Page 11 of Hero of Havoc

Archer clears his throat. “There's more, Ivy. On our end. You have to let me give that to you,” he breathes, and I snatch my arm away from his, lurching to my feet.

I can believe the people in this room. His magic makes it impossible not to, especially combined with Baron’s, but they don't deserve a response right now, not after this, knowing I need more time to digest.

A heavy sigh falls from across the room, and Silas stands. “Do you need anything else? This doesn't have anything to do with me, and I'm ready to leave.” He cocks a brow at me, and I can't help but wonder why Silas is making so much sense right now.

Brushing my hands over my dress, I take a step toward him.

“Ivy,” Teddy murmurs, but I ignore the warning.

“We're done for now, but I could use an escort home,” I state, eyes fixed on Silas’s.

“Ivy,” Archer adds, and I'm reminded of the moment I promised there would be no one else, just like they did, but that was before I knew the truth, and this isn't even in that same kind of category.

“It's a simple escort home,” I rasp, and Silas nods.

“As you wish,” he mutters as I reach his side, and the twins call my name in tandem.

“Ivy.”

I glance over my shoulder, meeting each of them head-on before my eyes settle on my brother, but even that's unbearable.

I feel myself disassociate as my gaze darkens. “I’m not staying here, knowing my allies are as dangerous as my enemies.”

4

IVY

My eyelids have never been so heavy, yet they refuse to close as I stare up at my bedroom ceiling. I think sleep graced me for what felt like half a second and has left me overwhelmed by exhaustion, my body incapable of resting while my mind remains alive.

I should have known storming off wouldn't give me the respite I needed.

Only answers would.

But that would require me to face my life, madness included, and I don't know how I could have the capacity for that.

My mind is still a jumbled mess, so instead of facing the pain, I blink at the ceiling, waiting for everything and praying for nothing all at once.

It's like I'm caught in a vortex, stuck in the ebbs and flows of my emotions, lodged between heartache and sheer desperation, only for it to get to be too much, forcing my mind to go blank for a few moments before the cycle starts again.

The mid-morning sun glows throughout my room, peeking through the drapes that frame my four-poster bed, half covering my sheets, and it's the only thing that keeps me grounded.

Twisting my hand, I face my palm to the light, soaking in every drop of the warmth.

Last night feels like a fleeting moment. The control I possessed… it was fueled by anger, but now it's disappointment that threads through my veins, and I don't know how to handle that.

The reality is, instead of receiving the answer to why they rejected me two years ago, I was twisted by the knowledge that they knew I was a phoenix. That alone threatens to fill me with more questions, each one spiraling me deeper into the pits of despair, and I wish I didn’t know anything at all.

Blissfully oblivious is a preferred state of mind I wish I could return to.

Instead, I’m tortured by the desire for answers, but I know I’m going to hate receiving them. Especially because the only people who can answer them are my hated mates and my brother.

I can’t stand to face any of them right now.

A flash of red flickers out of the corner of my eye, catching my attention, and I know I'm not alone.

Ember.

Instead of her usual dancing and twirling around the room as a ball of flames, driving me insane, she nestles on the pillow beside my head, and her shift in demeanor immediately leaves me on edge.