9. Ivy #2
“Girl, you were in trouble just before I left. I thought you were going to the uniform fitting to avoid anything else,” she states, and I sigh.
“I got lost, faced off with an asshat of a fated mate, fell off the side of the cliff and almost drowned, only to be saved by another fated mate, who we still despise, and now here I am, blissfully unaware that I forgot my uniform.”
Her eyes widen as she gapes at me. “Damn, I should have known the drama wasn’t over,” she says with a wink, and I shake my head at her.
“Let me guess, if you haven’t been for your uniform fitting, you haven’t eaten either.
” I dip my head, feeling the knowing look she’s offering on the top of my head, followed swiftly by a sigh.
“It seems it’s a good thing I’m here then.
Uniform first, then I’ll show you the dining hall,” she offers, and my lips pinch.
“Couldn’t we just get the food brought up again?” I ask timidly, looking up at her through my lashes with my chin still nestled against my chest, and she scoffs.
“You’re not hiding away in your room forever, Ivy.
You were The Angel of Heaven’s Ridge before you came here, which, from what I can understand, is some dumb, pompous title given to you simply because your father is the mayor.
The only way you’re going to shake it is by getting yourself out there and showing everyone who Ivy is.
Otherwise, hiding away up here will just make you look as dumb and pompous as that damn title, which, in turn, will only prove their assumptions to be correct. ”
My bottom lip moves, but no words come out.
Instead of trying to find the right thing to say, I give up and take a deep breath, letting her wisdom wash over me.
“Pep talk noted, Ember. Lead the way,” I say with a smile, waving my hand toward the door, and she zips through the air, disappearing through the wood as I slip on a pair of sandals and dart after her.
I all but skip down the stairs, enjoying the flames that lick over my skin as I step outside before I follow after my sprite.
She doesn’t stay at my side, and I appreciate it.
I use the silence to fully embrace what she said because she’s right.
If I want people to see me differently, I have to show them something different, or the real me.
Letting my guard down and shaking the instinctive reaction of being The Angel won’t be easy, but effort doesn’t cost me anything, apart from my sanity most days.
Cutting across the academy grounds, she takes me in the opposite direction from where I was earlier. Each pathway is still bathed in sunlight, warming my every step as we approach a small building. The second I step over the threshold, I’m lost to sensations.
The rich scent of leather fills the air as a seamstress maneuvers me around the room.
Hustling me to the pedestal, she takes out her measurement guides and proceeds to work her magic.
I’m familiar with the process, but it’s amusing to watch her twitter to herself as she moves around me.
Back home, they would be gentle and delicate, as though I was made of glass, which made the entire thing take forever, but I’m stepping off the pedestal mere minutes later.
“Your uniform will be delivered to your room this evening,” she explains before turning her back to me and moving on to the next person.
My stomach grumbles as I step back outside, a wistful smile on my lips as I blink up at the sky, but it doesn’t last long because I collide with a hard surface. My arms swing at my sides as I try to keep my balance, but it’s futile.
I fall in slow motion, my butt hitting the ground with a bone-jarring thud as a groan passes my lips. I can’t stop the motion as I roll onto my back, blinking up at the same blue sky, only this time with an air of confusion fluttering in my brain.
Delirious, I shield my eyes from the sun as I look to see what I collided with, only to freeze when a familiar pair of hazel eyes latch onto mine. They’re wide and startled at first, but they quickly narrow as frustration brims beneath the surface.
“Watch where you’re going,” he grunts, and I scoff.
“Me? What about you?” I snap back, pressing my palms into the ground beside me as I hike myself back to my feet.
Dusting my hands over my denim shorts, I glare at him.
His hands curl into fists before he folds his arms over his chest.
“Are you always going to be so difficult?” he bites, his nostrils flaring as he glowers at me, and I shake my head in disbelief before searching for Ember. I need someone to back me up right now, but she’s nowhere to be seen.
“Are you always going to be such an ass?” I spit back, and he rolls his eyes.
“Your petulance is growing intolerable.”
“And your mere existence is infuriating.”
We stare off with one another. My chest heaves with every breath as I try to keep my composure.
He wipes a hand down his face with a sigh. “I was assured you would be an asset here.”
I rear back. “Just an asset? You are aware I’m an actual person, not a belonging?” I snap, rage burning through my veins as he shrugs.
“Blend in, Ivy. Nobody cares where you came from or who you think you are. All I know is I don’t need any more issues because you can’t act accordingly.”
“Accordingly, by whose standards?” My stomach churns, the acid burning up my throat as I imagine slamming my fists into his chest, but they won’t move.
Instead of an answer, he offers me his back, sauntering away without a care in the world as he leaves me in a state of disbelief.
“Hey, sorry, I didn’t see you leave,” Ember breathes, appearing at my side. I don’t turn away from glaring at the back of Archer’s head, and she understands immediately.
“What did he do?” she whispers, and I sigh, working my shoulders back as I rid the tension from my body.
“He just made sure I stop being the pushover from Heaven’s Ridge. You said I have to show an alternate side of myself. When it comes to him and the others I so happen to be fated to, it might not be the version we’re looking for.” It’s a promise, one that I feel in my soul.
“Now that is a threat I can get behind.”