Even though we had our own food today, on the occasion no one wanted to cook, a spread would appear, like the table on the ferry that brought Ivy and us over from the human world. The kids loved it, and after a long day of running around, it was a useful gift.
Elias took the bags of takeout from me and set them down with a nod. One thing I appreciated about these guys was that, unless I wanted to talk about it, none of them brought up the memory issues. They were all able to help me through it when Ivy wasn’t around, but most times, she was the only one who could bring me back completely.
I knew it worried them, especially with the pregnancy progressing and Ivy being closer to her due date, but when I wasn’t working on the tower, I was with the witches trying to come up with ways to deal with it. Right now, they weren’t sure if there was a cure for whatever Dante had done to not just me, but to the dozens of other creatures he’d had in his hold.
We took our seats; Ivy stayed beside me, Thea on my other side, while Arthur took the chair next to Ivy. The children came running around, clambering into their seats and chattering about their day.
“The new school year starts soon,” Eloise, the eldest, said quietly to Ivy. “Can we go back?”
Ivy leaned forward, brows raised. “Is that something you think you’re ready for? Because I would love for you to get out there and experience more than just tutoring.”
“I want to.” Eloise nodded firmly, picking at her dinner. “I think I’m caught up enough that I can keep up. I hope.”
“Has your tutor given you any tests?” Maeve asked as she nursed a glass of blood. She still wasn’t willing to feed from Ivy, didn’t quite enjoy our blood, so she drank from blood bags. “Just to see where you are?”
Eloise shrugged. “I keep asking, but she is, like, really strict with our lessons.”
“Yeah, that’s because she was our tutor for a while, and she had to deal with Rowan,” Adrian said with a laugh.
“I’ll test you on where you sit with your peers,” Maeve offered, leaning back. “But you are an excellent student, Eloise. I’m certain you’ll be fine attending secondary school in town.”
“Or, maybe we could look at getting you into the feeder school for Oberon,” Ivy offered quietly, a tentative smile playing at her lips. “It’s more work for you, but you’ve been doing so well…”
The girl brightened immediately, sitting up. “Really?”
Ivy nodded once, and through the bond, I felt her relief. She’d been incredibly cautious with the kids about these sorts of things since bringing them home, but she also knew what they wanted. And she knew being too protective would only push them away.
It was something we were all working on.
“Yep. But you have to do the tests Maeve gives you,” Ivy said, leaning into me. “And you must earn your spot there. I know this is something you want, and I’m not going to stop you, but you’ll have to keep your grades up. You won’t be staying on campus, and?—”
Eloise flew out of her chair and ran around the table to wrap her arms around Ivy’s shoulders in a hug. “Thank you,” she whispered. “You’re the best.”
She really is, I thought. Even after everything, Ivy could just keep them here and know they were safe, but she knew better. Despite her fears, which came through easily with the bond, she still wanted her sister to succeed.
It made me love Ivy even more.
4
Ivy
Iwoke, breaths coming hard as I tried to fight through the remnants of my nightmare. All I remembered was blood and pain. The burn of a knife in my back. The smell of blood as the crack of a whip sounded in the air. Whimpers from shifters as they took my punishments, their cries as soldiers filled the prison…
My hand went to my belly as I struggled to sit up. Through the hazy darkness of the bedroom, I counted to ten, trying to get my breathing back in control.
I wasn’t in Dante’s prison. I wasn’t wearing the collar anymore. The marks on my back had healed, leaving only slightly raised scars as reminders.
But I was safe.Wewere safe.
Hands moved to my back, rubbing gentle circles over my spine. On one side of me, Hawk sat up as he whispered through the bond,You’re okay. We have you. On my other, Orion shifted to sit in front of me, hands cupping either side of my cheeks, guiding me through some breathing techniques I learned for my anxiety and night terrors.
It really shouldn’t be surprising that I finally escaped the horrifying nightmares that plagued me when my mates firstfound me, only to fall right back into them. Not even their bonds could protect me from the dark reminders of Dante and the days I’d spent trapped in his cages.
That didn’t stop them from trying, though.
“That’s it, flower,” Ry murmured, “just breathe.”
My heart rate slowed, each breath easier to suck in, no longer burning in my lungs or scraping my throat.
