Chapter 55 Ivy
Ivy
Iwasn’t sure when I finally passed out. Couldn’t remember letting my eyes finally close and sleep claim me. But I knew I wasn’t awake anymore, surrounded by the warmth of my mates.
I was standing in a field of wildflowers in the place that’d become my safe haven with Orion. I breathed in the mixture of flowers and grass as I turned towards the familiar pavilion standing against the trees.
And already within was my Fae prince.
I took a hesitant step towards him, toes curling in the tall grass as he took one towards me. Today, he wasn’t in any elegant finery. He wore a simple black sweater and slacks, still looking like a prince but more casual than he usually was when he appeared in my dreams.
A serene smile played at his lips as he left the safety of the pavilion, moving towards me. “There you are, my flower. I’ve missed you.”
I somehow stopped myself from crying, instead letting myself smile. “I missed you, too.”
He met me in the grass, hands going to my waist as he pulled me against him. “You feel different,” he murmured, the smile faltering. “What happened?”
“I’ve been rescued,” I whispered, heart racing. “The others. They found me.”
His forehead met mine as he shook his head. “No, not that.” His hands skimmed my sides, brushing my stomach lightly.
I shuddered, eyes fluttering. “I’m pregnant.”
Orion pulled back sharply, eyes widening with fear and rage. “What?”
“I didn’t know until Dante told me.”
My Fae mate clenched his jaw, looking over my head into the field, like someone was there.
I glanced over my shoulder, expecting just that.
Like maybe Dante would be standing there, ready to tell me that all of it—the escape, my mates, the island—had been a dream, and I was back in my isolation cell, taken away from Hawk, Xerxes, and Thor completely.
But there was nothing but the fields and lake.
“Ivy,” Orion said, his voice hard. I looked back, only to find him staring down at my stomach. “Are you certain?”
“Yeah.” I couldn’t help but press one hand against what I knew now was them. Not bloating, but the two babies Dante cursed to grow quickly inside me. “I feel them now. He wanted me to give birth sooner. So he could use them against the others.”
“Them?” Orion met my stare again, eyes still wide, but more curious than angry. “If I had known, then—”
I couldn’t help but laugh. The sound came out startlingly loud, sharp, and felt foreign to me now after so long not letting one out. Even Orion looked startled by it.
Quickly, I covered my mouth and shook my head. “How would you have ever known?” I asked, cocking my head. “Sable hid it from me—from all of us. She hid it from Dante, and it took him weeks to undo the spell. He didn’t even know right away.”
Orion’s throat bobbed as he swallowed, and again, he looked over my shoulder. A chill rolled down my spine as I again followed his line of sight.
This time, instead of nothing, there was a dark figure standing in the shadows of the forest. I would recognise her anywhere, with her dark cowl and draping cloak.
“Nyx,” I murmured. Surely, she couldn’t be here. No, I thought, shaking my head. My connection to her was gone, ripped away when the collar was fitted around my throat.
This was all just a dream anyway. None of it was real, because I knew Orion couldn’t be real. He was just a part of this fantasy I’d created to survive the worst of Dante’s torture.
When I turned back to him, there was a dark look in his eyes, a hardness that made me question everything I already thought I knew.
Before I could ask him anything, he was ripped away, and our dreamscape went black.
I woke, sucking in a sharp breath as the fog of sleep disappeared, returning me to reality. For a moment, I couldn’t breathe. I was trapped in a darkness that appeared all too familiar, thick and hiding unseeable threats. My heart raced as I struggled against the new set of chains holding me back.
Not chains, restraints. I couldn’t move, couldn’t free my arms. Panic rose within me, crashing down upon me like a tidal wave, drowning me in fear and pain I’d never be able to escape.
Each breath I managed to pull in felt like ice shards scraping against the inside of my throat, and when that air finally reached my lungs, pain erupted inside my chest. From shards of ice to a fire burning within me, I couldn’t escape it.
I’d never escaped him.
Had Dante dragged me back to the isolation cell? I couldn’t remember. For a moment, I couldn’t remember anything other than the cage and the terror of learning the truth, of finally knowing his plans for me and…
And the twins. I tried again against the restraints. My arms were still trapped, confined to the wall I’d been leaning against.
“Shh,” a voice whispered, the sound bringing tears to my eyes. “You’re safe. You’re okay.”
But I wasn’t. I was still with Dante. Still trapped in his compound.
He’d finally get everything he wanted. My babies, my power, and my life.