7

MAEVE

HER whimpers echoed in my ears as I worked to finalise our departure.

It hadn’t been my intention to overhear her time with Adrian; with my hearing so refined, I was used to tuning out noises that weren’t worth me overhearing. Unfortunately, the sounds of others having sex was usually one of those things I would be forced to ignore. It was something shifters and vampires had in common.

But when I’d stumbled across them together, something within me had frozen. It had been torture standing there, bearing witness to something so intimate. Something only true mates would understand. I’d felt like vermin listening in, wishing it were me instead of him.

I tried to erase those thoughts. Yearning carved its way into my chest, unlike anything I’d ever felt before. It burned, hot and jealous, a kind of envy I tried to disregard. Those emotions were ones I’d worked so hard to hide away, to deal with quietly.

The pen in my hand snapped, ink splattering across the incident report I was meant to be signing for Nash. I dropped the shattered implement and rose sharply from the desk chair.

“Bloody—” I stopped short and closed my eyes. The ink staining my hands didn’t resemble ink anymore; the pattern flashed across the blackness behind my eyes, turning from a messy mistake to something far more sinister. In the darkness of my memories, it was blood staining my hands, my body, every inch of the room and floor surrounding me. There were bodies piled high, mostly women—girls I’d been sent to procure for my Sire in his efforts to grow his Changeling Court.

I pulled in a sharp breath, expecting the usual scent of fresh ink and paper to overwhelm my senses, but I found myself almost tasting the air as the smell of coffee and coconut, sweet and delectable, tickled my nose and my tastebuds.

Ivy. Her soft laughter drifted from somewhere in the apartment, and it immediately warmed the dead, dark part of me that had perished the day I ’d been Changed. The beast within me calmed at the mere closeness of her. A sign of her power as a future Queen of Avalon? Or, perhaps silly and unfounded, a sign of something more?

I shook my head and let the scents and sounds fall away. My eyes flew open, and I levelled a calming glare down at the mess I’d made and my stained hands.

I went to work, reprinting the incident reports, shredding the ruined papers. A spell could have fixed the mess, but I wouldn’t let the paperwork be tampered with.

By the time the papers were reprinted, I had the desk cleaned of any evidence of my loss of control. The ink was gone, the original vessel in the trash, and the wood cleaned.

The only remaining trace stained my hands. I stalked to the office door and listened for a moment; Nash, from what I could tell, was outside the apartment on patrol. Ivy and Adrian were somewhere on the main floor, by the way her voice sounded louder and her scent stronger. I forced my body not to react as I strode into the main hall, turning towards the kitchen.

A lump formed in my throat as I entered, chest tightening with a pressure I rarely felt when I was here. I hadn’t been back to the apartment in nearly fifty years, and although it was well looked after by a trusted friend, it still had the same effect on me as it did half a century ago. But the traces of the life I’d lived had been washed away by careful hands that knew me too well.

I paused in the doorway and glanced around the kitchen; there was an array of mixed greens, uncooked chicken, and several other vegetables laid out on the kitchen island where Adrian stood. I tried not to seek her out, but it was an undeniable pull. I found her immediately, taking in the jeans hugging her thighs and the tight red t-shirt tucked into the high waistline.

Her dark eyes seemed to brighten as they landed on me, and a grin pulled at her berry-pink lips, a soft blush highlighting her cheekbones. “Hey! We were just making lunch.”

My lips pulled into a smile, though not nearly as bright as hers. The attention blinded me, too warm and so unlike anything I’d ever felt before. My hands clenched into fists, and I reminded myself why I’d ventured into the kitchen in the first place. The sink was unoccupied, so I strode towards it, lowering my gaze.

“Any more issues regarding power or dreams?” I asked, trying to direct the question to either of them, though my gaze drifted to her again.

Ivy tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and shook her head. “No, no issues.” Her heart rate accelerated, telling me otherwise, though based on the darkening of her cheeks, she had it under control. “What happened? Fight with a printer?”

Amusement filled her voice as she glanced down at my hands, which hovered uselessly beneath hot, running water.

“No,” I replied, clearing my throat. “No. An incident with a pen. The printer had to work overtime to compensate for that mistake.”

Ivy chuckled lightly. “That doesn’t sound good. Anything I can help with? I’m rather well known for my stationary knowledge.”

I should have objected immediately; it was the last thing she needed to worry about, to deal with, and yet a small part of me warmed at the offer.

Enough, I thought, internally chastising myself. I was not some love-sick fool who let their heart get in the way of their work. My mission was to get her home safely, and thus far, I ’d failed at that. She was in danger, because I wasn’t focusing on the objective.

“No, I have everything under control,” I said, scrubbing away the ink—and any remaining thoughts of her. “I may need to see you both in the next hour to go over our plan, and we need to have the SUV heavily protected before we leave.”

Ivy pressed her lips into a line and nodded. “Sounds good. It’ll be great to be with everyone else again.”

My chest tightened, but I pushed the jealousy aside. “Yes. And to keep you entertained, I think it’s time to teach you some magic.”

~

The hour passed, and I often found myself listening in on the conversation Ivy and Adrian were having in the kitchen while they prepared and ate their meal. The ease of their conversation shouldn’t have affected me the way it did. There was no reason for it to burn or remind me of what I could not provide.

My throat constricted as Ivy’s scent filled my lungs. Her presence tingled across my skin, but I pushed it down, sliding that blank mask over my face.

She knocked, and I responded without emotion. She and Adrian entered the office; though Ivy looked relaxed and unbothered, there was a tension in Adrian’s shoulders that caught my attention. He gave me a shallow nod as he took up position beside Ivy, taking her hand in his.

“I know Queen Greer is hesitant to have you learning any magic without her guidance, but…” I spared Adrian a glance. “I think it would be beneficial for you to have some idea of Adrian’s skills, at least.”

The mage blew out a strained breath. “I can teach her some basics.”

Ivy looked between us, her shook palpable. “I get to learn real magic?” she asked.

“Yes, Sweetheart,” he replied, his voice gentle. “You get to learn magic.”

“I knew that would happen eventually, but holy shit.” From the corner of my eye, I watched as she ran a hand over her hair, tugging at the ends.

“Does it truly surprise you that you get to learn?” I asked, curiosity filling my voice unintentionally.

Ivy nodded, gaze finding mine. Something in her eyes shifted, and her cheeks once again blossomed pink. She ducked her head. “Yeah, it’s silly,” she replied. “When I was younger, I was fascinated with the idea of magic. Most girls my age were. We grew up on fairies saving the world and magical princesses finding true love.”

“I will never understand human’s love for the paranormal.” I sighed, shaking my head, though it wasn’t quite the truth knowing my own father’s superstitions. “Only basics today. You inherit certain abilities from your mates. From Adrian, you get his charm magic. From Elias, you may get his strength, his Alpha bark, or even his shifting.” I refused to mention her other mate, and there was relief in her expression when I didn’t. “Because of this amalgamation of magic, Queen Greer has to structure your learning specifically.”

“Fun,” Ivy replied sarcastically, rolling her eyes. “Which is why we’re eventually going to have to let slip about him and how all that happened.”

I pursed my lips but nodded in confirmation. That would likely be the case, but for now, the less people who knew about him, the better. I also didn’t miss the way she flinched at bringing him up. The glamour still had her in its thrall, and even trying to speak his name was forbidden.

Despite what she’d told us, he’d managed to protect himself from being found. It irked me that he could so easily hide and stay away. And it frustrated me to no end knowing I probably would never find him, either.

“Where do we start?” Ivy asked, her gaze heavy. I rose and stalked to the bookshelves. A hand clamped around my heart as I pulled down a small trinket box and opened it. I kept my back to the pair, and hesitantly pulled an item from the velvet cushion within. Returning the silver box to its place, I turned to Ivy.

“I want you to relax, Ivy,” I said, moving back to the desk slowly. “Tension will make this difficult for you.”

“I thought I was supposed to be controlling the lesson, Grey,” Adrian murmured, glancing warily at me.

Ivy pressed her lips into a firm line to stop herself from smiling. But when I didn’t respond immediately, Adrian sighed.

I resumed my position behind the desk, leaning my arms against the dark wood. “What is the simplest charm she can create?”

Adrian considered the question for a moment before responding. “My father taught me how to do protection charm when I was coming into my power. I assume that might be the easiest for her, too. I just need something for her to—”

I cleared my throat and held out my hand towards Ivy, revealing the item I’d pulled from the trinket box. It was a ring with a simple band and a small gem in the centre.

“Use this,” I said, offering it to her. If my heart still beat, it would be racing.

She frowned, her body tense. “Are you sure?” she asked quietly, glancing between me and the ring.

“Take it, Ivy.” I dropped the piece into her hand like it burned, and pulled my hand back, throat tightening with memories long since burned to ash. “No charm has ever touched that ring.”

Ivy held it carefully in the palm of her hand, before slipping it onto her ring finger. Unsurprisingly, it went on easily. “Really, Maeve, we could just use a fork or something.”

Adrian chuckled lightly and took her hand, tugging the ring off her finger. “Certain charms hold better on certain items. When it comes to protection charms, even the simplest of ones, you need it to hold to an item you’d wear. Hence the ring.”

The frown didn’t disappear as she took the ring back, and I held in a smile. “I’m just worried about destroying it with my magic. I might have three mates, but it doesn’t mean shit if one of them is out there doing his own thing,” she replied bitterly, toying with the band. “I could still go nuclear.”

“You won’t do anything to the ring,” I said, leaning forward. Our eyes met, and I hoped to convey how much I trusted her with the item. “I’m sure you will be careful.”

Somehow, deep down, I knew she wouldn’t damage it.

“Fine.” She returned her stare to the ring, holding it up between her fingers. “So, what do I do?”

Adrian touched a small tattoo on the inside of his wrist. Her eyes widened as she glanced down at his skin, lips parting as several more appeared.

“Those weren’t there last night,” she whispered, awed and horrified.

I couldn’t help but smirk as I leaned back and touched the inside of my own wrist, where a rune had been burned into my own skin. It worked differently to how a charm mage created theirs, and yet it had some similarities.

Adrian grinned. “Charm magic. I can hide all kinds of things under my skin.”

She shuddered and scooted back in her seat, her eyes flickering between us. “I’m okay not learning that side of magic.”

He laughed, and even I made a sound that could have been a chuckle. “Don’t worry,” he said, ghosting his fingers over the marks, and they disappeared. “Unless it’s completely necessary, you won’t have to.”

Ivy breathed a sigh of relief and sunk into her chair.“Sure. Now, what about the ring?”

Adrian shook his head, amusement filling his eyes, and leaned closer to her. “Put the ring in the centre of your hand and close your eyes. Imagine your magic like threads inside you. Focus on the part that reminds you of me.”

Her eyes flickered shut, and she sucked in a breath. I couldn’t help but lean forward, my heart heavy in my chest, as her magic rose around us.

Adrian made a sound in the back of his throat. “Good. I feel it. I want you to imagine what protection feels like. Bring it into your mind and then feel the ring. Feel its weight, what it’s made of.”

Ivy nodded silently. The ring took on a purple glow that expanded. A shiver raced over my skin as her magic caressed me; it didn’t feel dangerous in this form, one that only appeared while she was in the presence of her mates. The colour of her magic highlighted her soft features, giving her an ethereal glow.

“Wrap the protection around the ring, Ivy. Take that magic you’ve built, that feeling of protection, and wind it around the item. Like you’re wrapping a present,” Adrian continued, his voice softening as he leaned towards her.

Ivy blew out a shaky breath, but I watched, awestruck, as the ring changed. The purple turned into a web of magic that became a net over the small band, sinking into the metal and disappearing, like it hadn’t existed at all.

Adrian glanced at me, then to Ivy, pride filling his gaze.“Open your eyes, Sweetheart,” he murmured, “and take a look.”

Her eyes fluttered open, and she inhaled sharply. “Did I…did I do it right?” she asked, chest heaving.

Adrian smiled softly, closing her hand around the ring. “You did it perfectly.”

She had, and I couldn’t help my own pride swell within me as I took her in. There was a slight flush to her cheeks from the magic use, but there was no sign of exertion or overwhelm. Her eyes were bright, and she appeared excited over what she’d accomplished.

It was a small step to understanding her power, but I hoped it would give her some control.

“I feel like that should have been harder,” she admitted, frowning. “Like I should have failed.”

“It’s a good thing that you didn’t,” I replied honestly. “It proves you have better control of your magic.”

“It’s hard to fail at a simple protection charm,” Adrian added. “You did it perfectly.”

Ivy’s face twisted in uncertainty, like she didn’t fully believe him, and it wasn’t hard to understand why.

“We can test the strength of the charm, if you want.” I rose and stalked around the side of the desk. I held out my hand, and she dropped the ring onto my palm. Nodding to Adrian, I took several steps back. “I’ll wear it, and Adrian will do a process of tests to check its capabilities.”

“Maybe we shouldn’t,” she said, jumping up from the chair. “What if it doesn’t work or isn’t strong enough? I don’t want you to get hurt.”

I slipped the ring onto my thumb and gave it a long look before responding. The power she’d embedded in the band buzzed against my skin. “It’s a solid charm, Ivy. I can feel it. Adrian won’t hurt me.” I looked up, and as our eyes met, I hoped she knew I meant it.

But there was still a hesitant glint in her eyes that continued as Adrian rose.“Maeve is a strong vampire,” he said, capturing her hands. “I won’t be able to hurt her, charm or no charm.”

Ivy gnawed her bottom lip and nodded. My chest tightened at her worry. It didn’t disappear, not even as I got in position across the room, keeping a good distance between Ivy and myself. She had no faith in her own power, had no idea how strong she was, and this would prove to her what she was capable of.

I pressed my lips into a firm line, glancing from her to Adrian. His eyes had darkened, and when I nodded, he lifted his arms.Adrian gathered his magic into the palm of his hand and threw it at the centre of my chest. Magic far more powerful than I’d felt from him before slammed into me.

Ivy yelped as the ball of energy landed against my sternum and dissipated. The power from the ring danced over my flesh like a web, cocooning me in a warmth I could only describe as hers . It was both powerful and strong, totally unfamiliar, but it protected me from the attack. I wobbled slightly at the impact and stumbled back a step, but a soft violet glow surrounded me and absorbed the hit perfectly.

“Crap,” Adrian swore. “I didn’t realise—”

I held up a hand. “I expected your power to enhance with the bonding. If I was worried about that, I would have asked Nash to attack.” I rubbed my sternum for a moment, before looking down at the ring. “Other than what might lead to a bruise on anyone else, I am fine, and the protective charm on the ring feels intact.”

Ivy released a shuddering breath and strode towards me, her eyes wide with panic, her face white from shock. “Are you sure you’re okay?” she asked.

The tightening in my chest finally dissipated, and I tugged the ring off my finger. “I’m fine,” I said, taking one of her hands and slipping it onto her own. My heart twisted at the sight, though I shoved aside the memories that wanted to claw their way to the surface.

“Why—”

“We are all capable of protecting ourselves,” I said, meeting her eye. “Your power may now be anchored, but you don’t know how to use it. It’s best that you are protected, anyway possible.”

Her warm skin ignited something within me, something strangely primal, unlike the bloodthirsty beast I usually kept under control.

I cleared my throat, and dropped her hand.“I believe we should leave training there. We have an idea of where Ivy stands with her power now, which should help her work with Nash.” I stalked to the desk, rounded the table once more. “I should also advise you to reinforce the charm. They wear down with each attack.”

She nodded silently, her throat bobbing. “Thanks, Maeve.”

Her eyes shifted as she watched me, the brown of her iris glowing with residue magic. Her jaw ticked, like she wanted to say something more, but her attention cut to Adrian as he took her other hand.

I wasn’t sure if it was disappointment souring my mouth, or if it was something else, but I forced my gaze down to the tablet awaiting my attention. There were a dozen things to do before we could leave, and so many distractions.

“Thanks,” Ivy said, pausing in the doorway, her hand hovering over the doorknob, “for your help. And for the ring.”

I said nothing as she sighed and walked out of the office behind Adrian. My heart twisted as the door clicked shut.

My eyes closed, and even in the darkness of my own mind, it was her face I saw first. “For you, a mhuirnín , anything.”