls from me? I was the only person they knew. Eloise remembered him, but not fondly. Ginny said her memories were vague. And Maisie knew nothing about him. She’d only seen photos of him from when she was a baby.

A lump formed in my throat as Elias wrapped me in a hug. “He has no chance of taking them,” he said. “He’d have to fight you, the Queen, for any time with them.”

“What about Court politics?” I asked. “Fae children belong with their Fae parents, Elias.”

He pulled back, cupping my cheeks and forcing me to look at him. “But you, Ivy, will be Queen. That’s more important. And he abandoned them. The Fae have rules. The children might fall under Changeling laws. That means they’re yours.”

He kissed my forehead tenderly. “We don’t even know if the siren they found is Andrew,” he finished. “Until then, leave the worrying to me.”

“Keep a close eye on them this week,” I replied. “Please. I don’t even know what might happen if he finds out they’re here.”

Elias nodded, pulling back so we were holding hands once again. “I know. I will.”

I released a shaky breath and forced myself to gather the anxiety and shove it away. Until Sir Leith had more information, there was no use freaking out. Elias was right. It might not even be Andrew. It could be any other siren.

For now, all I could do was focus on what was in my control. And that was my lesson.

We entered the meeting room, and it was laid out similarly to the last time I was here. The banquet table off to the side had a selection of drinks to choose from. After the run in with Leith, I wasn’t sure I could even stomach a glass of water.

Queen Greer offered me a smile and motioned to the seat I always took. “You spoke with Leith?”

I nodded. “Yes. He explained what he found.”

“Good. This is a difficult situation for you, I’m sure.” Her eyes softened when I shrugged. “I am genuinely sorry for what you and your family are going through regarding your stepfather. The children are lucky to have you, Ivy.”

My throat tightened, and I responded with a shallow nod. “Thank you, Queen Greer.”

She’s right, Elias said. He gave my hand a light squeeze as we took our places across from Greer. They are lucky to have you.

It’s because I have amazing support, I replied, glancing at him from the corner of my eye. I wouldn’t be able to do this without you or the rest of the team, Elias.

A half-smile tugged at his lips, though he didn’t respond. I hoped he realised just how much I needed him and the others. They were the only reason why I could be there for the kids the way that I was. I wasn’t doing it alone.

I blew out a breath as Otto, Greer’s mind mage mate, joined her at the table with a cup of steaming mint tea. I’d thought maybe Adrian might have gotten the addiction from his father. But apparently, he got it from his mother, because she smiled as she picked up the cup and breathed in the peppermint scent.

“Today,” she started, lowering the cup back to the saucer, “I want to discuss with you the responsibilities of being Queen. You’ve done so much regarding the politics of our land, but you won’t learn the true duties of the Queen from your classes at Oberon. They can teach you about communication, council politics, and the relationships between species. But our role in the upkeep of this world is far more important than any may ever realise.”

A thrill of excitement prickled my skin as I listened. I might not have been all too excited before, but I couldn’t ignore it now. My magic unfurled in my chest, like it too, was ready to listen.

“You know now that our magic is tied to the stability of the lands.” Queen Greer lifted the tea to her lips again as I nodded. “That is fundamental to our rule, Ivy. Our magic is the stability between worlds. Without us, there is no Avalon. The Underworld and Faery would cease to exist, because the magic of these lands would destroy everything in its path should we not exist. Balance is our true power. Parts of each realm make up our entire being. We are part Avalon, part Underworld, part Faerie, and part Human. That is why we are the vessel.”

A shiver rolled down my spine; it made sense to me, like I’d always known that to be true. Her words settled between us. “Would you say that we’re a diplomat, then? Considering the power of Nyx?”

Queen Greer’s smile broadened, and she nodded. “Yes. More than anything, we are the peace between people. There was not always union between the creatures of Nyx. There was war over land, over mates, over gold and gemstones. When the first Queen rose to power, she put a stop to all of that. She built the council to allow the creatures to still maintain control without micromanaging, I suppose. They had freedom, but they still existed under her.”

“And this works because we’re the vessels of Nyx?” I asked. “That’s how it was explained to me.”

It felt like a lifetime ago, thinking about that night in the apartment after the hellhound attack. I’d been an entirely different person, then, too. Closed off to any form of love, detached from my family, living and breathing my work. I missed parts of that life. But I also wasn’t sure if I’d ever be able to go back to it.

“We are,” Greer agreed. “But we are also our own person. We rule for Nyx because she can no longer wander these lands; her magic is too powerful for that. And so, she creates us. Gives us part of Her power to do what She can not. And to maintain the balance, we must let another rise in our place.”

The mood turned solemn at the statement, and her mate sighed. “Balance is a heavy burden,” he murmured, “and one you must share with your mates, Ivy. I imagine you must be a lot like my dear mate. If I might impart some advice upon you: don’t forget that you are not alone. Nyx has made certain that you have equal partners in this. And with the fight I am sure is to come for your rightful place upon the throne, you will need them.”

My stomach dropped, but I bowed my head in agreement. Guilt washed through me, and for the rest of the lesson, I asked very few questions while Greer went on to explain the other responsibilities that made us Queen. Visiting the other realms, interacting with the magic, and travelling through the Crossing being something I hadn’t expected. But reconnecting to Nyx’s magic was one of the most important parts of our power.

By the end of the lesson, I was mentally exhausted. “Maybe, once we deal with the usurper, we should go on vacation,” I muttered as we left the meeting room. “Like, somewhere cold.”

“Cold?” Elias asked, a hint of amusement filtering down the bond.

I nodded. “I’m not the biggest fan of heat,” I admitted. “Only if that’s what the kids want. But for a mate only vacation? A rustic cabin in the snow, where the only way to stay warm is through snuggling. I think I’d like that.”

Elias chuckled, guiding me through the maze of halls towards our elevator. “I’ll tuck that away for once you finally have your crown.”

Trepidation hit me, but I offered him a smile. “I can’t wait.”

He kissed the top of my head. Queen Greer’s lesson played in the back of my mind, a new kind of fear growing within me now that I knew what was truly at stake if the False King tried to take the crown. It wasn’t as simple as him booting me off the throne and taking over. It could mean the utter destruction of everything.

And I couldn’t let that happen. For my family. My mates. My friends. I would have to become Queen.