Havoc's Rejected Hero

1. Archer

ARCHER

It’s official.

Ivy Hayworth is going to be the death of me, and I’m going to enjoy every inch of the fall.

I knew it the moment I saw her with my own eyes two years ago, but now, there is so much certainty that I’m unable to deny it anymore. It’s exactly the reason why I followed her and Hugo into the damn meeting and the driving force behind me storming out, right on her tail.

Protective mode activated.

My magic thrums through my veins, my heart lodged in my chest as we bolt down the hall, leaving Leonardo and the other Kingdom leaders in our wake.

Ivy's two steps ahead, her composure on the brink as she darts into the ladies room, stopping us in our tracks.

“What the fuck was that?” Baron grunts, and I shake my head, unable to form an answer that makes sense of what the hell just happened in there.

Dragging my hand down my face, I glance over my shoulder, retracing our steps to ensure we're still alone. The coast is clear, but the anticipation and discomfort of danger loom heavily above us.

Leonardo Corrigan killed the leader of the Third Kingdom, merely for interrupting.

He’s a madman.

A madman with his eyes set on my fated mate.

Something feels off in the air, and I can’t stand how out of control it makes me feel.

“Maybe we should follow her in there,” Teddy murmurs, and Sax grunts.

“Give her a minute to compose herself. She doesn’t need us charging in and pissing her off more.”

“I wouldn’t piss her off,” Teddy insists, and I roll my eyes, but before I can disagree, Sax beats me to it.

“We’re all overbearing fuckers, and she’s done with our shit. If we go in there right now, simply breathing in her vicinity will tip her over the edge.”

I hate how right he is.

Sighing, I lean back against the wall beside the door, pinching the bridge of my nose as I try to figure out what’s off. The distant music coming from the ball does nothing to ease the tension rolling through my limbs; if anything, it irritates me more.

We should never have come. Or maybe we should have stayed in the ballroom and enjoyed the bullshit celebration, but something tells me denying the request for Ivy’s presence would only ignite a bigger reaction.

That doesn’t mean I’m not pissed at Hugo, though. In what mind is it a good idea to take her into that meeting to begin with, requested or not?

There have to be boundaries in place, especially with Viola and the rest of the people in power in the kingdom, but letting Leonardo get so close to her is an error on all parts.

To me, it looks as though Ivy has been used to draw people out, but in the end, she wound up tossed into the snake pit.

Fuckers.

The topic of a Kingdom Champion was fresh on everybody's lips, a position I’m not familiar with, but otherwise, the meeting in general was as pointless as the ball.

Teddy groans obnoxiously loudly, jarring me from my thoughts, like we’re not all struggling. “Maybe if we just—”

“Fuck. Shut up,” Baron grunts. “She's not alone,” he snaps, charging toward the door without a backward glance.

I blink at him for a moment, wondering what the hell he's talking about before I recall his ability to hear from a distance. He doesn't share anything more, which tells me it's dangerous and there’s no time to waste.

The door opens before us with a thud, revealing the silhouette of a figure standing between Ivy and us.

My pulse quickens in my ears, my eyes wide, alert, and laser-focused, but it’s not Leonardo blocking our path. It’s her father.

Mayor Reginald Hayworth.

Arrogance oozes from him as he claps his hands, glancing over his shoulder at us for a brief moment before returning his stare to his daughter.

“Excellent, an audience,” he states before rolling his shoulders back. “You're leaving with me,” he declares, and Ivy shakes her head.

“I’m not going anywhere with you.”

“What are you going to do? Stay here with them?” he says with a scoff. “They're only going to use you the same.” His bite is venomous, yet his words leave me balanced on the edge of a knife.

My chest tightens, twisting so tight I know my world is about to crumble beneath my feet.

“That's why they changed their minds. Isn't it, boys?”

Guilt consumes me, cutting me open and leaving me bare as I instinctively take a step forward, hand raised.

“Ivy. Ivy, listen to me,” I start, but her father cuts me off.

“It's too late for your excuses. I'll cut to the chase and tell her the truth,” he declares.

“Ivy,” Sax calls from a step behind me, but no words follow; all he does is gape at her.

“Tell her!” Teddy yells, his voice frantic. “Fucking tell her,” he demands.

My world is a vortex of carnage flashing in an array of colors before my eyes.

“Are her eyes glowing again?” Baron mutters, and I feel lightheaded.

“That's not orange,” Sax confirms.

All I want to do is bundle her in my arms, protect her from the pain and torture that lie ahead. The look in her eyes makes it very clear that that's not going to be as simple as I want it to be.

“I’m in charge here,” Reginald snarls, his words like ice as they cut through the air, but they're no match for the heat I can feel pulsing from Ivy.

“They knew you were a phoenix all along, Ivy. But more than that, they knew connecting their magic to yours would enhance their own,” her father confirms.

My magic burns through me, almost as if it’s branching off Ivy, and I know without looking that orange rings circle my eyes, twisted and burning with guilt.

Baron takes a step forward, both hands raised. “Ivy, that's why we rejected you.” It's the truth, but the words don't land. “We didn’t want any of this for you,” he insists, and she chokes on her breath, eyes widening. But before her response can be formed, her eyes roll as her head tips back.

She sucks in a sharp breath before flames burst across her flesh.

I watch in terror as my world goes up in flames. The usual orange hues that I’ve grown almost accustomed to don't come.

Instead, she's enveloped in fire so dark it looks purple.

She falls to the floor, sending a trail of flames in every direction, the entire bathroom erupting into chaos.

Horror curls through every inch of me as everything ignites. The rich scent of fire burns thick in the air. It's almost melodic, but there's something different, and it's not just the color.

A yelp sounds from behind me as Baron, Sax, and Teddy leap for the door, avoiding the flames as Reginald howls in pain, trying to do the same.

He doesn't make it far, the flames flickering around his feet like vines, and I watch him twist with pain, but I have no desire to rush to his aid.

Instead, I return my attention to Ivy.

Guilt consumes me as the truth lies heavy in the air.

It’s out there now, misconstrued, twisted, and tortured in a knot that I can't undo.

I need to explain, but it's not about what I need or want in this moment.

She's beyond listening now, and it's all our fault.

Edging around the deep-purple flames, I draw closer, staring down at Ivy's wide eyes that are no longer rimmed with orange; instead, they match the flames that flicker and burn around us…

Purple.

Anguish lies there among it, and it's worse than that fateful night over two years ago.

Panic kicks in, and I move on instinct. Whether she wants my help or not, she's going to have it. I stall for a moment, heat radiating through the room with a different kind of energy as despair lies heavy on my tongue.

Dropping to my knees beside her, I do what I've done every time before and reach for her arms, ready to shake her out of it, but as my hands connect with her burning limbs, heat consumes me. I’m instantly disoriented by scalding heat and burning palms, and I roar with pain.

My chest heaves as confusion swarms me.

Despite the trembling of my hands, I try again. Only this time, it's hotter.

Tearing my hands from her body, I blink at my skin, all mottled from the touch.

What the fuck?

Carnage from behind threatens to distract me, but I ignore it all as I gape at the girl on fire.

I’m helpless.

I'm also a fucking Fire Protector, and her damn flames are harming me.

Squinting at her, I’m certain that she’s not in pain.

Regardless, it needs to stop.

“Fucking help her, Archer,” Teddy snaps from behind me, and I gape at him, eyes wide as I lift my burnt palms. He falters, taking another step back as he shakes his head.

His hands are raised, water forming at his palms, only to evaporate in the air before it can even consider affecting the flames. “Help her. We've got him.”

I can only assume he means Reginald, but I return my attention to my mate before confirming.

The entire floor is covered in flames, the heat registering against my body.

“Ivy,” I plead, reaching for her one more time, the burn impossible to contend with as a whimper parts my lips.

Desperation claws at me, my hands wrecked as I sit, frozen in torture as Ivy burns.

I choke on panic as water cascades over the room like a blanket, extinguishing every flame as if they never existed.

It drenches me to the bone, but I'm thankful as I stare down at Ivy in relief. She’s as soaked as I am, but what startles me is the fact that her clothes are still intact.

That’s not usually the case.

Not that I’m complaining about the blessed modesty.

I glance over my shoulder, confusion taking root.

Nothing makes sense, but as I take in my surroundings, fear burns down my spine.

Hugo fills the doorway, but it's the person standing between the two of us that's more concerning.

It wasn't Teddy's water protection magic that extinguished it all as I had hoped.

It was Leonardo.

He stands smug, one hand tucked in his pocket as he plays with the ring on his other hand, grinning down at us.

“You're welcome,” he says, amusement thick in his tone as he speaks, but I'm quickly distracted by the sound of Ivy whimpering on the floor beside me.

Despite the pain that contorts my hands, I reach for hers, but she snatches them away, pain in her eyes as the ring around her eyes burns orange.

I part my lips, a plea perched on the tip of my tongue, but she looks away, dismissing me, and before I can attempt to regain her attention, Leonardo speaks instead.

“Ivy, you left sooner than I prepared for. Maybe it's time to have a bit more of a private chat,” he offers.

Hugo takes a step forward, an interjection on his tongue, but Leonardo lifts his hand, stopping him before he can move any closer.

He commands the room whether we like it or not. His eyes settle on Ivy, waiting her out.

Slowly, and to my utter disbelief, my mate sits, palms pressed against the floor, as she stares down at her drenched dress. A shiver rattles through her, and Hugo snaps his fingers, a whisper on his lips as the air conforms to his words, swirling around her and drying her in an instant.

He doesn't offer me the same, but I don't care. I just need her as far away from this wretched man as possible.

“Ivy,” I breathe, but it's like I don't exist as she stands, shattering my heart when she nods at Leonardo.

She's standing right beside me, yet the distance between us stretches further than ever before.

“Ivy,” I repeat, scrambling to my feet without using my hands. “Don’t do this,” I snarl as Reginald complains from the hallway. I fight back an eye roll as everyone ignores him, but it’s not as bad as how Ivy ignores me.

“I think a private chat is necessary,” Ivy states, eyes fixed on the leader of the Second Kingdom like she didn't witness him killing another leader mere moments ago.

“Ivy, please,” Hugo breathes, but she shakes her head, folding her arms over her chest as she takes Leonardo’s lead, while all I can do is gape down at my burnt hands.

She bypasses each of us without a single glance, leaving one thought swirling in my mind.

Ivy Hayworth can cover me in scars, and I'll wear each of them with pride as long as she finds her way back to my side.