7. Ivy
IVY
“What the fuck did you just say?”
Baron’s grunt vibrates from behind me, making my back stiffen as I dare to peer over my shoulder at him. His eyebrows are bunched, his eyes narrowed, and his jaw slack.
“I know you’re not talking to me with that tone,” I sass, my hands curling into fists at my sides as Alaric continues to nuzzle against me.
Baron shakes his head, pinching the bridge of his nose as he takes a step toward us, and I scoff.
“You can stay exactly where you are,” I blurt, confused why I’m even here to begin with, but dealing with his proximity is worth it to see Alaric.
“He’s stubborn.”
I snicker. “I’d say it’s worse than stubborn.”
“That. What did you just say?” Baron demands, my hand instinctively reaching out for Alaric as I frown at the man in question.
“Do you really want to hear me insult you twice?” I clarify, and he grimaces.
“Who were you responding to when you spoke?” he pushes, leaving me even more confused as I run my hand over Alaric’s scales.
A part of me wants to pretend I can’t hear him at all, but there’s something in his confusion and persistence that has me intrigued.
“Alaric, obviously.”
His eyes widen comically as he shakes his head, eliminating the distance between us despite my preference. “No, not obviously, Ivy. Even Air Protectors can only talk to their own dragons. They can’t communicate with others as well.”
I blink at him as his words settle in my chest before I slowly start to repeat his motion of shaking my head.
“What are you talking about?”
Ignoring me, his eyes turn to Alaric. “Say something to her again.”
“I’m sorry he isn’t better house-trained.”
I cackle, resting my forehead against his scales. “Are you offering to help him?”
“How are you talking to him right now?” Baron demands, and I freeze, quickly realizing what he’s saying is true, but that can’t be the case if only Air Protectors have the ability to speak with dragons, and only their own at that.
I jolt back, confusion narrowing my eyes as uncertainty wars inside of me.
“He’s just talking.”
“He isn’t, Ivy.”
“What?” I glance at Baron, who stares at me, all bewildered and slightly wide-eyed with awe.
“He speaks into my mind. He doesn’t make a single sound out loud.”
I balk, returning my questioning stare to the dragon, who lies down, all calm and relaxed, unlike the two of us. “This doesn’t make any sense,” I mutter, and Baron scoffs.
“Tell me about it.”
“It makes perfect sense,” Alaric declares, and I frown.
“How so?”
He lets out a long sigh. “You’re a phoenix.”
“What does that have to do with it?” Baron interjects as a shiver runs down my spine. “And how do you know that?”
“Don’t act like you haven’t told him,” I scoff, and he shakes his head.
“I didn’t see him the entire time you were in the medical center, and as soon as we did reunite, he was all stressed out about you and insistent that he wanted—no, needed to see you.”
Brushing my hair back off my face, I tilt my head back to the dragon. “How do you know what I am, and why does that make a difference, Alaric?”
“Come closer, I miss you.”
My eyes pinch in his direction, but I can’t find the strength to deny him, so I eliminate the few steps between us and drop to my knees. I wouldn’t dare tell Baron right now, but I’m exhausted, and my strength has been faltering.
“You’re struggling,” Alaric assesses, and I wave him off.
“I’m fine. Tell me what you know.”
“Promise me you will rest once I do.”
My pulse quickens in my ears as I sense Baron staring at me. I nod, and that seems to appease him as he pushes against the back of my hand until I flip it around and press my palm against his scaly cheek.
“I sensed your connection days ago, I’m assuming when you died.”
My chest tightens as I feel Baron’s presence grow closer. “Alaric,” he warns, struggling with the fact just as much as I am, and I hate it.
“Why does being a phoenix allow me to hear you?”
“You were reborn from the ashes, resurrected in the flames, and reinstated in your greatness. Similar to that of a dragon’s egg, although we’re not half as cool as you are.
I haven’t discussed it with any of the others, so I don’t know if it’s just me or all, but we’re crafted from the same inferno now, Ivy. ”
I gulp, unsure how I feel about the permanent reminder that I’ve died.
Baron clears his throat. “Are you satisfied now, Alaric? She needs to rest.”
The dragon seems to nuzzle further against me for a moment before he leans back, slowly maneuvering his insanely large limbs to stand.
I follow suit, rising to my feet before I take a step back, completely bewildered by the turn of events as I feel the late afternoon sun against my face. Inhaling, I let it warm me, rooting me to the spot instead of letting me hightail it back to my dorm room to pretend none of this ever happened.
Another deep breath, and I feel calmer. My gaze snags on Baron, and I find myself mesmerized by the way his hair flutters in the breeze. It’s the first time I’ve ever seen it down. It’s almost as long as mine, and it has a way of eliminating the instinctive anger that consistently emits from him.
My lips part to say just that, but it feels too much like a compliment, so I stop myself at the last second.
“Can I come and check on you again tomorrow?”
My lips purse. “Can you come alone?”
“No,” Baron answers, and I cock a brow at him. He doesn’t falter under my stare as he shakes his head. “Dragons are dangerous in general, but Alaric here can be a little more hotheaded than others. I don’t want you to get hurt. Not again.”
My gaze narrows as Alaric huffs, and I watch as tendrils of black smoke seep from his nostrils.
“I would never hurt her,” he snaps, and Baron sighs, planting his hands on his hips.
“Not on purpose, but none of my scars were planned either, were they?”
I can feel myself softening toward Alaric’s needs, and it doesn’t make sense. All I know is I need some space to think because this is insanity.
“I would be more careful with her,” Alaric insists, earning a scoff from Baron as I hide a smile behind my hand.
“Good to know, buddy,” Baron grumbles as he turns to face me. “Thank you. You didn’t have to appease this butthead, but you did, and I appreciate it.”
My lips twist, a sassy response resting on the tip of my tongue, but I swallow it down, taking the high road as I mentally acknowledge the fact that he didn’t knock on my door for himself, but for his dragon.
“No problem. I’d say anytime, but it seems we might need to limit him,” I admit, and I swear it earns me a half smile on Baron’s face, but it’s gone too quickly for me to be sure.
“Truce?”
I shake my head. “Maybe a half truce when we’re dealing with you,” I reply, refusing to look at Baron as I cut the distance to Alaric, placing my palm against the side of his head one last time before I turn for the dorms.
“Let me walk you,” Baron hollers, and I shake my head.
“I know how to walk into my building just fine,” I retort, not bothering to look back before I step through the flamed entryway.
The second they’re no longer in sight, my shoulders sag and a whoosh of air leaves my lungs.
Today has been a day. Damn, this week has been something else entirely, but I didn’t expect this.
Not after I’d insisted Hugo leave so I could spend the rest of the day wallowing.
At least the burning sensation at the back of my eyelids is gone now.
Clearly, all I needed was a distraction, and Alaric provided it.
“Oh my gosh, there you are!” I jolt at the sudden sound, turning just in time to see Ember zooming toward me. She does two laps around me before she settles in front of my face. “Where have you been?”
I smile. “Seeing a dragon.”
“A dragon?” she screeches. “Why would you leave unannounced to see a dragon? That’s dangerous, Ivy,” she insists, and I wave her off as I head for the stairs.
“I was fine. It was Alaric, and Baron was there.”
“Oh.” I can practically hear her thoughts tinkering in her mind. “Ohhh. When do I get to meet the dragon?”
Peering at her, I scoff. “Don’t you think you have your hands full with all the other sprites you’re chasing after? The dragon is on another scale.”
She grins. “I just want to get to know him.”
“Of course you do,” I grumble, rolling my eyes.
“Don’t make this about me. You’re the one who snuck off while I ran a few errands. I was so panicked I had to—”
“Where the fuck have you been?”
I freeze, my hand gripping the banister as I look up through my lashes to find Archer standing at the top of the stairs with his arms folded over his chest.
“That’s none of your business,” I snap back, irritation curling through my veins.
My nostrils flare as I falter under his intense stare before I’m moving, refusing to give him even more of a height advantage as he glowers at me.
As I reach the top of the stairs, he doesn’t step aside; he just towers over me.
“What were you doing?” His hands fall to his sides, his fingers flexing as if he’s desperate to reach out and feel the truth from me, and it drives me insane.
“Nothing.”
He sighs.
“When did you leave?”
I shrug.
“Who supervised you?”
“I supervised myself.”
A grumble rattles from his chest as his eyes narrow.
“Why are you making this harder than it needs to be?”
“Right back at you,” I retort, and he tilts his head up to the ceiling as if he’s searching for composure.
“How is this going to work if you don’t listen?”
“There is nothing for me to listen to.”
“You were lying in my arms a matter of hours ago,” he hisses, and I scoff.
“Because I didn’t remember the irreparable pain you’ve caused me. Now I do.” I fold my arms over my chest, trying to create a protective layer between us, but it’s not enough.
He grabs my chin before I can lean back, inching closer until the tips of our noses touch. “Do you really think you’re the only one hurting?”
I pause at his words, my chest threatening to explode with the way my heart races, while my pulse quickens in my ears and goosebumps tingle along my cheeks.
He takes my silence as encouragement to proceed.