94
Elias
The shadows receded, leaving us in a familiar place. When I breathed in, I caught the whisper of our time here; from helping the children with their tutoring, to holding Ivy while she slept, all the way down to bickering with Thea over a silly board game she’d picked out due to boredom.
The suite we once called home was desolate and dark. Someone had trashed the place, tearing the furniture apart and tossing our belongings. Ivy’s clothes were scattered across the floor, toys from Maisie’s bedroom ripped open. The plates we’d eaten off had been smashed against one of the walls.
Ivy gripped my hand, sucking in a sharp breath. I felt the racing of her heart, and in the back of my mind, I thought I could hear her, too.
In the distance, the cry of wolves had my own rising to the surface. My beast clawed at me for control, but I kept him down as we surveyed the area. When I scented the air, there was no sign of life, no other creature around. The last time they’d been here would have been weeks ago.
“Let’s move,” Maeve said, voice low. “We can’t stay here for long.”
I listened to the racing beats of everyone’s hearts over my own; the tension hanging in the air had everyone reaching forweapons despite us being on our own. Even Ivy went for her belt, but she came up empty.
As we walked in quiet unison, I pulled one of the smaller guns from my belt and handed it to her silently. The bullets within were charmed, extra dangerous. Once in, they’d be stuck unless cut out. If it came down to it, she would need to protect herself if he successfully got between us.
But he won’t, I reminded myself, tightening my hold on her hand.Never again.
Tonight would end it all.
As we stepped onto the sky bridge, the moon became too clear above us. Large and shadowed by the world’s rotation, it turned red the longer I stared.
The full lunar eclipse was upon us.
Ivy stiffened beside me, but she said nothing. Her eyes were on the moon as well, but instead of fear, I saw resolve darkening her eyes.
I knew my mate better than she probably thought. And if she believed she would get away with sacrificing herself, then she had another thing coming.
I had no intention of letting her out of my sight again.
And neither did the others.
Maeve led us over the bridge, Rowan and Orion on one side with weapons drawn and pointed over the edge, Hawk and Adrian on the other doing the same. Xerxes had Maeve’s back, while Rhadamanthus had ours, Thor walking directly on Ivy’s other side silently.
We skipped the elevator and went to the stairs beside it. Grey checked it first, weapon raised, only motioning to us to follow when she knew it was clear. Nash went to her side with Kingsley, the Primal backing them. Black and Archer moved directly ahead of us, with Thor and Rhadamanthus making up the rear.
Despite her resolve, Ivy couldn’t stop herself from trembling. With each step down, her heart rate picked up. In the silence of the stairwell, it was easy to hear our sharp breaths.
My skin prickled with how wrong it felt. Where the fuckwere Dante’s forces? Wouldn’t he have his army watching—waiting?
We’d been in one of the tower suites for almost two whole minutes. Where were the Aither Fae he supposedly had? They should have seen us on the bridge—should have attacked.
I tightened my hold on Ivy, gaze flickering to the ceiling above us. The vines that grew along it were dead, the leaves dried up. Pixies should have been flittering between the flowers, but even they were gone.
There should have been more life here, but it was desolate.
Grey stopped, bringing our entire party to a halt. I couldn’t see far enough ahead to know what she was doing until the signal came back to us.
Three fingers raised by everyone.
We were not alone.
I scented the air, but whoever found us shielded themselves, but clearly not well enough if Grey noticed them. Aside from no scent, I couldn’t hear anything ahead. No footsteps, no breaths.
A door leading out of the stairwell opened, and another signal came down the line. Open palm.Follow.
We slipped out of the enclosed space and into a hall I’d never seen before. It was lined with doors that looked untouched. We’d left the suites entirely, which meant we were either in guest rooms, or we’d entered a staff corridor. I believed the former based on the shredded paintings.
