14. Ivy #2
Grumbles erupt at her order, but no one fights against the command. A swarm of students starts toward us, ready to swallow me up and take me back with them, but before I can consider my next move, Sax grabs my arm and tugs me onto the grass and away from the chaos.
Out of the overwhelm, my eyes find Professor Carbon just as she signals toward us.
“What—”
“A meeting,” Archer mumbles as Sax grabs my hand, tugging me against his side as we move in the opposite direction from everyone else.
The air is thick with tension as Baron leads the way.
My pulse rings in my ears, my magic fizzling beneath the surface as I continue to comprehend what just happened.
I’m so lost in my thoughts, trying to wrap my head around the facts, that I don’t realize where we’re heading until we’re already there. We’re not at the arena for an impromptu meeting, but in the familiar yet very random cave system that looks like a rock near the clifftops.
Approaching the entrance, I hold back an eye roll as I spot Francesca and Bonnie. This time, as I draw near, their heads remain higher, revealing the anger and disdain in their stares.
“It looks like my magic has worn off,” Teddy mumbles, stretching his arms out in front of him. “Let me—”
“Don’t,” I blurt, stopping him with my free hand.
“But—”
“No buts, Teddy. I appreciate it, I do, but the reality is, they’re going to be bitches whether their heads are up or down, and I want them to have a clear view when I succeed despite their best efforts.”
Pride shines in his blue pools as he runs a hand down my arm. “I don’t know how you just got hotter, but you did,” he declares with a wink, and I roll my eyes, breezing past the two girls in question.
“Bitch,” they mumble in sync, but I grin, squeezing Sax’s hand in silent support as I pay them no mind.
Entering the usual setup, I eye the exact spot in the center of the U-shaped tables that I took last time. Viola is already standing on the other side, eyeing me curiously, as I stretch my smile wider and take a seat among my hated mates instead of causing a scene.
There are other issues to deal with today; I’ll save my dramatics for another time.
Ignoring Francesca and Bonnie as they sit across the room, I catch my brother as he steps in, eyes darting to mine immediately, and he sags in relief.
“Vee, are you okay?” he asks, and I nod.
“I’m fine; why wouldn’t I be?” I mumble as he hurries around the table, wincing slightly at my question.
“What don’t I know?” I breathe, and he squeezes my shoulder, no offer of a response on his tongue as he continues around the table, taking his spot beside Viola.
They talk quietly between themselves, making my lips pinch, when a gentle tap from an elbow snaps my attention to my right. Baron frowns, eyes trained in the same direction I was just looking, as he clears his throat.
“I can tell you what they’re saying if you like, but it seems like they’re going to discuss it with everyone anyway,” he clarifies, and I offer him a half smile as I squeeze his arm.
“Thank you. I’ll wait, but you can fill me in if they leave anything out,” I reply, and he nods, bracing his arm around the back of my chair as my attention darts across the room.
My eyes find Odesa as she glowers at where Baron’s arm rests.
I preen at her irritation, leaning a little closer to him, and even though it starts off as a move to piss her off, I find myself relaxing against him.
“Okay,” Viola starts, no longer huddled with my brother as she speaks.
“I’m sure everyone has seen one of the flyers by now, but just in case, it reads: ‘The Fifth Kingdom needs a champion. Will it be you? Set your kingdom free, and be the hero you were destined to be.’” She sighs, gripping the back of her chair as she lets the room absorb the statement.
“It seems the other kingdoms didn’t take our rejection seriously at the ball, and someone has taken matters into their own hands. ”
Baron’s free hand falls to my thigh as he leans against me, as if bracing for impact.
“We believe it’s Leonardo Corrigan,” my brother declares, my heart stuttering in my chest as I sway, thankful for Baron’s presence as I let the added information take weight in my mind without shattering me.
“The whispers of a Kingdom Champion were manageable before, but how are we supposed to brush something like this off?” Silas asks, and I peer down the line of seats, finding him for myself since I’d been too caught up to even realize he was here.
“Unfortunately, that’s a good question, Silas,” Viola confirms, her knuckles whitening as her lips pinch. “It’s certainly accelerating the kingdom’s issues, which is exactly what they want.”
“He wants, you mean?” Francesca bites, and Viola shakes her head.
“Leonardo? Of course, but it was quite clear this was the same mindset for all of the kingdoms when it was first mentioned at the ball,” she replies, and Francesca rears back, confusion narrowing her eyes before I quickly realize she wasn’t present for that.
I should be impressed that I know and she doesn't, but everything that has come from it leaves me wishing I were still in the dark. Now, with the mention of Kingdom Champions and Leonardo Corrigan reappearing in the same sentence, I feel torn inside.
As if sensing my uncertainty, Sax reaches for my hand on the table, reminding me that I’m sandwiched between the twins.
“To share or not to share?” he mouths, and I gulp.
Taking a deep breath, I sit taller in my seat. “At the ball, Leonardo Corrigan also killed the leader of the Third Kingdom. What will come of that?”
The thought has swirled in my mind on repeat, and I’d rather approach these kinds of subjects first before I offer something more personal.
“How do you know that?” Bonnie blurts, folding her arms over her chest as she glares at me.
Silas scoffs. “Because she was obviously privy to a meeting you weren’t. Just like I wasn’t. Get over yourself and focus on the bigger picture, or fuck off. Your attendance isn’t essential, you know,” he bites, making my eyebrows rise in surprise.
Maybe I’m not the only one irritated by the constant interruptions over something so self-centered.
Then again, I am the one he’s referring to, and I don’t know how I would feel if I were in the dark.
I’d like to think I would bask in it, but there’s something inside of me that knows that isn’t the case.
I’m just going to assume I wouldn’t be so whiny about it.
Professor Viola clears her throat, redirecting everyone’s attention to her. “How the Third Kingdom handles that situation is none of our business. I can only assume they have their own protocols for choosing someone to replace her,” she explains.
“So if Leonardo kills another leader without consequence, and then pulls a stunt like today, I can only assume he’s going to continue to barrel through any obstacle we throw at him. That leaves us with very few options,” Archer states, and Hugo nods.
“If any,” he adds, and the look on his face makes the panic worse.
My brother loves to consider every eventuality, pick the one with his preferred outcome, and take that route. From here, it looks like he doesn’t have any.
“What do we do?” Professor Garside asks, jaw tight as he glances from Professor Carbon at his side, to Viola, who straightens her spine and swipes her hand down her suit jacket.
“He’s not going to relent,” I blurt when no answer comes.
“What makes you say that?” Viola asks, tilting her head at me, and I shrug.
“As Hugo said, he’s killed another leader without consequences, along with the person trying to clean up his original mess, and my father.
Making a display like today isn’t going to deter him; it’s only going to fuel him more.
Leonardo Corrigan is a man without thought, without care, and without hesitation.
From what I have seen of that man, which is far more than I would ever wish for, things are only going to get worse. ”
“How do we stop that from happening?” Francesca asks, her gaze burning into the side of my face as my eyes widen with surprise before I can school my emotions.
“You’ll be glad to know I don’t have the answer to that.”
She rolls her eyes. “Then who does?”