Her violet eyes flickered to me; some said the colour was indicative of the Goddesses touch, a small blessing bestowed upon one chosen at birth. Or at least, that’s what the old stories said. I didn’t give any stock to them, considering I was always blessed by the Goddess, chosen to be Ivy’s mate.
The Seer shrugged before setting down her cup. “Well, yes,”she said, folding her arms over her chest. “But I had no part in the process. Just in hiding it.”
Anger warmed my chest, rising like a flame stoked by all the ways I’d failed. “Why in the Goddess’s name would you hide it? Especially from Ivy?”
Sable sighed, sitting back. “Time,” she said quietly, meeting my stare evenly. “Dante would have completely altered his plans if he caught a whiff of it, and there was no way to hide it from him without hiding it from her. Especially with poor Adrian not being able to block his brother’s influence. So, when I had a vision about it, I did what I had to. I wasn’t even sure if she was pregnant, but as soon as I could, I made certain to protect her. If I hadn’t, there was a chance Rowan’s visions could have been much, much darker.”
A chill rolled down my spine as I looked to the Goddess still standing outside of the pavilion. She didn’t make any move to respond or give her opinion. I wasn’t sure why I thought she would. It wasn’t like Nyx to share her thoughts on such matters—at least, not in my presence.
I released a harsh breath, gaze darting to the entrance to the field. The place where Ivy normally manifested when she accidentally slipped into the dreamscape sat empty. I regretted how our last interaction ended, and I so badly wished to see her again. I had no concept of time passing, only that I was trapped in an unending sleep. I knew my body was safe, had felt Blythe’s magic inside my mind only recently.
Any worry I had about Dante reaching into my head and turning my brain to mush like he had his shifter soldier was gone. I might not have felt his influence before, but I knew there was no sign of him now.
My death, as brief as it was, had killed whatever part of him might have been within me.
“You stole her choice away from her,” I finally said, looking back at the Seer. “She will not forgive that.”
For the first time since appearing in my dreamscape, shame darkened her eyes, and she looked down at her hands withsadness. “That was a sacrifice I knew I would have to make. Especially for their survival.”
“She won’t see it like that,” I replied, reaching for my own tea. Despite the very real sensations here, some things couldn’t be recreated. Like taste.
“In time, she might. But I accept whatever anger she will throw at me.” Sable took a sip silently, eyes dark. “It was the last thing I wanted to do. You must let her know that. Not giving her a choice, not letting her learn of this on her own, setting the dominoes for what Dante did to her…that was not something I wanted to happen. I just knew what the potential futures held, and what awaited her would have been far worse.”
I pressed my lips together, set my cup down, and ran a hand through my hair. There was nothing I could say, nothing I could do, to let her know what I felt—and I couldn’t speak on Ivy’s behalf.
“It is time for us to leave,” Nyx said, voice eerie and dark. “Until next time.”
Sable offered me a small smile before disappearing in a cloud of dark mist with Nyx, leaving me alone to my dreamscape—to the thoughts I couldn’t escape.
Like wondering if Sable was telling the truth. If there was no other way.
Or thinking about those last moments with Ivy and the uncontrollable rage I’d felt when I saw the look in her eyes. The terror, the pain, the uncertainty.
If only I could hold her in my arms again and tell her it would all be okay. If only I could wake from this endless sleep and show her it would be alright.
But I knew words wouldn’t be enough to reassure her. Not with war inching closer, the threat of her death still looming over her head.
What I knew wouldn’t help her, either.
Because Nyx and Sable knew there would be war regardless. It was just up to Ivy whether she could fight it.
65
Ivy
Rain flooded the island, turning it into a soggy, unwalkable prison, the manor my cell. I slept, ate, and tried to be helpful where I could, but recounting my time in Luna brought back memories I hadn’t even realised I’d locked away.
I tried to keep the fear at bay as I helped my mates with plans that would likely never work, but I felt it trying to consume me.
“Wrath soldiers infiltrated the compound under the mountain,” Damon read, standing by the light of our only source of warmth in the cold, wet manor—a fireplace in the back of the main living room. “They found remnants of Dante’s army, but no sign of the male himself. Sent to your—I assume that means you, vampire—tablet is a map of the compound, as well as photographs taken of unfamiliar runes. We found bodies—Dante executed nearly thirty of his soldiers and left them to rot. But we have identified all cells marked with the God Runes and found evidence of Seer Sable. She is still unaccounted for.”
Damon glanced over at Rowan, who stood stiffly by the large window, shoulders tense. I wanted to go to him, but I was trapped firmly between Thor and Elias, who had both taken on more…protective roles over the last twenty-four hours.
The latter I could understand; even though he didn’t say it,I knew part of it was his wolf reacting to the baby, his instincts telling him to stay by my side no matter what.
And even the former had a reason: he didn’t appear to trust anyone here but me, though he seemed to be a little open to Xerxes.
I tore my eyes off Rowan, who just shook his head, not looking at anyone.
