Page 13 of Hero of Havoc

The Fire Protector scrubs a hand over the back of his neck nervously before aiming his thumb at my sprite. “She said you needed someone to take you to the dungeons,” he states, and I shake my head, giving Ember a pointed look.

“I could have made it on my own,” I grumble, irritated, yet slightly relieved that she didn’t instinctively run to one of my hated mates, but it seems she’s as hurt by the situation as I am.

“Could you?” Silas muses with a smirk on his face, and I give him a pointed look.

“Cockiness doesn't suit you, Silas,” I grumble, stepping out into the hallway and closing my door behind me. I don't make it two steps before the door next to mine opens, revealing Archer's distressed face.

“Ivy,” he rasps, reaching out a bandaged hand, and guilt curls through me once again.

All I can do is shake my head and dart for the stairs, hurrying outside without interruption with Silas two steps behind me.

Making it out into the mid-morning air, I’m surprised Archer isn’t right on my heels, but I’m immediately aware of the fact that I'm not alone.

Despite leaving Archer in his doorway, the familiar sound of wings flapping overhead, and the knowing sensation of eyes burning into the side of my head, confirm that at least Baron is nearby, with either Teddy or Sax covering the ground.

Irritation floods through me, the urge to call them out burning almost as bright as my power, but I swallow it down and focus on the task at hand. I set off with my chin a little lower than usual, so I don’t catch a glimpse of Alaric. I can’t face him right now.

Silas falls into step beside me, and although I internally plead for a silent escort, just as I received last night, he clears his throat, making it known I won’t be so lucky twice in a row.

“How are you holding up, Fireball?”

“I’m not talking about this with you,” I mutter, folding my arms over my chest as we head toward the main academy building while I focus on the pretty wildflowers that line the walkway.

“Are you talking about it with anyone?” he retorts, making my lips pinch and my defenses instinctively rise.

“That’s none of your business either,” I breathe, my stomach twisting in knots, and he sighs.

“I don’t know what I did to piss you off so much, Ivy, but⁠—”

“I can tell you if you want,” I offer, finally dragging my eyes to his, only for him to give me a pointed look.

“I’m an ass, I know that, I was pushing on you too, which I’m sure would please most girls, but you’re… different.” He drags a hand through his hair, his shoulders bunching slightly as he sighs. “I was irritated and mad. Not at you, but you just happened to get caught in the crossfire.”

“You’re not really making any sense,” I admit, and he offers me a tight smile.

“My sister was the coolest girl I’ve ever known,” he states, and I nod.

“I remember meeting her. Only once, but I can agree to that,” I offer, earning a slightly less tense smile this time.

“I bet she liked you,” he breathes, and I hum.

“I like to think she did. I know I liked her.”

It’s the truth. She smiled with her whole face and somehow made my brother do it too. She was down to earth, friendly, and a true source of positive energy. I felt every inch of it when she stepped into our home.

One fleeting visit, and then she was gone.

I never understood the hows or whys, or maybe I didn’t dare ask, but even now, I don’t think I could manage Silas’s pain, knowing my brother suffered the same loss too.

Thankfully, he drags his hand down his face as he clears his throat. “I blamed everyone for her death, especially your brother,” he admits, and I cock a brow at him.

“So you thought you would try to get back at him through me?” I clarify, and he shakes his head.

“No, I think I was trying to chase that same smile that my sister seemed to get from the Hayworth boy.”

My eyes widen in surprise, the truth catching me off guard as silence blankets us.

His words should make me feel something… anything… yet, I’ve never felt more isolated and dissociated from the world around me.