24. Ivy
IVY
T he wind blows my hair around my face, obscuring my view, but it does nothing to stop me from moving, running, and putting as much distance between Archer and me as possible. If Hugo could see me now, I’m pretty sure he would say this is the fastest I’ve ever run.
I haven’t dared to glance over my shoulder. I’m too afraid to see him there.
I should probably be more concerned with the fact that I left him in my dorm room, among all of my things, without a care.
Honestly, I stand by my decision. There are no secrets for him to find in my room, but if he can seriously tell the difference between a truth and a lie, there were secrets he would expose when touching me.
My feet carry me all the way to the main academy building, and I don’t slow down until my shoes skid across the hardwood floor outside of the classroom for History of the Surrounding Kingdoms. I almost stumble over my own feet when I try to compose myself and slip into the room, but I’m sure I look as frazzled as I feel.
Brushing my hair back off my face, I plaster a soft smile on my lips, my old mask slipping into place as I make my way to my assigned seat. At least Archer will be sitting a few chairs away, but that doesn’t mean I’ve escaped my mates altogether since Teddy is due to sit beside me.
Determined to remain unfazed, I take my seat, placing my bag at my feet before I pull out my belongings. There are only a few people in here so far, none of which care to pay me any mind, and I take the moment of reprieve to calm my racing heart.
The hinges on the classroom door creak as they move, and my gaze snaps in that direction, anticipating a certain Fire Protector, but instead, I’m faced with another.
Silas.
His eyes meet mine immediately, a smirk curling his lips as he strides to his usual seat on my left.
“Fireball,” he murmurs, falling into his seat dramatically before folding his arms on the desk and offering me his full attention.
I bristle at it, but he doesn’t seem to care as my mask falters and I clench my hands together in my lap.
The last thing I need is another issue with him and one of my mates, but at some point, I have to realize that it’s not my responsibility when he keeps pursuing me despite the constant obstacles.
“Silas,” I reply quietly, and he winks. It’s cute, makes him look all charismatic, but there’s something missing in the little move that Teddy has tenfold.
I shake my head, ridding him from my thoughts
“Are you excited for this weekend?” he asks, inching closer, and my eyebrows gather in confusion.
“This weekend?”
He nods. “The charity sleepover in the grand hall. You’re going, right?”
I tilt my head, repeating his words in my mind as I clear my throat. “Honestly, I didn’t know it was happening,” I admit, watching his jaw fall slack and his hand slap against his chest.
“Fireball, how has this happened? You have to go,” he insists as I run my tongue over my bottom lip.
“What does it involve?” I dare to ask, and his eyes widen with a glint of excitement.
“It’s fun. The entire student body sleeps in the grand hall, all sodalities together, and we raise money for charities throughout the kingdom.”
“That sounds like charities are simply benefiting from us having a sleepover,” I surmise, and he grins.
“Exactly.” I blink at him. It would be rude not to if it’s for a good cause, right? “So you’ll be there?” he asks, but before I can respond, I’m distracted by the sharp sound of the chair on my right scraping along the floor.
I already know who it is, but I look anyway.
Teddy stands beside me, ignoring his seat as he leans against his desk. He offers me a half smile, ruffling his messy blond hair before settling his narrowed eyes on Silas.
“Where will you be, Princess?” he asks, and I clear my throat, but Silas answers before I get the chance.
“At the charity sleepover.”
“You mean the fuckfest?” he grunts, and my mouth opens wide as I gape at him.
Fuckfest? No one mentioned a fuckfest!
“It’s for charity, Theodore. And it’s not a fuckfest, don’t try to scare her. It’s fun.”
“And you think she’s going with you?” Teddy retorts with a huff, raising his eyebrow as I scramble to speak, but it seems they’re intent on talking about me like I’m not sitting right here.
“I hadn’t gotten to that part yet,” Silas states, clearing his throat as I will the floor to open up and take me now.
“Then let me save you the time. She won’t go with you. She won’t ever go out with you. Stop fucking asking,” he snarls, the charismatic guy I’m familiar with no longer present as he looms over Silas.
“Are you going to try and make me, Siren?” Silas goads, cocking a brow at him. “Or are you shit at your abilities, just like your father was?”
Teddy growls as he moves to launch himself at him, but before he can make contact, Professor Grogan stands between them.
“That’s enough, boys.”
My heart races in my chest as I rush to my feet, instinctively placing my hand on Teddy’s arm in an attempt to defuse the situation.
His gaze immediately snaps to mine, the heat fizzling out a little as we stare at one another.
All I see is pain and despair, and I’m quickly reminded of his father’s passing, making Silas’s comment even more out of line.
Taking a deep breath, I muster a soft smile. “Don’t let him get under your skin,” I breathe, watching as his jaw grinds.
“Tell me you’re not going,” he instantly barters, and I scoff.
“Oh, I’m going. It’s for charity,” I clarify, and his lips part, ready to tell me otherwise, but before he can breathe a word, I press my finger over his mouth. “But I won’t be going with him,” I add, and his shoulders deflate.
“But, Fireball—” Silas starts, and I turn to him, letting my mask slip and allowing the disappointment to shine through.
“That was shady as hell, and it’s definitely not the energy I want to be around right now,” I state, and a moment later, I feel lips press against my finger.
Startled, I jolt back from Teddy, retracting my finger and hand as he smirks at me.
Asshat.
“If this little drama is over, let’s return our attention to the start of class, shall we?” Grogan grumbles, turning away with a heavy sigh as the door opens to reveal Archer, Sax, and Baron all walking in together.
I drop into my seat, gaze fixed on Grogan’s desk as the rest of my mates enter the room, hoping Teddy will take the hint and ignore me like the rest usually do.
But it’s like they’ve read my thoughts and taken it as a challenge.
Instead of filtering into the seats from the end where Archer sits, they walk down the entire length of the row in front, only to circle back and pass my desk.
Archer greets me first, planting his hands on my desk as he leans close.
There’s a knowing smirk on his face as his eyes sparkle with a hint of mischief I’ve never noticed before.
“Angel, don’t run from me like that. I wasn’t done with you,” he whispers, but it’s loud enough to be heard by Silas and a few people in the seats behind him.
He knows what he’s doing, making it sound like something it wasn’t, and I refuse to give him the satisfaction of flustering me.
Instead, I roll my eyes as he saunters to his seat while Baron takes his place a second later.
He doesn’t crowd me; he stands tall, using his height to tower over me, assessing me from head to toe.
The silence stretches as his eyes find mine, and with a single nod, he’s gone.
I was hoping to continue pretending like they don’t exist to me, and I don’t exist to them, but it seems they have other ideas.
Sighing, I pray Sax bypasses me, but I should know better.
He slips himself between Silas’s desk and mine, placing a small stack of papers in front of me as he smiles at me.
“Are you okay?” he asks, concern rich in his tone, and I find myself nodding despite my desire to ignore him.
“Good,” he whispers before clearing his throat.
“Since you’re still putting those invisible walls between us, I took the liberty of collecting everything that has been touched on in this class over the past two years.
It’s all in there, but if you have any issues, let me know. Okay?”
He gathered two years’ worth of classes for me?
How long would that have taken?
My heart flutters, the smile on my face real, and I have to press my nails into my palms to break through the bliss that threatens to consume me.
“Thanks,” I rasp, and he stands, but not before squeezing my hand with his. It’s only a split second before he unravels his fingers from my own.
“Don’t hurt what’s precious to me,” he murmurs, his voice barely more than a breath before he disappears.
I feel lightheaded, but the moment isn’t over, apparently. Teddy leans in, pressing his lips against my right ear. “It’s good to know you know I exist, Princess. Thank you for having my back. I owe you. But don’t worry, I’ll pay it forward and see you at the charity sleepover.”
It’s on the tip of my tongue to decline when Professor Grogan blows a short, sharp whistle, gaining everyone’s attention.
“If we’re ready to learn, we’re going to discuss the Book of the Dead today.
” He waits a beat, presumably to see if there are any further interruptions, before he proceeds.
“Has anyone heard of the Book of the Dead?” he asks, glancing around the room, and I’m thankful he doesn’t linger on me. “Bonnie?”
I startle, my gaze landing on the back of her head as she sits in her spot in front. I hadn’t seen her come in. Did she hear what Archer said? I press my lips together, fighting a smile. I hope she did.
She shrugs. “I don’t know, Professor,” she admits, and he continues to glance around the room. He asks four other students before Teddy sighs beside me.
“The Book of the Dead is essentially about magic. Not simple magic like creating fire or anything physical, it runs deeper than that.”