16. Ivy #2
“The truth, asshole,” he insists, and Teddy finally fights back, shoving Archer off him, but he doesn’t go any further before he turns his attention to me.
“You’re going to be mad.”
“I got that,” I mumble, watching his every move as he scrubs the back of his neck nervously.
“Spit it out,” Baron grunts, repeating Archer’s words, and Teddy’s arms flop at his sides as his gaze fixates on mine.
“Remember when I had Archer stand at the door and use his magic to confirm the truth?” he mumbles, dragging a hand through his blond hair as I recall the moment I felt the true extent of the Fire Protector’s magic.
I nod, unable to find the words, and Teddy sighs.
“You asked if I ever used my magic on you,” he starts, and Archer grunts.
“You said no, and my hands warmed,” he barks, recalling the moment too.
“Well, that’s because I didn’t need to when…”
He can’t find his words, but it seems Sax can.
“You used it on Ember instead.”
Teddy nods, confirming Sax’s assumption.
Disbelief floods my veins as I gape in horror, all while Ember smiles softly at me.
Anger clutches my chest, making it hard to breathe as my emotions get the better of me. I sway, my balance faltering as I take a step toward the Water Protector in question, when my little flash of red stops an inch from my face.
“I’m so sorry,” I croak, my soul on the brink of splintering with guilt, even though it wasn’t me who did it. But it was because of me, and that’s enough.
“Why?”
“For Teddy,” I start, but words fail me as I blink at my sprite. “I’m so sorry.”
She laughs, the sound so light it settles over me like a gentle embrace.
How is she so casual and … happy right now?
My gaze snaps back to Teddy. “Did you make her be happy about it too?” I bite, my hands curling into fists at my sides, and his eyes widen as he slowly shakes his head.
“I didn’t think of that, to be honest. She always seemed so… happy anyway,” he admits, and the truth on his tongue only makes me more irritated, but before I can express a single thing, Ember boops me on the tip of my nose, drawing my attention back to her.
“Ivy, I need you to look at me, and I need you to listen carefully.”
“I am,” I grumble, and she shakes her head.
“No, you’re not. You’re too busy plotting revenge; it’s shimmering in those orange-rimmed eyes of yours,” she retorts, and I rear back an inch, flinching under the scrutiny, but she only grins with amusement.
“Do you want to know a secret?” She cups her hand, but she’s too loud for it to be a whisper.
Confused, I nod, and she does a flip of excitement before continuing.
“Your Water Protector is a little dumb because you can’t use a siren’s call on a sprite.
” Her squeal reaches new heights as she giggles.
“Wait, what?” Teddy blurts, and Ember gleefully swirls around his face. “Were you playing me?”
She floats about my right shoulder as she grins. “Technically, no, you were trying to play me, but I like the questions you asked, the care you had for my person, and the desire to keep her safe had me curious enough to entertain you.”
A deep, rumbling laugh cuts through the air, snagging my attention toward the long-haired Air Protector a few steps away. His shoulders jiggle, his amusement contagious, setting Sax off first, then Archer, all while I gape at them in disbelief.
“It’s not funny,” Teddy gripes with a huff, and I shake my head in disbelief.
“I hate to agree with him, but he’s been shady. It’s not funny.”
Baron waves his left hand at me while his right swipes under his eyes, capturing a few stray tears as he struggles to calm the laughter consuming him.
“While I would agree with you on most days, Firefly, this isn’t one of them.
He thought he was being clever, using your sprite instead of directing his powers at you, and it turns out she was toying with him the whole time. ”
Sax claps his hand against his thigh. “It shouldn’t be funny, Sunshine, but it really is,” he adds, and I huff, letting another wave of their laughter wash over the room until the tension eases in my shoulders and the corner of my mouth tips up.
Dammit.
“Stop. I’m mad,” I insist, my gaze latching onto Teddy’s, who pouts.
He takes a step toward me and the air shifts.
I lift my hand to stop him, to keep him at bay, but he doesn’t even register the barrier as he presses his chest against my palm and inches closer, the tip of his nose brushing against mine.
I brace for his excuse, but to my surprise, when he parts his lips, that isn’t what comes.
“I’m sorry, Princess.”
I shake my head. “Why?”
He cups my cheek, connecting us deeper. “Because you hated us, and rightfully so. I just needed to make sure you were okay, especially when you were hiding away in here so much. I had to be sure you were alright with all of the changes, that we weren’t ruining you for our own gain.
” His thumb ghosts across my skin, and I shiver.
“After a while, it became a morning catch-up routine or a brief passing when she visited Crush, but the truth is, it made me feel close to you, even when I wasn’t. ”
“Really, I’ve been this boy’s lifeline,” Ember sings, and Teddy scoffs.
“I’m not a boy.”
The pointed look on her face says she doesn’t believe him.
Wavering under her attention, his gaze returns to mine. “Can you forgive me?”
“You should. I’m only sad it won’t continue,” Ember says with a sigh, and Teddy smirks.
“If we’re allowed, it can,” he muses, and I roll my eyes. “Besides, you’ve got to have friends in here,” he confirms, and the desire to hold on to my anger dwindles, whether I like it or not.
“What did you just say?” Archer breathes, the atmosphere turning to ice with his tone.
“You’ve got to have friends in here?” Teddy repeats, and Archer nods, eyes wide as his nostrils flare.
“He can’t be working alone.”
“Who?” Baron asks, uncertainty warring in his eyes, and I feel the same tension stiffen my spine.
“Leonardo,” Archer answers, and I frown.
“What do you mean?” I rub a hand over my chest, trying to ease the ache forming inside me.
“How else would he get in here?” Archer asks, and I shake my head.
“When I was with my father in the cells, he just appeared in the corner of the space,” I explain, and Sax clears his throat, using my desk as a seat again.
“The dorms are different. We can’t even use our compass to enter straight into the building. The magic intertwined into the entryways is impenetrable.”
“Unless you’re a hot phoenix who can replace the entryway with ease,” Archer muses, awe in his eyes as I slip a loose curl behind my ear, my thoughts racing.
“Compass?” I ask, aware there’s one on my door, and I recall Archer mentioning it when he was trying to intimidate me, but beyond that, his comment doesn’t make sense.
Archer stuffs his hand in his pocket, revealing a worn brass compass. “It’s our talisman and our navigator through the lands. We use it to travel greater distances,” he explains as I blink at the device in disbelief.
My father had a talisman, but I never saw it; I wasn’t allowed to use it. Another part of his control was ensuring I used only the modes of transport he assigned.
“So to get into your room, he either has to have someone helping him into the building, or doing his bidding for him,” Baron declares, and I gulp.
“How do we figure it out?” Ember asks, determination thick in her tone as Sax snarls.
“We sniff them out.”