31. Ivy
IVY
My brow crinkles before I even open my eyes, my body acutely aware of the foreign surroundings. The sheets beneath me are different, I can tell without looking. It's like they're not as soft as my own, and they smell like… Archer.
Prying my eyes open, my heart racing in my chest, my mind suddenly alert, I find the culprit beside me.
He's passed out, his long lashes softly dancing along the rim of his eyes, making him almost look angelic, as if this man would only ever know peace. I’m not fooled, though. I know the fire that burns within him.
He doesn't hold my attention for long though, because whispers ring in my ears. Rolling my head, I shield my face from the sun that bleeds through the window as I'm overwhelmed with the memories of last night.
The grounding.
All four of them were touching my skin at once, and I shattered with ease.
It shouldn't have been that easy.
I shouldn't want more.
And yet I do, despite the past and all the things I still don’t have answers to.
Shaking my head, ridding the thoughts from my mind, I focus on taking stock of myself instead.
The raging inferno that consumed my veins last night now simmers softly, making it clear that the grounding has had an impact. Apparently, that’s all that was needed. It’s a positive outcome from a terrifying time, but even so, tension seeps into my bones, like it’s permanently ingrained.
Narrowing my eyes, I find the source of the sound, and my gaze darts towards Archer's desk, where Sax sits hunched over the wood and Baron hovers beside him.
I'm easily distracted, taking in the pair of them side by side.
I’m overwhelmed by the stark differences mixed with uncanny similarities that stand out between the pair. Despite their completely opposite hairstyles, one cropped, one long and twisted into a telltale knot at the top of his head, they are a mirror copy of one another.
Even though their eyes are different colors, one brown, one green, the way they crinkle at the corners is a complete replica.
Their statures are no different, and the way they both twist their lips just a fraction is a carbon copy.
Taking a deep breath, I will myself to focus, but, staring at the desk, my mind drifts once more to last night and the memory that plays in the fog of seeing Archer rife with pain.
My eyelids shutter, and I refocus once again on the brothers, refusing to let such travesty and despair claw through me once again.
“How do you feel?” Sax murmurs, staring up at his brother, who shrugs.
“It doesn't matter how I feel, only her,” Baron grunts, making my heart stutter.
“It's a shift for all of us, Baron, and it's important we check in with one another,” Sax insists, making Baron's nostrils flare just a little as he refuses to return his brother's stare.
“Well, my eyes are no longer orange,” he mutters, reminding me of the glowing visual I had last night; of their eyes matching mine.
“For now,” Sax mumbles with a heavy exhale. “We need to keep a close eye on her, or––”
“She's going to feel like she can't breathe if we don't give her space,” Baron interjects, and Sax sighs again.
“If what you are saying is right, and this book is telling the truth, orange is the least of our worries.”
Baron curses under his breath, reaching for the open leather-bound book between them before yanking it toward him. I watch his Adam's apple bob before he peers over his shoulder, seeking me out in the quiet of the room, only to startle when he sees my eyes open.
“Ivy,” he rasps, and I clear my throat.
“What are you reading?” I ask, and he stands.
“It’s information on grounding and phoenixes,” he answers honestly, waving me off, and I sit up, swinging my legs over the side of the bed. I sway from the fast movement, and Baron takes a step toward. “You need to wake up first,” he murmurs, not moving any closer, and I shake my head.
“Show me,” I murmur, nodding to the pages behind him, and he clears his throat as he retracts his step.
“It's written in code, and I’m trying to decipher it,” he admits, and Sax drags the leather away from his brother to turn it toward me.
I squint at the text, overwhelmed by the jumbled letters and symbols.
“What does it say?” I ask, and Baron's tongue sweeps out, running across his bottom lip, but it’s Sax who answers.
“That grounding is common in those who have more than one mate,” he admits, and I nod.
“Like your mom?” I clarify, and they both grunt.
“I'd rather not think about that,” Baron grumbles, and I snicker, clamping my hand over my mouth, but the amusement quickly dies off when I see the emotion swirling in his eyes.
“What else does it say?”
“That it helps balance your magic, so it isn't so chaotic,” he answers, and my stomach knots.
“And?” I push.
“And?” Sax breathes, squinting at me.
“You said something about eyes,” I insist, and his jaw tightens a moment before he spins in the chair to face me head-on.
“You look a lot calmer,” he states, and I shrug.
“I feel it,” I admit. “But I’m still a little overwhelmed.”
The unsettling in my chest is hard to deny, and at this stage, I'm certain it's something I'm going to deal with for the rest of my life.
“I'm sure that's to be expected,” he soothes, and I hum.
“So…the eyes,” I reiterate.
“You're not going to let that drop, are you?” Sax asks with a defeated sigh, and I cock a brow at him.
He presses his lips together, silence stretching around the room, and I can't help but consider how agitated and furious I would feel if I were still struggling with my emotions like last night.
Yet here I am, the jitteriness mostly gone, and I'm left with a little more patience, but it isn’t enough to soothe my curiosity and desperation for knowledge.
As if sensing the swelling agitation inside of me, Baron clears his throat. “The grounding isn't a one-and-done experience,” he blurts.
“Huh?”
He rubs a hand over the back of his neck. “Your magic is expected to become more hazardous for the foreseeable future.”
I blink at him. “So I'm not fixed?”
“There is nothing to fix, Princess.”
My gaze snaps behind me, finding Teddy lying on the other side of Archer, who also blinks at me expectantly.
Sax clears his throat. “We just have to monitor—”
“I,” I correct, and Sax’s eyebrows pull together in confusion.
“Sorry?”
“You said we, but it's me who needs to monitor my magic.”
“We're trying to help, Ivy,” Baron states, and I scoff.
“Yet it feels like control,” I bite back, emotion quickly clawing through my veins.
I should have known it wouldn't last long.
Sure, it’s not the same turmoil that I felt yesterday, but it's still there, still burning for an escape.
“We’re not your father,” Archer murmurs, and I huff.
“With where your dick was last night, I'm eternally grateful.”
Throwing the covers off, I stand, glancing down at myself, only to realize I'm in someone's oversized t-shirt, which falls mid-thigh, and a pair of boxers.
I fold my arms over my chest, turning my attention to the twins.
“The eyes.”
“Ivy,” Baron warns, and I shake my head.
“The eyes,” I push, and Sax purses his lips.
“There are stages,” he offers, and I scowl.
“What stages?”
Baron exhales, defeated. “I don't know. I haven't deciphered it all yet, but from what I can tell, orange is just the beginning.”
Pressing my fingertips into my temples, I try to fight against the relentless headache that threatens to consume me, appearing out of nowhere, yet drilling through my skull like it’s always been there.
“It's going to be okay, Princess. We can—”
“Stop saying we!” I snap, glaring at Teddy before letting each of my hated mates feel the wrath of my glare. “There is no we, and I promise you there never will be if you don't explain what the hell happened two years ago.”
The silence is deafening as I offer them all one last glance, desperate for an answer. When it doesn't come, and all I'm left with are pools of guilt, I chase isolation instead.
Bolting for the exit, I'm determined to take matters into my own hands.
Someone calls my name, but I don't glance over my shoulder as I swing the bedroom door open and dart for the stairs. I move on autopilot, relishing in the flicker of heat that consumes me before I step outside.
Barefoot, I run in a blind panic, completely torn. I’m in too much of a spiral to be fully aware of my surroundings, who might be nearby, or anything else for that matter.
I just run, relishing the wind that whips through my hair until I jolt to a stop at the clifftop. Sharp, jagged breaths rattle my chest as I plant my hands on my hips, focusing on the horizon as I try to steady my breathing, all the while overwhelmed by the fact that it's never-ending.
There's no running away from this, even if just for a moment. Acknowledging the fact does nothing to calm my bubbling emotions.
The sound of wings flapping cuts through the sound of my pulse ringing in my ears, and I glance up just in time to see the familiar flash of green scales before the ground vibrates beside me.
“Alaric,” I blurt, panic stiffening my spine as he inches closer.
“Don't worry, he knows to keep his distance,” he murmurs into my mind, and I glance over my shoulder to find the long-haired twin leaning against the closest tree. When it's clear he's not going to come any closer, I move on instinct and fall into Alaric, leaning against his scales.
Time swirls around me as my hated mate's dragon gets comfortable lying along the grass. I take a seat between his claws, basking in the quiet calm as I stare off into the distance and welcome his embrace.
When my breathing mellows out, and the air is no longer suffocating around me, Alaric speaks.
“What's going through that head of yours?” he asks, and I grunt.
“Self-loathing,” I admit, hating how self-aware I actually am.
“How so?” he pushes, and I sigh, throwing my arms out in disbelief.
“I waited forever to be here, to embrace being something more than a pawn, but this is more intense than anything I ever imagined.
On top of that, I feel like I've escaped from one controlling situation only to be dropped right into another, and every instinct I have is telling me to run. Run as fast and far away from anyone and anything that threatens my freedom, my future.” My chest aches at the truth.
Alaric nuzzles against my open palm, ensuring I keep calm. “You need the peace to process,” he soothes, and another sigh parts my lips.
“But by the time I've wrapped my head around one thing, I'm faced with another.”
“You'll get through it,” he promises, and my heart stutters at the first time hearing the word—you—and not we.
I exhale, a weight lifting from my shoulders as I dare to glance behind me and around Alaric's scales to spy Baron in the distance. He’s still in the exact same spot, despite all the time that's passed.
“Wait, can he hear us from there?” I grunt, and Alaric huffs, smoke billowing from his nostrils.
“Likely.”
My lips twist.
Returning my gaze to the horizon, I sit tall. “I can't forgive him, not without knowing.”
“I won't let you, regardless,” Alaric insists, making the corner of my mouth tilt up a fraction before I drag my hand down my face.
“What do I do now?” I breathe, staring out into so much openness, I don't know where to begin.
“Now, you stand on your word.”