10. Ivy
IVY
The early morning sun beams down on me the second I step outside. I toy with the collar of my academy-issued shirt, the restriction of my tie worsening as I tilt my face toward the warmth.
A hand lands on my shoulder, and I already know who it belongs to: the Water Protector who is hellbent on causing mayhem in my life.
His presence isn’t so much the issue. It’s how strongly I’m drawn to him that is driving me insane.
Why do I seem so captivated by him?
“Are you okay?” he asks for the thousandth time, likely half expecting me to shake my head and bolt back inside, but I've missed out on enough. As off-kilter as I feel, this is the only semblance of normalcy I have.
Clearing my throat, I plaster on a tight smile. “I’d be better off if I didn’t have an entourage.” I glance over my shoulder toward where Archer leans against the building, unfazed by the heat radiating from the fiery entrance.
He cocks a brow at me, making me huff, but he doesn't hold my attention for long as my gaze tracks to the white tiger stalking along the tree line. But it’s the sound of wings overhead that wins in the end, blasting a gust of air over me as I shield my eyes from the sun to catch the pretty flash of Alaric’s scales.
It seems my hated mates are determined to follow me everywhere. Before I can argue against it again, I exhale slowly and focus on getting through the day instead.
As I place one foot in front of the other, a flash of red whips past my face, and I come eye to eye with Ember. I can feel the flickers of her heat against the tip of my nose as she smiles at me.
“You've got this,” she insists, and I nod, determined to take her words to heart as Archer clears his throat.
“We can just head back inside,” he offers, but I balk, my eyes narrowing as I tilt my face toward him.
“Why? I'm not afraid,” I mutter, standing taller. His eyes widen a fraction.
“You're not?” he reiterates, and I roll my eyes.
I don’t have time to deal with any kind of doubt, whether from the outside world or from within.
Instead, I take off, trying to shake the tension as I head toward the main academy building. The glimmer of wildflowers distracts me from my whirlwind of thoughts and I grin; the first one that feels real.
Each step grows bouncier and peppier as I embrace the campus landscape. I’ve had nothing but doom and gloom for what feels like forever, and the lingering memories of what my father did threaten to plague me, but they are inconsequential to my current situation as the gothic building looms ahead.
With each stride, I find myself even more determined to settle as a sea of students come into view. Before I can calm my nerves, I startle at the sound of someone calling my name.
My gaze darts toward the source, where I find Meadow gaping at me in surprise.
I lift my hand in a shy wave, but she doesn’t wave back. Instead, she bolts toward me. I catch the outline of Toby in her wake, his feet planted as he offers the briefest of nods before I’m engulfed in his mate's embrace.
Warmth floods my veins at her contact as we rock from side to side while tears threaten to prick the backs of my eyelids.
Is this what it feels like to have a friend? A real one. Not someone who is seeking anything from you.
I have the best brother in the world. There's no doubt about it, even with all the secrets and the mess he was a part of when I first arrived here.
I know I'm blessed to have him, but that's never stopped me from wondering what it would feel like to have a female presence.
A sister, a best friend, damn, even a cousin to offer a girly aspect to my life.
My mom was never an option. Any time spent with her was used to mold me into the shape she chose, and I’m still dealing with the aftermath of it, even with this distance between us. Just like my father, her teachings linger in my mind like poison, committed to bringing me to my knees.
Before I lose myself in my thoughts, I squeeze Meadow a little tighter, savoring her presence.
She reluctantly leans back, curling her fingers around my upper arms as she stares into my eyes. “Is it true?” she whispers, her gaze searching mine, and I frown.
“Is what true?”
She gulps, and my veins turn to ice.
“Meadow?” I murmur, and she inches closer, her words even quieter this time.
“That you're a phoenix.”
The words leave her mouth, and my world stills. It’s as if I can feel every pair of eyes within a one-mile radius lock onto me, waiting for an answer.
Light-headed, nauseated, and on the brink of crumbling, I stutter over a response, but before I can lose myself to it completely, she gives me a little shake.
“Hey, whatever’s going on in that pretty head of yours, put a pin in it; you can tell me about it later. I'm just glad to see you’re okay. Some asshole wouldn’t let me go to the medical center.”
I follow her line of sight to find two of my mates, both with an air of nervousness dancing in the atmosphere around them.
“You didn’t let my friend come to see me,” I bite through clenched teeth, and Teddy lifts his hands in surrender.
“It wasn’t us,” he insists, and I raise a brow at him as Archer clears his throat.
“It was Hugo.”
I can see the truth in their eyes and my lips pinch. I take back every good thing I thought about my brother a few moments ago. Instead, I make a mental note to reach out to the butthead later to give him a piece of my mind.
Irritated, I return my attention to my friend, brushing a loose curl behind my ear as I focus on other matters. “I didn't realize it would be such hot news,” I admit, my words barely more than a whisper as I shake my head. She scoffs.
“Girl, this place runs on drama, but I'm just really glad to see you're okay,” she insists, dropping one hand from my shoulder to lace it through mine, linking us.
“I’m sorry, I should have messaged,” I insist, and she rears back, blinking at me in confusion, halting us after a single step.
“Wait, what? That wasn't your job. You had enough going on. Besides, I'm sure we can catch up at lunch, maybe even dinner,” she offers, and I nod as tendrils of happiness flood through me.
“Absolutely.”
We stay side by side as we near the academy, and she gives me one final squeeze before rejoining Toby. For a brief moment, I’m in a world of bliss, until I’m met with watchful stares and questionable whispers.
I sense Teddy at my side before he speaks. “Are you going to be okay with Archer?”
I grimace.
Of course, of all the days I choose to restart the Academy, it just so happens to be the day we start down in the Fire Protector’s cave system. That means no safety net in Teddy.
I purse my lips, frustrated as I dare to glance at the man in question.
I’m still mad at him for all the asshole things he did in the medical center, like holding me in my sleep as if he were my blanket of safety and kissing me as if I weren’t mad at him, or letting me kiss him as if it was one of the most natural things to do.
Sighing, I clench my hands at my sides. “I’ll be fine.”
Teddy runs his hand down my spine, pressing his lips to my temple. I lean into the touch, forgetting myself, but before I can shove him away, he saunters off.
Another presence appears beside me, but I don't turn to look this time as I make my way down toward the Fire Protector’s cave.
Thankfully, he doesn't try to speak to me, but unfortunately, that means I'm subjected to the students’ whispers around me.
“I heard she forgot everything and slept for days,” a girl whispers to her friends as they peer over their shoulders at me.
I keep my eyes locked ahead, as if I can't hear them, all while a part of my soul shatters inside me.
My mother’s words taunt me, berating me for giving anyone a reason to speak negatively about me, but before I’m dragged into the past, the random girl’s friend whispers back.
“I heard she died naked.”
My hands clench at my sides.
“I heard it was her father,” a guy adds, rocking up beside them with a snicker on his lips.
Defeat taunts me, and my head dips, my chin an inch from my chest as I try to steady my breathing.
“How do they know all of that?” I mumble to myself, emotions warring throughout my entire body.
“I don't know,” Archer grunts, and I startle, my gaze automatically shifting to my right, where he walks in sync with me, as if leading me to my impending doom. His eyes are narrowed, and his jaw is tight as his lips curl up in a snarl. “But when I find out, I'm going to strangle them to death.”
I balk at him. “Why is it always violence when it comes to you guys?”
He licks his bottom lip as he shrugs. “Only when it comes to you,” he admits, stealing my breath in a way that shouldn't be possible as I come to a stop outside of the cave.
The rest of the students move around me, heading inside as Archer gives me a pointed look.
“Ready, Angel? he asks, and I sigh.
My veins thrum with the anger that still lingers at his presence. Instead of answering, I tilt my face to the sky again, embracing the sun on my face once more. A shadow swoops over me, and a moment later, Alaric flies overhead, disappearing into the distance.
I shiver, unsure whether I appreciate his presence or not.
The dragons, yes, his rider, maybe.
Returning my attention to the ass beside me, I grumble. “I hate that you're the Fire Protector of the group.”
“Are you trying to hurt my feelings?” he muses, making my eyes widen a fraction.
“That would require you to have some,” I snap, not waiting around for him as I take off, joining everybody else heading toward the cave.
I'm desperate to glance over my shoulder and see the state of his face, eager to see whether or not I got a reaction, but I force myself to proceed, although I can still feel his presence.
Reaching the entrance, I relish the sense of heat waiting ahead.
It’s intoxicating, stronger than ever, and I can’t decide if that has something to do with my heightened abilities, but it encourages me inside without a second’s hesitation.