4. Ivy #2
Stunned, I move on instinct, refusing to be left outside alone, and enter the foyer. I’m instantly consumed by the senses that fill the space, threatening to overwhelm me.
Warmth brushes over my skin, making my fingers relax a little, but not enough to drop the skirt of my dress as I gape in awe.
The space is shaped like a hexagon, with five corridors leading off in different directions, each framed with the same arched design, but it’s the hallway dead ahead that holds my attention.
Soft lighting hangs from the ceiling, decorated with flowers in full bloom, leading into the huge space before me.
Chatter fills the air, an energy so euphoric the only way I can describe it is magical. There’s a giddiness, invisible to the naked eye, but it makes my eyes widen, and the corner of my lips curl for more joyous reasons this time, encouraging me to take another step forward.
The delicate pinks, soft golden hues, and dusty blue colors feel as though they let the outside in, a sense of openness and growth at the tips of my fingers as I shuffle another foot closer to the gathering taking place on the other side of the archway.
For the first time in my life, I feel out of place, as if I’m bearing witness to a moment never meant for me.
Or that’s what I’ve been telling myself all this time.
Regardless, the atmosphere is everything, and I want to be a part of it.
Every second that passes forces another modicum of tension from my taut limbs, but the thick suspense of what’s to come lies heavy on my chest.
My gaze catches on the filth I’m covered in and my heart bleeds as shame and humiliation become more prominent in my thoughts. Instinctively, my gaze searches for the four men who brought me here, but once again, I’m on my own.
The anger that rises inside is aimed at me more than anyone else as I berate myself for even considering seeking help from them.
Instead, I swallow my pride and make my way to the archway, marvelling at the soft music that plays, almost lost in the laughter that filters through the air, confirming that everyone present is having a good time.
Everyone but me.
Before embarrassment consumes me, I take a deep breath and truly acknowledge where I am. This time, when tears burn the back of my eyes, it’s with blossoming hope in my heart. I might not be able to fathom what’s happening right now, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to take it for granted.
I’m where I’ve always wanted to be.
It’s the sense of adventure I never thought I would experience.
I had resigned myself to sadness and my father’s control forever, exchanging it with the acceptance of marriage to a man I knew nothing about, only to find my way here anyway.
My heart clenches at the reminder of the lifeless man I left lying in the church, but I rid the thought from my mind as I focus on my chance at change.
I can’t hide my smile as I step over the threshold, letting my heart beat wildly in my chest as the room falls quiet, jolting me from my thoughts as I realize my current state has garnered an audience, each offering an inquisitive stare. My cheeks burn from their attention, but I refuse to hide.
For the first time, the state of despair on the outside matches the battles I’ve faced on the inside.
Tilting my head a little higher, I keep my chin up as I dare to step further into what I know is my future, but my path is instantly blocked. A guy with deep-brown hair curled behind his ears grins down at me, eyes raking over me from head to toe.
“Do my eyes deceive me, or are you The Angel of Heaven’s Ridge?
” he asks, igniting a bout of whispers through those nearby.
“I can’t say I love the dirt, but you still look as hot as I remember,” he adds, dragging his teeth over his bottom lip.
“The wet dreams I’ve had about you, Angel,” he rasps, his eyes darkening as he inches closer. “Why don’t you?—”
“Finish that sentence, and I’ll cut out your tongue.”
I balk, my gaze snapping to the new addition to find Archer glowering at the guy. My breath seizes in my chest as I shake my head.
“Archer,” I scold, plastering a smile on my face as I return my attention to the guy who is actually being almost nice to me. “I’m so sorry, ignore him, he?—”
“Ignore me, I dare you,” Archer interrupts once more, and the whispers around us turn to loud chatter as my life turns into gossip once more. But more importantly, the guy disappears into the crowd without a backward glance.
Hatred burns through my veins as I turn to Archer. “What is your problem?”
“You, apparently,” he snaps, vanishing just as quickly as he appeared, leaving me helpless and alone, looking like a fool in a sea of people.
Is that what they want?
Did they bring me here to embarrass me further?
I was wallowing in it a moment ago, but now, I refuse to let it control me in case it’s their intention. Keeping my chin up, I unwrap each finger from the lace of my dress and let it fall, covering my feet once again as I look beyond the crowd of people to find Professor Viola on stage.
She whispers with the person beside her before she clears her throat, her voice carrying effortlessly through the room as she speaks. “And our final arrival of the evening is marked by the return of Archer Bowen, Teddy Lupus, Baron Linton, and Sax Linton, along with their fated mate, Ivy Hayworth.”
If they weren’t looking before, they are now. Yet all I can think about is the fact that she addressed Theodore as Teddy. I pocket that fact away as I gulp, forcing a smile as Professor Viola waves me to the stage.
As I reach the few steps leading up to her, I exhale, losing the jitters that flood my system.
“I’m sure we’re all familiar with Archer, Teddy, Baron, and Sax on campus, and what their abilities bring to the academy. It is a great honor this evening to bless Miss Ivy Hayworth with the same wondrous gifts from The Fates,” she explains, stepping toward the center of the stage, and I pause.
It’s a very similar setup to the day I learned of my fated mates, mere moments before my world came crashing down. Engravings are marked into the floor, while a slim podium stands at the center, holding a pretty gem.
Amethyst.
The Awakening Crystal.
“We’ve been through this process quite a few times tonight, but I will recap for our new arrival,” she states, waving me to join her.
My chest constricts with every step I take, but I take them, desperate for the end result of a blessing from The Fates.
“Miss Hayworth will place her hands on our sacred amethyst, summoning The Fates, who, after deliberation, shall bless her with their chosen protectors’ sodality, which are air, water, land, and fire.
How she will aid their chosen protectors will be unknown until she finds the strength for herself, but once selected, Ivy will begin her life here at Neverbound Academy, with a home and a community surrounding her. ”
People applaud, not for my chance, but for her words, and I soak the sound up anyway, letting it ground me and enlighten me all at once.
I woke this morning prepared to marry, and now I’m standing in the one spot I’ve always dreamed of.
“Miss Hayworth, please,” Professor Viola commands, waving toward the amethyst, and I move willingly, stepping over the threshold of the runes with ease as I eye the crystal.
The world drifts into silence as my life flickers through my mind, a reel of memories, defining moments that have led to this place and time, and I smile, letting my worries fade away as I lift my hands to the gem.
Darkness consumes my vision, the room disappearing before me, only to be filled with three cloaked figures a second later.
“Ivy Hayworth, we have been expecting you,” the first speaks, their voice light and soft like my mother’s. Fake.
“Are you ready to stand for Neverbound Academy, for your people, for your Fates?” The second asks, the timber in their voice is enough to make the ground shake beneath me.
“Yes,” I answer as the third and final of them steps closer.
“Great things will come of you, Ivy Hayworth, The Angel of Heaven’s Ridge,” they rasp, their voice too husky for me to decipher if it’s a man or a woman as my pulse quickens.
They know about Heaven’s Ridge? About me?
I shake my head in disbelief.
“Your path won’t be easy,” the timber tone adds, and I gulp. “But where will suit you best?”
Wherever my fated mates aren’t.
A snicker comes from the first Fate. “Unfortunately for you, Angel, they’re spread across all four. Our job is to allocate you where you will best benefit your bond with them,” she explains, and I bite back a scoff, even though I’m pretty sure she just read my mind.
“I have it,” the raspy voice declares, and the others don’t bat an eye or question their decision as a wrinkled hand comes toward me, their palm colliding with my forehead.
Pain sears through me, slamming my eyelids shut as I keel forward, breathing through clenched teeth as the pain slowly subsides.
Heat rolls over me in waves as I blink through the tendrils of discomfort, my hand plastered against the spot they touched as The Academy comes back into view once more, only this time, it’s blurred by the flickers of fire wrapped around me.
Cheers echo across the room as Professor Viola’s voice washes over me. “Ivy Hayworth, welcome to Neverbound Academy. You, my dear, are a Fire Protector.”