12. Ivy #3
Thankfully, Baron’s arm around my waist keeps me up, but when he senses my overwhelm, he lifts me off the ground, squeezing us chest to chest as he snarls.
“Alaric!” He cups my cheek. “Firefly, talk to me. Are you okay? What’s going on?”
It’s too much for me to think through.
“She can hear everyone in here, Baron,” Alaric says gently, and Baron’s hold softens slightly, but the protectiveness only intensifies. “When she has the strength to quiet them, it will stop,” he adds, making my eyebrows pinch in confusion as I shake my head.
As if reading me like a book, Baron senses my dismay. “You’re talking like she knows what you want from her, but you’re forgetting the fact that you didn’t say a damn word about any of this until now.”
“I’m sorry; it will make sense, I swear it. All you need to do, Ivy, is fight through the noise and speak. Nothing more, nothing less.”
His words are soft, soothing, and as I claw my fingers into Baron’s t-shirt for support, I lean back, swaying slightly with the lightheadedness before I manage to lock eyes with my mate’s dragon.
Pain burns down the center of my head, a migraine threatening to steal my consciousness, but I close my eyes and try to focus.
There is so much being said at once that it’s impossible to make out a single word.
Instead of trying to decipher it all at once, I press my hand flat against Baron’s chest.
The soft rhythm of his heartbeat steals my focus.
Du-dum.
Du-dum.
Du-dum.
With every pound of his heart, the noise eases. Only a little, but enough to recognize my own name at least.
I inhale sharply as I part my lips. “Quiet.”
It’s barely a whisper on my tongue, but the room stills, and I almost collapse with relief. But any chance of reprieve is snatched away as the ground shakes beneath me, and I pry my eyes open to find another dragon on the ground with us.
Tension coils through my limbs as I gape at them. They stand at least five feet taller than Alaric, and he’s already bigger than most dragons here. Black scales cover them from head to toe, yet flashes of red and orange flicker across their scales as they move, stomping toward me.
The smell of fire fills me as they come to a stop, only Alaric between us, but my mate’s dragon steps to the side, exposing me to the newcomer.
Baron tenses, sidestepping to protect me, but the dragon parts its lips and burns the ground before me. My Air Protector mate snarls at the threat, trying to stand his ground, but the heat becomes too much, and he finds himself back at my side.
Basking in the heat, I stare off with the dragon, anger burning through me as I narrow my eyes.
“That’s rude.”
The fire stops, smoke billowing between us as they lean in closer.
I tremble on the spot, certain my end is coming, but as the dragon comes within arm’s reach, their eyelids fall closed, and they rest their chin on the ground.
Roars vibrate around the room, making me clamp my hands over my ears, but it’s much easier to contend with than their words in my mind. I watch in awe as every single dragon follows suit, lowering their heads and… bowing to us.
I spy Lucky at the very top, the familiar orange easing my shallow breaths before I turn to Alaric, only to find him in the same position.
“Alaric?” I breathe, my pulse ringing in my ears as I blindly reach for Baron’s hand beside me.
“Ivy Hayworth.”
My gaze darts to the dragon before me, their voice deep and thunderous as they peer up at me.
I clear my throat. “That’s me.”
“You are a phoenix.”
“I am.”
He doesn’t respond immediately, making me tense as Baron leans in closer, pressing his lips against my ears. “I can’t hear him, Firefly.”
“It’s okay,” I breathe, tilting my attention to my mate for a moment. “I’m okay,” I confirm before returning my attention to the dragon in question. “Why am I here?”
Silence stretches out for a few more moments before he huffs, slowly rising to his full height, but no other dragon moves.
“You are the first people to set foot on these grounds, but not the first to enter our lair.”
A shiver runs down my spine. “I don’t understand.”
“Dragons are isolated creatures, for the most part, but many years ago, we formed an alliance.”
My heart pounds in my chest as I attempt to read between the lines and solve the puzzle he’s laying before me. “Phoenixes.”
His head bobs. “That connection was shattered by who I believe is your mother.”
My eyes widen. “I’m sorry.”
Smoke plumes from his nostrils as he huffs again. “Don’t apologize for the anguish someone else caused, Phoenix. That’s not why you are here.”
“Then why am I here?” I breathe, and the room shakes as every dragon sits up straight, wings flapping as excitement sweeps through the space.
“Because I have two dragons who believe you are different, and I trust their judgment, especially as I see you standing here before me. I just wanted to see for myself before I declared it.”
“See what?”
“Your soul.”
I stupidly look down at myself as if said soul were on display before my eyes return to his. “And what do you see?”
“Purity.”
“That sounds… positive,” I hope, and he nods.
“I vow to you, Ivy Hayworth, you will always have a friend in us.”