27. Ivy
IVY
My eyelashes flutter, beckoning me to the surface as exhaustion clings to me in every way. Despite how much I want to remain in the depths of slumber, my body refuses.
Gentle hands touch my face, luring me to the light, forcing me to pry my eyes open, where I find myself staring deep into Teddy's blue orbs.
His eyes are wet, tears streaked down his cheeks as he cups my face with one hand, using the other to manage his device.
“Pick up, pick up, pick up,” he chants, frustration clinging to him.
I hate seeing him so pained.
It shatters me even more than I already feel.
My instinctive need to soothe him has me placing my hand over his on my cheek, watching as he freezes. His eyes widen as he turns to mine.
“Ivy,” he rasps, confusion lilting his tone, and I try to smile, but I think I fail miserably as he inches closer, his eyebrows gathering.
“Are you okay? Oh my… what the fuck? I don't know what's going on right now. I thought she killed you,” he blurts, and nausea turns in my stomach, bile burning up my throat.
I try to find the ability to speak, but confusion takes root deep inside of me, making it harder than ever.
Gulping, I fail to dislodge the lump in my throat.
“Teddy, she did,” I croak, and he shakes his head in confusion, eyes narrowing as he leans even closer.
His fingers ghost over my hair, like he’s making sure I’m real. “Princess, I haven't moved you anywhere; your memory is still intact because you know my name, and I haven’t spent a minimum of seventy-two hours fearing for your life in the medical center.”
My fingers tighten around his.
“I don't know if this makes any sense,” I start, my mind swirling too fast for me to keep up. “But I know she killed me. The process inside of me… it didn't change.”
He presses his lips in a thin line as he drags his free hand through his hair.
“But you're not experiencing any memory loss or extended period of time to rejuvenate,” he clarifies, and I don't have an answer for him. “Are you hurting right now?” he asks, leaning back enough to rake his eyes over my body, and I follow his line of sight, only to realize that the clothes I’m wearing aren’t the same as earlier.
Blinking at my hated mate, I slowly take note of him enough to realize he’s only in his boxer shorts, and the clothes I’m wearing are his.
“I’m sorry,” I rasp, finding the strength to reach out to him and run my hand along his bare stomach. I hate that he sacrificed himself in this way to protect me, and he scoffs.
“Princess, please. There's no apology here,” he insists, his words similar to those I spoke to Sax earlier, leaving me no room to argue back.
“Hello? Hello? Fucker! What do you want? Where are you guys?” Baron's voice cuts through the air, and it takes me a moment to realize it's coming from Teddy's device.
Teddy must realize at the same time, quickly scrambling into action and lifting his device to his ear. “Baron, get the hell over here right now! Ivy’s mom just… fuck! Just get here!”
“I don't know where here is!” Baron barks back, and Teddy groans.
“Out by the forest, you won't miss us,” he states, ending the call to return his attention to me. “We're gonna figure this out, Ivy,” he promises.
“How long was I out for?” I ask, curious, and he runs his tongue along his bottom lip as he glances at his watch.
“Five minutes. Enough time for me to try and call the group chat repeatedly while I at least got you dressed,” he offers, and I gulp.
Exhaling, I press my palms against the ground, ready to rise up, but before I can move a single inch, Teddy shakes his head, pressing his hand against my chest.
“Please, Princess, stay where you are so we can get a second assessment, because none of this is normal,” he states.
I grimace. "There's nothing normal about being a phoenix,” I mutter, and he grins.
“That's true, but this is even less normal than your normal.”
I roll my eyes as the distant sound of wings flapping in the sky echoes around us. So it's no surprise a few moments later when a flash of green appears overhead, landing a few feet away before Baron appears over Alaric’s wing.
“Ivy!” Alaric breathes, his words directly in my mind, and I grimace, attempting to hide it as a smile, but I fail miserably. “What's going on?” He starts toward me, but Baron lifts a hand to him.
“Give her a minute,” the dragon rider commands, and Alaric huffs, smoke billowing from his nostrils as Baron drops to his knees on the other side of me.
“What the hell happened?”
I part my lips, ready to tell the story, but Teddy beats me to it.
“Her mother appeared out of nowhere. She’s mad about the fucking relic that Leonardo left for Ivy.
She wanted it, and the second she realized we didn't have it, well, she only got madder,” he explains truthfully.
“She went to burn me alive, and someone…” He gives me a pointed look before continuing.
“Someone jumped in front of me, sacrificing herself, a fact we need to circle back to later on,” he clarifies, his firm eyes never wavering as I shake my head.
“The flames were never meant for you,” I state, and his brows furrow.
“What makes you say that?”
I clear my throat. “Part of the reason I know I died is that afterward, I had an out-of-body experience where I could still see what's happening around me. It’s only for a few moments before I'm plunged into the depths of fire, being a phoenix and all. In that small window, I heard what she said to you about how she wanted to use you against me, which is the only reason you were being kept alive. Her intention was always to burn me. She just wanted to see if I was willing to jump in front of you to keep you safe,” I admit as Baron drags a hand down his face.
“What do you mean by your out-of-body experience?” Baron grumbles.
I struggle to swallow past the lump in my throat.
“Her mom killed her,” Teddy mutters, and Baron glares at him.
“You should have called me sooner,” Baron insists, and Teddy scoffs.
“Of course. Next time we'll just pause Sapphira Hayworth, another phoenix, and ask if she can wait a minute for my good old friend Baron to get here, just so there's no irritation later on.”
A giggle parts my lips, despite the situation not being funny.
“Smart ass,” Baron says with a sigh, returning his attention to me. “What happened?”
All the amusement is gone again. “Her flames were green, and they burned right through me.”
He shakes his head. “That's not possible. You don't resurrect this quickly, and your memory usually takes a lot more work than this.” His concern echoes Teddy's words from earlier, and I nod, despite being a little unaware in comparison to their knowledge.
“There are answers we need here, answers we don't have,” I admit, pressing my hands into the grass, and this time, when I try to sit up, Teddy doesn't stop me. “But I don't know who I'm supposed to trust on this campus right now.” I pin my knees against my chest, draping my arms around my legs.
“There's got to be someone we can turn to,” Teddy states, and I nod.
“There is,” I breathe, sandwiched between the attention of both of my hated mates. “The dragons.”
“Yes, the dragons,” Alaric adds, snapping my gaze toward him. “I will take you there in a heartbeat. The congregation will provide answers if they have them. I vow it to you,” he insists as Baron rests his forehead on his hand, taking a deep breath.
“Why does my dragon feel so intent on being your savior? It's my job,” he grumbles, and Alaric scoffs.
“Do you want to fight for the right?” Alaric pushes back, and I giggle.
“What is he saying?” Teddy asks.
"They’re fighting over me, but right now, we need to understand what the hell is going on.”
“Why do I get the feeling that it means you two are about to jet off on that dragon and leave me here to explain the situation to the others?” Teddy states, and I wince.
“Is that a bad thing?” I ask, and he shakes his head.
“For you, of course not. For me? I just don't like being apart from you,” he admits, and it makes my soul ache for him.
“Do you think my mother is still on campus?” I murmur, uncertainty warring inside of me, and Teddy shakes his head.
“She disappeared pretty quickly, but there's no way in Hell that no one on this campus knows she's here. Someone has to be helping her, just like someone has to be helping Leonardo. This probably has something to do with the power outage. Again,” Teddy rambles, planting his hands on his hips as he cocks his head at me.
“Are you even fit to fly a dragon right now?”
“That’s a good point. You have just experienced death. Again. Maybe we should head to the medical center first?” Baron offers, and I sigh.
“My body aches, but other than that, I'm absolutely fine.”
Reluctantly, Baron rises to his feet, extending his hand in my direction, and I press my palm against his as he pulls me toward him.
“I’m going to assume the clothing situation is Teddy’s doing?” Baron clarifies, and Teddy nods as I twist the waistband on the sweatpants in an attempt to hold them in place. “Thank you,” Baron murmurs.
“You don't have to thank me. She's my mate too,” Teddy grumbles, and Baron shrugs.
“Regardless, knowing we are all starting to be on the same page when it comes to taking care of her is very reassuring.”
“I want to make a comment that I’ve been on this wavelength a little longer than you, but I won’t.
Instead, I’m just going to focus on the fact that it will be even more reassuring if you get the hell out of here so you can both get back just as quickly,” Teddy retorts, opening his arms to me, and I fall into his embrace, nestling my head against his chest.
I take a moment to breathe him in. Considering how bad this could have gone otherwise, I'm thankful to have him beside me.
He rubs my back soothingly, and the moment we break apart, Alaric lowers himself closer to the ground, extending his wing in my direction, just like last time.