“But she could have believed you,” I replied, meeting her stare. “And that is where some Primals see issue. Even though we don’t bow to Nyx, the Primals live on stories of her. Nyx’s creatures and her Queens are still part of our history. The moment you appeared, she should have listened, but she allowed pride to overcome her. And because of that, an entire clan—a city full of innocents—was slaughtered.”
I’d only seen the remnants of the city itself after Ivy and the others had passed through. I’d looked upon the destruction wrought below, and that’d been enough to change something within me.
The elder had seen nothing wrong in her opposition to Ivy. Rather than rallying our people and preparing for the inevitable invasion of our homes, she’d waited. Had the city known to run or even hide, maybe they would still be alive. Maybe they wouldn’t have been found.
“Dante did that,” Ivy said quietly, sitting back, a far-off look entering her dark eyes. “And he’s paying for it. For all of it. I don’t think it’s enough, but…”
“Death would be too easy for him,” I finished, massaging her other foot slowly. “I brought something else back for you.”
“Changing the subject is smart.” She groaned as she sat up straighter. “You didn’t have to get me anything. I think you’ve all inundated me with plenty of gifts.” As she said that, she looked around the office, where she spent more and more time. I hadn’t seen her happier than when she left this space after agruelling writing session.
Whatever gave her peace and comfort, even if I didn’t understand it.
I wiped my hands on my pants, then pulled a small pouch out from the chain around my neck. “It used to belong to my mother.A gift from her mate on behalf of my father.” With trembling fingers, I opened it and revealed the necklace. “Her mate found it walking the shores of the old palace during a full moon. My mother called it her sight into the realms.”
The moonstone shimmered under the light, the stone no larger than my thumbnail. My mother had carved metal to set it in so she could wear it as a pendant around her neck.
When I looked up, tears brimmed Ivy’s eyes. “It’s beautiful.”
“I know how you feel about necklaces, and you have many rings now, but I wondered if perhaps I should turn it into a bracelet for you,” I offered. “But it is used for protection, especially during pregnancy and childbirth. And I want you to wear it for what is to come.”
Ivy lowered her feet to the ground and moved to sit beside me. Gently, she rested her head on my shoulder, sniffling. “I wouldn’t change it for the world,” she murmured, touching the pendant. “And I would be honoured to wear it.”
“You would?” I asked, dropping a soft kiss to the top of her head.
“Of course.” She looked up, smiling. “It’s a piece of you. Of your family. And it would be nice to have this instead of the memories. A nice reminder. Not a dark one. I love it. And you.”
“I love you, too, my fated,” I murmured, throat thick with emotion and tears.
I knew it would take time, but hope flared in my chest as I put it around her neck. Where there were still faint scars from her battle against him, there was also a hope for more. And that was enough.
12
Orion
Sweat coated almost every inch of my body, as did cobwebs, dust, and grime. My venture beneath the house wasn’t meant to keep me for so long, but I also hadn’t expected to find the remnants of a crypt beneath the manor, either. I tried to dredge up the very little I knew about the island and those who came before. During my renovations, I’d found what might have been old floor plans of the manor, but they’d been dated and hadn’t accounted for the additions or changes that’d been made before I’d taken over.
It mattered little, anyway. Much to Ivy’s horror, we had dead to deal with, too. There were three urns I easily whisked away with help from Rhadamanthus, who’d asked no questions about why I wanted the remains of those who once lived here gone. Perhaps he understood why.
We were trying to make everything as easy as possible for our mate. Partially because of the pregnancy, though really because our instincts told us to. Our mate bonds urged us to take control and remove anything that might cause her stress, and after the whole basement fiasco, I knew this was another thing she wouldn’t want to deal with—and it would be another worry upon her regarding the children.
Making the house childproof was one thing, but we were also setting up systems to make the island child safe, too. Wards, charms, anything that could alert us to children wandering alone.
Of course, there were ten adults to three older children, and soon two newborns. We outnumbered them for now. And once Ivy had her birth control charms completed, there would be no chance for them to overwhelm us.
At least, that’s what we told ourselves.
“There you are,” Ivy said as she waddled towards me, Xerxes close behind. Around her neck was something new, and certainly unexpected. She’d forgone putting anything neck-related on since the collar. We knew it was her trauma, but there was almost a sense of relief seeing her take a step towards healing from it.
“You might not want to come near me,” I warned, holding my hands up. “I’ve been under the house.”
Ivy stopped, brows furrowed. One of her hands went to the large swell of her stomach, while the other took the other male’s hand. “Why have you been down there?”
I almost felt bad for my next words, but there were rules, and that included not hiding anything from one another. “I found what I believe to be a crypt used by the previous owners of the island,” I explained. “There were…urns, however Rhadamanthus helped me move them to a place where they would be safe.”
My mate stared at me for a long moment, her bond oddly quiet, her expression wary. “You found…a crypt?”
“It is nowhere the children will find easily, though just in case, Adrian and I have already cleared it and added wards to ensure if they do, they cannot enter or get trapped within.” Even though I might have been terrified of the idea of having my own children, I was learning quickly it didn’t matter. Blood or not, Iwould protect all under my care. Whether that be Ivy’s siblings or the infants she carried.
