59

ROWAN

“WELCOME, Ivy Wilson, Daughter of Nyx.”

The crowd erupted, applause and screams of excitement filling the air, a ripple of magic following. It was both exhilarating and nerve wracking, standing with Ivy while they all stared.

Illusions cast by Fae and witches danced through the air; fireworks exploded against the ceiling, letting sparkling glitter rain down on the crowd. Other illusions played out ahead of us, depicting dragons in flight and small pixies dancing in swirling patterns.

This is way too much , Ivy said down our bond—maybe all the bonds. Her anxiety swelled and though I tried to push a level of calm towards her, I had a feeling it wouldn’t be enough. Not with the entire ballroom staring at her. We were nothing compared to her beauty. And Ivy held herself well—no one could deny that.

From the corner of my eye, I took Maeve in, who wore a suit not too different to the ones we all wore. The tailor had tried to put her in a dress, but alas, Maeve had threatened to bite them. So, she wore what we wore, but somehow made it look better.

Which was black on black. Definitely her vibe. But not mine. The only reason I put up with it was because of Ivy, and she looked spectacular in the gown they’d created for her. We were simply designed to be the backdrop for her beauty, and I was more than okay with that.

“Escorted by four of her bonded mates, Ivy will be crowned as the seventh Queen of Nyx. Soon, she will accept the full power of the Goddess and take the throne.” The applause this time dimmed. Maybe it was because the people were realising she already had four bonds, which meant she’d already anchored her power.

“Elias Beckham, Wolf Shifter. Adrian Kingsley, Charm Mage—” Gasps and applause followed that. Definitely some shock in there. “—Maeve Grey, Changed Vampire. Rowan Archer, Divination Mage. All four have accepted and bonded their future Queen. Perhaps you will recognise a bond with your Daughter of Nyx. So, tonight, we celebrate Ivy and those Nyx Chose for her.”

I stepped up beside Ivy and offered her my arm. It was tradition for the newest mates to escort her to the dance floor and sweep her into a magical waltz in front of everyone else, showing her off as the new Queen. It would show me off a little, too, but the primary focus would be her. Showing her power since she’d already taken four mates—well, five if you counted asshole.

I can hear your thoughts, Rowan , she said, somehow managing to push her displeasure into her tone. He’s here. I know he is.

I tensed as we began our descent, with Maeve taking Ivy’s other side. Adrian and Elias were a step behind us, their presences like security.

Are you sure? I asked carefully, scanning the crowd like I might possibly spot him amongst the Fae gathered near Queen Greer.

Ivy squeezed my elbow in warning. We hit the dance floor, and the crowd moved back, giving us space for our first dance. Maeve nodded to me and stepped away, though her eyes drifted over the crowd critically.

I can feel him, Ivy replied. The music started again, signalling the beginning of our dance, and I pulled her into my chest. She ’d only been given the briefest of lessons for this, but that’s why Adrian and I had taken her dancing.

Too bad none of us felt prepared for anything else.

Ivy rested her left hand on my shoulder, allowing me to take her right and sweep her into the music. “Trust me,” I murmured, holding her tightly as we passed a group of older men. “I’ve got you.”

I’d never get tired of the way she smiled. The bond brightened, warming my chest. Fuck, I loved her.

Do you know where he is? I asked.

She gently shook her head, her eyes straying every so often to the crowd. No, but I think I know who he is. I just have to be sure.

I pressed my lips together but forced myself not to comment on it any further. I didn’t want to upset her, and the more I asked, the more her anxiety swelled. Though based on the impression of emotions, it wasn’t entirely from my questions.

She was terrified of what the night might bring.

And I couldn’t blame her.

~

I stood off to the side as Adrian swept Ivy into their dance. I didn’t need the bond to know she was done with it all. “I don’t know how I feel about her suffering,” I muttered, just loud enough for the super-hearing duo to catch.

Maeve grunted, standing perfectly tall and still. She tracked Ivy with her eyes as Adrian spun her across the dance floor, showing the rest of us up. “She’ll survive—she’s survived worse than dancing in front of strangers.”

“Somehow, I think she’ll disagree with you,” Elias replied darkly. “The worst is yet to come.”

“We keep eyes on her, always. Don’t let anyone take her away. As much as she hates being the centre of attention, right now, she needs to stay in it for her safety. ” Maeve frowned, and for the first time tonight, she took her eyes off our mate and glanced around the room. “And keep an eye out for anyone that seems—”

“Off,” I finished. “Glad to know I’m not the only one feeling it.”

“I saw Nash when we were coming down. He needs to check in,” Elias added, rolling his shoulders back. It was nice to have human-Elias back, though Wolfy was definitely better company. I couldn’t imagine Ivy trying to dance with him. It would have been a mess.

Through the crowds, I spied my mother, standing directly across from the three of us, a knowing smile playing at her lips.My stomach bottomed out as I took in the floral dress and the metal glinting beneath the skirt.

Is she armed? I wondered, narrowing my eyes as she lifted her hand and wiggled her fingers in a wave. You’d think, after years of dealing with my mother, I’d know her ways.

But I was as clueless as the day I was born, and I had no idea what she was up to—ever. It could have been one of her usual things, but something about the look in her eyes made me pause.

“Bloody hell,” I muttered, narrowing my eyes as she slipped into the crowd. The woman was too short to be seen, and now that she was gone, I was pretty sure I wouldn’t catch her again. I thought she would stand with Queen Greer tonight, not frolic around the dance floor.

“Problem, Archer?” Maeve asked.

I shook my head, though I had a feeling her gaze was on Ivy again, who was three steps from finishing her dance with Adrian. “I saw my mother in the crowd.”

The vamp stiffened. “Did it seem like she wanted your attention?” she asked.

I hesitated and replied, “Yeah. Probably. Why?”

Maeve shook her head slowly. “I have a feeling. See if you can find her. She wouldn’t be trying to get your attention for nothing.”

Gritting my teeth, I checked in with Ivy first. Maeve was team leader, but if my mate wanted me here waiting for her, then that ’s what I planned to do.

Checking in, babe. Maeve wants me to look for my mother. Would that be okay with you?

From the dance floor, Ivy glanced over, her brows drawn in a frown. God. Please go find your mother.

What? I replied. Don’t you love me?

I could almost feel her eyes roll from the other side of the dancefloor as Adrian swung her around. Our eyes connected, amusement flaring down the bond.

If you need to find her, then go. I’ll be okay. I love you.

I sent her a wink, which resulted in her closing her end of the bond. Or at least, shutting off her thoughts from me. It was too bad. I thought she’d enjoy my commentary and consideration.

With one last look at the others, I stepped out of line and disappeared into the crowd. They parted for me, though many were still assessing Ivy for any easy weaknesses. Their whispers followed me as I made my way towards Hawk. The half-Fae male barely glanced at me as I stopped beside him.

“Archer.” His jaw ticked with barely contained annoyance. Wonderful . “Something you need?”

“Other than to rub in the fact you’re stuck here when you could be out there dancing with Ivy?” I grinned when his dark eyes found mine, filled with more than just annoyance now. “I wanted to know if you’d seen my mother anywhere.”

The male stiffened but shook his head. “Not since before the ball.”

“Great,” I muttered. “Thanks for nothing then.”

Leaving him to stew in his irritation and clear blue balls—I loved my mate, but I wouldn’t give up using those terms—I walked the perimeter of the ballroom, searching for that memorable mass of red hair and her magical signature. But with the hundreds of creatures in attendance, I couldn’t feel her.

As I drew closer to the walls, I waited for that familiar tingle to run over my skin from the wards. I’d attended my fair share of balls in the past; I knew just how guarded they were, but as I approached the back corner, I felt only the briefest touch of Sir Theon’s magic.

Huh . I frowned. Adrian had mentioned how his father’s magic no longer affected him the same way anymore. I hadn’t noticed it the last couple of days, but maybe I was finally starting to see the differences caused by the mate bond.

I chewed my lip as I paused in the corner and crossed my arms. Gazing out over the dancefloor, I watched Ivy being twirled around, shining dress billowing out around her. Even from my vantage point, I could tell she was tense—uncomfortable even. But she held her head high despite all that.

No Sable though , I thought, watching the surrounding creatures for my mother. She didn’t dare enter the ring of watchers, keeping to the thickest of the crowd most likely.

I pushed away from my corner and stalked towards the large dais where Queen Greer sat with her mates. My heart stuttered, realising one day—soon—that would be Ivy and us. I spotted Adrian’s father, as well as that asshole, Lazarus. They were in a circular formation around the Queen, with her oldest mates sitting at her shoulders, with Theon and Magnus at the edges. Adrian always had opinions about that, and I didn’t blame him, because it looked lonely being at the end of the circle.

I chanced another look out over the crowd as I drew nearer to the dais, cursing under my breath. There . Fuck. I stopped and glared at the dance floor, where my mother stood with a couple of Alphas from the packs outside the palace. That menace of a woman. She was laughing, smiling, and maybe flirting with the Alpha? Gross.

Dull, throbbing pain started in my head, the sudden force of it stopping me in my tracks. I brought my hand up to my forehead, but the movement felt jerky, almost like I wasn’t in control of my own body anymore. The throb turned into a pounding beat, like someone had taken a drumstick to my skin. It shouldn’t have taken me by surprise, but I still stumbled back, trying to force the vision away.

No. No, no, no . My ears rang with that familiar, daunting tune. I couldn’t see Ivy again in that prison. No matter how many times the visions showed it to me, I never wanted to return.

Heart thundering, my head fell back, and my lips parted as I tried to suck in air. I thought about anything else; Ivy down there dancing the night away, the feeling of her in my arms, the bond burning in my chest. Anything but what awaited me.

No matter how hard I fought, the vision still claimed me, throwing me into a gory future I couldn’t escape.

~

The vision spat me out in familiar, horrifying darkness. The smell of sulphur filled the air, as the clinking of chains cut through the otherwise heavy silence. I pulled myself into a sitting position, pain radiating through my skull.

The air chilled, the sensation burrowing deep into my bones. I trembled as I searched the darkness for any sign of my mate—or the male responsible for her pain. The only thing I knew for certain was that I was back in the cell where they kept Ivy in the future. I would never forget those sounds. The rattling of her chains. Her broken voice.

The sight of her, scarred and dirty, huddled beneath nothing more than rags.

Bile rose in my throat as I shifted. Something about it felt different, though. Not the darkness itself.

The vision.

Her whimper broke through the stillness, and I forgot the chill, forgot everything else as I tried to make it to her side. But the darkness was too thick. Too much. Fuck.

Somewhere in the distance, I heard the low, deep growl of a shifter. My skin puckered at the ferocity of it. I knew it couldn’t be Elias, but maybe it was a sign that she had found another mate.

A mate that was being used against her.

Suddenly, Ivy’s whimper turned into a scream as the growls cut off. I wanted to shout, to beg for her, but my mouth was glued shut. Not a sound left my throat.

Because I wasn’t here. I wasn’t real.

This was a future I wasn’t part of.

I knew the moment the bastard entered the cell. His magic crawled over my skin, slimy and wrong, but it wasn’t just familiar anymore. It was changed, different. Like it had been boosted in some way.

My stomach sank as soon as the realisation hit me. Whatever he’d done to Ivy with those runes, he’d achieved it. He’d made himself as powerful as her.

~

The vision faded, tossing me back into the ballroom with so much force I dropped to my knees. My heart pounded too hard, too fast, and the remnants of the vision replayed behind my closed eyes, over and over again. I might not have gotten to see her in then, but my mind could fill in the missing pieces.

Fuck, I wanted out of my own body right now.

Bile rose in my throat as I pried my eyes open to take in the ballroom once more. No one had noticed me; the Queen was still on her throne surrounded by her mates, and Ivy was in the arms of Elias, the music soft, guiding them through the motions.

I swallowed hard, expecting the pressure of a migraine to overpower me. I blinked rapidly at the floor like my eyesight might turn blurry and I’d pass out, but I remained conscious.

The bond . I breathed a sigh of relief, glancing back up at the dancefloor and Ivy. My chest warmed, and I reached for our bond. Never thought I’d be thankful for that side effect.

I staggered to my feet, ready to just go back to the others. Maeve and Adrian were standing by the stairs, watching Ivy.

I froze. Something dark and twisted brushed against me, the magical signature familiar— wrong.

I recognised it immediately. The power.

And the one behind it.

I clawed at the bond. But the once glowing, thrumming thread that tied me to my mate darkened in my chest. Desperate, I tried to scream for Ivy, warn her of the threat. But something struck the side of my head, and everything went black.