1. Ivy #2
When she doesn’t get the comfort she desires, Mother quickly turns on the spot, heading out into the hallway without a backward glance.
I pat Hugo’s hand on my shoulder and slip from under his grasp and out the door.
The giant halls swallow me up as I trudge after her, my fingers curling into fists at my sides as frustration burns through my veins once again.
But this time, I channel it. I’m ready to feel this for the last time, and that’s now, because it all changes when the sun goes down.
Being the daughter of the mayor of Heaven’s Ridge is a job, not a life.
I know it, Hugo knows it, and deep down, my mother knows it too.
The pedestal I’m persistently placed upon isn’t realistic or fun. It’s a chore, an expectation from my father that I don’t care to have. But it doesn’t matter what I want or need; it never has.
As we approach my room in the south wing, my mother takes a sudden turn and wanders off to do whatever it is she does these days, while I climb the two flights of stairs.
I exhale once I slip into my bedroom, clicking the latch on my door as I sag against it. With one deep breath, I push on, scurrying toward my private bathroom to flick the shower on before I dare to look at my reflection.
My long, golden hair, exactly like my mother’s, either clings to me or sticks up in the wrong direction. My cheeks are flushed from exercise and my chest is prickled with a similar pink hue as it continues to rise and fall in quick succession.
Pursing my lips, I spin on the spot, taking in my sanctuary for a moment.
The double-headed shower to my left fills the room with steam, while my bathtub lies dormant to my right, with the brass faucets silently pleading with me to take one final dip before I leave.
The marble walls run seamlessly through the room, creating the blissful oasis I love to indulge in, the color reminding me of sand.
The vanity behind me is perfectly organized, from my toiletries to my makeup.
My lone toothbrush sits idly on the side, and I can’t help but wonder what it will look like when another sits beside it.
My gut clenches.
Tonight is the night.
Shaking my head, I quickly strip and step under the shower, letting the water cascade over me, encouraging it to wash away my worries as I let myself really think about this evening.
There will never be another night like tonight.
You only get one chance at this experience, and I’m fully locked in.
I’ve waited so long. Turning twenty-one two months ago was a blessing and a curse.
The ceremonies happen every six months, and I had to patiently watch time tick by while I waited for nothing spectacular to happen.
I feel like the last twenty-four hours have been the longest of my life.
But it doesn’t matter, because tonight, everything is going to change.
For the better.
Tonight is my mating ceremony.
In front of the entire world, I will give a piece of myself to The Fates, and in return, they will reveal my chosen. A shiver of excitement creeps through my limbs at the thought and I hide my smile under the spray.
Some girls fawn over the idea of their fated mate, but for me, it’s not so much about them, but more about what comes with them.
Freedom .
Tonight, I’m going to enter the ceremony hall, meet my chosen, and accept without care. By the time midnight strikes, I’ll find myself staring up at the pearly gates of Neverbound Academy, where I’m going to get to spend the next five years being me.
Not Reginald’s daughter.
Not The Angel of Heaven’s Ridge.
Just me.
Ivy Hayworth.
It’s going to be amazing. I’m finally going to be out from under my father’s control, exploring the rest of the world that exists outside of these pristine walls. On top of all that, I’m going to meet another side of myself. The side that is blessed with powers from The Fates.
Tomorrow morning, I will be assigned my protection sodality, each selected at random, and only ever activated when you step over the threshold of Neverbound Academy.
Fire. Air. Water. Land.
Hugo is an Air Protector, a dragon rider with the ability to control static energy and storms around him.
I’ve seen it once, in secret, without my father’s knowledge, and it was awe-inspiring.
Lucky, Hugo’s dragon, is huge, all bright orange and scary, yet greeted my brother so gently it melted my heart.
My mother and father also attended Neverbound together after having their fates intertwined with one another.
My mother never talks about her abilities, and I never ask, while my father is known for his ability to control the energy around him.
Most see it as the skill needed to keep peace and tranquility among all, but that’s not what he does; he just ensures everyone idolizes him.
Not me.
Never me.
How, I don’t know, and I don’t care as long as that fact doesn’t change. I simply yearn for more than this, and now that it’s a hairsbreadth from my grasp, I’m even more desperate to touch it.
Elated, I hurry through the rest of my shower before shutting it off and wrapping a towel around my body. I take one final look at myself in the mirror, acknowledging this piece of me, makeup free, carefree, and title-free, knowing the second I step through those doors, it’s all going to disappear.
One final breath, one last tainted thought, and I’m ready.
I feel like I’ve been caged for an eternity, awaiting my chosen. Now it’s my turn to grab my golden ticket with both hands and get the hell out of here.
Fueled and ready to go, I step into my bedroom to be greeted by a waiting entourage at my mother’s command.
Swept up in the flurry of preparation, my mind falls numb as one step leads into another, and another, until I’m pampered within an inch of my life.
Yet it feels like no time has passed before I’m standing in front of my floor-length mirror, blinking at my reflection.
My legs and arms are like silk. Although, my legs are covered by the skirt of my dress.
It’s not as puffy as my mother’s; it’s more cutesy and playful, with layered tulle in the softest pink I’ve ever seen.
My hair is perfectly sculpted into a half-up, half-down style.
Waves frame my face, while the fastening in my hair glistens along with the sparkling tennis bracelet on my wrist and the delicate necklace nestled against my collarbone.
White kitten heels finish the look, and I’m ready.
Inside and out.
One by one, everyone leaves, until only my mother remains, but she’s too busy fluttering away invisible tears to speak before a firm knock comes from the door and the atmosphere drops. It feels as if ice has been pressed against my heart as I suck in a harsh breath while my mother answers the door.
My father stands in the doorway, his eyebrows furrowed as he takes me in.
Once upon a time, when I was small and clueless, I would preen under his stare, desperate for his attention. Now I’d prefer him to be anywhere but near me. I don’t seek his approval, and I no longer wish for his attention.
Everything my father offers comes at a price, and I learned long ago that I don’t care for paying it.
“Ivy, let me escort you to the ceremony,” he murmurs, barely lifting his head from the device in his hand.
I want to stomp my foot and tell him I’m good on my own, but I know it won’t go smoothly, and in reality, none of this is going to matter in an hour. I can suck it up one last time.
He doesn’t wait for a response as my mother links her arm through mine. The clipped staccato of our heels is the only sound as we make our way downstairs.
A smile doesn’t stretch across my face until we step outside to find my brother waiting by the car.
My father mutters under his breath, inconvenienced by the mode of transport, but since I haven’t been gifted by The Fates yet, I can’t use quick travel or portals.
And the mayor of Heaven’s Ridge certainly can’t be seen abandoning his daughter for something so trivial.
“You look beautiful, Ivy,” Hugo comments as he takes my hand and helps me into the car.
I smile at his compliment, but with all the nerves bubbling in my stomach, I can’t bring myself to speak.
He slips in beside me, in a smart navy suit, while my father wears his signature gray ensemble.
The air is thick as the driver closes the door behind my mother, the last to climb in, and the air only grows thicker with silence as we head toward the ceremony hall. My brother squeezes my knee, but it does nothing to unravel the knot in my gut.
Tonight’s a big night, not just for me, but for my town too. My mother has gushed for weeks about how it’s the talk of the town that The Angel of Heaven’s Ridge is finally of age.
Not that I would know. That would involve leaving the confines of my home.
Gulping past the irritation that forms at the thought, I remind myself that I’m free now. There’s only one step left, and I’m ready to take it.
Anticipation rolls through me as we come to a stop outside the ceremony hall. My parents slip from the vehicle first, no backward glance or words of wisdom, just an image to uphold as they wave and smile at everyone gathered outside.
“Ready?” Hugo asks, drawing my attention to him, and all I can do is stare for a moment. It’s only when he cocks his head to the side that I find the strength needed to nod.
He unceremoniously shuffles to the door, stepping out with his back to the crowd as he offers me his hand.
The second I place one foot on the rolled-out carpet, the excitement zaps through the air.
My heart races, adrenaline coursing through my veins as I soak it in.
For the first time in forever, as I make my way through the crowd, I smile with ease, without the acidic taste of suffocation drawing the corner of my lips down.
I wave happily as a group of small girls, no older than ten, bounce on their feet as they squeal with delight.